The Middlesteins (Jami Attenberg)

This book turned out to be just okay for me. I really liked the review of it when I first heard of it but have to say I was a little disappointed. I guess the story wasn't full enough (no pun intended). It was cute in some parts the whole Jew-Personality (think: Linda Richman character on SNL) but that was about it. I didn't really like any of the characters and was even a little bored. There was something there, I kept reading it was just that interesting, but only just. The Middlesteins area Jewish family breaking apart because Edie, the mother, keeps eating and eating and gaining weight and then her husband leaves her during the time she has surgeries and pre-diabetes etc. and it all just doesn't come together. I'm not even sure what the main plot was. I guess it culminated during the twins b'na mitzvah but I just felt there was so much missing. The ending was kind of off too. The more I think about it the more I thought the author could have done so much more. I can tell she's capable but perhaps the story lost it's steam or something. Maybe she gave up or maybe the deadline was too short. Anyway, it's an okay book but could have been a lot better.