Jillian: A Novel

This novel takes you into the heads of two women who work together and who both face enormous practical, personality, and psychological challenges in their young lives. These are ordinary people and reminded me of many women I have known.Both have extensive internal conversations with themselves, know that their lives are screwed up, and struggle with how to get themselves on a better track. One of the characters is a negative, Debby Downer type, who hates her life and projects all of her self-criticism out onto others who she really thinks are more together and happier. The other is a chirpy type who comes up with a different solution for fixing her life on a weekly basis. Debby Downer spends a lot of energy being annoyed at the Chirpy, and the Chirpy spend a lot of her time pretending that the bad things happening to her (impounded car, long suspended driver's license, upcoming court hearing) are not happening and lying to others about what is going on. Downer medicates with alcohol by compulsively getting blind drunk and then maudlin every Saturday night; Chirpy gets a prescription for pain meds for her imaginary car accident, and uses them to rise above her problems. Downer worries about having no friends but has nothing but criticism for every friendly gesture Chirpy makes towards her.You know people like this. I know people like this. There are a lot of women who live on these exhausting mental treadmills. I thought this book was an excellent treatment of the interior lives of these women. There is no magical ending where both of them sort out all of their problems and life is good. Instead, the reader is left having a slight bit of hope for Debby Downer, who seems to be making some progress towards exhibiting a more positive view of life, and not much hope for Chirpy but an appreciation that despite it all, she seems to be doing an okay job of raising her son.I appreciated this realistic glimpse into the heads of ordinary women who internalize so much.

As I read and even while writing this review, I've been struggling to find language to characterize my experience of this book. I laughed a lot: hard, unexpectedly, in recognition, in surprise, in bafflement. As the story progressed, it felt as if it were hurtling toward some terrible, spectacular conclusion, and I both looked forward to it and feared it. That's probably the best I can do in nailing down the feelings it gave me. (Fittingly, the novel ends with an existential whimper rather than with a bang.) It's a pleasure to be confronted with a book the likes of which I've never read before.You are, have been, or know a Megan or Jillian. The sad thing is you might not realize. My pop culture-raised heart wanted them to recognize each other's pain, but this is not that novel; it's better, and that will probably frustrate many readers (and has, judging by reviews). Really, it's brilliant for its best reader, and I'm one of them.

This book is super. It’ll make you squirm in the same way people who can detect your bullsh-t do. Halle Butler sees live people, and none of us emerge unscathed. But if you feel suffocated by shallow materialism and gross hypocrisy — and most folks inspire you to shake your fist skyward — then this book will make you feel seen...and maybe even a little less lonely.

I was so relieved when this novel ended. Ugh. I only kept reading as I was trapped without anything else to do. I really disliked the characters and the writing style. Senseless people. Ew

Read about 60 pages hoping it would eventually pick up, but never did. I get that it's supposed to capture the boring life of being an office worker who resents everything and everyone, but the writing is extremely plain. Reading the exchanges between characters is like listening to a bunch of elementary school kids read dialogue from a play. None of the characters, not even the two taking turns narrating, have very identifiable or interesting personalities or lives. Again, I get that is part of the schtick, but it doesn't work in this case.

Dark and delicious!

Incredible dark comedy. All I want is more.

Well written but depressing.

SPOILERS I don't know anything about Halle Butler other than I enjoyed her other novel "The New Me", but I suspect she is big on people watching. The petty little interactions between her characters are so authentic in their detail. Jillian is a single mother to Adam and works in a doctor's office. She is trying very hard to create the perfect life for herself and her little boy but can't quite attain peace of mind. She is pulled over by the police for speeding and they discover she has unpaid parking fines and her situation starts to spiral downwards. Meghan, just twenty three, works alongside Jillian but loathes her, possibly because she doesn't want to end up like her. Every evening she returns to the flat she shares with her boyfriend Randy and complains about how awful Jillian is. Randy begins to realise that Meghan doesn't really like anybody and pushes everyone away with her caustic tongue. Jillian decides that her idea of domestic bliss is snuggling on the sofa with her son and a pet dog. Somehow she ends up adopting a chocolate Labrador, Peanut, who Adam promptly rechristens Crispy. Poor Crispy is taken out for a short walk every day but, other than that, is cooped up in Jillian's bathroom while she is at work. The saddest part of the book is the way that when Jillian askes Elena, a neighbour ,for help in getting Adam to day-care because her own car has been impounded by the police, Elena delights in Jillian's troubles, they make her feel superior. Embarrassed about her legal situation, Jillian lies and says she was in an accident but Elena senses that she is in trouble and gossips abut it to Adam's day-care manager, Barb. Both women begin to treat Adam harshly as if he is somehow less deserving of kindness now that they have sniffed out that his mother is struggling. The way the Jillian even convinced herself that there had been an accident instead of facing the reality of her situation was very cleverly written. I didn't really feel very invested in Meghan's character although her shoddy treatment of people seemed to stem from some sort of low level depression and lack of self-esteem. I did really feel for Jillian though who seemed to be trying her best but had become totally out of her depth. I found myself worrying about how her situation would be resolved. A very sharply-observed book but certainly no cheerer-upper.

Main character wasn't exactly likeable, in fact neither of them were and they didn't do very much but I enjoyed it. Ending frustrated me abit, needed to know a little more.

Bought this book because it reminds me how thirsty I get in the summer

Unreal this got published. So boring. The only good part where narrative picks up a little steam is when Jillian (I think it's Jillian), gets sweets and cookies and Crystal Lite at CVS.