Book Review: The Interruption of Everything by Terry McMillan

I finished Terry McMillan's The Interruption of Everything tonight. This is definitely a page-turner. It's a universal story. It's not full of cliches or male bashing or gratuitous sex (I hate that that's what I expected from her, but it sorta was). It's not sugar-coated or exaggerated. It's just real. If we all live long enough we'll experience many of the things these characters do: that mid-life thing they say men go through, menopause, caring for our parents in their old age, empty nesting. I think the author did a great job telling the story of a woman who raised three kids and when she didn't have kids to raise anymore had to redefine her purpose and maintain her sanity while dealing with a shaky marriage, an aging mother and an irresponsible adopted sister, among other things. Initially, you meet these characters who you immediately want to dislike...a strung-out mother of two, a cheating husband, an overbearing mother-in-law. Then the whys of these faulty characters unfold, and you get to what causes their behavior...loneliness, fear of abandonment or rejection, insecurities. Ultimately, it's impossible to dislike these characters, because you understand the whys. The more you learn about them, the more difficult it is to dislike them. The more the main character learned the whys...the more she came to understand her adopted sister, her niece and nephew, her mother, her husband...the harder it was for her to look at them with nothing but love in her heart. She was also able to look into herself...get to some of her own whys. Understanding is so powerful.

And just like Terry McMillan's other works, this one ends with you wondering what will happen, but knowing everything will be okay. This is a good book y'all.

I can see this one joining How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Waiting to Exhale and Disappearing Acts in my DVD collection. Isn't it about time for another Terry McMillan book inspired film? If it is ever put on film, we already know Angela Basset's got dibs on the lead role.

Comments

[Proactiff]

ITA about Angela having dibs on the lead role. Although I think "Mya" skinned the role as "Angela" on the Girlfriends episode where Toni was having her girlfriends get together before marrying Todd. Gosh. Sounds like soap opera talk and I haven't been guilty of that since... forever! Nice blog. I'm a Virgo-list-lovin'-gal m'self!

[Nikki]

I've been meaning to pick that book up. I'll have to do that soon.

[Momma]

Reading your comments made me feel like I've already read the book. I feel every bit like the leading lady in the story, and can definitely relate. That is a good review Quel. If she read you blog, she should hire you for being a good critic or any kind of writer for that matter. Very good.

[summertime]

Just finished the book last night. Excellent review, quel. I too enjoyed. Ditto to everything you said.