Fleishman is in Trouble - anyone else read?

[Anonymous]

Realizing I am two years behind on this - but I just finished listening to the audiobook. And I think I hated this book. I don't understand what we were supposed to find interesting about Toby. I've been scrolling through Goodreads reviews - and I agree with one reviewer who said he's like a recently divorced friend who won't shut the eff up about their ex spouse. I guess that was the point? But it's tedious in real life and I found it super tedious in the book.

I'm also not sure how we're supposed to feel about Toby "only" earning $250k a year as a doctor and him feeling like this makes him a failure. Is this supposed to be a relatable, humanizing way to feel? Is it supposed to hammer home how flawed and frankly sort of repellent he is?

*spoilers ahead*

I liked the book better when it shifted to Rachel's perspective and we saw her side of the story. I still hated the whole family - except the son - but the writing at least got livelier and more engaging for her part.

I guess the friend/author's mid-life crisis is also supposed to be relatable?

Am I the weird one for finding this to be a tedious book about tedious people?

[Anonymous]

I listened to the audiobook for this when it first came out - I don't remember a lot of the details other than that I didn't really like any of the characters and it was pretty depressing as someone who's not to that stage of life yet, but not far from it. But I also couldn't stop listening to it and certain aspects of the plotline or the images from it have stuck with me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I listened to the audiobook for this when it first came out - I don't remember a lot of the details other than that I didn't really like any of the characters and it was pretty depressing as someone who's not to that stage of life yet, but not far from it. But I also couldn't stop listening to it and certain aspects of the plotline or the images from it have stuck with me.

Which ones?

I sometimes get things from media I dislike - or don't feel quite settled by - stuck in my head, too. I thought Addie LaRue was a really engaging but frustrating book, for example - and sometimes out of nowhere I will picture her and Luc sitting at a nightclub, and just beg her to ask him some questions about his life while they're there. Don't just sit there petulantly, you have eternity to LEARN and discover things! (She doesn't listen).

[Anonymous]

It got snoozy. It was like 100 pp too long.

[Anonymous]

I remember finding it funny but it's been two years.

[Anonymous]

I couldn't get into it. I found him way too annoying to continue. And I am not one to feel obligated to finish a book.

But I also hate complaining, woe-is-me male characters.

[Anonymous]

It was a while ago but I remember not liking any of the characters and wondering why I wasted my time reading it

[Anonymous]

I liked the beginning what didn’t know what to make of it—didn’t understand what the author’s point or “moral vision” was

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I listened to the audiobook for this when it first came out - I don't remember a lot of the details other than that I didn't really like any of the characters and it was pretty depressing as someone who's not to that stage of life yet, but not far from it. But I also couldn't stop listening to it and certain aspects of the plotline or the images from it have stuck with me.

Which ones?

I sometimes get things from media I dislike - or don't feel quite settled by - stuck in my head, too. I thought Addie LaRue was a really engaging but frustrating book, for example - and sometimes out of nowhere I will picture her and Luc sitting at a nightclub, and just beg her to ask him some questions about his life while they're there. Don't just sit there petulantly, you have eternity to LEARN and discover things! (She doesn't listen).

PP here. *Spoilers*

The part about the wife who died young of Wilson disease. I have pretty extreme medical anxiety, so this sort of thing sticks with me.

The sayings on the workout tanks. I think of this (and chuckle) every time I see a workout shirt with words on it, on a person or while shopping.

The general sense of doom I had the whole time reading it. It just felt like nothing good was possible - and then things would take a turn for the worse.

[Anonymous]

Hated it, couldn’t finish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hated it, couldn’t finish.

Same here. I was psyched for this book because I'd seen such rave reviews and I'd read a few magazine pieces by the author. Then I started reading and genuinely couldn't understand what all the hype was about.

[Anonymous]

Couldn’t get past halfway. Hated it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I listened to the audiobook for this when it first came out - I don't remember a lot of the details other than that I didn't really like any of the characters and it was pretty depressing as someone who's not to that stage of life yet, but not far from it. But I also couldn't stop listening to it and certain aspects of the plotline or the images from it have stuck with me.

Which ones?

I sometimes get things from media I dislike - or don't feel quite settled by - stuck in my head, too. I thought Addie LaRue was a really engaging but frustrating book, for example - and sometimes out of nowhere I will picture her and Luc sitting at a nightclub, and just beg her to ask him some questions about his life while they're there. Don't just sit there petulantly, you have eternity to LEARN and discover things! (She doesn't listen).

PP here. *Spoilers*

The part about the wife who died young of Wilson disease. I have pretty extreme medical anxiety, so this sort of thing sticks with me.

The sayings on the workout tanks. I think of this (and chuckle) every time I see a workout shirt with words on it, on a person or while shopping.

The general sense of doom I had the whole time reading it. It just felt like nothing good was possible - and then things would take a turn for the worse.

This is OP - and that sense of doom just seemed so, I don't even know the word. It just seemed so self-inflicted. These people had every resource available to them and they were still just so miserable. If the point was, you can be rich as gd doing things you chose to do, and still be a miserable sonofab**ch, I guess point taken? If it was a critique of capitalism I didn't get that.

To me it seemed like the book was aimed at a more universal message - that women just can't win no matter what, and men are horny idiots. And I guess I just don't buy that? Maybe it was the lack of self-awareness about the book that got me the most. I do not find Toby and Rachel Fleishman to be relatable in the least. And I feel like all the readers were supposed to see ourselves in them and to see ourselves in their struggles. And sure - middle age, if we're lucky enough to get there, comes for us all, right? Who has enough money? Who's ever getting enough sex with the right people? But they just seemed so stunted and un-self-aware and WHINY that I couldn't take it.

Rachel, again, seemed most interesting to me. I was most engrossed when we shifted to her perspective. Still didn't find it super relatable but more interesting anyway. The narrator - I mean, I guess I could have read a book about her. I've read enough books about discontented middle aged suburbanites, why not. Her life didn't seem particularly interesting but it was interesting enough.

[Anonymous]

Jumping in late but I just finished the book and am looking forward to watching the series adaptation on Hulu over thanksgiving break. Anyone else start watching? Thoughts about the Hulu series?

BTW I loved the book. As a late 40 something mom with two kids felt it was written for someone like me. I had a lot of ambition in my 20's and 30's - was the youngest director in my company but stepped off the corporate track as the mental mom load was too much with two young kids and a husband who was not the most supportive of my career. I recall Rachel's story where she came home and it was all about Toby's day and no questions about hers and all she wanted to do was take some time with the kids. My husband is very much like Toby - good job, nice salary, does not go over and above to get promoted. The extras we have are because I worked and managed the finances in a way to afford them. It is what it is but it was reassuring to see my experiences are not too dissimilar to others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hated it, couldn’t finish.

Same here. I was psyched for this book because I'd seen such rave reviews and I'd read a few magazine pieces by the author. Then I started reading and genuinely couldn't understand what all the hype was about.

I listened to the audiobook and for the life of me I don't understand why people rave about this book so much. I don't get it. I guess I'm not as enamored of the upper class New York personal struggles as you need to be to love this book - and I am not personal friends with the author, either, so I guess I didn't go in with that goodwill (though I've loved her magazine writing).

I don't know.