So Much for That

So Much For That by Lionel Shriver. This tale of the devastating effect of illness on relationships is turbo-charged with rage. Lisa O'Kelly.
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The couple are forced to face the deeply uncomfortable question: Shriver had some ground to make up. Reviewers wondered if Kevin — the mordant tale of a teenage mass murderer — was a flash, albeit a very dazzling flash, in the pan. A darkly brilliant novel, Kevin was the kind of hit most authors only dream of. And it was an extremely hard act to follow. She is an expat born in North Carolina, she moved to London 15 years ago , with an unerring grasp of what makes the disenchanted American psyche tick.

Almost everyone in the novel is horribly — and believably — disappointed by life, from Zach, who hides away in his bedroom talking to other fed-up teenagers online shades of Kevin to Shep's best friend Jackson, an armchair politician who rants against injustice. Their discontent leaps off the page.

So Much For That feels turbo-charged by anger. Dedicating an entire novel to the themes of serious illness and the unfairness of the pre-Obama healthcare system in America is risky. It is unpalatable subject matter and at times, I must confess, I dreaded picking up the book to find out what happened next. But Shriver's furious energy drags you along regardless. Never one to be afraid of going over the top, she gives Shep not just one heartrending dilemma to wrestle with but two.

While Glynis languishes in the chemotherapy lounge, his father is ratcheting up bills in a nursing home. Should Shep carry on paying for his keep or farm him out to sub-standard public care to save the money for Glynis? So, as well as a novel about the grim interface between health and wealth in America, this is a book about the devastating effect of illness on human relationships.

As with much of Shriver's writing, the novel was inspired by an incident in her own life: The author admitted recently that Terri taught her how cowardly most of us are in the face of terminal illness and described her guilt and regret at having "always found a reason not to call". In the novel she gleefully skewers Glynis's friends and family for the same behaviour.

Not for my entire career, but often enough for it to be disheartening. Third, there are, IMO, only two supernatural experiences for which we can be present in this world: North American culture is so focused on appearance, material possessions and sex. And the more television and popular culture one consumes, the more one gets focused on this triumvirate.

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My only reservation about this book is how slickly everything works out in the end: So what do I know? So much for that. Apr 06, Joe rated it it was amazing Shelves: I stayed up past midnight to finish the book, which tells you how much I cared about these characters. And I keep dwelling on the messages in the book today, namely: What would I do if a family member got sick? What would I want my friends and family to do if I got sick?

What is the proper relationship between healthcare and a functioning, moral society? The novel appears to start off as a jeremiad, and maybe even just a vehicle for a political opinion, but launches from there to something much bi I stayed up past midnight to finish the book, which tells you how much I cared about these characters. The novel appears to start off as a jeremiad, and maybe even just a vehicle for a political opinion, but launches from there to something much bigger. And of course, as she does in all of her books, the author fearlessly goes to inflammatory places like nobody else I've read can do.

I guess the book isn't perfect. I didn't think the relationships between the adults and their children rang true, but it was forgivable. You might think, I'd rather not read a book about cancer. But you should read this one. I think it will be the best book I will read all year. Oct 02, Sheryl Sorrentino rated it it was amazing.

Lionel Shriver is one of a small handful of authors whose work I consistently love—no matter how far one novel might stray from the next. In So Much for That, Shriver takes on midlife malaise, mesothelioma and the medical industry and make no mistake, U. Her prose is scathing, angry, and unfailingly witty. I can see why certain other reviewers hated this book; it is admittedly depressing.

They serve as mouthpieces for all that is wrong with this country and its overabundance of meaningless diversions, paid or unpaid. But I, for one, laud this author for tackling the nasty underside of our counterfeit, largely-pointless way of life in such a deliciously entertaining manner.

Shriver takes no prisoners. I confess—this is my plan, too, albeit right here in California, so this book struck a personal chord. Though Jackson is one-dimensional in his rants in this regard, he reminds me very much of my own brother , the sad thing is that everything he says about everything is true, in particular the medical system. His own daughter, Flicka, is living with familial dysautonomia, or FD—a rare genetic disorder found among Ashkenazi Jews.

So Much for That is more the literary equivalent of being roused by a printed-word defibrillator. Nonetheless, if you can stand or so pages of large and small jolts, the ending, while a bit far-fetched, is a glorious triumph of the little guy.

So much for that

It is a face-slapping wake-up call to those of us fortunate enough to be well, yet audacious enough to complain. For many readers, its message—that suffering and death are inevitable and exempt no one—will be unwelcome and best stuffed under the sofa along with lost change and potato chip crumbs. But for the rest of us, its reminder to live life— now, fully, and genuinely —is a welcome admonishment to appreciate our short time on Earth while we revel in our precious health. Personally, I loved every minute of this ride. View all 12 comments. Feb 28, Kate. I have truly loved Lionel Shriver's past novels, but now wonder if she isn't a lot like the hand-walking queer that character in Beaches who does all kinds of freak circus tricks to wow the crowds on the boardwalk or that friend you make on the first day of school who you have to shrug off in mid-October because they have become so annoying and demanding.

I would tell my Mom NOT to invite her for another play date. So Much For That details two families' slow I have truly loved Lionel Shriver's past novels, but now wonder if she isn't a lot like the hand-walking queer that character in Beaches who does all kinds of freak circus tricks to wow the crowds on the boardwalk or that friend you make on the first day of school who you have to shrug off in mid-October because they have become so annoying and demanding.

So Much For That details two families' slow painful orbit in the universe of a broken health care system. Genetic disorders, terminal cancer, botched elective surgery, placebo effects, copays, deductibles, co-insurance, assisted living facilities, the lot. These characters might be interesting, but it's hard to really know them for their congenital preachiness, malignant character flaws, septic world views, and specimen biopsy quality flatness.

Like my new medical lingo? All this aside, I saw the author I love shine through in the last pages, and that was enough to redeem this book from the rubbish bin for me. Lionel, honey -- call me next time you need a friendly read-through. Shepherd Knacker is a protagonist after my own heart, the kind of guy who works hard, pays his bills, pays a lot of his relatives' bills, takes care of his family and defers his dreams.

He wants to escape the rat-race but his wife is diagnosed with cancer and he needs his health insurance. The book is unsparing and clear about issues needing discussing, including, just how much health insurance and Medicare do NOT pay for, and, just how oncology gives patients awful treatments that Shepherd Knacker is a protagonist after my own heart, the kind of guy who works hard, pays his bills, pays a lot of his relatives' bills, takes care of his family and defers his dreams. The book is unsparing and clear about issues needing discussing, including, just how much health insurance and Medicare do NOT pay for, and, just how oncology gives patients awful treatments that only extend their lives a few weeks or months at the cost of all the family's financial resources.

As a physician with oncology experience, I can testify to the truth of the depiction of both issues.


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The story also gets behind the seemingly uneven relationship of soft-touch husband and mean-spirited wife to their basic love. A couple who are good friends also are well depicted, although the husband's self-destruction strikes a false note. The couple's daughter, afflicted with a congenital and inevitably fatal disorder, entertains us by being candidly angry. I was delighted to have discovered this author.

Before I read this book I never would have thought that a rare cancer and an even rater genetic disorder plus the ins and outs of the US-American health insurance system would make for a moving, witty and engaging novel. May 12, Nancy rated it really liked it Shelves: Let me say up front, I am not recommending this book to anyone. I am not sure I exactly liked it, and I'm not sure who would be up for perhaps the most oxymoronic book I've read in awhile: Add in that the ending is perhaps unearned, the author can tend toward polemic, pretty much none of the characters are likeable, and It's a flawed book.

But there's a lot it gets right. How alone each person is when someone in a family gets cancer. How all of us dream of Let me say up front, I am not recommending this book to anyone. How all of us dream of taking our savings and saying, "Shove it", to the whole American dream. How we bury ourselves under material things, and under big ideas, and under our personal narrative so we don't have to get to know each other, or ourselves. Yeah, lots of big ideas in this book, and some of them are approached with too much Which, as alluded to above, will not take very long, even at pages, because whatever else the story is, it's compelling as hell.

Sep 23, Karen rated it did not like it. I am shocked by the accolades this book has received. There were parts of the book that were enjoyable and surprising, particularly the ending, but reading this novel was immensely painful, primarily because almost all of the characters were unlikeable, self-pitying, cynical, self-absorbed, and simply unbearable. I realize that to some degree this was the point -- the characters are supposed to be "human" and flawed -- but their extreme lack of empathy for others actually made them seem like car I am shocked by the accolades this book has received.

I realize that to some degree this was the point -- the characters are supposed to be "human" and flawed -- but their extreme lack of empathy for others actually made them seem like caricatures, rather than endowed with "humanity. And the subplot of Jackson's demise was excruciating to read. Additionally, as other people have noted, the cynical political rants aren't literary and don't contribute anything of value to the story.

There were some funny moments, and some of the writing from Shep's perspective was compelling, but on the whole, I found this to be a disturbing and unenjoyable read. Think this is my book of the year. I loved it - the characterisation, story, social commentary and wit that can only be described as Acerbic. Shep is a great character. He has done everything by the book in his life - starting his own business, looking after family - which is extended beyond his kids and parents to even his sister - a rock, who pays for everything.

Through selling his own business and soul, by working for the man he sold to he has amassed a tidy sum to pay for his retirement in h Think this is my book of the year. Through selling his own business and soul, by working for the man he sold to he has amassed a tidy sum to pay for his retirement in his early 50s. His wife, Glynis has turned down his requests - instead putting him a holding pattern to discover places around the globe and to find reasons for not doing the migration.

Early in the book it gets to the point where Shep issues an ultimatum - he has three tickets - the family can come if they want. This is when Glynis responds with her own news - she has life threatening cancer. To add to the complexibity, this might have been caused by absestos, which he worked with in his life as a handyman. Shep has to return to work and fund her treatment from his retirement fund.

Cue lots of social commentary on the state of american health care, tax, working for the man. All of this is nicely rounded with other charcters - his friend jackson who can rant about politics all day - his sister, Beryl who is an arty type and expects Shep to part support her. Sheps problems take a turn for the worst when his father a vicar, so through religion into the mix takes a fall and he has to support him, his wfie, her family who come to visit, his sister and his feckless son, who never leaves his room.

Jackson too, has his problems - his daughter has a wasting disease, he has paid for a penis enlargement and is debt up to his eyeballs as well. You care about the characters and get pulled into their world. The fact that Shep is such a good man that has so much go wrong for him is heartbreaking and the fact that you do care for him makes it worse. The book layers problems on problems - to the point where survival is not an option.

I am a little unsure of the ending - which turns into an escape fantasy story that is perhaps a bit too sugary in context of the book. What more could you want - great story with loads going on, great characterisation and a social commentary. Mar 16, Cait Poytress rated it it was ok Shelves: I don't think Shriver meant to describe her own book with the following passage, but she did: But sometimes, the last part, it heats up, and then right before the credits one of us starts to cry - well , then you forget about the crummy middle, don't you? YOu don't care about the fact that it started slow, or had some plot twist along the way that didn't scan.

Because it moved you, b I don't think Shriver meant to describe her own book with the following passage, but she did: Because it moved you, because it finally pulled together, you think, when you walk out, that it was a good movie, and you're glad you went. It wasn't terrible but it definitely wasn't great either. Most of the characters were so damn unlikeable that it was hard to muster up any sympathy for them. Even worse, though, were the multiple page long rantings about government, healthcare, evil insurance companies, etc.

I'm well aware that those issues form the basis of Shriver's novel; however, the rabidness of the delivery was off putting and their sheer verbosity caused my eyes to glaze over and start skimming - probably not the effect Shriver intended. That said, I'm probably not Shriver's intended audience either. She's a very talented writer and I'm hoping that this is just a case of the subject matter and the reader not clicking. Jul 17, Kasa Cotugno rated it really liked it. Shep Knacker is that rarity -- a true mensch.

He earned his living by hard work, taking odd jobs initially to raise his own tuition fees for college, then building that into a successful business which he sells hoping to move his entire family to a third world country to live out their lives in reasonable financial comfort, relatively cheaply. Of course, life is what happens when you're making plans, and his when wife, Glynis, announces she's got a rare terminal cancer, he must continue working Shep Knacker is that rarity -- a true mensch. Of course, life is what happens when you're making plans, and his when wife, Glynis, announces she's got a rare terminal cancer, he must continue working his lousy job to maintain his health insurance.

Shriver is brilliant in her characterizations. With the exception of Shep, who at times seems to good to be true, the rest of the cast is presented with their all too human foibles, starting with the talented, mercurial Glynnis. But you can't help but admire her. Shriver also takes the bold step of leaving their children somewhat in the background, since the issue here is not so much the story of a family beset by financial woes compounded by the sorry insurance system, as it is how different people in different circumstances react regarding money or the lack of it and how to deal with it.

Many of the characters are on the surface downright dislikeable Shep's sister Beryl, in a class by herself , and his best friend goes off on polemics that could have run a bit shorter than they did. However the central drama of Glynis's cancer and three medical scenario subplots make for fascinating reading. Shriver doesn't flinch from the details, and believe it or not, there are truly hilarious sequences.

Throughout, as in her other books, the dialogue is sharp and could be pasted onto a script without change. There wasn't a superfluous page in this book. Sep 19, Thomas Edmund rated it really liked it. The story begins with rich in money but not life Sheppard Knack, preparing to up and leave his home for a life less-complicated in a 3rd world country.

His plans derail in the worst way when his wife responds to his ultimatum of going with or without her, by telling him she has cancer. From there we see a heart-felt tale of struggle and survival as Sheppard, supports his wife with her illness. So much for that is still an amazing book, in a real league of its own compared to other contemporary novels. There is much divided opinion about Shriver's So Much for That.

As in her most well-known book, We Need To Talk About Kevin , the book's prose is highly stylised, and one can spot her distinctive writing from the outset. Within So Much for That , Shriver demonstrates just how versatile she is as an author; this effort is markedly different to the aforementioned, but it is just as compelling throughout. Many issues of importance are tackled here, but the one which rises above everything else is the There is much divided opinion about Shriver's So Much for That.

Many issues of importance are tackled here, but the one which rises above everything else is the healthcare system in the United States. It gives a fascinating insight into insurance policies and how much things actually cost, which I in the United Kingdom have been sheltered from with our fantastic NHS. Intelligently written and realistically characterised, So Much for That is sharp, exquisite, and mindblowingly good.

It held my interest throughout, until I reached the last dozen or so pages. They served to ruin the whole for me somewhat; I did not feel as though the epilogue which Shriver presents is necessary. In fact, it was reminiscent of that awful 'grown-up' scene at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , which still infuriates me. I have consequently come away from the whole feeling a touch disappointed, but know that I will definitely have to read all of Shriver's other books in future; she has such a talent, and I am determined to give one of her books a five-star rating.

Aug 06, David Harris rated it it was amazing. This novel highlights the barbaric and unsustainable system of health insurance in the US. It's long and the text is dense, so it takes a bit of discipline to get through it. But it's well worth it. Apr 03, Pechi rated it really liked it. A furious train journey of a novel fueled deliciously by a misanthropic rage that hurtles along, wrenching your heart and shifting your perceptions.

Lionel Shriver's novel "So Much for That" successfully negotiates the tightrope walk of graphically, realistically presenting the horror of fatal disease but not allowing the book to be a complete downer. Shriver tends not to bother avoiding overkill in her stories, and she doesn't here. Her characters get on their soap boxes, trading barbs and banter and scathing diatribes about whatever bee the author has in her bonnet at the moment. I have no problem with opinions and indictmen Lionel Shriver's novel "So Much for That" successfully negotiates the tightrope walk of graphically, realistically presenting the horror of fatal disease but not allowing the book to be a complete downer.

I have no problem with opinions and indictments of modern society presented through the mouths of bold fictional characters. So we have Jackson Burdina, whose daughter suffers from a debilitating disease she can't beat, delivering speeches about the mess the health-care system is in and what he calls the mugs and the moochers — the sufferers and those running or manipulating the system — on opposite sides.

His friend and co-worker Shep Knacker knows what Jackson is talking about even if he isn't protesting as much. Shep's wife, Glynis, has mesothelioma from asbestos exposure. Her plight — more specifically, how her family deals with her plight and the hoops the system makes everyone jump through — is the focus of Shriver's book. Shep, for years having longed to escape modern life in some primitive land The Afterlife, he calls it , finally has his dream within his grasp.

So Much for That by Lionel Shriver

He's saved for years, and now he plans to leave America for Pemba, a tiny island off Tanzania, with or without Glynis. On his search for an idyllic, out-of-the-way spot: But Glynis drops the bomb of her illness, and that changes everything. On the subject of book titles, except for "Checker and the Derailleurs," Shriver has done great with them: While, as I said, Shriver isn't one to shy away from packing her tales with pontificating protagonists and meaty subjects, she does push the envelope too far here with an excess of people in two families suffering health crises.

There's Glynis and there's Jackson's daughter, Shep's sister can't smell, Shep's aging father suffers an accident and needs care, and Jackson's cosmetic surgery goes gruesomely wrong. It is Jackson's plight that felt like overkill. Shriver made his problem necessary for where she wants to go with the plot, but for me it was too much. It's a big mistake in a small plot strand. Shriver's story is much more about those who care for the suffering than about those who suffer, though a chapter told more or less from Glynis' point of view is astonishingly good and moving.

A tally of Shep's dwindling Merrill Lynch portfolio, savaged by paying for Glynis' care, is updated as chapters begin; the emotional cost is just as devastating, even as Shriver's wit keeps us ducking amusing barbs. Doctors, insurance companies, employers: Shriver also avoids making Glynis and Flicka Jackson's daughter noble, goody-two-shoes sufferers. Flicka is a feisty pill and Glynis is, well, a bitch. Which will surprise Shriver's dedicated readers not at all. Dismayed by the extraneous nature of Jackson's physical plight, I saw "So Much for That" as a noble three-star book for a while, but Shriver ties up this story quite beautifully.

Amid characters spouting bitterness and righteous indignation, she brings dark humor, realistic responses and touching resolution. Feb 09, Angela rated it liked it Shelves: Like Shriver's previous novel, The Post-Birthday World , the end result often doesn't change based on our actions; it's the journey there that allows us to subtly impose our own will.

In So Much For That , she's tackled modern health care, and despite a lot of polemic ranting that caused me to put the book down for a few days around page 75 and read something else, rallies by the end to produce one of the more honest and powerful books about terminal disease I've ever read. Shep is the responsib Like Shriver's previous novel, The Post-Birthday World , the end result often doesn't change based on our actions; it's the journey there that allows us to subtly impose our own will.

Shep is the responsible, done-everything-right rock of his family that allows everyone else in it to have loftier ideals than making money. As the novel open he's about to give all this up - he's got plane tickets for him, his wife, and his teenage son to travel to Africa and live out their lives with a million dollar nest egg as, relatively to the rest of the island, Pemban billionaires. The dream is quickly thwarted when Shep's wife Glynis announces that she'll need his health insurance to treat her mesothelioma, and we begin to see that nest egg gradually whittled down.

To the background of the Terry Schiavo circus, characters banter about the problems with healthcare, insurance, government, employer coverage, and medical care. This can get more than a little irritating at times, but by the end of the novel it's not as one-dimensional as it seems; characters' attitudes and opinions are belied or reinforced by their actions and experiences in unexpected ways. Still, Shriver is at her best when she's showing us rather than telling us or having her characters rant at us , and I hope some of that is pared down in a final edit. Minor irritations through the book are the continual implications that women who leave the work force are pointlessly frittering away their lives; I suspect a lot of caregivers will bristle at that, especially the assumption that stay at home parents are mooching off their spouses rather than making a joint decision as a couple about childcare.

There's also a lot of strange, out of place body shape commentary, and seemingly at random we learn that fat people are unattractive and will never find love. Why is that in there?

As the story moves on, the real focus becomes Glynis's cancer, and the cost--not just financial, but in quality of life--of extending her life. Shriver portrays everything here astonishingly well--Glynis's own denial about her actual condition, her doctor's continual pressing for more treatment without an honest assessment of risk, the emotional blackmail to provide the costliest, most state-of-the-art treatment. I've long loved Lionel Shriver's fiction because she doesn't shy from controversial issues; overpopulation, ambivalence about having children, cheating on a spouse, and now the value of human life have all been put under the microscope, often brilliantly.

The story here becomes brilliant after a bit of meandering; it's worth pushing past the angry bits to get through it. I am so glad I finished with this book rather than starting finishing it. For me it was one long, rant. An eloquent rant, but tiresome after the first pages. The main focus of the rant is healthcare in the country, and I would be the first, from firsthand experience, to agree with many of the arguments.

Still, I have personally found that it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. Shep has finally reached an enviable position: One wonders why he wouldn't understand that his wife and high-school son don't wish to go along quietly with this plan. The decision, ultimately, is wrested from him by fate.

When he delivers his I'm going with or without you ultimatum, his wife Glynnis has one of her own: Jackson, Shep's best friend, is angry with the world, who he divides into two groups: Would that the world were so black and white for the rest of us. Jackson has his own cross to bear; his wisecracking teenage daughter with a rare genetic disease.

Ms Shriver's characters, lacked dimension until the very end of the book; I will credit her for providing twists for interest. The topics addressed are weighty: How do you decide whether to stop or continue treatment for a patient who is unlikely to thrive, much less survive? How do we deal with the knowledge that a loved one is terminally ill? I wish these questions had been given their due, and less time spent ranting.

Feb 27, Jamie Bradway rated it did not like it Recommends it for: I didn't earn the right to claim that this book is horrible.

So Much for That

I did earn the right to say that the first third is, though. I can't go on. Except for Shep, the characters in this novel are loathsome, nasty people. Glynis, Shep's wife and cancer patient, is weaponized, revealing her disease to friends and family in the ways that will hurt them the deepest. And reveling in the pain she causes.

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I can only believe that the author is deliberately challenging my compassion; can I bring to the surface sym I didn't earn the right to claim that this book is horrible. I can only believe that the author is deliberately challenging my compassion; can I bring to the surface sympathy for a miserable person being attacked by a miserable disease and it is really awful and painfully detailed or will I root for the cancer? I think I'll take a middle ground on it: I don't want this cancer to kill her or cause any further suffering. I just don't want this character or her friends in my life.

And one more negative: And, just in case you don't pick up on the point the first time, the arguments will be repeated several times so that you get it. This is not interesting or challenging literature. Shriver, the point here can be delivered in about a paragraph and none of your readers are so intellectually challenged to need it repeated several times at great length. It's almost as bad as an Ayn Rand novel. There are reviews on Good Reads that say the last 60 pages offer some redemption for this novel. I'm not going to waste any more time to get to that point when there are so many good books to read.

And for the Tournament of Books , if the winner gets a rooster, this book should get a turkey. Mar 16, Marty rated it liked it Shelves: This one, while still good, just isn't great. The book is about the American health care system and how much it sucks. There are four medical crises in the novel, each of which cause total destruction to families' finances despite the fact that all of the sick people actually have health insurance.

Now, when I'm reading it being a liberal and all , Shriver is preaching to the choir. The thing is, though - she's actually preaching. The "dialogue" between Shep and Jackson explaining America's health care system is stilted and doesn't ring true. She clearly has an agenda, and I wonder if a nonfiction book on the subject might have been better. A few other things that I didn't care for - the character of Glynis. She's made out to be a terrible woman.

Really, who would be friends with her or bankrupt themselves to pay for her chemo? I feel like despite her nastiness, there has to be something that keeps people around her, and I didn't get that from the novel.


  1. So much for that.
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  4. Same thing with Beryl - she was so over the top as to be almost unbelievable. I did like the character of Shep, the husband. And I liked the Afterlife, the retirement in Africa that he strives for all his life. And I thought the ending was great. Aug 10, Jane rated it it was amazing. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.