Jami Attenberg is a keeper. After swallowing and loving her recent novel All This Could Be Yours, I gave myself a short rest before tackling The Middlesteins. Reading another book by the same author is fraught with risk. This novel tells the story of obese Edie and the family and friends that watch her suicidal eating patterns. With superb attention to detail, this is riveting. An embracing entertaining read so much so that I can’t wait to finish her canon of work. ( )

Disappointing. I expected more. ( )

The story of a Jewish Chicago family that crumbles under such dysfunction over the decades that it can't hold together anymore.
The matriarch, Edie, is by far the more dominant personality in her marriage, and has been able to push people into what she wants since she was a small child. Her husband, Richard, was an outgoing young husband who became a civic leader for some years, but the younger generations stopped shopping at his outdated pharmacy. Edie was a successful lawyer who gained a significant amount of weight and frightened everyone with her sudden anger, and her daughter and granddaughter are copies of her.
After 40 years of marriage, Richard finally left Edie, knowing for years that they would both be happier apart. He's right, but that doesn't stop the friends and family from taking sides and blaming Richard for the family falling apart.
Going between humor and despair, I always looked forward to picking this up again. ( )

A fast-moving novel following a suburban Chicago family as the matriarch tries to deal with far too much abrupt change in their lives and copes with food. Her husband is a pharmacist whose business is flagging without the adult children's interest in carrying it on, the grown children themselves are distracted by their own lives, and the grandchildren are just trying to be normal teenagers under their exacting mother.

I found this to be a sharp cultural critique of US suburbia, from the ubiquitous fast food to overheated expectations for kids. There were a few minor characters that just disappeared, and it might have been a fuller story without those dead ends in the plot. Also, it will be ten years old soon, but still feels current; there wasn't much in the way of pop culture or other trends included that would date the story. ( )

I discovered Jami Attenberg a couple of years ago and have a read a few books by her. I think this is the best so far. Given that I am from Chicago and can relate to the family and cultural issues made it more enjoyable. It is a complicated story that deals with Edie, a compulsive over eater. She has been married for almost 40 years, has 2 grown children and a less than good relationship with her long suffering husband. Attenberg gets into the head of many characters and give us a broad perspective. The book deals with so many issues but Attenberg is a superb writer and makes it work. Every character has both good and bad characteristics which is what being a human is. For anyone that suffers from any form of addiction, has family issues, and is not sure of their place in the world, this book is for you. ( )