MADreads

Welcome to La La Land

July 17th, 2009 Amy S.

I moved from Los Angeles to Madison less than a year ago, so when I noticed a book by an author who also fled L.A. I was intrigued.  Then I saw that she was a writer on what I regard as the most hilarious sitcom ever, Arrested Development, and I knew I had to read This One is Mine by Maria Semple.

This novel takes place in L.A. and is about several interconnected characters.  Violet is an ex-TV writer turned pampered L.A. housewife with a nanny, maid, and so many other assistants in her life that she feels useless.  Her rags-to-riches music producer husband, David, also thinks she’s useless and isn’t afraid to tell her so.  One day Violet meets Teddy, an alcoholic, ex-junkie, racist Rolling Stones cover band member and she is immediately smitten.  Meanwhile, Sally, David’s fitness instructor sister, is hell-bent on convincing a sportswriter to marry her before he gets famous, so he’ll think she married him for true love, rather than fame and money.  All of their paths collide at a Hollywood Hills wedding, which results in unexpected life changes for this group of Angelenos.

At first glance these characters can feel a bit familiar and in the hands of a less skilled writer they would be, but Semple’s plot twists keep This One is Mine and its characters fresh.  Other highlights of this quick read include clever dialogue, a satisfying ending, and a realistic look at L.A. and its inhabitants.  Yes, it’s about ridiculous characters living in an even more ridiculous city, but it runs deeper than that.  This is a moving love story with so much honesty and raw emotion that it’ll make you blush one moment and want to cry the next.  If you’re looking for a well-written, witty summer read, this is it.

Entry Filed under: Recreational Fiction