Has anyone read 'Good Grief' by Lolly Winston

I read it a while ago. I can't remember any of it, which might answer your question.

Also, I think I heard something about a movie being made with this with Julia Roberts.

Funny you should mention because I'm two-thirds of the way through it. I'm a guy and don't usually read chick-lit, but I'm reading this mainly to see how Winston conveys grief, since I write a lot about characters who've lost a loved one. Now that I think of it, there doesn't seem to be any pressing conflict at the moment (besides the dull, aching conflict of getting on with your life).....but I have to think that will change in the next twenty pages. If it doesn't, then that's a problem.

Perks, Have you read PS I love you? (that's going to be a movie too, with Hilary Swank)

I liked it. You can read a few chapters here.

Oops, that didn't work. Try this: http://books.google.com/books?id=Qo...e7&rlz=1I7GGLJ&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title#PPA2,M1

Perks said:

No. Should I?

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Avoid it like the plague. It's shit. The author obviously hasn't a single clue what real bereavement feels like and she tells, tells, tells rather than shows. And we only know Holly is sad, because the author (daughter of the Taoiseach; I'm sure that had nothing to do with her being published) tells us she's sad. And she cries a lot, because she's sad. And Gerry's never coming back, so that makes her sad. And then she, like, cries. Because she's, you know, sad.

*snooooore*

OK, I admit I can't remember the writing or exactly what happens. I think I liked it. Didn't I?

But it was better than Good Grief!

I read Good Grief. I sort of liked it. Yes the excavation of every possible emotion was tedious, but some of it was funny. For instance, I could imagine myself eating oreos until the gritty sweet had rubbed the roof of my mouth raw in moments of severe depression.
It definitely could have done with more (what I'll call) Actual Events, but I went in considering it light reading (everything I read with two small kids around has to be light reading - even if it isn't intended to be) and got just about what I expected.

I think it took the path a lot of books seem to take: life is moving along fine. something tragic happens. in getting life back on track the protagonist takes a much simpler happiness. A lot of books seem to do this. This was no exception.I want to see a character make a positive change that doesn't involve leaving corporate world for "running a small shop".

It was a bit tedious, yes, but for light reading, it could have been worse.
I did like the author's humor though and would like to see it in a different sort of story.

Good Grief is one of those books I pick up in the bookstore every so often, leaf through a few pages, and ultimately end up sticking it back on the shelf. I think perhaps it's not for me either.

It's been a few years since I read it, but I liked Amy Yurk's treatment of grief in THE KIND OF LOVE THAT SAVES YOU.
Anyone else?

rwam said:

Funny you should mention because I'm two-thirds of the way through it. I'm a guy and don't usually read chick-lit, but I'm reading this mainly to see how Winston conveys grief, since I write a lot about characters who've lost a loved one. Now that I think of it, there doesn't seem to be any pressing conflict at the moment (besides the dull, aching conflict of getting on with your life).....but I have to think that will change in the next twenty pages. If it doesn't, then that's a problem.

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Just finished (yeah, I'm a slow reader). I liked it. Of course, I'm a former hospice volunteer, so I'm sympathetic to the subject matter and to the MC.

I think my earlier 'lack of pressing conflict' comment touched on something. The real conflict in GOOD GRIEF is nothing you can see or touch....it's all internal. Sure, there was some conflict sprinkled into some subplots, but all that was secondary to the MC working through her grief towards healing. This kind of conflict is quite hard to pull off for an entire novel, so I'll tip my cap to Lolly Winston. In fact, she was quite brave making this her debut novel.

Speaking of grief, I just read What Remains by Carole Radziwill. It's non-fiction, but just so honest and thoughtful. She lost her husband to cancer three weeks after the death of John Kennedy Jr. and Caroline B. (and they were on their way to see her when the plane crashed). I thought it was going to be a celebrity tell-all sort of thing, but I was very moved.