Me Before You: Book Review by Dinh
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Me Before You Summary
At 26, Louisa Clark thought of herself as an ordinary girl living an ordinary life which suited her to the ground until she looses her job.
Louisa worked at the Buttered Bun café until it closed down unexpectedly. Now jobless, she is desperate to find a job.
Louisa’s close knit working class family relied on her wages. Her younger sister Katrina (Treena), a single mother, works at the flower shop but hardly made much, and her father Bernard who works at the furniture factory was fearful of the possible redundancies that were rumored. Louisa’s mother has to look after Granddad so can not afford to work.
After doing a few odd jobs, Louisa gets offered a job as a care assistant for a private family looking after a disabled man. The job is only two miles from her home, on the other side of the medieval Stortfold castle, and making more money than she had at Buttered Bun café, she accepts the position.
Louisa’s job is to be a companion and to care of 35 year old, Will Traynor. Will was involved in a road accident two years previous which left him as quadriplegic.
About Jojo Moyes
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes is brilliant! I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
This is a romance novel that was published in 2012 in the UK and was highly praised. The movie adaption is due to be released June 3rd, 2016.
Moyes worked as a journalist for 10 years, of which nine years were at the newspaper The Independent before turning to a full time novelist in 2002.
Moyes novels in order are:
- Sheltering Rain (2002),
- Foreign Fruit (2003) (published in the US as Windfallen)
- The Peacock Emporium (2004), The Ship of Brides (2005)
- Silver Bay (2007)
- Night Music (2008)
- The Horse Dancer (2009)
- Last Letter from Your Lover (2010)
- Me Before You (2012)
- Honey Moon in Paris (2012)
- The Girl You Left Behind (2012)
- The One Plus One (2014) (published in the US as One Plus One)
- After You (2015)
Moyes won the Romantic Novel of the Year award for Foreign Fruit in 2004 and Last Letter From Your Lover in 2011.
My Thoughts
Moyes has written a page turner. The 369 pages Me Before You went fast as it was an easy and engrossing read. Though descriptive, the novel contained a whole lot of speech which helped the story move along quickly.
I read this book in a few days as I wanted to read it whenever I had a few spare minutes. I couldn’t get enough!
As a British author, Moyes does a great job in highlighting the cultural differences between the working class and the upper class. The novel is very realistic and believable.
It is a tale that is accurately written through the usage of quintessential English slang and the accepted standard working class attitude and conduct.
The novel is written mainly in Louisa’s perspective although we do get other character’s perspective. To change things up we get Treena’s, Camilla’s (Will’s mum), Steven (Will’s dad), and Nathan’s ( Will’s private nurse) perspectives.
Protagonists
Jojo Moyes characters are relatable and distinct. Each character is well defined and understood.
Will Traynor
We can relate to Will’s condition and outlook on life through the nitty-gritty reality that Moyes describes. Insights of the daily pain and frustrations of Will’s life are not sweep up under the carpet but laid out in detail for the reader to grasp.
Will’s temperament is not only affected by the physical pain but by his mental suffering from the agonizing torture of not being the man he was – an able body man who lived life to the fullest. He was a man who made deals, traveled the world and did extreme sports. Given the situation, his moodiness, anger and spitefulness are understandable.
Louisa Clark
Moyes does a great job in capturing the character Louisa. At the heart of it, Louisa is a girl who has has not done anything with her life. She lives within her comfort zone; had a job and a boyfriend for several years and has not gone or done anything beyond the small village that she lives in.
Louisa life is almost the exact opposite to Will’s. She has a “small” life and he had a “big life”.
Louisa’s transition and growth in the book is appealing and helps the reader connect to her. She changes for the better as her self confidence and abilities grows through Will pushing her to “live big”.
She is admirable, though has a quirky sense of style, in her outlook and determination to make Will’s life bearable.
These two opposing and unlikely people make a great love story that starts off fettered by Will’s unwillingness to make Louisa’s life easy. Nevertheless, before long a love grows where you don’t expect it.
Emotive
Prepare to cry!
I must confess that I cried a couple of times in the book. I was not prepared for this as I was not expecting it to be so powerful moving.
I was expecting funny and quirky novel but not sad. This emotive book surprised me in many ways and I couldn’t be happier at this unexpectedness.
The story is deeply moving, especially the last part of the book. It just broke my heart as well!
In a romance novel, love usually wins over everything. Not in this case with Me Before You, where love is not enough. I cried because it wasn’t enough, how can that be?
When love is not enough….Prepare for an onslaught of emotions going bonkers!
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I watched this movie sometime last year and it was a wonderful but sad love story. Have you watched the movie too? Would you say that the movie did the book justice?
Hi Yvonne!
I read the book first and then later watched the movie.
I have to say that the book was way better than the movie. The movie was done well but I usually find books better.
It was a very sad love story and it made me cry (a lot!)
This book sounds like something that I would love to read and watch if it was made into a movie! I enjoy reading love stories and the interesting characters and their stories that you described makes me want to read it like right now 🙂
Hi Yvonne,
thanks for sharing your thoughts.
The Me Before You movie is out now and I suggest you read the book first.
It’s a fantastic romance and you will cry your heart out. I don’t want to say more as I don’t want to ruin the experience for you.
The characters are realistic and funny and I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between the two protagonists. Will’s sarcasm is great!
I hope you enjoy Me Before You and do let us know what you think when you have either watched the movie or read the book!
As always Dinh, a great review! I will personally let this particular book slide, as from what I’ve read of the review it seems like something the ladies will enjoy more 🙂
My other half is not a reader as such, but she is getting there slowly thanks to our toddler who loves reading! Thank God for that! In your opinion, is it better to read the book first or watch the movie and then the book?
Hi Shaz,
Yeah I think this is more of a chick book as it’s quite emotional. The love story is fantastic and the ladies will definitely love this book.
I personally prefer to read the book before the movie comes out. Having said that some movies or TV show will make me interested in reading the book if I haven’t heard about it.
Thanks for your valuable thoughts!
Hey Dinh,
I actually haven’t read the book yet. My girlfriend actually finished reading it last weekend though. She really did like it though, even though she said it was sad.
I did hear that the movie is coming out June 3rd, 2016. There have been a number of movies based on books that are much better with the book, rather than the movie. They seem to change a lot of things for the movies version.
Are there any movies that were based on books that you recommend or don’t recommend?
Hi Garen,
thanks for stopping by and commenting on my review of Me Before You.
I have been reading quite a few books lately that have been really good and have been adapted to the big screen. I read The Martian by Andy Weir last year that was made into a movie with Matt Damon as the star. I loved the book but didn’t enjoy the movie as much. It was okay in my opinion.
I recently read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon which Starz turned into a TV show. The book is excellent and the show is good as well. I actually saw the first series before I picked up the book. I would definitely recommend watching and reading Outlander.
I am hoping that Me Before You the movie will be good. I tend to find that I usually prefer the book over the movie. You get so much more in a book and miss out so much when it’s a movie.
Thanks for stopping by at Arlene’s Book Club!
Hey Dinh, another great book review!
I loved that it made you cry. LOL. Which part of the book did you enjoy the most?
You said in the video that Moyes uses English slang, is it hard to follow then? I hope I ‘get’ it when I read it.
Hello Susan,
thanks for checking out my review of Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.
Yeah, the book made me cry…all good though 🙂
I had several parts in the book that I really liked. The ending probably was the best for me though as that’s where I cried the most. It also has my favorite quote as well- “Hey, Clark,” he said. “Tell me something good.”
There are some great quotes in the book too that I don’t know off by heart. I will have to find them…
The British slang that Moyes uses is not difficult to understand. I just so happen to be more aware of it now as I don’t live in the UK anymore. In the first few pages Moyes mention ” Raining cats and dogs” which translated just means raining heavily. I guess people know that one well.
Over here in the US it is not common to have “semi-detached” houses. Many British homes are semis; that is they are attached to the next door neighbor on one side.
I used to work at The Mill on the Exe in Exeter, which is a pub restaurant. “A Ploughman’s lunch” was always on the pub menu. You get bread and cheese and some salad, a simple affair and goes down nicely with a pint of bitter or a nice cup of tea.
I enjoyed reading a novel that was essentially English culture. I can relate to it completely.
Hi Dinh! What? No video review? Is it because your eyes a puffy from all the tears you’ve shed for this book? Well, I bet you look gorgeous, despite. 🙂 I’ve had my eyes on this book for so long. I know I want to read it at some point, but, I haven’t been in the mood for a tear-jerker, even if it’s a fantastic one. I love how you included a little author bio for the reader. Great review, as always.
Hi Lonna,
thanks for stopping by and commenting on my Me Before You book review!
I usually will add the video a day after I publish the written review but I am a bit behind schedule. So glad that you’re looking for it! I am about to do the video review now and so you’ll be able to watch it later.
Yes, this novel is deeply moving. I wasn’t prepared for that and should have read some reviews first! 🙂 All I heard about it was how everyone loved it. Sometimes it’s nice to go into a book not knowing and then being surprised.
It’s always nice to find out a some information about the author. How cool is it that she got started in her career first in journalism? No wonder she writes so well!