Customer Reviews

The Story Sisters: A Novel

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

A title like "The Story Sisters" could be any kind of book -- and in the case of Alice Hoffman's writing, it means that the girls are "story" by name and by nature. While the story focuses too much on one troubled sister and has a rather rushed ending, it's still a mistily moving experience, and a look at what love can bring people.

Ever since their parents' divorce, the three Story sisters -- Elv, Meg and Claire -- have been wrapped up in a fairy-tale world of fairies, roses and otherworldly queens.

And the girls are inseparable, speaking their Arnish language and listening to Elv's magical stories. But when Elv spends time in Paris, she comes back a changed girl -- she is increasingly drawn into a world of teenage rebellion, sex and drugs, even as she still tries to break free of the mortal world. And her increasingly ugly behavior fractures her relationship with her sisters -- even a trip to a rehab/high-school doesn't help.

Then Elv's wild ways result in a devastating tragedy that tears her family apart, and drives her into the arms of a loving, charming conman. In the years that follow, the girls' mother Annie is confronted by both love and illness, and a devastated Claire immerses herself in a jewelry store in Paris, living with her grandmother. Elv's life continues on a downward spiral, until a new development brings the broken family back together.

Leaves and roses, ice and water, black tattoos and blood, tomatoes and jewels, and three black-haired daughters who gradually learn that life is only a fairy tale if you keep it that way, and that imagination alone cannot make a life beautiful. "The Story Sisters" is a vivid piece of work, and Alice Hoffman proves that she's able to wrap even nasty stuff (like heroin addiction and rape) in a veil of magical realism.

Hoffman's writing is beautifully lush and vivid, overflowing of natural descriptions and striking phrases (such as pasts being stitched to shadows with black thread). And as the years unwind, she explores the effects of death, illness, and sometimes of new love from unexpected sources. But she also explores some of the seedier parts of life through Elv, including child molestation, drug addiction and a fiery affair with "the one who turns me inside out."

That in fact is the biggest problem -- there's such a focus on Elv that the other characters are eclipsed. It might have been better if the book had been called "The Story Sister." Much of the last few chapters are concerned with Claire, but so rushed that she never quite grows a personality beyond "sullen emo girl."

Elv herself is not very sympathetic -- her passionate, ethereal nature gets a bad bruising over the course of the book, but she often gets so nasty and reckless that it's hard to care much. Her overstressed mother Anna is far more likable, especially when she strikes up a doomed romance with a kindly detective; and the "ama" Natalia is a vibrant old lady who just wants her family happy and together.

"The Story Sisters" suffers from an overemphasis on Elv, but the exquisite writing and awkward explorations of "real life" make this worth a look.

Alice Hoffman writes beautiful descriptive prose. Unfortunately, that's just not enough to make up for the predictable plot of "The Story Sisters." Unrelentingly dark and melodramatic to the point of parody, I found myself looking at the cover to make sure I was actually reading a book by an author whose writing skills I have great respect for. Of the many characters who take up space in this novel, there are only three who act as if they have any brains at all; Grandmother Natalia, her friend Madame Cohen, and a poor fellow named Pete Smith who makes an appearance towards the end to try and clean up a plot line that has veered into romance novel territory. The Story parents, and the Sisters of the title are so unlikeable I found myself saying "Are you kidding me?" out loud at several junctures in the book. Three stars out of loyalty to the writer, but that's generous for such a disappointing book.

After reading a fantastic book last week, I found it hard to believe that I was lucky enough to find another great one. I always anxiously await Alice Hoffman's books and this one was well worth the wait.

In "The Story Sister"s, the author is back to her old form: less strangeness and more storytelling, similar to the stories and their complex characters that she presented in "Turtle Moon" and "Seventh Heaven". The writing is so beautiful, lush, and magical, with such powerful imagery. It took me about 40 pages to just give myself over to the story and not try to figure out the fantasy life (Arnelle) that the three sisters wove. After that, I was totally captivated and could not put the book down. This story of the redemptive power of love and family bonds was just wonderful.

Highly recommended!!!!

I'm really disappointed in Hoffman's newest novel. I love the way she uses language, and her ideas are inventive, but I really found it hard to feel a lot of sympathy for Elv. I also felt as if I were being manipulated into feel sympathy for her, although it was not successful. I had a lot of trouble buying her redemption, because she constantly showed such disregard and disrespect for anyone who didn't fit into her world that she came across as having a borderline personality disorder.

I'm also losing patience with novels where all the messy details of life are taken care of for the characters through fortune or wealth or lucky happenstance. Events worked out for most of the characters one way or another, although a few end up dying.

I think that what bothers me is that some of the structural flaws are overlooked because Hoffman is such an established author. Would a beginning author be cut as much slack?

I so wanted to love this book, but it just didn't work for me.

I've been anxiously awaiting the release of this novel, and I was not disappointed. Ms Hoffman has such a magical way of telling a tale and making things that many might take for granted or consider rather ordinary, fiercely compelling. The secrets that sisters share; terrible and wonderful, petty differences, steel-enforced alliances, and the heartbreaking moments that might have unfolded differently if only... I was up until after midnight, unable to stop reading, not wanting the spell to be broken. The best gift of all? I know I'll be re-reading this novel again, and will still love every moment. That's the wonderful thing about Ms Hoffman's novels, in my opinion.

I did not think that this book came up to Alice Hoffman's standards. Her use of magical realism was repetitive and her imagery of the night the moths came out grew old fast.

The story is about three sisters, initially very close in their early years. They even share their own language called Arnish which is reminiscent of a Grimm's Fairy Tale. There is Meg, the studious one, Elv who is filled with magic, and Claire who is gentle and will follow Elv to ends of the earth. They share a secret about a pedophile and Claire knows that it is Elv who saved her from his grip.

The story starts with the three sisters as thick as thieves and just like that, in a snap, Elv goes off on her own. There is no real explanation and no segue into the rebellion and oppositional behavior that we see in Elv. We can surmise but it would only be a guess. The book is plain depressing and disconnected.

A tragedy occurs and the family will never be the same.

The story is a slow read. Usually I can finish a Hoffman book in one day because I find it so hard to put down. This one I found hard to pick up. The writing was uneven and even choppy at times, so un-Hoffman-like. I wish I had liked it better as I revere the author's writing. This book, however, just does not hold a candle to most of her other works.

This book started out so promising, and I was utterly charmed by Hoffman's writing from the very first page. Sadly, this enchantment did not last very long. The main story revolves around the three Story sisters: Elv, Megan and Claire. Elv is the oldest, and the creator of a magical imaginary world that the three sisters share. Unfortunately, the magic doesn't last.

None of the characters were very appealing. Annie, the mother, seemed weak, clueless, and helpless. Elv was simply unpleasant. And the middle sister Megan and youngest sister Claire weren't much better. With no one to sympathize with, that left the plot. After the promising start, it soon went down a road I wasn't happy with. The book took an unexpected turn and lost my interest.

I kept trying to plow through, hoping the story would pick up again, but no such luck. Wondering why and how this book received so many glowing reviews, I continued reading long after I would normally stop. Finally reached page 152 and threw in the towel. With so many books on my TBR pile vying for my attention, why bother with a book I was struggling with?

So Story Sisters, I bid you farewell. Can't say it was nice meeting you, but at least I didn't have to pay for the pleasure. Back to the library you go!

I gave this book 1 out of 5 stars, as I simply couldn't finish it.

A remarkable slap in the heart. Elv does the "no take me instead" to save her sis from a rapist and never recovers. The petals fall after addiction, car crash, deaths of boss and parent. Alice deserves the Pulitzer but like Cary Grant, she makes it appear effortless so no prize. I love this author and this book and the bloom is never off this rose of a talent.She is a beloved storyteller.

Wow I thought this book was fantastic. I did not find it predictable as some have mentioned. I blew thru it in a day. I just love the way she writes. Its so earthy and real. A must read for all Hoffman fans.

I picked this book up following a long history I have of buying a book I'm unfamiliar with for a flight. I liked the summary of the story sisters and thought that I was in for a page turner of magic and whimsy.

I could not have been more wrong....

The book started out great with the three sisters each distinctive and fascinating in their own right. After the accident (one of many as it turns out), it all went down hill. The story featured one tragedy after another. Horse/car accidents, drug addiction, divorce, overdoses, cancer, sexual molestation. I found myself exclaiming "Come on!!" on more than one occasion. Then just to pick your spirits up once in a while, the author would talk about tomatoes. Towards the end of the book when the ancient wise ones in Paris started catching "demon" moths, I knew I'd found the kindling for my next fire.

The story didn't know which direction it wanted to go in...a mystery, tragedy, fantasy. It was all over the place. I think Hoffman had successfully confused herself by the end. There's even an example on one page where she says a character (Phillip, I think) is a deep sleeper and then says he's a restless sleeper. That's talent. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone usless they needed a serious downer. I don't think I'll be reading any more Hoffman.