TheSkimm’s Best of Skimm Reads NPR’s Guide to Great Reads The Washington Post’s 50 Notable Works of Fiction of the YearMinnesota Public Radio’s The Best Books to Give and Get: Fiction Picks of the YearAn uproarious novel (“Both heart-piercing and, crucially, very funny.” —Louise Erdrich, The New York Times) from the celebrated author of Single, Carefree, Mellow about the challenges of a good … York Times) from the celebrated author of Single, Carefree, Mellow about the challenges of a good marriage, the delight and heartache of raising children, and the irresistible temptation to wonder about the path not taken.
When Graham Cavanaugh divorced his first wife it was to marry his girlfriend, Audra, a woman as irrepressible as she is spontaneous and fun. But, Graham learns, life with Audra can also be exhausting, constantly interrupted by chatty phone calls, picky-eater houseguests, and invitations to weddings of people he’s never met. Audra firmly believes that through the sheer force of her personality she can overcome the most socially challenging interactions, shepherding her son through awkward playdates and origami club, and even deciding to establish a friendship with Graham’s first wife, Elspeth. Graham isn’t sure he understands why Audra longs to be friends with the woman he divorced. After all, former spouses are hard to categorize—are they enemies, old flames, or just people you know really, really well? And as Graham and Audra share dinners, holidays, and late glasses of wine with his first wife he starts to wonder: How can anyone love two such different women? Did I make the right choice? Is there a right choice? A hilarious and rueful debut novel of love, marriage, infidelity, and origami, Standard Deviation never deviates from the superb.
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Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny was our library book club pick this month. The response from the group reflected the response in my own household: my husband disliked the book and I laughed my way through it.
The characters Graham and Audra are hilarious, Graham so staid and passive and Audra so extroverted as to be an embarrassment to her husband. Audra is oblivious to the consequences of her impulsive decisions, leading to many awkward moments of great comedy. Their son Matthew has Asperger’s syndrome and enjoys origami. His parents support his interest and help him become involved with an origami group full of people as unique. Audra fosters Graham’s relationship with his ex, the perfectionist ice queen Elspeth, even though Audra was the cause of their break-up.
All kinds of people are invited by Audra into their lives, adding to the discord and the source of much laughter for readers. Favorite scenes include a disastrous Thanksgiving dinner and Audra’s discussion with a priest about God and the stock market.
Most of the group enjoyed the novel but thought it was “forgettable,” perhaps a three-star read. We did appreciate the insights into Asperger’s and Graham’s coming to terms with his son’s condition.
I enjoyed the novel as a comedy of manners and as an exploration of marriage and parenting. And it made me laugh, page after page.
Told from Graham’s point of view, this is a poignant and perceptive slice of Audra and Graham’s marriage. Each of them has a past, as well as quirks aplenty, which makes for some combustible situations. The quirks may be frankly eccentric to British readers (this is NY city, after all), but they’re totally believable. Add in Matthew, their Origami-obsessed son, and the circumstances are perfect for a light yet satisfying read. My only quibble is a slight lack of pace, but the wit and the sparkling dialogue carried me along. Please write more novels, Katherine Heiny.
Oh my goodness, this book is an interesting take on relationships and parenting, so charming. I laughed out loud at several parts of the book, it was very amusing at times.
I loved Graham’s outlook, Audra’s personality, and the parenting of Matthew, their child with Asperger’s Syndrome. Such a sweet take on the ins and outs of marriage, friendship, and life.
#StandardDeviation #KatherineHeiny
One drawback of Kindle is not seeing the cover every time one picks up the book. I came to assume this book was written by an author of the pale, stale & male variety and was surprised to see it was written by a woman. Woody Allen-esque without the wit.
Our local book group read this, and most of us loved it. The characters are well fleshed out in all dimensions, and one of them, Audra (the second wife) is utterly captivating in her quirky unfiltered remarks and a backstory revealed piecemeal through those remarks. The male protagonist, Graham, is kept in a state of perpetual confusion, and finds that he misses his divorced first wife — a lawyer and highly-structured person. It’s her sense of order that Graham misses, not anything to do with sex. I had no problem identifying with him, to some degree. A truly memorable, great read.
My book of the year. Utterly brilliant
Standard Deviation—which is an unflinching look at at marriage, parenting, and relationships that’s filled with a wonderful cast of characters— is one of the best novels I’ve read in the last few years. Heiny’s writing reminds me of Laurie Colwin and Anne Tyler; if you like either, you’ll like this.