Family Pictures: A Novel Mass Market Paperback – September 30, 2014

While the story kept me interested, I couldn't get past the horrible editing and continuity errors. Some examples:***One of the two main characters is at a birthday party with a small group of women. The hostess of the party says to the women, "You three are my best friends!" And yet, I actually counted four characters, not including the hostess. One woman's name is first mentioned as Laura, but then in the course of the ladies' conversation, it changes to Lara. This may not seem like a huge deal, but the author can't seem to remember how many characters she has in any given scene, and can't seem to remember the names she has given them. It was sloppy. And there are a few examples of this type of annoyance throughout the book.***The OTHER protagonist has a friend named LARA (see above as to why this is confusing). She also has a friend named Ginny Meyer, who was ALSO mentioned as being at the birthday party referenced above (these women are all on opposite coasts, complete strangers to each other). At first I thought, oh, this woman knows BOTH of the main characters - this must mean something! Important plot point? Nope. Her name never came up again. But Ginny Meyer was clearly listed as being a guest at the birthday party on the West coast, and also as being at a dinner with the other main character on the East coast. But again, no mention was ever made of her again even though she seemed to be an acquaintance of both women. I guess the author forgot which character's friend she actually was. I thought that since she was listed as 'Ginny Meyer' in both scenarios, that it was a name I was supposed to remember because it added to the story somehow. WRONG. Annoying x 10.***George? This character was supposed to be at a dinner with one of the main characters and her elderly landlords, it is even said that the landlord lady escorted him up to her house. But when the main character gets to the dinner party, no mention is made of George at all - and there was even a rundown of everyone who was a guest at this dinner. It's like this author introduces characters and then quickly forgets about them within a matter of minutes - even when she makes it a point to note that one of the other characters invited George up to the house for dinner. He just up and disappeared. I can't figure out what his purpose was, anyway, but still. He was so quickly forgotten about. VERY. POOR. EDITING.There were a few more things, but you get the point. I can't believe that a book would be on shelves to sell to the public with so many editing mistakes and glaring continuity errors of this magnitude. I expect more from a book that was reviewed in and recommended by 'People' magazine. Is this all it takes to get a book published? A kindergartener could have edited this better. Unbelievable!

I like this book, a lot. Some reviewers stated it was “predictable“ and all I can say is of course! The whole premise of the novel is a bigamist and the repercussions of his actions. Mark Hathaway has two wives: maggie on the East Coast and Sylvie on the West Coast. When Sylvia‘s daughter, Evie, goes to New York on a college tour visit she meets Grace, Maggie’s daughter, and the two strike up a friendship. When Evie visits Grace at her home in Connecticut she sees a photograph of graces family and the father is Mark. The story takes off from there and Mark’s duplicitous behavior is uncovered by both women and their families. This is a great beach read and I am excited to have found the author, Jane Green. I’m looking forward to reading her other novels.

I just finished this novel and it was pretty disappointing. The story seemed weak and the plot line was pretty easy to guess.The characters were not very realistic. If I found out my husband had another family (with the wife he is legally married to), I certainly would have had a stronger reaction.Also, it did not seem very realistic that both of the "wives" not only survived but developed very successful craft businesses...one a candle making business and one a jewelry making business. And they become friends!!!The sub plot with Sylvie's daughter Eve having an eating disorder seemed sort of tacked on to the story.I had the most problem with the strange coincidence of how Eve finds out her stepfather has another family. She just happens to meet someone at a party with a friend while visiting NYC (she lives in California), instantly bonds with the girl, decides to take a train to Connecticut that evening with the girl to stay with her family and while she is there she sees a family photo of her stepfather with that girl's family.Now, my first reaction would be that he looked just like my stepfather or something but not that my father had another family!Not Jane Green's best.

Mz. Green is nothing, if not amazing in her ability to intertwine her characters, to pull in the reader and make them care about what happens to these people. In this triumph of lives unexpectedly colliding we learn the failures and foibles of the ego and the lengths it goes to with the singular goal of pulling us apart. As her primary characters unfold with depth and grace (as well as shallowness and guile) we see two families, two lives in progress. As the plot deepens we learn that what appears as the truth is in fact, quite far from it.As with nearly all of Green's work, I didn't want it to end. Yearning for more and wondering if she is typing at this moment and hoping if I will her hard enough, she will up her output to twenty books a year. Producing the stories that lay breathing in my Kindle....waiting to bring me up to speed with the events in their pages. Buy this book. Buy ALL her books and then share them with friends!

My title says it all. I really did enjoy the book. I made sure I read it before I watched the movie which I had on my DVR. So glad I did, cause but for the names being the same, they were no where near being the same. I realize that there can be 'poetic license' but this one took a well written book & made an awful movie.I am glad I did not see the movie first, cause as much as I enjoyed the actors who portrayed the characters, the movie would have convinced me not to bother.Thank you Ms. Green for a really good book. Sorry it got ruined.

Easy to read. I seen reviews of the movie,so I decided to read the book. Good story line some might say unbelievable,never happens ..but at times I couldn't wait to see what the next page would bring.Unfortunately there were several misspelled Words. Had me wondering "How & Why " weren't these 3rd grade mistakes seen and corrected.That being said : I would totally recommend this book.

Arrived very dirty I had to disinfect it ! Doesn’t take much to clean a book off before you send it .

Great product. Great quality. Great service. Thank you. Will buy again from you

good

I enjoyed this book and found it quite gripping. A good holiday read.

A great read!