Goldberg Variations

A Novel

By: Susan Isaacs

Narrated by: Suzanne Toren, Morgan Hallett, Jonathan Todd Ross, Rachel Botchan

From New York Times bestselling author Susan Issacs, a “deliciously wicked” (Publishers Weekly) story of three cousins and a fortune.

Imagine King Lear as a comedy…

At seventy-nine, Gloria Garrison must plan for the future of Glory, Inc., the beauty-makeover business that she has grown from zilch into an eleven-million-dollar-per-year bonanza. Gloria’s never been big on family, but she’s forced to contemplate her three grandkids as objects of her largesse.

There’s Daisy, a story editor for a movie studio; her brother, Matt, who does PR for a New York baseball team; and cousin Raquel, laboring away as a Legal Aid lawyer.

When Gloria sends plane tickets and a weekend invitation to Santa Fe, the cousins couldn’t be more surprised. But the visit holds an unexpected twist for Gloria, too. Always sassy, smart, and wickedly witty, Susan Isaacs is at her formidable best in a novel that is both hilariously funny and a deeply moving tale of family, faith, and discovery.

Not my favorite of hers

Did the narrators do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

I have to admit I didn't like the narrators for Daisy & Raquel - they sounded too much alike, and I'd sometimes lose track of who was talking.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

I think this would actually make a better movie than it was a book - it felt like a screenplay in terms of scope.

Any additional comments?

Overall I'd had to say this one just didn't pull me along much - it was a bit of a struggle to finish. I do really like Susan Isaacs though, but if you're looking for something of hers to read for the first time, I'd suggest one of her other books.

Very Enjoyable on audio

Would you consider the audio edition of Goldberg Variations to be better than the print version?

yes loved the change in characters

Would you be willing to try another book from Susan Isaacs? Why or why not?

yes

Which scene was your favorite?

meeting the grandchildren for the first time

If you could rename Goldberg Variations, what would you call it?

Goldberg Legacies

Any additional comments?

The grandmother narrator fabulous. You had a perfect picture in your mind of her.

Goldberg Variations.....better music than novel

What disappointed you about Goldberg Variations?

I expected something to compare with J K Rowling's A Casual Vacancy. Oh my no such luck...

What could Susan Isaacs have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Probably she should begin again. Maybe take a writing course.....

What three words best describe the narrators’s performance?

OK Considering Content

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No

Any additional comments?

I will never buy another Susan Isaacs book. I don't understand why she is a bestselling author.