We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

Written by Karen Joy Fowler

Narrated by Katharine Mangold

Rosemary's started college, and she's decided not to tell anyone about her family. Rosemary is now an only child, but she used to have a sister the same age as her, and an older brother. Both are now gone - vanished from her life. There was something unique about Rosemary's sister, Fern. You'll have to find out for yourself what it is that makes her unhappy family unlike any other.

• Language: English
• Publisher: W. F. Howes Ltd Audio
• Release date: Jul 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781471270635

Karen Joy Fowler

Well known in the mainstream for her New York Times bestseller, The Jane Austen Book Club, Karen Joy Fowler is a well-respected and considerable force in SF and Fantasy as well. She is a two-time winner of the Nebula and World Fantasy awards, and cofounder of the Tiptree Award, given for works dealing with the politics of sex and gender.

Reviews for We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

[pdill8 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The unreliable narrator takes the reader on such twists and turns of the plot, ultimately reminding me of how we are all unreliable narrators, viewing the world through our own lens. I feel like saying what it's about would rob others of the thill I got in finding the story's secret, but I will say that there's a lot of family drama, psych theory, college life and self analysis along with a dose of the absurd-or-is-it. Good stuff!

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Book on CD narrated by Orlagh CassidyCollege student Rosemary Cooke is all but estranged from her family. Yes, she still speaks to her parents, and they are supporting her, but she’s gone as far as she possibly can from her Indiana home and only grudgingly goes home for quick holiday visits. A chance encounter with a fellow student, Harper, with a volatile temper and a propensity to act out, causes Rosemary to briefly abandon the careful façade she’s adopted and has her reflecting on her childhood, and her lost siblings: her sister Fern and her brother Lowell. Through her thoughts and flashbacks the reader gradually gets a picture of the young Rosemary – talkative to the point of distraction, happy, inextricably linked to Fern and both under the protection of older brother Lowell. They live with their parents on a farm near the university where their father is a research professor, and the graduate students who work under him are part of the extended family. Rosemary and Fern roam freely in the natural landscape, climbing trees, catching frogs at the creek, picking wildflowers. But one pivotal event (which Fowler doesn’t fully reveal until close to the end of the book) destroys this idyllic existence and causes a nearly irreparable rift. Fowler’s writing brings this wounded family to life. Though Rosemary is the narrator, and an unreliable one at that, we do get a sense of both the “before” and the “after.” Of how her once vibrant, clever mother is now a shell of her former self. Of why her adoring (and adored) older brother left and became a fugitive wanted by the FBI. Of how her father carries the burden of guilt and blame that his wife and children place on him for what happened. And of the guilt that Rosemary feels, because she “knows” that it was all her fault. It's the kind of character-driven literary fiction that I relish. Orlagh Cassidy does a marvelous job of performing the audio version. She sets a good pace, and I could follow the plot despite the back-and-forth in time structure. However, I think I would have enjoyed this even more had I read it in text, so I could savor Fowler’s writing.

[erinclark_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rather heartbreaking but beautiful. Lovely writing, interesting story, good characterization. I did not really know what I was getting into when I started listening to this book but am very glad I did. Highly recommended.

[beth.clarke · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I found the first half of the book intriguing and written intelligently with a great dose of creativity. It then fizzled out for me. I finished it, but didn't feel connected to the characters by the end.

[doryfish-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What started as a reluctant book club read turned out to be one of my favorites of the year! I was swept right up by Rosemary’s dry narration and her extraordinary yet completely recognizable family. This book is clever, funny, achingly sad, and simply irresistible. Four and a half stars.

[ar_bookbird · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Hard to describe...good theme of animal rights and respect but I often found the story slow and tedious at times.

[booksonshelves · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Summary
Rosemary talked her way incessantly through her childhood but after both her brother and sister disappear she becomes silent. This novel, spoken from the perspective of an adult Rosemary, takes us deep into her life and delves into what it means to be part of a family and what it means to be human.

Thoughts
The early twist in the novel is not one I at all suspected and completely changes the novel into something else. We are taken through a journey with Rosemary as she remembers and discovers new facts about her childhood, and the revelation about her sister makes these memories all the more painful. The novel starts in the middle of the story, when Rosie is at university in her 20s, and moves backwards and forwards as she questions aspects of her past and learns how to move forward from these. I adored this book and found myself thinking about what it means to be a part of a family and about the blood and friendship bonds that tie us together.

Recommendations
I would recommend this book to anyone. If you want to read beautiful writing with thought provoking ideas you should read this. The writing style is unusual compared to most novels I have read but this simply adds to the magic of the novel.

[wassilissa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is written by the view of Rosemary. Now in her 40s she tells the story of her childhood and young adulthood which is shadowed by the loss of her sister Fern and her brother Lowell. After the first third the book has a twist. For me the idea behind it worked and still I would prefer to know from the start what the book is about. It would attract different readers as well and not disappoint others.From here on I will spoiler:The idea that fern is Rosemary sister and not an animal worked for me and gave me of course a lot to think about. Still I expected the book to be different, because there is no clue what it will be about. It would have also worked if I had known that Fern is a chimpanzee and the telling would have been the same. It is an interesting story and from an ethical point of view very interesting. I found Rosemary convincing as a character but the other characters (especially Lowell and Harlow) where not really well developed.What is it that distinguishes Fern and Rosemary, an animal and a human being? Not so much in the end?

[fred_mouse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Unreliable narrator is unreliable, and I spent a lot of time waiting for the oncoming twist to happen. I had to reread the first few chapters, because they were completely forgettable after a few days. And then I've read it straight through over an afternoon/evening, partly in order not to have to start again.This is a story of lost and found family, of the stories families tell, and those they omit. How not understanding the ways of those around you can leave you slightly adrift. It was described as a tear-jerker, but other than one scene, I didn't find it so. More schmaltzy with a side order of philosophical psycho-babble.But most importantly, it is the story of Rosemary and her sister Fern.on a personal note: I think I was supposed to have more sympathy for the protagonist's slightly off-kilter interactions with other humans, and her desire to keep her family secret(s). Or have the voyeuristic othering 'there but for the grace' kind of reaction to her. But hey, psychologist parent, weird home life, missing siblings, significant loss of family at at five, slightly off-kilter interactions with other humans. Hard to other someone who feels a lot like me. I found that the ending fizzled -- the narrative motivation was obvious, but it didn't work. Between this and the forgettable first few chapters, the book loses that extra star.

[deckla_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Mildly entertaining tale of woman who grows up in a scientist's household, alongside a monkey who is treated as one of the children, and her sibling. She comes to terms with this experience in college, where her relationships are depicted with some skill. Maybe the term for her is picaresque. I'll know to take Karen Joy Fowler off authors who are super-important to me.

[nwhyte-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

very much gripped by this as it has unfortunate resonances with my own experience. A very good book, but I would need to be persuaded that it is actually sf. The premise is quite firmly rooted in real-world scientific research, with documentation.

[far2manybooks · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I just didn't connect with this book's character's. While I was interested enough to keep reading to try and understand the story and what happened, it just didn't do it for me.

[starbox_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"A family with two daughters and a mother and father who'd promised to love them both exactly the same"By sally tarbox on 26 October 2017Format: PaperbackI'd probably give this a 3.5*.Narrated by an apparently unfocused and troubled student, Rosemary Cooke, the reader soon becomes aware of a problematic home life: "ten years had passed since I'd last seen my brother, seventeen since my sister disappeared." In excerpts of memory, cut into current events, the reader is slowly made aware of what happened and the ongoing trauma; it's not what you may have expected...Heartbreaking in parts, very cleverly written, I nonetheless found the disjointed narrative slightly worked against it.

[sianpr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting tale about the fall out of a family that combines work and home life by experimenting - literally - with their family make up by raising a chimp as a sister to their 2 children. Needless to say things don't work out and the fall out is extreme. This story draws on fact and raises lots of ethical questions and issues about research. Gripping story but didn't enjoy it or the characters that much.

[snash_44 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An excellent thought provoking exploration of what it means to be human, what it means to be nonhuman, psychology, philosophy, the ethics of animal rights, and family, and a suspenseful story on top of that.

[dawnlovesbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

i loved the narrartor, Rosemary. She was clever and weird and quite comical. I didn't so much enjoy the scientific aspects of the book, but i did enjoy the eccentric family and the story of how they all dealt with the heartache of losing a "family member." If only the family memeber hadn't been a chimpanzee, perhaps i wouldv'e liked it a little mroe!!!

[pretear_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The concept was really cool and the writing was beautiful, but I never became invested in the characters or the story.

[philipjhunt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book, but perhaps for idiosyncratic reasons. The subject matter appealed to me, and the plotting gave me a buzz. The second first: Plot. Best not to know what this book is about before reading. Then, like me, you'll think it's a run-of-the-mill family drama (not my favourite thing). But around page 80 you're going to palm your forehead in delight. The first: subject matter. Honestly, don't try to find out. Just read it. And discover something fascinating.

[priscillam_80 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is such a good book. Very hard to review without spoiling the story. I felt quite gutted by the events. Reprehensible actions by the scientific community and in particular the children's parents. I finished the book feeling very angry with them.

[Ricki · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely loved this book. Beautifully told modern tale with an unexpected twist part way through and a very likeable central character who struggles to understand the unusual circumstance of her childhood.

[Tania Rook · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you liked episode 128 of The Dollop (Nim the Chimp), give this a listen. It's like an extended remix. Really interesting concept without drawing any conclusions, so wherever you stand on the issue, you can still stand there.

[atomic1964 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Funny and moving, educational without being moralistic. Funny in the way of Sedaris without being alienating. Fowler is a great writer and I will watch out for her next book.

[neal_-266394 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

We are all completely up ourselves.
Well written prose but could not summon up any interest in the characters - they, with the storyline, were just tedious and dull.

[shazjhb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book. Chimp and child raised together.

[minaisham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

-- At one point this reader thought about returning book to library without reaching the end. Protagonist Rosemary Cooke has an imaginary friend (Mary), an older brother (Lowell), & a sister (Fern) who turns out to be a chimpanzee. Like completing a 500-pc. jigsaw puzzle author Karen Joy Fowler creates a novel out of seemingly unrelated characters & subplots which is believable (fact is stranger than fiction) & enjoyable. --

[iira_24 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Different, interesting, funny, touching.

[Paul Richmond · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent, a very moving and at times harrowing account of how we treat animals. I learnt a great deal. Thank you!!

[sarahstenhouse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Story of a family studying a chimp by bringing it up in there own home, and the consequences.

[triscuit_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thoughtful, nuanced, witty and engaging story of an entirely weird family, unhappy, as all unhappy families are, in its own way. Some people treat their pets as if they are their children, but sadly this story is not about animals who have been domesticated for many generations. Wonder how the Ikea monkey is doing?

[goldengrove_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a very accomplished book - Karen Joy Fowler is completely on top of her material, understands her characters, and leads her readers gently by the hand through a fascinatingly twisty story. Rosemary is ambivalent about her family and upbringing - we learn quickly that she both loves and resents her sister, what we learn by the end of the book is exactly why both these emotions are so strong and such an important part of her character and identity.This appears to be a family story - well, it is, just not as conventional a family as one might think at the start of the book. I did guess the twist, but not in a disappointing way, it rather added to my enjoyment that I'd worked it out. A thoroughly engrossing read.