There are just those who will always be the ones to have to 'suck it up' and make up for the people who can't. I don't think the author would disagree with this assessment. Sometimes they had to pick up the pieces for each other, but more often, it was the same people who were left holding the bag (like Alanna) and who never had the opportunity to bow out for a while because they couldn't handle things. Not that they were bad or ungenerous or not hurting themselves, but there were a lot of instances where the central characters were just able to abdicate any responsibility at all in order to deal with their mental issues, and, of course, that meant that someone else had to pick up the pieces. I think there were a lot of selfish people in this book, and they were selfish in the varying ways in which many are selfish. Many people have to put that aside in life, especially when they are responsible, or more importantly, responsible for someone else. That said, I often do get a bit upset reading about people who have the opportunity to indulge their individual needs, or even their own idiosyncracies and unhappiness. Ultimately, it is the individual self and its flaws that controls (and limits) contentment and happiness, despite other circumstances and people. Unfortunately, it was a reminder that some things in life can't be fixed and that love often has little to do with the reality of just how happy one can be, or just how good a relationship can be. I very much enjoyed this book about broken people.

Lucky jim review