I was looking for a fun book to read and found it in Starting from Happy. The book is spun-sugar and runs the risk of overdoing its confectionary ambitions. There are a few contrivances employed by Marx that would be annoying in a more challenging book but here do nothing to detract, even as they do not enhance either. But the writing is sharp, even the digressions, and there is enough of a plot and enough real-ife scenarios to keep you moving forward. So the four stars is not meant to put this book on par with "great" literature, but for what Starting from Happy purports to be, Marx does a great job. This was an oddly constructed book, but quite a quick read. It is written is a series of chaplettes (which are chapters that are only a few sentences long) and spans the life of Imogene Gilfeather and Wally Yez. Wally is quite into Imogene, and Imogene is quite indifferent to Wally. Yet, somehow they get together and have kids together and do life together. I enjoyed the beginning of the book best when they were just developing their relationship. The middle and the end jump over large chunks of time and don't flow as well. The author write her own comments into the chaplettes quite often.
What do You think about Zurück Auf Glück (2012)?
While this book has some funny parts, ultimately, it did not do it for me.
—melissa
Recommended by Maria, thoroughly enjoying
—xaiiba
I could not get past the 1st chapter. ;(
—fatima zahra
Quick read but not my kind of good book
—Lizzy95cool
