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Oct
27
Book Review: I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass
2008 at 10am Posted by Rebecca Joines Schinsky
Recently published October 14, 2008.
I See You Everywhere is the story of sisters Louisa and Clem Jardine. Louisa, older by four years, is the practical, logical, do-what’s-expected one, while Clem is free-spirited, adventurous, and driven to a constant search for excitement and meaning. Author Julia Glass presents the novel from the alternating first-person perspectives of both sisters, who tell us about their childhood together, their complex family dynamic, the battles that have driven them apart, and the unspoken, indescribable bond that somehow always brings them back together.
The novel spans 25 years and allows us to watch the sisters progress from their twenties into their forties. We see Louisa and Clem support each other through a series of failed relationships, through illnesses and injuries, and through tricky conversations with their intrepid mother and tepid father. Louisa and Clem rarely see eye to eye, and they often harbor resentment and anger toward each other, but they continually find themselves calling each other in moments of crisis, reaching out to their sister as the one person on whom they can count.
The narrative skips spans of several years a few times throughout the book, but the sister who picks up the story always fills us in on her perspective on the events we know about and brings us up to speed with details from the events we don’t know about yet but will need to understand as the story progresses. Louisa and Clem are excellent complements for each other, and their voices are unique, distinctive, and easily recognizable.
Though we only see the sisters in a handful of situations together, Glass provides us with enough insight into their minds, their personal lives, and their complex relationship that we are able to understand them fully anyway. Louisa and Clem tell us about themselves, but the things they tell us about each other are the things that make this novel and Glass’s understanding of the sister dynamic most remarkable.
I was pulled into the story within the first few pages, but a surprising turn in the last third of the book made it absolutely impossible to put down. Glass is not afraid to explore the difficulty and pain of tragedy, and her presentation of the Jardine family and of the sisters’ understandings of each other as they try to make sense of what has happened has that amazing quality that comes through when fiction succeeds in mirroring real life. Glass’s characters are real and flawed; Louisa and Clem have their neuroses and their hang-ups, and they don’t always do what they should do. And we recognize ourselves and our families in them.
I See You Everywhere is a beautifully written character-driven novel about family and what it means to be a sister and to have a sister. As the older, practical, feet-planted-firmly-on-the-ground sister in my family, I identified with Louisa throughout the book and recognized traces of my sister in Clem. As the story progressed, I found myself understanding and sympathizing with Clem as well—recognizing the qualities, quirks, and character flaws my sister must see in me—and this gave me an even deeper appreciation of Glass’s skill with characterization.
I haven’t read Three Junes, for which Julia Glass won the National Book Award, but if I See You Anywhere is anything like it, then it’s clear that she deserves to be recognized as a phenomenal contemporary writer with a wonderful ability to write about families, sisterhood, and the complexity of human relationships. 4.5 out of 5.
Thanks for another great review!
Great review…I’m so looking forward to reading this one.
For some reason, I am always drawn to stories involving sisters. This one looks excellent!
Great review! I really want to read this one. I just got Three Junes from a library book sale, so I’m looking forward to reading that as well.
The bond between sisters is often indescribable but from your review it sounds as if author did a phenomonel job of it. Thanks for the review!
I enjoyed reading your reviewand am so glad that you like the book! I can’t wait to read it! I am a fan of Julia Glass and I highly recommend The Whole World Over. Personally, I liked it better than Three Junes. I found the story, characters and writing wonderful. There is some cross over of characters from Three Junes in The Whole World Over as well. I read this first and then read Three Junes.
I had read a review of this book somewhere and I had saved a line from the book which the reviewer had mentioned.
Pain is a detached thing…It’s like the bass in a good song. As first you don’t feel it, but in the end it’s what you’re dancing to-Julia Glass: I see you everywhere.
Nice review.
Thank you for a very thoughtful review. I enjoyed the book as well and was pulled into it at the first pages. I always feel touched that even the sisters are very different, they find their life, in one station or another, mirrors one another’s experience. It’s beautifully written.
I was able to meet and talk to Julia Glass at a reading at our local bookstore two weeks ago. She was raised in the next town, so the audience was full of friends and people who knew her when she was a kid (including her mom and dad). She was poised and comfortable as she read and answered questions.
I posted a quote about her interest in the sibling relationship and an audio of her reading selection here:
http://www.sheistoofondofbooks.com/2008/10/23/author-event-julia-glass-and-i-see-you-everywhere/
I only read the first 30 pages or so, to prep for the event; *I See You Everywhere* is waiting patiently on my nightstand. Your review tells me I really need to put it on the top of the pile!
Great review! I can’t wait to read this one! I’m always interested in books that span many years and involve sisters.
I agree — great review. I don’t have sisters, so it’s always interesting read about them!