Based on the runaway bestseller, where d you go, bernadette is an inspiring comedy about bernadette fox academy award winner cate blanchett, a loving mom who becomes compelled to reconnect with her creative passions after years of sacrificing herself for her family. Do you feel bernadette s disappearance was unique, or do all women, in a sense, disappear into motherhood and marriage. A bestseller praised by numerous critics as one of the best books of the year, whered you go, bernadette is a fastpaced comic novel with a complex narrative structure. Is your book club is looking to dig into the comic mystery of whered you go, bernadette. The whered you go, bernadette book differs from the. Enthusiastic, fun, lively was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you.
Whered you go, bernadette by maria semple is a book about a family living in seattle, washington. The tightly constructed whered you go, bernadette is written in many formatsemails, letters, f. Bernadette and elgin agree to the cruise, although bernadette admits up front that she hates to travel. Whered you go, bernadette is, at its core, a story about a woman who disappears, both literally and figuratively. Whered you go, bernadette, published in 2012, is the second novel by maria semple, a former television writer who worked on shows such as mad about you and arrested development. Bernadette is wife to elgin elgie, and their daughter bee is a young teen just out of middle school. Plot summary bee branch, whose real name is balakrishna branch, is in her last year at galer street school in seattle. Whered you go bernadette biggest book to movie changes. Of course you can say that about every book ever published, but that goes double here. In richard linklaters new movie, the boyhood director takes on motherhood his adaptation of whered you go bernadette bungles the novels mystery but finds its heart. If you have not seen the film yet, i highly encourage you to do so.
May 10, 2019 based on the runaway bestseller, whered you go, bernadette is an inspiring comedy about bernadette fox academy award winner cate blanchett, a loving mom who becomes compelled to reconnect. Whered you go, bernadette study guide contains a biography of maria semple, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Whered you go, bernadette by maria semple goodreads. Based on the runaway bestseller, whered you go, bernadette is an inspiring comedy about bernadette fox academy award winner cate blanchett, a loving mom who becomes compelled to reconnect with. Whered you go, bernadette is a bewildering fizzle of a film, but if you can look past its jagged edges, thats a lesson well worth remembering. Whered you go, bernadette, a maria semple novel the new.
Jan 14, 2020 is your book club is looking to dig into the comic mystery of whered you go, bernadette. Where d you go, bernadette is a social satire, which is to say that it explains what is sick and sad about american life while making. The plot revolves around an agoraphobic architect and mother named. It is narrated by her 15yearold daughter bee branch. Aug 14, 2012 days before the trip, in the middle of an intervention elgie has plotted with his adoring administrative assistant, bernadette disappears. Whered you go, bernadette official trailer youtube. Find books like whered you go, bernadette from the worlds largest community of readers.
Where d you go bernadette has much talk about antarctica, the coldest, windiest, driest desert continent on earth. Do you feel bernadettes disappearance was unique, or do all women, in a sense, disappear into motherhood and marriage. What three words best describe kathleen wilhoites performance. Whered you go, bernadette, by maria semple, is a seattle sendup. Aug 26, 2019 the 2012 book whered you go, bernadette, by maria semple, is a documentary novel in the same way that other novels would be called epistolary. Semple pictured is a tv comedy writer, and the pleasures of whered you go, bernadette are the pleasures of the best american tv.
The characters are not likable in the beginning or understandable, especially bernadette. The freerange hilarity of whered you go, bernadette begins with bee. When her daughter bee claims a family trip to antarctica as a reward for perfect grades, bernadette, a fiercely intelligent shutin, throws herself into preparations for t more. If youre looking for an exact reenactment of the book, this is not it. Npr stories about whered you go, bernadette a man reaches for a wooden cross in the sea during an epiphany ceremony in the greek port of thessaloniki on january 6, 2011. Aug 14, 2019 where d you go bernadette, a new film starring cate blanchett, billy crudup, and newcomer emma nelson, is adapted from maria semples 2012 novel of the same name. Aug 07, 2012 the tightly constructed whered you go, bernadette is written in many formats emails, letters, f. Semples background is in television comedy and this is a very funny book in places. The great news is that whered you go, bernadette was released in 2012, but is still timely and relevant. Maria semple constructs the story of whered you go, bernadette as the work of its 15yearold narrator bee, who has gathered various emails, faxes, articles, and even an fbi report.
Bee branch is the daughter of an executive at microsoft and her mother is a former awardwinning architect. Whered you go, bernadette official trailer 2 youtube. Bee was way more intelligent than any 8th grader that i know but, having two very intelligent parents its realistic and understandable. Whered you go, bernadette is a 2012 comedy novel written by maria semple. And who knew that audrey could step outside her box of superiority and see herself for who she really was. The 2012 book whered you go, bernadette, by maria semple, is a documentary novel in the same way that other novels would be called. To makes sense of the disappearance, bee creates a book by collating the internet postings, public records and private emails she has received from an anonymous source. Whered you go, bernadette is a 2012 epistolary comedy novel written by maria semple. Located around the south pole, antarctica covers an area of 5. Lit lovers reading guide lit lovers discussion questions video interview with maria semple q and a with maria semple semples exploration of microsoft. I wouldve given up on it if not for a reading buddy who pushed me to stick it out.
Aug 16, 2019 the most obvious change from the book is that, as bernadette was offscreen so to speak for most of the novel, elgie and bees pursuit of her is at its center. The plot revolves around an agoraphobic architect and mother named bernadette fox, who goes missing prior to a family trip to antarctica. If you like whered you go bernadette, you might like. Aug 16, 2019 linklaters film has bernadette seek audrey out instead, a move that arguably skews the dynamic between the two women. Read free book excerpt from whered you go, bernadette by maria semple, page 1 of 2. Based on the runaway bestseller, whered you go, bernadette is an. A lot of book clubs prefer to read books easily found at the library, and, by now, your library should have plenty of copies. This book has overthetop humor laced with social commentary. Sure, i would deem whered you go, bernadette a feelgood movie. Semples bestseller is the darkly comic tale of a highly creative yet unhappy woman whos suppressed her talent for decades and finally rediscovers it through an unlikely journey. The whered you go, bernadette book differs from the movie. It is told in a series of documents with the occasional interlude by bee.
What did you think of vav victims against victimhood. Linklaters film has bernadette seek audrey out instead, a move that arguably skews the dynamic between the two women. In the summer of 20, you couldnt escape seeing the distinct turquoise cover of maria semples paperback novel, whered you go, bernadette. Cate blanchett plays a woman in trouble in richard linklaters latest, based on the bestselling novel by maria semple. Discussion questions book club recommendationsdiscussion. The book follows an epistolary format, meaning the text is largely composed of letters, emails, and other found documents. The 2012 book whered you go, bernadette, by maria semple, is a documentary novel in the same way that other novels would be called epistolary. To her microsoftguru husband, shes a fearlessly opinionated partner. Whered you go bernadette book club questions and recipe. Whered you go, bernadette by maria semple, paperback.
Makes me want to read other books by the same author. What follows includes plot details from the book and movie whered you go, bernadette. Brilliant, hilarious, endlessly inventive, and compulsively readable, whered you go, bernadette grabs you by the collar and never lets go. In the third act of semples story, bee and elgin travel on the allegra from argentina to antarctica, in search of bernadette, whos ventured to. Whered you go, bernadette is a sassy pageturner, filled with sardonic commentary on parenting, progressive schools, seattle, the life of the privileged, and more. Jun 29, 2012 semple pictured is a tv comedy writer, and the pleasures of whered you go, bernadette are the pleasures of the best american tv. Whered you go, bernadette audiobook by maria semple. The story follows the main character, bee branch, as she pieces together emails, letters and other documents to try to find her mother, bernadette fox, who has gone missing. Goodreads members who liked whered you go, bernadette also lik. Its a fun and quick read that brings to mind several questions, although none of them are very deep.
Bernadettes husband, elgie, has taken a job in seattle with microsoft and bernadettes world has become smaller and smaller. Semple is not only a masterful juggler, and an astute social critic, she is a magician. What other book might you compare whered you go, bernadette to and why. I decided to read whered you go, bernadette after i saw the trailer for the movie and thought it looked like it would be good.