The Zygote Chronicles [Hardcover]

Suzanne Finnamore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 9, 2002

Suzanne Finnamore's universally applauded Otherwise Engaged followed one woman's whirlwind ride from diamond ring to altar. The Zygote Chronicles is her singular take on the next leg of the journey -- a riotous and poignant novel in journal form that takes us from conception to delivery room. Through the voice of a whip-smart, sass-talking everywoman Zygote reveals the unsettling and uproarious truth about pregnancy and the prospect of motherhood. The Zygote Chronicles will resonate for any woman who has even briefly considered motherhood. The strange purgatory of pregnancy has been a fact of life since Eve ate the apple, but never has it been recounted in such brilliant, hilarious detail.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"This is the time of real butter," writes Suzanne Finnamore in The Zygote Chronicles, her fictional journal of pregnancy. In fresh, fed-up language, Finnamore (Otherwise Engaged) captures the universal truths of pregnancy that can seem almost insultingly personal when they happen to you. Finnamore sings the joys of whole cream dairy products, but the blues make themselves heard as well. The narrator, an advertising executive, frets about her credibility at work. "I'm a little worried that I won't have any authority left when I get big and have Pamela Anderson breasts. I may have to compensate in some way. I may have to start carrying a hammer." Women have always been funny about pregnancy, and Finnamore gets all that black humor down on paper. It should be noted, however, that the narrator's grousing can wear a bit thin, given her station in life (she laments giving up her Miata for an SUV). Even so, The Zygote Chronicles should take its place alongside Anne Lamott's Operating Instructions as essential reading for the intelligent breeder. --Claire Dederer

From Publishers Weekly

As she proved in her first novel, Otherwise Engaged, Finnamore knows how to tickle the funny bone. In her second book, the womb is the anatomical part that's the focus of her attention. With witty insights, a mother-to-be narrates the journey of her first pregnancy in the form of journal entries to her baby-to-be. At 38, the narrator is borderline terrified about having a baby later than most, and she expresses her insecurities about and observations on the process with comic abandon. She also questions whether the advertising career where she's achieved the heady titles of v-p and creative director, will disappear the moment she gives birth. And as a parent, can she do better than her frequently unemployed, usually drunk dad? Under physical and psychological stress, she sometimes flares up at her 49-year-old husband, who remains loving and steadfast throughout, although he is a bit of a dreamy ghost figure until the big day. Another anchor is her best friend, Diana, who is expecting her second child at the same time. They cheerlead each other on through the many phases of pregnancy including that of "beached whale." For all her neurotic complaints, there is a sincere sweetness to the heroine's complaints. The plot, while straightforward, is nuanced by the narrator's sad thoughts of a long-ago abortion and her complicated, touching memories of her family. Alert readers will note that the character's newborn bears the same initial as the dedication, "To P," surely the author's child, and perhaps the reason that this witty and poignant chronicle rings true. Agent, Kim Witherspoon. 4-city author tour. (Feb. 2)Engaged, for which Finnamore is writing the pilot.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press; 1st edition (February 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802117066
• ISBN-13: 978-0802117069
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,774,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Zygote Chronicles, February 4, 2002

By 

Margo Beck (Moraga, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Zygote Chronicles (Hardcover)

A must read! A delightfully touching, funny book filled with heart, sensititivity, love and unrelenting wit. I laughed and I cried. The Zygote Chronicles begins the moment this mother-to-be conceives her firstborn until her son's birth. It is a quick, can't-put-it-down read, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever considered or experienced motherhood. A great gift for someone expecting. Beautifully written.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved reading during pregnancy., February 1, 2006

By 

Luxemama (Minneapolis, Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Zygote Chronicles: A Novel (Paperback)

I enjoyed reading this book during pregnancy. I would laugh out loud many times and my husband started thinking I was going crazy. Easy read. Read in a few hours.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than "Otherwise Engaged", March 6, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Zygote Chronicles (Hardcover)

I agree with Phillip Levine's endorsement--Suzanne Finnamore's first book was great, but "Zygote" is even better. I really loved every minute of this! I've never been pregnant--or engaged, for that matter--but I relate to her characters and their experiences on virtually every level anyway. It's a cliche, but this book made me laugh AND cry throughout--I've already read it twice! I have never written an author a fan letter in my life, but I was tempted to over this book. Suzanne, if you read this, please keep writing!