Well it’s been a fairly calm week. I am behind on carving pumpkins and getting the candy stocked for Halloween, but wait, there’s still time! The snow is gone here but most of the leaves are down. I raked them into bags for a couple hours this week and was able to finish the audiobook of Delia Ephron’s 2016 novel “Siracusa,” which is a doozy of a story about two married couples that vacation together in Italy along with the enigmatic 10-year-old daughter of one of the couples. They go to Rome first and then on to the city of Siracusa on the coast of Sicily, where things quickly unravel and something happens that changes their lives forever.
Narrated from the two wives’ and two husbands’ perspectives, this story is pretty hard to put down. There’s Lizzie and Michael who are writers from New York, and Taylor and Finn, who own a restaurant in Portland, Maine and have a daughter named Snow. Lizzie and Finn had once dated back in their 20s, but now that’s over and this is the second vacation in later life they’ve taken together with their spouses. I’m not sure that this would necessarily happen in my household but … I was willing to go with it.
I think I heard about the novel “Siracusa” from Catherine over at The Gilmore Guide to Books, who liked it quite a bit, and I found it didn’t disappoint. I particularly recommend the audio because the four parts are read by four different actors who do a heck of a job with these different characters. You’ll find them an interesting mix with each their own secrets. Taylor, for one, is a helicopter mom from hell who cares only for her shy, beautiful daughter, Snow. And Finn still holds a flame for Lizzie, while Michael’s affections have turned cold towards her. Lizzie though is looking to win Michael back in Italy and jump-start her career as a journalist. But then in Siracusa all goes to hell in a handbasket.
The descriptions in the book and the characters make it an enticing read, but the story is pretty dark and cynical. It reminded me slightly of Herman Koch’s eerie novel “The Dinner,” which is also about two couples in Europe whose families go through something disturbing. But the stories also differ a bit. “Siracusa” is not totally without flaws, you likely will be able to forecast what will happen long before it does, though I still liked hearing how the characters played out their parts, and the ideas they came away with.
I had not read much from Delia Ephron before, though I knew of her from from her 1998 movie “You’ve Got Mail” and of course her famous sister Nora Ephron whose books often made me laugh. I had read parts of Delia’s nonfiction book “Sister, Mother, Husband, Dog: Etc.,” which for some reason I had put down, but nothing like “Siracusa.” It is much darker than I would’ve guessed of her fiction. It’s not exactly fit for an early Meg Ryan type of role: such as “You’ve Got Mail” and “Sleepless in Seattle.”
Speaking of which, I dragged my husband to the movie “The Girl on the Train” this week. (He said when we were leaving the theater he was the only guy in there. Ha ha ha, gotcha.) But “The Girl” was good, if you like this kind of movie. It followed Paula Hawkins’s blockbuster-selling novel closely.
Luckily Emily Blunt starred in it, which made all the difference. She made one hell of a messed-up Rachel Watson, hooray. Just like Rachel is in the book. I’m not sure the movie was all that suspenseful since I already knew what was going to happen — even my husband figured it out pretty early on without having read the book — but still I’m glad I went. Come on, I wasn’t going to miss it.
And the fact that they change the novel’s setting from London to New York for the movie didn’t seem to make much difference. Blunt pares down her English accent quite a bit, and there’s a couple of beautiful shots of the train along the Hudson River, which seemed good to me. While “The Girl on the Train” might not be as good as “Gone Girl,” it still was entertaining in a wacky thriller kind of way.
What about you, have you read “Siracusa,” or seen the movie “The Girl on the Train,” and if so, what did you think?
Just before I got to the comparison with The Dinner I was thinking, “This sounds like The Dinner.”
I liked your review of Girl on the Train. I am sticking with my plan to wait for the DVD.
Sounds good Judy. DVD would be a good plan for this movie.
Siracusa sounds good. I like the idea that it has multiple narrators. I find that multiple points of view of this sort can add depth to a story.
The characters themselves also sound very good.
Yeah Brian, I enjoyed the multiple characters & narration in Siracusa. Sometimes it doesn’t work but with this one it did.
Like Judy, I’m also waiting for the DVD of Girl on the Train. I did like (not love) the book, though, and I like Emily Blunt. I actually liked the movie version of Gone Girl better than its book counterpart. I though she (Gillian Flynn) fleshed out more and explained the ending better in the movie. In the book, to be honest, I was somewhat confused.
Interesting Bryan. Yeah I thought the Gone Girl movie was very good so I can see where one might like it better than the book. That might also be possible with The Girl on the Train movie. If you have low expectations of it, perhaps you will like the movie better than the book.
I enjoyed The Girl on the Train movie, too…so much that, despite having to pee before it was over, I stayed in my seat. lol. (Is that TMI?)
As for Siracusa, I enjoyed it…and I’m curious: what did you think of Snow? I thought she was creepy…and hated how she seemed to control her mother. Her mother allowed it, of course.
I read TGOTT book a while ago, so I had forgotten the setting was different, but I do recall thinking: wait, is that right, when they mentioned Manhattan.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts…and here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES
Ha ha Laurel. Yeah likely a good plan not to leave your seat during TGOTT. I’m glad you told me it was worth seeing. It was very much like the book. As for Siracusa, I agree Snow was creepy and her mother was nutty too. I liked some of the dialogue and the different narrators were done well.
I have Siracusa on my list – I think I also read about it at The Gilmore Guide to Books, and also Sarah’s Book Shelves.
Girl on the Train is our book club’s most recent pick, so I’ll finally be reading it. If it’s not too late, maybe we’ll even try to see the movie!
Wow your book club is doing that now. Well it’s a pretty quick read, then you all can see the movie too. It’s likely way over hyped so go into it with lower expectations — for perhaps a more pleasing experience.
Siracusa is already on my list, but I hadn’t considered going the audio route. Books told from multiple perspectives lend themselves so well to multi-narrator productions… and I tend to love those audios! Thanks for the suggestion.
Yeah JoAnn: I thought of you during the audio. Siracusa is a perfect book for the audio, so try for that. The different narrators make it more fun.
I have not read Siracusa, but thanks to your excellent review, it is now on my TBR list 🙂
I loved the book, Girl on the Train, and know I would enjoy Emily Blunt in the movie. Perhaps I can “drag” my husband to the theater next weekend….
Ha ha Molly. Just don’t tell your husband it’s a chick flick thriller and you might be able to get him there. Emily Blunt is worth seeing in this role!
I haven’t read Siracusa but I have it on my radar since I read the review at Sarah’s Book Shelves. Now you have renewed my interest on it.
I haven’t read The Girl on the Train, or Gone Girl for that matter–yes, I’m aware I may be the last person on the blogosphere to do it at some point–, but I thought the Gone Girl movie was meh… that Amy was a little too much for my taste. I’m planning to watch The Girl on the Train when it comes out for rental, as I always do. Dragging myself to the cinema nowadays is a hassle.
In my last Snapshots post I raved about good to great movies I had been watching, but this last month only yielded one great one, reason why I haven’t posted for a while. Apparently I jinxed myself.
Uh oh Carmen. The great movies dried up eh? That’s no fun. Amy in Gone Girl was pretty over the top sinister; perhaps you’ll like The Girl on the Train better when it’s on rental. It’s not great but it’s okay as a chick thriller b/c of Emily Blunt. Enjoy your week.
Siracusa sounds very good. Excellent review as always 🙂
Thanks RT. I hadn’t heard of the city of Siracusa before this book, but then I haven’t been to Sicily either. Have you? You’re my go-to travel expert. 🙂
I haven’t either Susan.
I wish you a tip top tastic weekend ahead 🙂
I still haven’t read The Girl on the Train and I’ve somehow managed to avoid spoilers so far, so I may just go out and see the movie before the book on this one (gasp!).
Shannon: You should just go see the movie! Exactly like the book – except for the setting. Go for it, ha! fun chick thriller.
I haven’t read Siracusa but I’d like to. I liked The Girl on the Train but wondered if people who hadn’t read the book would understand it. There were men in the theater when I saw it.
Hi Kathy: Yeah I think my husband understood the movie okay without having read the book, but I think it does add something if you have read it; it helps. I figured some guys would be seeing it. Good to know!
I like the premise of Siracusa, though you are right, not a Meg Ryan movie scenario! I will have to look for it. Not sure I want cynical but families traveling in Italy is appealing.
I was looking forward to Girl on the Train as I really liked the book–then I read some ho-hum reviews, and decided not to go. Now, I’m wishing I had…guess I wait for it on NetFlix. Just seeing the train running along the Hudson River would make it worthwhile!
Yeah Jane, I think you will like The Girl on the Train movie if you liked the book. Check it out when it gets on NetFlix. You might also like Siracusa as it’s a bit of a thriller too. Thanks for stopping by.