4.5 stars
It appears to me from reading reviews and comments that Landline is a lot of people’s least favorite Rainbow Rowell book. I really liked it though. A lot of reviews commented that they did not like Neal, the main character Georgie’s husband at all. He’s surly and not great at communication and seems to hate everyone and tolerate Georgie when they first meet. Personally, I can understand that feeling. A lot of people are terrible. When Neal in the present takes their two kids to visit his mom over Christmas and Georgie doesn’t come, it sends a clear message to Georgie that their marriage is in trouble. She goes to her mom’s house to think about what to do. In her mom’s house, she finds a phone that when she plugs it in gives her access to talk to Neal from when they were first dating. She has to decide if she is going to try to talk him out of being with her at all.
All of the standard things I love about Rainbow’s books are in this one too. Even with a plot that is pure fantasy, all of the characters seem real and relatable. Except for Seth, I don’t know why, but something felt off about him. Maybe since he can’t figure out what he wants in his life and seems to be grasping out blindly for something good to hang on to, he doesn’t seem as believable. Georgie’s family made me smile. Her little girls are lovely. The bra shopping scene made me laugh and laugh. I read the end of this book and then immediately read it again, wanting to pick up on things I had missed the first time.
I follow Ms. Rowell on twitter, and one day she let out after someone asked her if there would be a sequel to Fangirl that the people the pick up Georgie at the airport when she is flying out to be reunited with her family are Levi and Cath!!! And they are super sweet with each other and engaged. It made my heart happy to learn that. (I see now that it’s also on her website) When you read a Rainbow Rowell book, you get really attached to her characters. And Georgie and Neal’s ending made me cry. It’s not really an ending, it’s a beginning. The start of something better.
“When you read a Rainbow Rowell book, you get really attached to her characters.” YES. Landline was not my favorite, but I still ended up attached!
Totally agree with this!!! I didn’t really *like* Neal for exactly the reasons Debcapsfan mentioned, but Rowell still managed to endow me with an overall sense of goodwill toward both of them. Lesser writers have me questioning the characters’ judgement because they seem blind to the faults of the others, but Georgie and Neal have their eyes open and choose to love and fight for it anyway.
I mean, least favorite Rowell is still a Rowell, you know? And actually, I liked this one better than Eleanor & Park, which I know is sacrilege, but what are you going to do.
I still have to read that and Carry On. I will this year!
Ooh, save Carry On for last. I think that one is my favorite of hers. It might have supplanted Attachments . . .
I loved this one! I love all of Rowell though and can’t actually name a least favorite. Happy first review of the year, and may it be a great cannonball for you dedicated to your husband.
Thank you!
I’ll be the odd duck out: I liked Neil far more than I liked Georgie. Self-absorbed protagonists can work for me, but I questioned Georgie’s choices. In every situation where she could choose her husband/family, she chose something/someone else. That was bound to be a strain on any marriage.
I definitely related to Neil more than Georgie. I remember thinking, and writing in my review, that most people had a tough time with him not because of anything he did wrong, but because he clearly took himself out of the rat race, when being in the race is what gave Georgie her drive.
I LOVED Landline and actually, I felt for Neal more than Georgie.
As someone who has found something to deeply identify with in most of Rowell’s stories, with the notable exception of Eleanor & Park, which is probably the lowest rated of all the books I love, I also found Neal more likable than Georgie. I suspect I am quite a lot like Neal in many ways, just as I was rather a lot like Cath in Fangirl.
Rainbow Rowell hasn’t written a bad story yet. I can’t wait for her to publish something new.
I think her graphic novel is next. No date yet, though :\