Book discussion: Babyville

jarebearsmom · February 2013

Hey ladies! I am excited that we are getting the book club on a roll again!

Did you like the book? If you have read any of the author's other books, how does this compare?
What is this book's message?
How did you feel about the characters? Whom did you like or not like and why?
What did you think of the ending?

Who could you relate to most out of the three main characters?

What was your favorite/least favorite part of the book?

Anything else you would like to add?

jarebearsmom · February 2013

Did you like the book? If you have read any of the author's other books, how does this compare?

I did like the book. I finished it before February even started lol. I haven't read anything else by her

What is this book's message?

I think each character brought a new message. With Julia it was definitely that a baby can't fix a relationship. Maeve was so adamant about not being in a relationship and following her moms path until her mom was honest with her and told her how hard it was in her to be alone. Not that the message is don't be alone but more along the lines of not knowing what other people are dealing with.

And Sam. Poor Sam. Her message is a message a lot of PP women need to learn sooner rather than later

How did you feel about the characters? Whom did you like or not like and why?
I liked all 3 of the main characters for different reasons. Julia's boss was a DB. And so was Dan.
What did you think of the ending?

I'm not gonna lie. I cried at the ending. Flame away lol.

Who could you relate to most out of the three main characters?

I guess if I HAVE to pick one it would be Sam because I was never in a situation like the other 2 ladies. I never really felt trapped or resented DH though but I can understand where she was coming from.

What was your favorite/least favorite part of the book?

I loved how everyone's stories fell into place but I think the Haagen moment in the nursery was my favorite.

I was humiliated for Julia when mark walked in on their ritual

Anything else you would like to add?

I loved how when Maeve saw her dad all the resentment washed away and she instantly forgave him.
I HATED Dan and what he did to Sam!

GrayGhost13 · February 2013

Did you like the book? If you have read any of the author's other books, how does this compare?

Thanks, JBM, for choosing this month's book! I have to admit right off the bat that I really didn't like this book, but I think it's going to be a fun one to discuss because there's a lot going on in there.

I really wanted to like this book, but ended up hating it. I liked the author's breezy writing style, and I found the book very quick and entertaining to read. I'm also a bit of an Anglophile, so I liked all the British places and foods and details.

The reason why I didn't like the book is that I found the characters selfish, irresponsible and immature, and I found the underlying messages of the book kind of out of step with modern times. (I admit I actually googled the author mid-way through the book because I was sure she was like an 80-year-old woman. The whole thing felt like it was written decades ago.)

I haven't read any of Jane Green's other books. I liked her writing style, but I didn't like her ideas of what a woman's fairytale ending should look like. I prefer heroines who actually make action and earn their happy endings rather than being passive and having everything handed to them.

What is this book's message?

I don't know if it was intentional, but the book seemed to suggest that being passive and agreeable was the way to get what you want in life. It seemed like anyone who aggressively went for what they wanted in the book was punished (for instance Julia when she wanted to TTC or Maeve when she wanted to push her career forward and enjoy casual dating), but when the women just sort of floated along and waited for someone else to save them everything turned out right.

For example, Julia's infertility was magically cured by just relaxing. (Gee! I wish it were that simple!) Sam's PPD was magically cured by doing nothing basically. (I agree with JBM that the message about PPD was valuable, but it would have been so much better to show Sam actually getting help through counseling and/or medication rather than just waiting for it to blow over and almost losing her marriage because of it).

Finally, I have to commend Green for being willing to tackle a touchy subject like abortion, but I hated the way the whole thing felt like an anti-choicer's fairy tale. It basically read like: stupid woman is too hormonal and indecisive to make a choice; rational paternalistic male character coerces her into getting and ultrasound; after her date with the vag cam, boom, wayward woman is enlightened and "chooses" what the man wanted her to choose all along. Don't get me wrong, I am not a fan of abortion, so I was happy she kept the baby, but it would have been so much more powerful if she had made the decision on her own, particularly if she had learned how to balance being a working single mom, rather than getting whisked away to her new SO's embarrassingly large Victorian mansion.

How did you feel about the characters? Whom did you like or not like and why?

I didn't like any of them. I felt like they made a lot of irresponsible decisions and none of them took responsibility for their actions.

What did you think of the ending?

When Julia said she got pregnant just because she relaxed, it was all I could do to not throw my Kindle across the room. My poor husband had to hear me rant about it for like 10 minutes because I was so angry. It's so infuriating and insulting to anyone who's had trouble TTC or known someone who has.

Who could you relate to most out of the three main characters?

None of the main characters. Actually, I liked the mom that Julia interviewed who talked about what it was like to be a new mom and how parenthood affects your marriage. That little part of the book was actually quite excellent. I wish more of the book had been honest like that instead of a fairy tale.

What was your favorite/least favorite part of the book?

Probably the parts I outlined above. The part about Julia getting pregnant was really the last straw though. I guess that's the part that bothered me the most. I actually went and one-starred it on Goodreads because I was so mad! LOL!

Anything else you would like to add?

Just wanted to reiterate, I really enjoyed having a chance to read and discuss something that's different from what I'd normally pick out, so even though the book wasn't my favorite, I wanted to say thanks to JBM for organizing the book club and picking the book. Smile

jarebearsmom · February 2013

I feel like I need to change all of my answers! Lol

Hearing your pov really makes me understand what you are saying. They were all pretty selfish and immature. I actually started off hating the book but since they all got their happy endings I decided to like it

BUT if it took me a while to TTC I would hate Julia with a passion

GrayGhost13 · February 2013

jarebearsmom:
I feel like I need to change all of my answers! Lol

No, no, no, not at all! There's no right or wrong answer in book club! LOL I love hearing different point of views, as well. Smile

jarebearsmom · February 2013

GrayGhost13:
jarebearsmom:
I feel like I need to change all of my answers! Lol
No, no, no, not at all! There's no right or wrong answer in book club! LOL I love hearing different point of views, as well.

I did love the interview with that mom. I forgot about her. That was honesty without being Sam's situation

GrayGhost13 · February 2013

::looks around::

So, are we the only two people who read the book this month? Maybe we should have offered to serve margaritas at the check-in or something? Stick out tongue

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