Book Review : Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane (Spoiler-Free)

Ask Again, Yes: A Novel

Author : Mary Beth Keane
Published By : Scribner
Year Published : 2019
Genre / Tags : Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Literary Fiction
Mood : Sad, stressed, yet compassionate.
Formats : Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, Audiobook
# of Pages : 390 pages (Hardcover)

Review

Note : While I excised parts of this review to keep it spoiler-free, some areas may still reveal a bit much. I tried to keep it relevant to only matters that are mentioned in the blurb above.

I went into this book with high and perhaps misguided expectations and a stubborn willingness to continue when I should have long guessed it wasn’t going to be right for me. But there remained a lingering curiosity due in part to the hype, some interest in a couple of the characters, and the fact that I did really adore the first 25% or so.

About that first 25%- I was immediately taken in by the premise and told a friend “This book is going to be huge.” Actually, it’s already quite popular. I have only rarely come across a stand-alone book that was checked out/waitlisted in ALL of my nearby libraries within so many miles across multiple platforms. The libraries where I live tend to be under-utilized so that was quite a surprise.

The premise was totally up my alley. Some summaries I’ve read mention a sort of family saga drama spanning generations, with plot threads concerning many different characters across decades of time (not unlike The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough or Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides? Both of which are favorites.)

A very heart-rending, powerful and heartbreaking story line with troubled and complex characters (like A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara or The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls? Both of which I loved.)

A story of star-crossed lovers who are childhood friends met with intense disapproval toward their union? Sold!! I would kill to find a romance novel like that, and seeing a love story of that sort in literary fiction is more than welcome.

And yet I largely disliked Ask Again, Yes. A book that has a lot in common with some of the most precious books of my collection.

I usually start with the good but in this case the bad will be highlighted, then we’ll wrap around to the good.

So, this one ended up not having romance, which is totally fine. But it doesn’t just have no romance- it’s like the anti-romance, the polar opposite of romantic, and preceded by a sadly perfect setup for a love story.

These characters, Peter and Kate, are split up across a span of years and we see their births, their upbringing, their departure from one another, their college years until finally they are just about to meet again and then.. drumroll the author skips completely over a long-suffering, long-awaited reunion to plunk us down into very grim moments, years later.

About the family saga bit, there are really only six or so characters who ever matter across the span of this novel. I could not tell you a single worthwhile thing about Kate’s sisters or several of the assorted children born, for example.

It feels kind of weird about leveling this next criticism, which is that everything that everyone goes through is awful. I have a strange, hard-to-explain fondness for books where everything is awful. A Little Life from Hanya Yanagihara, for example, had me crying at 4 o’clock in the morning while marathoning its 800+ pages.

My lack of connection could have something to do with the emphasis on domestic drama. As mentioned briefly in the synopsis, the “daily intimacies of marriage” bit. I have made efforts over the years to pointedly avoid books about very down-to-earth suburban slice-of-life issues and domesticity unless it’s merely a feature of a larger whole, as can be the case with thriller, horror, or magical realism novels.

I’ve tried a few books in the past that ended up going into minute detail on things like worrying about a child’s major in college, buying a new house, maintaining a yard, and dramas like cheating, mid life crises, marriage problems, etc. Nearly all of these things are present in Ask Again, Yes to a level of detail that I found plodding.

In one passage that was quite easy to relate to, Peter laments how boring and monotonous his life is and how the boredom and tedium he feels in such a plain day-to-day life is causing difficulties for him. I completely and utterly understood where he was coming from as it was equally tiresome to read about.

The final area of trouble for me was the dialogue between characters. I would like to preface this by stating that the writing is by and large gorgeous. But then characters actually talk to each other and it’s like a whiplash of clunky, curt, short-shrift dialogue that is not warm, conversational, or particularly intelligent. I always had the sense that these people didn’t know each other beyond day-to-day functioning. To be fair, these issues tie into a theme of the story- inadequate communication and understanding. But it’s nevertheless frustrating to see unappealing dialogue and led to my actively disliking almost everyone in the narrative and having a distaste for their relationships with one another.

Now finally, the good.

The writing struck me immediately as being beautiful. This is literary fiction, with befitting metaphors and passages that dig deep into the psyche of some of these characters and offer insight into what makes them tick. Considering the heavy nature of this story in dealing with mental illness, disabilities, and addiction- the amount of empathy present within the writing and the surprising, touching climax and ending is well in good faith and meaningful.

I felt quite strongly for Peter and, in a complex way, Anne. Anne is harmful to those around her but she’s also harmful to herself. I felt a complicated mix of compassion for the character and fear of what she might do to the rest of the cast. Some of the scenarios are really quite clever at depicting the issues she faces and providing a deep insight and even pulsing tension at brief intervals. Anne is one of the reasons I kept on. Though not likeable in any sort of traditional way, she was worth reading about.

I did like Peter and in a more conventional way at that. Really hoped that he would be okay in the end. I also liked his Uncle George, who offers some of the precious few bits of decent dialogue in this book. I actively disliked everyone else and couldn’t connect with them.

The final thing I’d like to mention is that I seem to be way in the minority with my thoughts on this book. Many have been deeply touched by the characterization and honest, realistic portrayals within. Where I was bored, many others have been moved to tears. Being able to relate to the situations of the book and lifestyles of the characters may make for a more prepared and fulfilling experience.

Overall Rating – 6/10

Why You Might Like It – High grade literary fiction writing, several little meaningful passages that dive into the motives behind an assortment of characters. I was enraptured by the beginning (First 25% or so.) A family drama that focuses on their struggles to overcome a traumatic event and dealing with the repercussions. There is a tangible realism that I found boring that others may find to be grounded and believable. There are several worthy talking points about how characters react to the startling events, making this a pretty good book club selection. The tail end was nicely handled and unexpected. This book could be useful and helpful to people in its thoughtful way of tackling difficult subject matter.

Why You Might Not Like It – Even though this is a story about two families, many members remain under-developed. Even though there were strong building blocks for a blossoming romance, they’re handled in a decidedly unromantic and harsh way. There are rarely any breaks from hardship. While I personally find the end messages of this book to be edifying, others may consider those choices too dismissive of the harm posed by a specific character. The focus on meticulous descriptions of domesticity in the last 50% or so was truly DNF-worthy for me.

Ask Again, Yes: A Novel

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Have you read Ask Again, Yes and have any thoughts on it? Are you interested in reading it? I do still recommend giving this book a shot just in case, as I’m pretty much in the minority in not liking it. Any and all of your thoughts are appreciated at any time, and thanks for checking out this review!