I read and enjoyed two books by Jane Smiley, “Horse Heaven” and “Perestroika in Paris.” I was swept away by these books and I highly recommend them. My advice? Read those books instead of “Lucky”.

“Lucky” is told in the first person by “Jodie Rattler”, in an almost a stream of consciousness way. Jodie narrates her whole life, from growing up in St. Louis, high school, college, her career as a folk singer and recording artist, her 25 lovers. All this is mildly interesting- sometimes witty, sometimes appealing. We get to know her family, too.

The book ends in a very abrupt way, followed by an “I didn’t see this coming at all” end of the world scene. Turns out this story isn’t even told by “Jodie Rattler”. I’m giving this book 3 stars, instead of 1 or 2 stars, only because I do respect Jane Smiley.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance digital review copy. I was so delighted to receive a copy, and so disappointed with the book. This is my honest review.

In the promotional materials this book is described and atmospheric and soulful. It follows a young girl through her growing-up years in St. Louis, her love of music, and her journey into adult life. The locales are described well and gave me a sense of being there. But my disappointment with the book was that nothing much happened. Towards the end there was an unexpected reveal, but if it was intended to be dramatic or important, I didn’t see it. For me the most satisfying detail of the book was the recurring motif of a roll of two-dollar bills that the girl, Jodie, keeps with her for decades, for luck. I have not read anything else by Jane Smiley; but perhaps those who follow this author will better appreciate the story.

Lucky is perhaps Jane Smiley's most self-indulgent book yet. While I liked Moo and admired A Thousand Acres, this meta-meta narrative was disappointing and annoying from the start. The first -person narrator is Jodie Rattler, who has a folk-music career that she's not particularly committed to, but which sets her up monetarily for life when she's still in her teens. She floats her way around the world, leaving lovers and experiences in her wake but not ever developing much as a person. She writes songs, or doesn't, and records them, or doesn't, and plays a festivals, or doesn't. The song lyrics are, I'm sorry to say, cringeworthy, and the music terminology isn't always right. In fact, it's more often wrong than correct. Jodie often mentions "the gawky girl" with whom she went to school and of course this girl is Smiley herself, who writes a fictional narrative of Jodie's life, which is what you're reading. The real Jodie, reading her own copy of Lucky, isn't happy about this, but the world is ending, I don't know why Smiley chose to structure the novel as she did, but it was easy to see her setting it up with the "gawky girl" and to watch as Smiley's fictional self and the fiction of Jodie came into collision with one another. The result isn't very good: the device doesn't come off well, revealing very little about anyone, and the epilogue, a correction of fictional Smiley's book and state of the world address, is kind of bizarre. I'd love to read or hear why Smiley decided to create the book in this way.

I have always loved Jane Smiley’s books, but I think this is the best yet. The story is about the life of Jodie and how she navigates family, friends, and a career as a somewhat successful folk singer. The story contain a lot of day to day details that might normally be a bit mundane, but Smiley uses them to keep the story moving. And it does move- I kept looking to see what percentage I had read because I didn’t want to get through it too quickly. Would have loved a sequel, but the epilogue changes how you feel about the story- not in a bad way, but in a different way. Enjoy this book to the end.

I was a beautiful book! I loved all of the twists and turns. I thought it was just a gentle story. I was expecting a lot of drama and was surprised by how gorgeous this was. Jane Smiley can do no wrong!

I'm a huge Jane Smiley fan. Her character development is like no other. So it must be me because I could not get into Lucky. Not sure how to even complain cause she's so good!

I started this book on a high note. Jane Smiley! Great writer! My enthusiasm settled down a bit but I still was captivated by Jodie’s musical career.. she was about my age, so the songs and artists she interacted with were fairly familiar. I loved reading about how her family shared caring for her grandfather as he aged and then died and then the same thing happened with her mother. I followed along as Jodie aged and learned life lessons. However, the end of the book seriously jumped the shark for me. The author’s preaching about “climate change” and her obvious liberal politics spoiled the arc of the story. Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

Jane Smiley is a master of so many writing styles, but what always sticks with me is a kind of ache that comes through in her stories. It is so in "Lucky," which is by turns wonderful and bewildering.

Jodi's uncle takes her to the racetrack at Cahokia Downs as a special treat, and lets her pick the trifecta. To their amazement, they win, and big. Uncle Drew gives her a bundle of $2 bills and tells her to hide them, save them, not tell anyone about them, but buy herself something nice one day. Knowing that she has this special think tucked away. She's a talented singer and almost has a folk career, she writes songs that are modest hits. Somehow, the feeling that she is lucky allows her to live the life she really wants, modest and fulfilling.

But there's something else going on in "Lucky" and I'm still trying to make sense of it. A girl Jodi knew in high school--the "gawky girl"--pops up occasionally in her life and turns out to be Jane Smiley, who writes the book we are reading. Then there's an Epilogue that comes out of the blue and has to do with what's come before. I'm still wondering.

I enjoyed every page of "Lucky" until the end. It is beautifully written, of course, and filled with relatable characters and that ache. Little action but a lot of humanity. How many stars does a book get that is so good until this weird Epilogue blows it apart?

"full of atmosphere" is a good description of this book. Unfortunately not a lot of action. I generally love Jane Smiley's books and her characters, but this one just didn't grab me. It reads more like a celebrity memoir rather than a novel.

Jodie Rattler is a star, and this is the story of her growing up in St. Louis in the 50s & 60s. Filled with tons and tons of pop culture that will bring back memories for readers who grew up in that era, but there's not much to hang on to otherwise. I couldn't finish this book. Clearly this was not to my taste.

Although I have always enjoyed Jane Smiley’s writing, I wasn’t impressed with this book. The story seemed to be presented in an almost stream of consciousness style, which led to run on ideas and sudden diversions from current action. This format made it difficult to invest in the scene, and so, in the characters.
The protagonist, Jodie Rattler was a young musician from St. Louis who enjoys a modicum of fame during the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Due to her uncle’s investment savvy, she has a financially comfortable lifestyle going forward. After spending her 20’s traveling and devoting herself to music and to herself, she eventually returns to St. Louis and rediscovers the importance of family.
While the theme of self discovery and the value of family could have resonated, the style was off putting.
Not Jane Smiley’s best.

"Lucky" by Jane Smiley takes readers on a soulful journey through the life of Jodie Rattler, a folk musician who rises to fame against the backdrop of changing times. Set against a rich tapestry of locations spanning from St. Louis to New York City, the English countryside to the tropical beaches of St. Thomas, Cleveland to Los Angeles, and back again, the novel captures the essence of Jodie's life from her beginnings in St. Louis to her ascent to stardom.

The narrative unfolds in 1955 when six-year-old Jodie experiences a stroke of luck at the racetrack, winning a roll of two-dollar bills that becomes a talisman accompanying her throughout her life. Jane Smiley skillfully paints the portrait of Jodie's coming-of-age within the embrace of her extended family and her journey into the world of folk music. The novel navigates through recording studios, backstage moments, and tours, providing readers with a front-row seat to Jodie's rise to fame.

As Jodie finds herself in the company of iconic figures such as Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, and Joni Mitchell, the novel explores her quest for something more—perhaps true love or a deeper understanding of herself. The narrative is imbued with a sense of longing, exuberance, and the glittering allure of real talent.

"Lucky" is not just a tale of a musician's success but also a reflection on the intersections of chance and grit in one woman's life. The novel captures the essence of the times, blending romance, rock 'n' roll, and the vibrant spirit of an era marked by cultural shifts and musical evolution.

Jane Smiley weaves a colorful and atmospheric narrative that delves into the complexities of fame, love, and the search for one's true self. "Lucky" promises readers a journey through the heart and soul of a woman whose life is intertwined with the rhythms of folk music and the beats of her own heart.

I felt like I was missing something while trying to get through this book. Perhaps it’s just me but I didn’t love it like I thought I would especially since the author is so well regarded. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

If there was a story here, I couldn’t find it because it was mired down by so many unimportant things…about St Louis schools, streets, and also people who were only mentioned once. It felt like reading a long diary. She somehow became a singer/songwriter and made millions without even trying or being very ambitious at it. Sorry to leave a bad review but it’s honest. I feel Lucky i made it through it.

Lucky by Jane Smiley was nothing like I expected. After reading a long and tedious novel about Jodie Rattlet and her life from basically birth to old age and her magically making money in her early 20s and investing it so it became millions, then not really touching it to help her family or live, we find out that this really wasn't the story of her life, but a book of fiction written by someone she knew in high school, loosely based on her life and then it ends with an epilogue that is a distopian rant about the end of the world and destruction of America. I waited the entire novel for something to happen and that's what happened? I found the main character to be tiresome and self involved and the whole book a bore. Read at your own risk. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

What a very odd book. I’ve found Jane Smiley inconsistent of late; enjoyed her last title, A Dangerous Business so I’m not on the anti Jane Smiley bandwagon (Moo was superb). It was a difficult read and I stuck with it because I’ve spent a fair time in St Louis. The narrator was flat-it was a monotone reading of someone listing their accomplishments although to believe the PR the narrator was a rock star. I also think her assessment of St Louis was from many many years ago and I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or remembering the past through rose colored glasses. However, I never felt I knew the character and frankly didn’t find her very interesting. And then-the dystopian ending. I definitely didn’t see that coming. I believe in Climate change, I admit my politics lean left but the ending came out of nowhere and I don’t mean in a good way. It was thought she was channeling Margaret Atwood in a last minute rant and not in a very well done way. Perhaps the audio reader will do a better job of inflicting some life in the main character

This was an absorbing and compelling book about a female singer/songwriter and the life she lived. It takes the position that many things in life are lucky, even if they don't seem so at the time. It's fascinating to be on the inside a famous journey. The evolution of the singer as a performer and as a person is engrossing. I love the book. It didn't always work out as you thought it would, but life is like that, isn't it?

My rating is Sour Stars, but only because it's Jane Smiley. How can you rate a Pulitzer Prize novelist less than that? It's a longish, beautiful novel about the life of a woman in a St. Louis suburb from the time she is a young child in the 50's up to the present and beyond. Yes, beyond as the Afterword takes place in 2030-something.

In a few words, you will live life with Jodie Ratter, who lives with her single mother and her mother's family in a town near St. Louis. It's almost a day-by-day narrative of Jodie through school, kind of a loner, and the story of her family. Jodie becomes a semi-famous singer songwriter and recording artist. Every aspect of her life seems to her to by lucky. Nothing really earth-shattering happens, and you can wonder how this is even readable. But this is Jane Smiley, whose 3-novel series "The Last hundred Years" trilogy, kept me waiting breathlessly for one year to the next for its publication.

Jodie mentions, continuously. the tall "gawky" girl she knew in high school whose path crosses hers and who shows up at the end as, can you guess? Of course not. It's Jane Smiley herself who has written this novel. The afterward is shocking and difficult to process. Yet this is Jane Smiley, whose worst is better than most people's bests. And that is my mixed message of a review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a week's worth of worthwhile reading of this ARC.

Wow, did this ever take me by surprise!. What seems to be a chronicle of the events of Jodie’s life turns out to be something else entirely. Jodie lives with her mom in St. Louis, near her grandparents and her aunt and uncle. She’s an introspective child who loves music. Over the course of the book, she writes and records many songs. She travels and moves to New York. She has many boyfriends. She decides she doesn’t want to marry. She doesn’t want children. When she is asked to come back home because her mother needs help, she realizes that she has become somewhat isolated and sets about fixing that. But there’s a surprise at the end that turns this into a cautionary tale and a commentary on American society. Quite intriguing.

Extremely disappointing. I will never again read anything written by Jane Smiley. I spent the entire novel engrossed in Jodie’s story and vested the many well defined characters who surround her. Looking forward to a conclusion, I was instead gobsmacked by an epilogue that unflinchingly told me I had been deceived. To add insult to injury, I was then treated to an extreme and depressing political statement basically foretelling the end of civilization as we know it. Do not waste your time.

This book was delightful - I loved following Jodie and the cast of characters Smiley conjures around her through the second half of the twentieth century. I appreciated the music industry details in the novel but also that it didn’t dwell on the nitty-gritty of fame - it was much more about Jodie’s life than fame and fortune.