Babyville

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Jane Green

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Pages: 464 (Paperback)

ISBN: 0140295933

Pub: Penguin Books Ltd

Pub date: 2002-05-30

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 14961

Editorial Review:

To have a baby or not to have a baby, that is the question that's facing Jane Green's heroines in her fifth novel, Babyville. Julia, Maeve and Sam are pondering the pros and cons of procreation; the effect that it could have on their careers, partners and lives.
The novel opens with Julia, a successful TV producer, with her legs straight up in the air, encouraging her boyfriend Mark's sperm to reach their destination. Julia thinks she wants a baby to fill the huge gap that has suddenly appeared in her life. But Mark thinks:
We don't make love anymore. We make babies. And we're failing.
Maeve, who also works in TV, is adamant that she doesn't want a baby or a relationship; she's happy as a single, ambitious, career girl: "The togetherness. The cosiness. That coupledom that is pure anathema to me." But she finds herself pregnant after a one-night stand and finds that her preconceptions turn out to be misconceptions. And finally there is Sam; voluptuously, glowingly pregnant at the beginning of the book, but near the end screaming at her beloved partner Chris: "You haven't been stuck in all day with a screaming baby. You have absolutely no idea what it's like for me." Chris feels "neglected. Abandoned . Unwanted."

Babyville is played out in the present tense, with a staccato style delivery, with beats of humour between the emotional labour. The emotions may be powerful and universal, but the prose style may need a longer fermentation period. --Eithne Farry

Reader Reviews:

Couldn't put it down (1/1 people found this helpful)

This is the first Jane Green book I have read and I loved it. I agree with the previous comment about the stories not being finished before you move onto the next person, but all the loose ends do get tied up and all your questions get answered, as you fill in some of the blanks of Julia's story whilst reading about Maeve and then you learn more about Maeve and Julia whilst reading about Sam. Loved each of the separate stories and think they could have worked as books in their own right.
Read this if you're a new mum, thinking of starting a family, pregnant or have no desire to start a family right now! Whatever your situation you will love it.

Hillarious! (2/2 people found this helpful)

This novel by Jane Green is one of her funniest! It will have you laughing from start to finish! A real gem to any woman who is thinking about having a baby, pregnant or had a baby in her life time! A great insight to a womans mind when she is going through the stages of starting a family with that witty Jane Green twist! A must read!!

Better than her previous effort (2/3 people found this helpful)

I read this book shortly after reading bookends, and thankfully it was much better.

The story is about three women, who's lives are interlinked, but the story is split into three sections.

The first section is about Julia, who is living with her boyfriend of 4 years mark. They are unhappy together, and are trying for a baby to patch up the holes in their relationship (not a good idea). Julia is unable to get pregnant though, and ends up getting stressed and being given time off work to sort herself out. She then proceeds to go to new york to see her best friend who lives there, and ends up back to her normal self, so doesn't go back to the UK.

The second part of the story is about Mauve, who takes over julias job whilst she is taking time off, and finds herself pregnant with julias boyfriends baby, before julia has even left the country! she decides to have an abortion but is talked out of it by mark, and they eventually end up together.

The third part of the story is about Sam, who is julias best friend, and is suffering from post-natal depression after the birth of her baby george. This part of the story deals witht he isolation and marriage problems caused by the baby, but eventually sam ends up befriending mauve and everything turns out okay.

This story is enjoyable, but the book was slightly weird in that the first part is written in the third person - (julia said), the second part is written in the first person - (i said (maeve)), and the third part is again written int he third person - (sam said). It is also slightly irritating, in that julias story is not really finished when the book moves onto maeves story, and maeves story is not really finished when it moves onto sam's story. justa s you begin to care about what happens to a character, its all over!

overall though a fairly good read.

Babyville (2/3 people found this helpful)

A reviewer from HELLO! Magazine describes `BABYVILLE' as unputdownable and Jane Green's fourth novel to be released in the US is just that indeed...unputdownable!
`BABYVILLE' focuses on three main characters, Julia who is trying to have a baby to no avail, Maeve, a career woman who never wanted children and now faces the most important decision of her life, and Sam a new mother of seven month old George, who never realized exactly how much a baby can turn ones life upside down. Each story gives you a different perspective of pregnancy and motherhood, one of which I am sure everyone can relate to.
In this novel Jane Green takes a look at a subject rarely touched on in this type of chick lit and makes it light and funny (all the while giving all us non-mothers something to think about =).

Really lovely read (0/0 people found this helpful)

This is a great book, there are three main female characters and you r really can relate to every one of them. Although the title babyville, did put me off a bit as i am only 22. It is not just based around babies as i thought it was!

Having read Jane Green's other novel Jemima J, I am now a fan of hers! Kepp up the good worl Ms Green!

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