Customer Reviews

The Interruption of Everything

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

In the early 1990's, author Terry McMillan gave a voice to young African American women via the antics of the characters in her New York Times bestseller, Waiting to Exhale. Now, nearly 13 years later, she is back with another definite hit, The Interruption of Everything, which focuses on the trials and tribulations of a middle-aged woman, Marilyn Grimes. It is an engaging novel that truly transcends race and culture because art imitates life - Marilyn's experiences are very real for many women of all ethnicities.

Years ago, Marilyn put her dreams, education and career on hold, dedicating herself to motherhood and marriage. Now, a forty-something-year old homemaker whose children have recently left home, she can't quite enjoy her new child-free phase of life. She works part-time in a crafts store largely to fight boredom, loneliness, and pursue her lifelong hobby. Her husband, Leon, a chronic workaholic, is absent all day and most evenings. Her children still rely on her as the primary problem solver for anything that goes wrong in their lives, whether it be physical, financial or emotional. She unwillingly has been pulled in as chauffer, chef, and caregiver to her nosey, manipulative, opinionated, live-in mother-in-law and her mangy poodle. Yet another burden she faces is dealing with her foster sister (a single mother and drug addict) who recently started disappearing for days leaving her young, unruly children with their ailing mother, who is showing signs of Alzheimer's. Things are further complicated when a routine doctor's visit to address menopausal symptoms reveal Marilyn is pregnant!

She is at the apex of frustration and exhaustion. A lonely, tired, and numb Marilyn struggles to reclaim her life, dreams and passions. She summons an inner strength and musters resilience to determine her next steps despite wanting to "roll over and die." She resolves to reprioritize her life and place her wants and needs first. She secretly applies to school, looks into starting her own business, changes her hair, starts to work-out, among other things. But just before she can share her proclamation with Leon, he, surprisingly and unexpectedly, announces that he is bored with their passionless marriage and is going to an exclusive, secluded Costa Rican resort - alone for a month - to "find himself." It would not be a true Terry McMillan tale without the power of friendship. Marilyn's best friends, Bunny (a chronic sufferer of "no class" in the fashion and home décor areas) and `know-it-all' Paulette provide comfort, comic relief, and bring a little excitement of their own. Thus the drama continues and pages are rapidly turned to seek the outcome.

The novel is funny, laced with witty dialogue, great subplots, a few surprises, and unforgettable characters. It has a universal appeal to all audiences and reminds women to find and rekindle their passion(s) and regain their independence. The Interruption of Everything will hit close to home and touch hearts as an emotional and endearing tale. The commonality of the experiences and familiarity with its center, Marilyn, will pull readers in instantly. She could be anyone's mother, sister, and/or friend - and that is the beauty and uncanny simplicity of it. McMillan's fans (old and new) will not be disappointed with this offering.

Reviewed by Phyllis
APOOO BookClub
Nubian Circle Book Club

THE INTERRUPTION OF EVERYTHING by Terry McMillan
July 24, 2005

Amazon Rating: 4/5 stars

THE INTERRUPTION OF EVERYTHING by Terry McMillan is about a middle-aged African American woman who is ready to find a niche of her own, tired of being the one that has to take care of everyone else. Marilyn Grimes is that middle-aged woman, working part time at a craft store and enjoying it. She's been told she's good at making things with her hands, and she's thinking of doing something more serious with it (she's already sold a few things in the shop that is owned by a friend of hers). But life is busy for Marilyn. Instead of pursuing a career, she spent most of her adult life taking care of her husband, her children, and now she's taking care of her mother and mother-in-law, as well as worrying about a sister who has been in and out of trouble. Marilyn loves them all, but she is getting fed up that it's never about her, and always about them.

Lots of great characters in this book, including her mother-in-law Arthurine who I thought was a hoot, and her new boyfriend Prezzle. Arthurine's little dog Snuffy who is on his last legs is also a character unto himself, and the both of them drive Marilyn up the wall. And now Marilyn's husband Leon seems to be going through some mid-life crisis, something she does not need right now. He's dressing up in funky outfits and talking about making a career change. I also felt for Marilyn when she had to deal with her mother, Lovey, who seemed to be having major memory problems. Lovey lived with Joy, the adopted sister who had been off and on drugs for years, and that was another worry that Marilyn didn't need to deal with.

Fans who have loved Terry McMillan's books will love this one. Although there is a lot of humor as in all of her books, there are also some heavy themes running through, including taking care of older parents and a marriage that may be on the brink of divorce. Although I didn't think it was one of her better novels (I still love HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK the best), it is still a winning novel from this very popular author, and I know fans have been waiting for a new one from her for years. THE INTERRUPTION OF EVERYTHING has a lot of strong women characters, as most of McMillan's books do, and this book is no exception. Marilyn is a woman that is ready to take on life and live the life she's waited for. Readers will root for her and hope she gets her wish.

You need not be an African American woman to relate to how Marilyn (the main character) in this book is feeling or thinking. As a 37 year old widow of four teenagers, I felt like this book was a perfect read for me because I along with other moms out there, are feeling dormant or that our lives are put on hold in order to deal with our children and families which are priorities...self-sacrifice comes with the territory and wanting to have a life of your own is only natural. It really hit home for me and unlike one writer for USA today a Miss Deirdre Donahue who reviewed this and felt that Marilyn was "whining too much". Perhaps Miss Donahue cannot relate to the emotions in this book and should not feel that THE INTERRUPTION OF EVERYTHING is a "setback" for readers. I disagree with her on that one.

In Terry McMillan's latest book THE INTERRUPTION OF EVERYTHING she once again tackles everyday issues faced by average folks in a believable fashion. Marilyn, the main character and narrator of the story, has taken a good long look at her life and knows she has to make some changes. On the surface, her life is one that many would envy. She has financial security, and one by one her children are heading off to college and starting their own lives. Even her role as taxi driver for her mother-in-law, who lives with Marilyn and her husband, is eased because her mother-in-law has a new friend and a sudden interest in getting her driver's license back.

As everyone moves on with their own lives, Marilyn no longer needs to be consumed by the needs of others and she feels underappreciated, unfulfilled, and when she is totally honest with herself, bored. Add in a husband with a mid-life crisis, menopause, a troubled sister, and her own mother's failing health and you have the recipe for a wonderful story. As Marilyn looks forward, she has to decide how she will live the rest of her life. Which deferred dreams will she go back and recapture? What changes are necessary for her to find true satisfaction in her life? With supportive friends, a flawed, but deep-down loving family, and a lot of reflection, she navigates through all that life throws at her and plots her course for the future.

THE INTERRUPTION OF EVERYTHING is a book that made me laugh, cry, scream at the characters, and at other times, root them on. While all the characters were well developed, what really made the story work was Marilyn. Her voice was, at times sarcastic, at times humorous, and always forthright and full of heart. It made her come to life and in the process, drew me in. Terry McMillan has crafted a tale that truly captures the essence of life. While readers may not have personally dealt with every issue Marilyn and her family encounter in the story, they will know of someone who has. And even if they can't relate to the events, they can relate to the emotions - love, betrayal, loss, emptiness and too many others to name. (RAW Rating: 4.5)

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

I have liked all of Terry McMillan's previous novels, especially Exhale and A Day Late. However, TIOE falls short of her previous works.

There are no decent men in this novel, not one to redeem the male gender. Marilyn's husband is a useless, silly man who is shut up emotionally; her sister's children have no father whatsoever; there is no mention of her own father that I can recall; and her first husband is divorced from her for some pretty shaky reasons.

This novel tries to deal with a ton of issues as they relate to the heroine - aging parents becoming ill, aging parents falling in love, mid-life crises, empty nest syndrome, menopause, substance abuse, child neglect, violence, fatherless children, re-entering the academic world and more. Marilyn's friends are a small measure of support and entertainment, but they don't really bring anything solid to the table to really help their friend deal with her many and various problems.

This novel was predominantly plot-driven, with the characters suffering a two-dimensional existence. Hardcore McMillan fans will most likely take issue with this review, but I recommend if you are not a diehard McMillan fan, check this out of the library rather than purchase it.

Marilyn Grimes is a middle-aged black woman who loves working at CREATIVE CREATIONS part time, buying craft items and creating artful things out of knick knacks she finds. But she's realizing that her life is going nowhere. Instead of pursuing a career, she gave up her life to cater to her husband, her mother and mother-in-law, her three children (now on their own), plus she has spent an endless amount of time worrying about her adopted sister who is in and out of trouble with drugs and booze. And with her sister not being a totally responsible adult, Marilyn also worries about her sister's children.

The charm of this book is the characters who populate it. Leon is Marilyn's workaholic husband who also is trying to "find himself," whatever that means! He seems to be going through a mid-life crisis, wearing outfits that are way too young. Her mother-in-law, Arthurine, lives with them and can sometimes drive Marilyn up the wall. It doesn't help that Arthurine has an old dog as her companion, Snuffy, that also drives Marilyn crazy. Arthurine has a new beau, Prezzle, and they make such a cute couple. Leon is nervous about this new development in his mother's life, thinking that this type of behavior is inappropriate at her age.

Marilyn's mother is starting to lose her memory, and they think it's Alzheimer's. Lovey currently lives with Joy, Marilyn's adopted sister, but unfortunately Joy is not reliable, which worries Marilyn constantly. With Lovey and Joy living in Fresno, a good two-hour drive from the San Francisco Bay area, it's not like Marilyn can travel back and forth between her house and theirs at the drop of a hat. And with traffic, it definitely is more than a two-hour commute. Then there are Joy's children, one of whom seems wiser than her young age of seven. These children are the victims of their mother's irresponsible habits and often are left alone in the house with their ailing grandmother.

Last but not least, you have the best friends, Bunny and Paulette, both of whom are standout characters in themselves. As in all Terry McMillan novels, these friends are close --- they laugh together and cry together. It's what friendships are all about. But keeping up with Bunny and Paulette wears out Marilyn too.

Basically, Marilyn has a lot going on, including a little "surprise" she isn't sure she really wants right now. With a husband who is never home and so many people she needs to look after, it's a wonder that she already hasn't had a nervous breakdown.

While I enjoyed this book, it doesn't quite hold up to McMillan's best works (in particular HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK). But as a fan, THE INTERRUPTION OF EVERYTHING is worth the read. It is very light-hearted, while at the same time there are heavier themes underneath it all: aging parents, life after 40, working on a marriage that seems to be headed toward divorce. As in most McMillan books, her female characters are strong and capable; although they don't always get to where they want to go, they are survivors. Marilyn is tired of putting her life on hold and finally feels that it's her time to fly.

THE INTERRUPTION OF EVERYTHING, if nothing else, is a story of one woman's need to break out and live the life she has waited for.

--- Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton (Ratmammy@lofton.org)

The only reason I continued reading this book after page 25 is because Terry McMillan's name was on the cover. Marilyn Grimes is the most boring character to grace the pages of literature in a long long time and I really don't see what all the rave reviews are about. Will I buy Terry's next book? Yes, because everyone deserves one big flop. She'll bounce back. I have faith in her.

The highly anticipated Interruption of Everything is everything you hope the novel would be and more. We're invited to look inside the busy world of Marilyn Grimes, a middle-aged woman who lives with her husband Leon in Oakland Hills, California. She tries to be patient with her nosey mother-in-law Arthurine, someone who also lives in their home along with her dog Snuffy, an animal that Marilyn doesn't particularly like. Her marriage isn't exactly what it used to be and it isn't hard to entertain second thoughts about whether the relationship is worth the effort.

In addition to working part-time in a crafts store, Marilyn is involved in the lives of her family, a mother who's acting a bit bizarre and is experiencing the issues that go along with aging and health. Marilyn's three kids are in college and are making important decisions for themselves. And her mother Lovey, adopted sister Joy plus her two kids, are other family members with pressing matters that require attention. And Marilyn can't help herself - she is too concerned about them to not be bothered, but is it okay to pull yourself away from everyone else's worries and start thinking about what you want to do with your own bored and lonely existence?

A steamroller of a novel, The Interruption of Everything builds slowly but picks up the action and unveils an intensifying plot chapter after chapter. The action is so subtle, it's scary, so surprising yet relatable, as it touches on women's issues, family, and friendships. And there are so many characters that do things you've done, that say what you think, and feel the way you feel. What's amazing about this book is how understated it appears -- the calm within the chaos -- that you'll eagerly watch how Marilyn handles the pressures of a life that is spinning out of control.

A richly drawn story filled with thought-provoking scenes, the character Marilyn makes you laugh at things you know you shouldn't laugh at, but what the heck, it's funny, and it's real, and it's true. So go ahead and laugh. Embrace the warmth and sensitivity of the Interruption of Everything, a treasure of a novel that is highly recommended.

Marilyn overhears her coworker crying in the bathroom because the woman's husband is cheating on her and planning to leave. Listening to this and in the throws of perimenopause, or so she thinks, Marilyn begins to realize that her life is not what she expected nor what she wanted for herself. She begins to evaluate her place in life and her relationship with her husband, children, and friends. What she discovers is that she has given so completely of herself for so many years that she has forgotten to taken anything for herself and doesn't know how she wound up on a path that was never on her radar screen. Now she must try to find a way to make changes that will make her happy and fulfill her dreams.

Once again Terry McMillan has managed to write an entertaining and fun novel with characters that seem like old friends after only a few pages. Marilyn's family and friends are larger than life and make the story that much better, but women of any age can understand what Marilyn is experiencing and relate to this story. This is not McMillan's best book, but it is light and easy to get through, but truly enjoyable the entire time.

I was very surprised at Terry to have written such a book. It was very boring in the beginning, then kinda picked up towards the middle. Her previous writings were very much exciting, and I don't know what happened to her in this book. Hope the next one is will be worth my while to read. Don't waste your money on purchasing it - wait until it goes on sale.