Customer Reviews

Juno and Juliet

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I loved this book! It was endearing and funny without being trite and contrived, and I literally could not put it down.. I read the whole thing the day I got it. The characters were interesting and likeable, especially Juliet, the narrator, who was a very human (and readable) combination of irritable, funny, loving, and self-conscious. The book almost felt as if I were reading the diary of a friend. I also, having recently spent some time studying at UCC, found it to be a pretty good portrayal of college life in Ireland; Gough's descriptions were great, and his language brought me back there in a way nothing else I have read since has. Overall, I would say this book is fun without sacrificing content, a great read if you want to feel good without turning your mind off.. and, the perfect thing to snuggle up to with a steamy mug of Barry's Tea on a rainy day!

The description on the jacket of Juno and Juliet was what prompted me to read it: "Juno and Juliet Taylor are beautiful Irish twins headed off to Galway for college." For years I've been asked questions about being an identical twin. Normal people seem to be insatiably curious about twins, and those that write about twins pretty much always mess it up. One of pleasant surprises of Juno and Juliet is how much the author does get correct.

Juno and Juliet is propelled forward by Juliet's narrative. She's the "less pretty" and more acerbic and sarcastic twin, and she describes the small problems that are always faced in the first year of college. In terms of action, not much happens until the very end. Everything is driven by Juliet's thoughts on the people and events that surround her. This book is more than just a character development, but has even less suspense than a Jane Austen novel. The pleasure comes from Juliet's voice as the year unfolds. The author has created a character who feels very real, someone who is a thinking person without giving up other parts of her personality such as humor and wit, which seems to happen far too often in other books.

The weakest part of the book is the final discovery and fight at the end, where a one-dimensional character doesn't develop into anything more. It's surprising considering how well the author describes even the smaller supporting characters, and is somewhat jarring. But for me, Juliet more than makes up for it. Her interactions with Juno, and thoughts afterwards, are some of the best writing about twins that I've ever come across. The author understands that twins are two separate people. Juliet doesn't always understand Juno's actions. Needless to say, they also can't communicate telepathically.

This book is not lighthearted, but it is funny and uplifting enough in parts that it also isn't heavy. I didn't think that it was pretensious given that the narrator is only eighteen, and obviously has some teen angst to work through. I also am not sure what one of the reviewers is complaining about when she says that the author missed some obvious "female functions". What this book really describes is a real story about growing up, which doesn't stop when the school year ends. We know that Juno and Juliet's growth continues past where we leave them. And as an added bonus, people can now feel what it's like to have a twin.

Such a lovely book! Delicate and extremely powerful for such a small little package. Reminds me a lot of Gail Tsukiyama's work, with a rather spartan literary style that just blows you away. I can't wait to read more!

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I started this book, but it wasn't what I got. Julien Gough's story of twin girls in their first year at University in Galway has a witty sassy narrator in sister Juliet, but I kept waiting for something to happen. The book balances on the idea of the drama of everyday life, with the pursuit of love being at the forefront. The inside dust jacket likens it to a modern day Jane Austin novel, and that's not far off the mark. A modern day romance. A literate confection with a funny smart protagonist, a handsome tightly wound professor, and an insidious menace that never really feels that menacing. For me the book is well written and an enjoyable read, just not one that plot wise has a whole lot going on.

It's almost not fair that Julian Gough is so bloody clever. Not only did he bring us Toasted Heretic he wrote an absolutely gorgeous book that I couldn't put down till I had finished it. Juno and Juliet is a great read that will have you dying for Juliet to get her prince of a lit teacher and laughing out loud at each fresh cleverness. Even just skimming the surface it's a good story, but if you're familiar with good literature and music there are countless references and deeper themes that will delight you to no end. I highly recommend it.

I read about 60 books a year and this is one of the most disappointing books I've read in a long time and certainly the weakest of this year's crop. The absence of any character development was one of the many weaknesses in the book. I didn't care what happened to Juno and Juliet. The character involved in the tragic ending was so poorly developed that I didn't experience any feelings for him. Likewise, the treatment towards this character at the time of the tragedy by the other characters in the book was cold and heartless, no doubt a result of the two-dimensional nature of their personalities. Quite a ... performance. This author has some maturing to do.

Julian Gough creates a remarkable heroine [Juliet] in Juno and Juliet. The Js are twins, just starting their first year of university in Galway. With a keen eye for observation and youthful discovery of thought, love and freedom, Gough has written a novel which captures these qualities without adopting a pedantic tone or drawing on the many cliches of first-year university life.

It is really Juliet's unfolding and discovery of knowledge that make this book such a gem. Her observations of her friends are astute, and her conversations with her literature teaching assistant are amazing. If you're an English major, or simply a literature-phile, you will greatly enjoy their conversations. They will stir your memory and challenge your notions of what constitutes good writing and why reading lists are they way they are.

While the discovery motif is strong enough to carry this novel, Gough also injects side stories of mystery and romance. The sum of this novel is a true capturing of youth and the transition that occurs in the first year of university. Gough possesses an incredible mastery of language and storytelling, and this novel seals the promise of a writer to watch.

Julian Gough has created a sympathetic and charming female narrator who although beautiful, is not a cookie cut model but a thinking and intelligent woman. Galway is much of a character as any of the people who populate this unique setting. Bravo, Mr. Gough, and I hope to read a sequel.

I read constantly, and this book was an unexpected delight. It is chock full of sympathetic, well-drawn characters. (I believe his female voice is as authentic as any written by a male writer, and that's not a criticism.) It is also very literate-the discussions in the tutorial alone are worth many hours of mulling in and of themselves. The book also has a certain charm all too lacking in contemporary fiction, which has to be "ironic" to be credible. And it is hilarious!

Picked this up to have something to read over the holidays and was hooked from the first page. Juno and Juliet chronicles twin sisters' (Juno and Juliet) first year at university. The story is told from the perspective of Juliet, a precocious and somewhat cynical eighteen year-old. In the 270 pages we follow her through a mad crush on a student teacher, note taking in boring lectures, and a mid year holiday break spent with her hopelessly working class parents. Yes, we have seen all of these things before--and some would say too often--yet Gough's sentsitive portrayal of characters, eye for detail, humor, and literacy make them new again. In Gough's hands the now all too familiar coming-of-age-in-an-academic-setting plot is given new life.

My guess is that those who have posted negative reviews are either lacking a sense of humor and/or cannot appreciate writing that is driven by attention to detail as opposed to constant action.