Cover Image: All This Could Be Yours

All This Could Be Yours

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Member Reviews

Jami Attenberg's writing is simply phenomenal, but I just couldn't get through the story. It may be personal, coming off a book hangover from reading a really spectacular book. I will probably try reading this one again at another time, but right now I just can't get through it.

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This is a twisty family saga that leaves you feeling cold. Not because the writing doesn't work, but because it does. The people in this family are so wounded, so damaged. And they cannot, will not communicate. The title is not a promise, it is a threat. One that the reader would do well to think about.

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This was a hard book for me to review. It’s clear to me that Jami Attenberg is talented and the book is well written yet I had trouble really connecting with it. I connected with the New Orleans details, having enjoyed time in the city myself and longing to go back, but that was it. I found it hard to really care about the characters though and that’s a huge problem for a book that is so character driven.

This book revolves around the death of the family patriarch, a now older, frequently described as ugly (yet he sure has a way with women anyhow?!) and supremely unlikeable man with an intense but somewhat hazy criminal history, a man who abused his wife and children who are now left to contend with their complex feelings towards him. I love character driven books and complex family and interpersonal relationships. This could’ve and should’ve been just my thing. Yet, while I like some dysfunction and tend to find it realistic and relateable, each and every one of the many characters in this book are so supremely dysfunctional they appear to utterly lack any good qualities. These characters don’t even like themselves! So why should I care then? It’s really hard to connect to a book and really care about it or what happens when there is not a single positive attribute or reason to like even a single character. And sure, sometimes dysfunction can be endearing but not in this book.

It’s a shame because while they weren’t likeable and the book shifts between the perspectives of many family members and even some side characters that all end up connected in some way (I have mixed feelings about authors who do this but because they all got long enough parts and all connected, it worked) ithey all we’re very unique and easy to follow and track which can be an issue for other authors. There’s serious talent and creativity here but just... no feeling. There’s a certain level of detachment here that really kept me from enjoying the book. If I hadn’t read it in more or less one or two sittings, I’m unsure I ever would’ve felt a reason to return to it after setting it down.

This one just wasn’t for me though I’d potentially be willing to give the author another shot in the future.

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Fantastic novel about a dysfunctional family. The writing is so on point and the inner lives of these characters so well observed. This book has so much to say about the relationship between men and women.

Reminded me of the writings of Philip Roth.

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Victor, the toxic patriarch of a dysfunctional family, is dying. And his death is forcing his family to deal with conflicting emotions. Through various perspectives, All This Could Be Yours explores the way one person's toxicity spirals out to affect the lives of others, and the complicated ties of family.

Attenberg's writing is complex and messy and real. The characters in this book aren't likable, but they're certainly relatable. And in the era of #MeToo, this is such a necessary view of what happens to bad men and the people who can't escape them. It's certainly not a cheerful read, but it's one that will stick in your brain and keep coming back to you when you least expect it.

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[4.5 stars]
2019 has been a stellar year for family dramas and All This Could Be Yours may be the darkest of them all! The level of family dysfunction is high, but what makes it truly dark are the thoughts and feelings of each of these family members. If you need hope in your books, this probably isn’t the choice for you. The story examines what happens when someone you’re “supposed to love” is in danger of dying, but you don’t feel the grief you’re “supposed to feel.” I’m sure this happens often in real life and I’m equally sure that it’s rarely admitted openly. Not surprisingly, this book is full of dark, morbid humor. And, I’ll venture to say that you may not be able to relate to it if you had a normal, happy childhood…but, for those that didn’t, this story will speak to you. 4.5 stars and it’s going on my all my Book Club Recommendations lists (including Short and Coed)!

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Wow! What a read! I LOVE family dramas and this was one of the best. If you are a fan of the show Succession, you will definitely love this as well.

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DNF at 10% - I seem to be in the minority on this one. I enjoyed Attenberg's last book a great deal so I requested this after only a quick scan of the synopsis. I didn't expect it to be so bleak. I generally enjoy stories about dysfunctional families but I think the abusive patriarch in this one was a bit too much for me.

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Secrets and more secrets seem to be the ever-pervading theme of this book. Although Attenberg's writing always conveys the emotions her characters are experiencing, I found it never-ending.
Their numerous flaws were constantly showcased and the bleakness of their lives and personalities unrelenting.

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If you want a book about death, drama, and dysfunction, then ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS, if you read Jami Attenberg's latest novel. Set in New Orleans, it is the story of a family full of very interesting characters. You will be drawn into the lives of the Tuchman family from the first page. You will know to know what makes them tick, what lies beneath, and why they do what they do to themselves and to each other.

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I was lucky enough to win an advance copy of FOLLOW ME TO GROUND through a Shelf Awareness giveaway. I can't wait to devour it!

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A heart attack will surely be the end of Victor, it is just a question of days and until he breathes for the last time. His wife Barbra visits him in hospital, accompanies him during these last days remembering the good, but most all the bad times they had together. Their daughter Alex also rushes to New Orleans to say good-bye, even though she is reluctant to do so. Their son Gary, however, refuses to see his father. He hides in Los Angeles and is unwilling to even talk to his family. Victor was a man with two faces, one for the family and one for the world outside. He was successful, at least it seemed so, but his success was founded on his character and this undoubtedly had some very dark spots.

“(...) it was then she realized that the stories he told were bad, that he did bad things. Even though he thought he was a hero. Simultaneously bored and intrigued, she asked him if what he did was illegal. ‘No one is innocent in this life. (...)’ “

Victor is a man of action, he knows what he wants and he knows how to get it. Contradiction and opposition are not things he tolerates, neither at work nor at home. If somebody dares to disobey, he either bullies them – like his secretaries – or smacks and beats them, like his wife and children. Now, immobile and comatose, he is not in control anymore and he cannot have any influence on his family members’ thoughts. That’s when all that has been hidden for so many years, finally surfaces.

Jami Attenberg’s latest novel gives an insight in a highly dysfunctional family. The head of it ultimately hors de combat, the toxic structures and behaviour come to the light. You wonder how and why a wife could ever accept and endure such a life, yet, the deeper you dive into Barbra’s thoughts, the more comprehensible her actions and behaviour become. She is weak and has never been ready to fight. Victor provided her with a certain standard of living and her contribution was never to dig deep, not to look too closely, but to ignore what she learnt over all those years at his side.

“Ah yes, the children. She hadn’t wanted them; Victor had. But her body was needed for production.”

The relationship between the parents and the children has always been cold. The mother never prevented the abuse just as she accepted how Victor treated herself. The daughter Alex seems to struggle most with it. She is caught between an understanding of what to do before you lose someone forever – forgive, forget, make peace – and her actual feeling which highly contradict this. Even when Victor is in agony, he makes life hard for his next of kin.

“All This Could Be Yours” is very cleverly constructed novel. Even in his absence, this very bad man domineers his family’s thoughts and shows that he is capable of ruining everybody’s life. Wonderfully written and brilliantly made from a psychological point of view, there is not much you could wish for more in a novel.

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I have read many glowing reviews for this book, and many of those reviews state that this book may not be for everyone. I think I fall into that group of people who are just not the right fit for this book.

All That Could Be Yours is a book about a seriously dysfunctional family. Victor, the family patriarch, is a horrible man in every aspect. There is nothing redeeming about him. His influence on the family causes trouble and dysfunction through multiple generations. This novel explores how Victor's terribleness affects his wife, children and even grandchildren. It is very bleak with really no hint of redemption for any of these characters. I just felt really sad and hopeless after finishing it.

Jami Attenberg has a very original writing style, and I did appreciate the writing and its uniqueness. The perspective shifts between the main characters and even to the occasional perpsective of minor characters along the periphery. This is a character driven book, and the pacing is fairly slow. While there were things that I could appreciate about the writing and the structure of the story, ultimately the characters and plot were so bleak that I just did not find much enjoyment while reading.

Thanks to Net Galley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest reivew. This book is available now!

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All This Could Be Yours was one of my most highly anticipated fall 2019 book releases. I have been on a family saga kick and after hearing some great reviews I couldn't way to start it. I absolutely loved Jami Attenberg's approach to the complexities and intricacies of family life, especially when it is dysfunctional.

We meet a family who's toxic patriarch, Victor, is on his deathbed. Attenberg gave an intricate look at dealing with the complexities of grief and loss when the relationship you had with the person was deeply troubling at times. The desires we wish for with others (closure, forgiveness, and answers) are often up against the reality that sometimes we have to find this within ourselves.

The novel has flashbacks that help us see the history of this family which totally worked for me as I always enjoy knowing the who and why of this family drama genre. We learn family secrets and the emotional and physical damages Victor caused to his family members. Even when all of the characters were not super likable, I felt like I understood them because of Attenberg's ability to create such multi-faceted personas. This was completely engaging to read while also being super thought-provoking which would make it a fantastic book club discussion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an advanced copy.

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Many thanks to NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Jami Attenberg for the opportunity to read and review her latest novel - 5 stars for a great read about a family and all its dysfunctional ways.

Victor is the head of his family but he's not a nice man. His business is built on criminal ways, he's unfaithful to his wife, and is physically abusive with her and their two children. His wife, Barbra, puts up with his behavior because she gets something out of it - money and the freedom to do what she wants. Never maternal with the children, Alex & Gary, who grew up not liking their absent father. Alex gets a call from Barbra that Victor is on his deathbed and wants the children to come. Alex goes to New Orleans not to be with her dad but to hopefully uncover the true reasons behind the marriage dysfunction that shaped her life.

Set on one day on Victor's death watch, each chapter gives us a view into lots of different characters both in the immediate family as well as outside that circle, all providing more to the story about how dysfunction carries down into the generations and how to stop it. I loved the truth that poured off these pages into the messy feelings that go along with family and relationships. Great New Orleans setting as well - the heat and humidity felt so real.

Highly recommended - another winner from Jami Attenberg!

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I love an involved family drama and this definitely fit the bill. As we sit and wait during the last day of the life of Victor, a not very likable man, we see how the power he had over his family. His wife allows him to treat her badly and yet, she just can't leave. His daughter wants explanations for why he was the way he was and just how bad he was. His son is living the day away from everyone. His daughter-in-law has a huge secret with him. As we go through the day, the past is revealed and what makes them all tick comes to light.

You can really feel every emotion and understand them all, that the family feels. We all seem to want answers at the end and sometimes have to find them within ourselves. I loved how we got the glimpse into their futures after Victor. And I have to say I found some satisfaction in his ending place. This is very well written and very complex. It is an interesting read.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book.

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This is a messy family drama - the best kind! The characters are well-developed and compelling. The drama keeps the pages turning and at the center is the world's worst father, husband, man, criminal Victor. Set amidst the colorful backdrop of New Orleans, Attenberg takes readers on an emotional roller coaster.

Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the ARC of this book.

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Wow!!! I enjoy getting lost in this well written novel dealing with the complexities and dynamics of family. All This Could Be Yours centers Alex Tuchman and her family, as they comes to terms with the fact that her father, Victor, is hospitalized and near death.

I found myself completely immersed in this novel! Told through alternating perspectives, I literally felt like a fly in the wall of this dysfunctional crew. Throughout the novel Jami Attenberg does a fantastic job of jumping between the past and present to give us the full scope of the Tuchman’s. I was on the hook as the novel methodically unraveled the domino effect the patriarch of this family had on all of its members! All This Could Be Yours is a 5 star book that I highly recommend! This is the first novel I’ve read from Jami, but I am already looking forward to reading more from her in the future!!

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Do you ever really know your family? The people you are supposed to be the closest too? Alex is trying to find out more about her father as he lays dying in a hospital bed. Told between various point of views, Alex's need to know more is a fight to also know more about herself.

I love stories of families that are broken or trying to heal. This story is less about the healing and more about uncovering the truth. I enjoyed reading the novel, even read it in one day. I wish we could have learned more about Alex and her brother, Alex and less about the secondary characters.

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I had really anticipated reading All This Could Be Yours. Although I’m glad I have now read it I’m not yet that I can say I loved it. And maybe that’s the point. None of the characters were likable but you kept going back to find out more more of why they stayed in the family, more of why they are the way they are. You get the impression that you know the type of work the family patriarch did in his life and yet you never know for sure. This is definitely a story you keep coming back to. I find it very close to the new show Succession - patriarch in power and the rest of the family trying to keep up and understand.

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