The Interruption of Everything

Written by:
Terry McMillan
Narrated by:
Desiree Taylor

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
47
Narrator
1
Release Date
July 2005
Duration
11 hours 50 minutes
Summary
'Being a lifetime wife and mother has afforded me the luxury of having multiple and even simultaneous careers: I’ve been a chauffeur. A chef. An interior decorator. A landscape architect, as well as a gardener. I’ve been a painter. A furniture restorer. A personal shopper. A veterinarian’s assistant and sometimes the veterinarian.... An accountant, a banker, and on occasion, a broker. I’ve been a beautician. A map. A psychic. Santa Claus. The Tooth Fairy. The T.V. Guide. A movie reviewer. An angel. God....For a long time I have felt like I inadvertently got my master’s in How to Take Care of Everybody Except Yourself and then a Ph.D. in How to Pretend Like You Don’t Mind. But I do mind.' Since Terry McMillan’s breakout novel Waiting to Exhale surged onto the bestseller lists, critics and readers alike have been captivated by her irreverent, hilarious, pitch-perfect tales of women’s lives and contemporary issues. With The Interruption of Everything, her sixth novel, McMillan takes on the fault lines of midlife and family life, reminds us once again of the redeeming power of friendship, and turns her eye toward the dilemma of how a woman starts to put her own needs higher on the to-do list while not shortchanging everyone else.

Marilyn Grimes, wife and mother of three, has made a career of deferring her dreams to build a suburban California home and lifestyle with her husband, Leon. She troubleshoots for her grown kids, cares for her live-in mother-in-law, Arthurine (and elderly poodle, Snuffy); keeps tabs on her girlfriends Paulette and Bunny and her own aging mother and foster sister—all the while holding down a part-time job. But at forty-four, Marilyn’s got too much on her plate and nothing to feed her passion. She feels like she’s about ready to jump. She’s just not sure where.

Highly entertaining, deeply human, a page-turner full of heart and soul, The Interruption of Everything is vintage Terry McMillan—and a triumphant testament to the fact that the detour is the path, and living life 'by the numbers' never quite adds up.
Reviews
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Sunnye S.

The story was good on so many levels. Terry McMillan's story celebrates the dynamics present in multi-generational families. The situations are real ones faced by families. The two sisters that braided hair reminded me of my experiences with some of the young women who braided my hair. The narrator rated three stars. Listening to her made me think she was being forced to read this book against her will. Unfortunately, she never made the story leaf off the pages. I almost didn't finish it, but Terry McMillan wrote it so, I knew that there was value in listening. The performance lacked genuine heartfelt emotions, with one or two exceptions. If the character was angry or had an attitude problem, then the narrator was believable. Why did the narrator choose voices for Marilyn's and Leon's mother's that sounded like they belonged to fragile and tired 80 and year old women, not 60+ year old women?

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Anonymous

It was suggested to me as a good book. It was "ok". Too predictive for my tastes; you knew what was going to happen before you got there.

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Anonymous

If you can get past Terry McMillians signature cursing characters, the story is interesting. This one was similar to others I have read where there is serious men bashing. Glad I rented and purchased this one.

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Anonymous

Good book on real life issues. Really appreciated both view points on failing realationships (husband and wife) leaving no excuses in the natural though its a fictional book. Enjoyed the sisterhood displayed as well, nice touch

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Anonymous

I couldn't get into this one. The author is someone I really like, but I couldn't identify with this storyline.

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Karen Karatos

I love this author. Terry McMillan's style is so completely genuine and down to earth, it's refreshing. As with all of her books, she consistently demonstrates her magical ability to bring all of the characters to life. This book includes the 'laugh out loud' scenes as well as the ones that make you feel like your heart's stuck in your throat. Listening to this book made me look forward to getting back in my car and driving more -- and I hate driving (living in Southern California, you can understand why). The reader was also excellent- her accents were perfect and helped to develop each character's distinct personality. Audiobooks should try to acquire all of McMillan's work.

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Dian

This was very "Terry McMillan" in style. Three friends, middle class, etc. I enjoyed it, especially the mother-in-law, but there were few surprises and the plot was thin in places. The first half was much stronger than the second half which takes place while the central character's husband is out of town. A good diversion, pleasant enough for its type.

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Sharon S

Excellent Book! The characters were very well developed and the story line was interesting. I didn't want it to end and I loved the way the characters grew.

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Anonymous

This was an excellent book. Especially for those of us pushing 40...Great, Great, Great.

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Anonymous

As excepted Terry McMillen does a wonderful job. What woman hasn't felt this way at one time or another when facing a crossroad in her life? She sure does keep it together given the circumstances in her life. Keep up the good work.

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