I liked how she handled a difficult topic. When my brother in law was dying of lung cancer his close friend said everyone should read this book. At first I didn't know why he said that but then it became clear. I liked her honesty.

Lionel Shriver escribe bien no, lo siguiente. Pero en esta novela se la juega demasiado, diría que pone a prueba al lector -no creo que conscientemente- durante más o menos la mitad del libro. Aguantas por la autora, no por lo que lees. De hecho la única razón por la que tiene 3 estrellas en vez de 1 es porque la segunda mitad es soberbia. Ahora, me parece que no es manera de tratar a los/las lectores/as... el tour de force que implica la lectura me parece innecesario. Buen libro, terrible primera mitad.

I found this book to be oddly comforting. It made me feel like maybe we could all do ourselves a favor by giving up on the struggle to always look on the brightside. Embrace the suck, as they say....

I'm giving this 5 stars. It might not be a book I'll read again and again, but it was really, really good in my opinion. The lead-in storyline was interesting - husband's been stowing money away all his life, fantasizing about the "after life" scenario where he would escape to a tropical island and leave his old life behind. Then his wife reveals she's been battling mesothelioma, which changes everything.

But where it goes from there....the secondary relationships are loaded with snippets of people we all call family or friends. Shriver does such a beautiful job describing how things look, how people feel, the reasons why we do what we do, etc. Just fantastic. There was a lull from about 25 - 50% into the book, but then a secondary story emerged that was quite unique and bizarre - it kept me reading.

Then there was a huge turning point that made me gasp out loud as I realized what was happening, and from there I was absolutely riveted for the rest of the book. And then I cried, which is so rare for me while reading a book. The description of an ailing person and the way their loved ones respond, was just so spot on and powerful.

All in all, I'd say this book was about the plans we make in an effort to fulfill ourselves, and the way those plans sometimes don't come to fruition - OR - they do, and we're still not satisfied. It's about the choices we make to try to achieve success or feel better about ourselves, and the way those choices can backfire in severe, lasting, even life-changing ways.

A great book is one in which I find myself wondering how the characters are doing after I've finished it. This was a great book.

I'm not sure how this book got on my To Read list. But it did, and I read it. The premise of the story got me right from the start. Guy has been saving all his life so at 40 he can take all of his savings and retire to a small island where he can live on $5 a day and do whatever he wants. He calls it his "small 'A' afterlife." The characters are flawed and SO real you will think, "Oh, yep, I have an aunt like that." I say that as a compliment. Maybe not the most fun to read about some of these jerks, but they were definitely real. If you can get past the HORRIBLE dialogue in the beginning (more like two people reading an academic journal on how our health insurance system sucks in this country) the last 1/3 flies by and almost redeems it. My recommendation though. Let's have some tea or a glass of wine and I'll tell you about the interesting parts and we can have our own discussion on health care and caring for ill loved ones.

Shriver is the absolute master of cliché.

I say this not because I believe she is some hack, or indeed is a writer of cliché. But, based on her hard-hitting We Need to Talk About Kevin, and her latest So Much for That I see Shriver as able to manipulate cliché, stereotype and formula to make something much much more meaningful.

The story begins with rich in money but not life Sheppard Knack, preparing to up and leave his home for a life less-complicated in a 3rd world country. His plans derail in the worst way when his wife responds to his ultimatum of going with or without her, by telling him she has cancer.

From there we see a heart-felt tale of struggle and survival as Sheppard, supports his wife with her illness. The narration largely hinges on philosophical monologues, so if you’re looking for a fast paced, or dramatic piece, this one isn’t for you.

While the story was very touching and had some very unpredictable twists there is one major letdown with this novel (unlike my usual gossipy self, I’m going to refrain from spoiling the plotline just to vent) - the subplot around Sheppard’s best friend Jackson is just way too much, macabre, contrived as a Shakespearian comedy, and unlikely.

I’d be very interested in what others have to say about that and in the comments section there can be much more spoilage...

So much for that is still an amazing book, in a real league of its own compared to other contemporary novels. I wouldn’t say this was as amazing as Kevin (that book left me stunned for days) but still definitely worth a look.

I really liked this one. The story was interesting and well written with well-developed characters. There was a side story going along throughout the main story which was also interesting if somewhat bizarre. Definitely more mainstream and palatable than We Need To Talk About Kevin, but very thought provoking and engaging as well.

The subject matter is grim and the characters flawed, but the insights into human responses to illness, unfairness, and money amounts to a brilliant — and sharply witty — critique of American culture and privilege on many levels.