I think this book would have worked a lot better if it hadn’t been in the hands of Anne Tyler. I love and admire Anne Tyler enormously. I also love The Taming of the Shrew. But where Anne Tyler’s strengths lie are in her portrayals of modern life, and The Taming of the Shrew’s message is one that has decidedly not aged well. That said, it was enjoyable with deeply funny moments, and I appreciate the ambitious undertaking of the project.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crown Publishing and Hogarth for a copy of this ARC.

I want to start this off by saying, Taming of the Shrew is my second favourite Shakespeare play and that my favourite movie growing up was 10 Things I Hate About You. So anything I hear is a retelling of Taming of the Shrew, I compare to both the original play and that movie. This unfortunately didn't live up to those standards. I found it very loosely echoing the play's story. But that was about it. I do think it was a good book on it's own. But for something to be called a "contemporary take on one of Shakespeare's most beloved comedies", I was hoping for a bit more.

I'm still giving it 3 stars though.

Overall, it is a cute story that had its own charm which I genuinely enjoyed, but this one won’t be a love for a lifetime book.

Oof, this was a tough get: retell The Taming of the Shrew in modern times? Yeesh. I think Tyler did the best she could here. There is evidence of that brand of Tyler I love: goofy eccentrics, that special breed of Baltimore-weirdness, uncles named Theron, etc. I found the wedding scene to be funny. So, not recommended for readers new to Tyler, but it was short and sweet.

I could not get into this one. I know it’s a modern retelling but I think my lack of familiarity with the original made this one a miss for me. I’m quite sure many others will enjoy her writing and the story!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish the book- the characters were completely unlikeable and I thought it was a poor rendering of Taming of the Shrew. Since I didn't finish it, I will not post a review on Goodreads.

Taming of the Shrew is one of the few Shakespeare plays I haven't read, but I know the story and I enjoyed this retelling. It started off a little slow for me, but I liked it more as it went on. I would definitely recommend this to patrons looking for retellings or a not-so-sweet rom-com type book.

One of the Hogarth Shakespeare project books in which an author is asked to recreate a Shakespeare story. Tyler's look at The Taming of the Shrew is spot on, She's writing about family again, but this time, the Vinegar Girl, Kate, is thrust into becoming the housekeeper for her father and sister. It's not until her father's lab assistant shows up in the book, that things turn more interesting for Kate and her family. Well done retelling.

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this anymore. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

I had to abandon this book. I could not get into the story. I had so much hope for this book but it really was a let down.

I really struggled to get into this one. I think it could be great for others, but it just really didn't hook me in early enough in the story! Not quite what I thought based on the blurb.

I wanted to like this book so much, a retelling of Shrew has so much promise. It just seemed flat, too plot driven (with an expected plot, since well, Shrew...) and not enough sparks with the characters. I just could not connect with the characters. I kept hoping for an interesting twist or insight, but they never emerged.

Shakespeare is such a great author, and this book does him complete justice! I enjoyed reading it, and I hope others do as well!

This spectacular retelling is everything I wanted it to be-- nuanced, dare I say it-- even fun? Much more palatable to me than the original, I loved the way Tyler charmed the reader with her perspective and gentle comedy. Highly recommended, not just for fans of Shakespeare's original-- this one stands independently!

Quirky characters, family squabbles, and witty dialog make this twist on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew a winner.

I received an advance e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Oh what fun! Having been in academic research I could relate to the father figure who was a nut. And of course the groom who was a foreign nut trying to understand American culture and unable to express himself in English but trying hard. It is such a kooky story of a moderately dysfunctional family. Very enjoyable. And so nice to read something from Anne Tyler. My only discomfort was the nonsense about men being taught not to express their feelings. Hopefully that is changing in today’s youth. The parallels to the Taming of the Shrew were also fun to reflect upon—makes me want to go re-read that story.

The Hogarth Shakespeare series is on an incredibly challenging task to get today's writers retelling Shakespeare's stories. In some cases, such as here with <em>Vinegar Girl</em> by Anne Tyler, we see how challenging this task is.

I've been a fan of Tyler's since Dinner At The Homesick Restaurant first came out in the 1980's, and I've read most of her work since then. And as someone who works at a professional Shakespeare festival, I was doubly pleased to see Tyler involved with the Hogarth series.

But Tyler gets the task of retelling a terribly misogynistic story. Can you do that -- tell a story about a man who gives his daughter to another man who hopes to 'tame' her, and be relevant to modern audiences? Perhaps, but Tyler struggles with it, it seems. This doesn't feel relevant and the characters come across flat, undeveloped. I didn't particularly care about Kate here, and if she's going to be 'vinegar' or 'shrewish' or however we choose to title her, then there ought to be something about her that we are attracted to in order to root for her. Is it enough to root for her because of her peevish father?

What I found interesting is that in modern productions I've seen (two or three), Kate in the play is a strong character, likeable, and though she's 'tamed' at the end, we (the audience) gets the sense that Petruchio is as much tamed as she. That was not the case here for me.

While I wasn't a fan of this book, it hasn't shaken my appreciation for either Tyler or Shakespeare, but rather reminds me that not all of Shakespeare's stories are easily relate-able to modern audiences.

Looking for a good book? Anne Tyler's adaptation of Shakespeare's <em>The Taming of the Shrew</em>, <em>Vinegar Girl</em>, struggles to remain relevant to a modern audience.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

An engaging and entertaining tale as Tyler’s Kate surprises herself in turning her stifled vinegary situation into a velvety full-bouquet life.

Taming of the Shrew was my first Shakespeare book/play and started me on a journey to read more of his plays. So, I was excited that the Hogarth Shakespeare series decided that this would be one of the storylines to get a contemporary facelift.

Tyler brings her trademark Baltimore location, eccentric characters, and zany family dynamics to the essence of The Taming of the Shrew.

This is a perfect read when looking for a relaxing read with a satisfying ending.

I gave up on Chapter 4. It is no way similar to Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew other than names. It was dull, and while the setting was modern day, it felt dated.

How did Kate Battista reach this point in her life? She doesn't know exactly what she thought her life would be, but probably not this. Kate is twenty-nine. She dropped out of college and now serves as her father's housekeeper and raises her teenage sister, Bunny. Dr. Battista is the original absent-minded professor, full of ideas about his research but uninterested in the house and raising the two daughters his wife left him when she died. His contribution to the household is a series of processes to make the house run efficiently. No time or energy to cook? It doesn't matter as once a week a mash of meat and vegetables is prepared and then every dinner is mash.

Kate has fallen into a stopgap job that somehow has lasted for years. She is an assistant at a preschool, where the children love her but the parents and administration are much less entranced with her honest, blunt truthfulness. No sugarcoating truths about behaviors for Kate. If a child asks who the best artist in the room is, Kate will tell him, not worrying about egos but feeling that the best artist is just a fact, not something to get a personality crushed over. She has some feelings for the only male on staff, a sensitive man who works in the two year old room, but has no idea if he has any feelings for her.

Then Dr. Battista has his brainstorm. His research is at a critical juncture. The university has grown tired of waiting for a breakthrough and his labs have been moved further and further away from the main areas. His only salvation is his assistant, Pyotr, a brilliant man who came over three years ago to work with him. They are about to get to the next level but Pyotr's visa is also about to run out. Immigration will insist on him returning to Europe. What to do?

It's obvious to Dr. Battista. Kate can marry Pyotr and then he can stay and work on the research as always. Pyotr, a younger version of Battista's singlemindedness, seems to be fine with the idea and intrigued by Kate. Kate is appalled and can't believe her father would marry her off like livestock. What will become of the Battista family and Pyotr?

Anne Tyler is one of the masters of American literature still working today. She has received the Pultizer Prize and been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. She has written twenty-one novels, each probing the intricatcies of characters the average person may not wonder about, but Tyler reveals the truth that each of us is an interesting individual with hopes and desires of our own. This retelling of Shakespeare's The Taming Of The Shrew is a delightful addition to her work and is recommended for readers of literary fiction.