I found the theme of the loss of the mother, the processing of grief through pain and a sense of guilt, and the rediscovery of oneself in the family's history to be engaging.

However, the novel is too verbose and repetitive. The characters, being a bit stereotypical, are not always convincing.

It seems that the author could have trimmed down the excessive descriptions and developed the characters in a more nuanced way to make them more believable and complex.

Despite these flaws, the underlying theme is still quite powerful and has the potential to touch the hearts of readers.

Perhaps with some editing and refinement, this novel could have been even better.

As it stands, it is an interesting read, but it could have been a great one with a bit more polish.

3.5. I have a profound love for JCO.

"Blonde" and "We Were the Mulvaneys" are truly two of the finest books I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

JCO possesses an astonishing ability to delve deep into the minds of her characters and vividly describe their feelings and interactions.

It's as if she can put into words those emotions and connections that we all recognize but often struggle to express ourselves.

The relationship between the sisters in the book is tense yet deeply devoted, and it is masterfully portrayed.

However, this particular book took me an inordinately long time to complete.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the actual act of reading it, I never felt an urgent need to return to it.

I didn't eagerly anticipate finding out what would happen next or getting back into the story.

As time went on, it began to feel like a chore to finish it.

Unlike a 4 or 5-star book that completely engages and captivates the reader, this one simply didn't have that same level of hold on me.

Nevertheless, I still appreciate the unique qualities and the skill with which JCO crafts her stories.

2.5. If everything that the astoundingly prolific JCO wrote was as great as her best stuff, well, life really would be unfair!

I was SO annoyed about an hour in, especially by the soon to be offed mom. She was that lilting, oh-so-hostess-ey but oh so clueless type. I did feel guilty about it, knowing what was coming.

But the daughter narrator wasn't exactly easy on the nerves either. She had her own set of characteristics that made it difficult to fully engage with the story.

No way could I last through 450+ pages of this! It felt like a never-ending slog, with no real redeeming qualities to keep me hooked.

I found myself constantly looking at the page count, hoping that it would end soon. The story just didn't have the depth or the charm that I was hoping for.

Perhaps I was expecting too much, but based on JCO's reputation, I thought this would be a masterpiece. Instead, it was a disappointment.

I'm not sure if I'll bother reading any more of her work in the future. This experience has left a sour taste in my mouth.

Maybe others will have a different opinion, but for me, this was a miss.

Whenever I find myself in a library or bookstore, lacking a clear direction or short on time, I am certain that I can always reach for a Joyce Carol Oates book. Her works are renowned for their excellent writing, fascinating characters, and the ability to keep the reader fully engaged. "Missing Mom" was no different, although it wasn't my absolute favorite among her books.

This novel focuses on Nikki Eaton, delving into her life, relationships, and predominantly, the aftermath of her mother's death. I didn't have a particular affinity for Nikki or many of the other characters. In fact, her sister Clare came across as rather coarse. However, Oates' remarkable skill in character development is such that she manages to draw the reader deep into the story.

I'm glad to know that my go-to strategy of picking up a Joyce Carol Oates work whenever in doubt still proves to be reliable. Her books continue to offer a captivating reading experience, even when the characters may not be entirely to one's liking.

When I initially began reading "Missing Mom," I harbored a distinct aversion towards the main character. She seemed to embody that tiresome thirty-something first-person persona who holds a condescending attitude towards everyone not sharing their annoyingly self-absorbed perspective. All the while, that character herself was a clueless and arrogant mess. Oh yes, I truly did not like her, lol.

Nikki had this condescending view of her mother, a suburban housewife seemingly fixated on recipes and neighborhood matters. But as the story progresses, Nikki, through her grieving journey, gradually starts to perceive her mother as a person similar to herself, with a complex web of wishes, desires, disappointments, and thoughts hidden beneath the surface. I never fully warmed up to Nikki or really anyone else in the book, as everyone was presented in a rather jaded and unattractive light, with an emphasis on their worst character flaws. Admittedly, I am a reader who derives far more enjoyment from romantic style literary works, such as those by Sarah Dunant or Jodi Picoult.

However, since this is my personal preference and not an assessment of the writing prowess of this book, I can award it four stars without hesitation. The book is perceptive, thought-provoking, and contains some profound revelations as Nikki, in her thirties, finally grasps what it means to be an adult rather than a petulant child. Well, better late than never, lol.

Oates is one of those American writers whose works I am not overly familiar with, despite her long and esteemed career. Here, the long-time Princeton professor pens a deeply personal story about loss and emotional awakening following the tragic death of the eponymous mother. While I recognize the many strengths of "Missing Mom," I found that it dragged in certain parts, and I struggled to fully understand the motivations of the characters. Despite having several beautifully moving sections of prose, I must call this a bit of a miss for Oates. I suspect that since the loss of her mother was so recent and raw, it presented significant challenges in the writing process. My other concern was with the portrayal of the main character's father. We learn very little about this man that would suggest why her mother would have loved him. However, the one character I did admire was the deceased Gwyn Eaton. As Oates approaches her likely retirement, she represents a changing of the guard. Even though she is still actively posting on Twitter often.

It is not Oates' finest novel, yet it showcases her typically highly competent writing. A young woman makes her way to her mother's house, puzzled as to why her mother isn't answering the phone. To her horror, she discovers that her mother has been brutally murdered. Fortunately, the culprit is apprehended quickly. All of this occurs early in the novel. The story that truly intrigues us is how the people, especially the main character, cope with such a harrowing incident. This novel is not a thriller in the traditional sense, but rather a detective novel. As the narrative unfolds, we bear witness to how our protagonist gradually learns to come to terms with what has happened to her and those around her, including the detective who solves the crime. We see her emotional journey, her struggles, and her attempts to find some sort of meaning and closure in the midst of this tragedy.

Le Madri Che Non Conosciamo

Nikki, the first-person narrator, tragically loses her mother after she had left years ago, and her life is immediately compromised. As always, Oates' books speak of destruction and rebirth in a different form. At the beginning, the characters seem to have a blurry but reassuring form. At the end, they assume a new one after a process of upheaval and arduous reconstruction.

This book poses some disturbing questions in its own way. How much do we know about our parents? How much are we, as children, able to accept that they don't exist only to satisfy our needs? That they were something other than the reassuring and immovable figures we need even in adulthood?
The process of growth, as Oates shows us, is necessarily a process of detachment. We must leave the reassuring nests of the houses where we were born and laboriously appropriate the idea that the family is an organism that can also do a lot of harm to those who are part of it.
The mother who is missing for Nikki and, to a lesser extent, for her sister Claire is not the woman they have known since childhood, but the one they have not known, of which they know nothing.

This lack of knowledge about their mother forces them to confront the unknown and face the reality that their understanding of her may have been limited. It also makes them question their own identities and how their mother's absence has shaped them.

Through Nikki's journey, we see the complexity of family relationships and the power that a mother, known or unknown, can have over her children's lives.

Oates' writing is as powerful as ever, delving deep into the human psyche and exploring the themes of loss, identity, and growth with great sensitivity and insight.

I initially liked the story. At the beginning, it was interesting and managed to capture my attention. However, as the story progressed, it took a turn and became rather boring. I didn't appreciate the fact that the author described numerous unimportant things. These details seemed to contribute nothing to the overall narrative and only served to make the story drag on.

Moreover, the ending of the story felt extremely rushed compared to the rest of it. It seemed as if the author was in a hurry to wrap things up and didn't take the time to develop the conclusion properly.

Despite these drawbacks, there were some phrases in the story that I liked. In fact, there were a few that were really true and hit home, especially when it comes to losing someone important. It was these moments that made me think and added a touch of depth to the otherwise lackluster story. (I read the version in Spanish.)

Joyce Carol Oates is a magnificent author. Her commitment to literature is truly admirable.

This is the fifth novel that I have read by her, aside from a fantastic collection of short stories, and all of them have been enjoyable.

This particular one does not allude to anything outstanding, but it remains within the limit of what is functional. It manages to dispense appropriate doses of literature, and that is to be appreciated.

Because this story, it can be perceived, was conceived from grief and sets aside a bit of the heart or excessive sentimentalism and gives space to reason in a demonstration of artistic coldness.

I am left with a good impression, although it is not as ambitious a novel as some of the author's others.

This is not the finest JCO book that I have perused. It is somewhat foreseeable and lacking in excitement, yet it still harbors the latent emotional vigor that is characteristic of her writing.

The female protagonist failed to thrill me. She appeared incapable of asserting herself when interacting with her family and her mother's close friends. However, she (Nikki) did possess a certain integrity that is common among JCO's female characters.

Moreover, there is an excessive utilization of the idiosyncratic "words-in-quotation marks" trope that Ms Oates seems to favor, more so in this work than in others that I have read.

Nonetheless, it remains an enjoyable read, featuring some universal themes, believable albeit unsympathetic characters, and a good storyline.

Overall, while not her best, it still showcases some of the elements that make JCO's writing engaging and worth exploring.

At first, it was rather late to find out how to get hooked on the plot. However, Joyce Carol is extremely shrewd. She knows how to throw lures to catch you and make you keep reading. She managed to make me get into many scenes as the protagonist.

It made me think about similarities. Each person has a self that is presented to the world and one that is personal. That power to keep something just for yourself is a right of everyone.

But once dead, nothing can you hide. That personal self comes out to take its last breath.

This story really makes one reflect on the complex nature of the self and the different aspects that we show and hide in our lives. It makes us question what truly defines us and how much of ourselves we are willing to share or keep hidden. Joyce Carol's writing style is so engaging that it draws the reader in and makes them experience the story on a deep and personal level.