Book reviews by Mobilism's Book Review team
Dec 4th, 2014, 11:16 pm
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TITLE: Florence Gordon
AUTHOR: Brian Morton
GENRE: Fiction, Literary
PUBLISHED: September 23, 2014
RATING: ★★★★ 1/2
PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon.com
MOBILISM LINK: Mobilism

Description: A wise and entertaining novel about a woman who has lived life on her own terms for seventy-five defiant and determined years, only to find herself suddenly thrust to the center of her family’s various catastrophes

Meet Florence Gordon: blunt, brilliant, cantankerous and passionate, feminist icon to young women, invisible and underappreciated by most everyone else. At seventy-five, Florence has earned her right to set down the burdens of family and work and shape her legacy at long last. But just as she is beginning to write her long-deferred memoir, her son Daniel returns to New York from Seattle with his wife and daughter, and they embroil Florence in their dramas, clouding the clarity of her days with the frustrations of middle-age and the confusions of youth. And then there is her left foot, which is starting to drag.

With searing wit, sophisticated intelligence, and a tender respect for humanity in all its flaws, Brian Morton introduces a constellation of unforgettable characters. Chief among them, Florence, who can humble the fools surrounding her with one barbed line, but who eventually finds there are realities even she cannot outsmart.

Review: Florence Gordon belongs on a short list of interesting fiction written about older women. I've been reading a lot lately, but nothing I'd come across has really grabbed me enough to write a review - until I read Florence Gordon. It wasn't the book itself that was particularly memorable (although it was a very good book). No, it was the novel's protagonist, Florence - a brilliant, cranky, feminist hermit - who stands out as an indelible character; her perceptions and remarks re New York, her family, and her life, make this novel worth the read.

I want you to meet Florence too, and get a taste for how this book reads. This is the entire first chapter...
Florence Gordon was trying to write a memoir, but she had two strikes against her: she was old and she was an intellectual. And who on earth, she sometimes wondered, would want to read a book about an old intellectual?

Maybe it was three strikes, because not only was she an intellectual, she was a feminist. Which meant that if she ever managed to finish this book, reviewers would inevitably dismiss it as “strident” and “shrill.”

If you're an old feminist, anything you say, by definition, is strident and shrill.

She closed her laptop.

Not much point, she thought.

But then she opened it up again.

Florence has lived a solitary life, she does her work, she doesn't care much about others. Honestly, Florence is a cranky old bat, but she is somehow lovable. Her forthright observations are startling yet meaningful, her honesty is refreshing and concise. However, without any sort of back-story on the characters, the reader must take some time trying to figure out why everyone is the way they are. So, if you intend on reading this book, let me help you by introducing the characters now so you can enjoy them right from the start.

    - Florence, the 75 year old assertive, feminist writer who is unexpectedly being heralded as a national treasure late in life;
    - Saul, Florence's ex-husband, a writer who no longer writes, now he finds people assume he is dead;
    - Janine, her daughter-in-law, a huge fan of Florence's work, she is more preoccupied with a male co-worker than her own husband;
    - Daniel, her son, who harbors suspicions about his wife's fidelity, which he is unable to communicate to anyone;
    - Emily, her college-age granddaughter, who reaches out to her grandmother, despite Florence pushing her away, she grows accustomed to her grandmother's ways and they form an uneasy sort of bond.

An excellent quote as Dan is referring to his wife, Janine - I can't think of how to make it relevant in this review, so I will just give it as an example of the writing. I really like the quote...
“I know it sounds strange but it’s true. I mean that you're open to life. You're open to being surprised. You're open to being changed by life. Most of us lose that quality in our twenties. I don't know how you've managed to hang on to it, but you have."

Anyway, back to Florence. Florence, Florence, Florence. Oh, I loved her by the second page. She reminded me a bit of Hugo, the protagonist in The Epicure's Lament, another grumpy, unlikable, yet somehow lovable hermit. Although Florence is definitely less profane. Both of them are at end-of-life and do their best to alienate and push away other people, while people who love them continue to try to love them.

Florence isn't just hard on her family, she is hard on strangers too, although most of the time that translates to standing up for herself and others around her. In one memorable scene, Florence is in line at the drugstore when a man cuts ahead of everyone else...
"Can't you see there's a line here?" Florence said to him, pointing with her cane.

"There's two lines," he said, without even looking at her.

"Take another look."

"What's it to you?"

"You don't throw your trash on the street, you don't serve yourself first, and you don't cut in line. It's called civilization"

However, even though Florence can easily admonish total strangers not to cut into a line at the grocery store, or bluntly tell her ex-husband to quit pretending he is going to write another book when he is clearly washed up - she cannot disclose important information to the people who love her. The most noticeable thing about this book is that each character is flawed with this defect - an inner voice that prevents them at important moments from communicating effectively with friends and family about big issues. Emily tries but is unable to tell her grandmother she craves a connection, Daniel is unable to tell his wife his suspicions about her cheating, Janine is unable to tell her husband how she feels about her marriage, Florence is unable to tell anyone about her last visit to the doctor, Saul in unable to tell anyone that is unable to write anymore - and the list goes on.

Florence is not always likable, but I did admire her blatant self-interest and stouthearted acceptance of her own fate. As for the novel itself, the dialogue flows nicely and the chapters are beautifully constructed, with short chapters that jump between characters, often containing just a single thought or moment. Excellent novel - 4 stars - plus a half star reserved just for dear Florence.
Dec 4th, 2014, 11:16 pm
Dec 8th, 2014, 11:52 am
Tigerlily, I must say, you have a knack for writing rather excellent reviews.

It is an art to manage to get a total stranger to not only take an interest in ones reviews/ opinions/ ramblings, (that in itself is applaudable), but to then go ahead and manage to get the audience to actuallly want to read the book in question; that is brilliant.

What a great review.
Another book for my TBR pile. Sigh.
Dec 8th, 2014, 11:52 am
Dec 10th, 2014, 8:40 pm
I was waffling on reading this but you have sold me mstigerlily and this will be my next up book. Thanks for taking the time to write your excellent reviews.
Dec 10th, 2014, 8:40 pm
Dec 13th, 2014, 6:43 am
Thank you for taking the time to read over my reviews, it's nice to know a few of you read them and that they make a difference to you. It means so much to hear that!!!
Dec 13th, 2014, 6:43 am

PLEASE! I AM NO LONGER ABLE TO RE-UP BOOKS!!!
Pls request in Request area and report so book can be re-released!
Mar 13th, 2015, 4:32 pm
I am so keen to read this book after your glowing review - but there is no link? Thank you
Mar 13th, 2015, 4:32 pm
Mar 20th, 2015, 12:05 am
JeannieBean wrote:I am so keen to read this book after your glowing review - but there is no link? Thank you

Immediately beneath the book cover art (top of page) you will find a listing of various items (ranking by stars, etc). The last item listed is a link to the book's post on Mobilism.
Mar 20th, 2015, 12:05 am

Currently reading...

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Jul 11th, 2016, 4:01 am
Thanks for your review. Sound so good to me
Jul 11th, 2016, 4:01 am