The Late, Lamented Molly Marx

Molly Devine Marx is dead (I'm not giving anything away; it's right there in the title) but not exactly gone. She's stuck in between life and the afterlife, watching over her innocent daughter, philandering husband, overly-involved mother-in-law, quirky sister, loving parents, possible lover, and best friend as they come to terms with her untimely death and try to determine how she died. Was it murder, suicide, or simply an unfortunate accident?

The book alternates between Molly's current observations from 'above' and flashbacks from earlier moments in Molly's life on earth. The mystery surrounding Molly's death serves as the story arc, but the real fun in this book comes from the characters. All of the friends and loved ones in Molly's show more life are fully formed and well developed. We get a good idea of who they are as people with all their assets and flaws, and also how they fit together and relate to each other to create Molly's social life, support system, and foundation. The added element of who-done-it adds spice to the story as we try to figure out which person (if any) could be capable of murder.

Overall, this was an entertaining, quick read. The ending was a bit too neat, but at the same time, I am happy to have learned how everyone and everything turned out in the end. A fun book that I'll be passing along. show less

"The Late, Lamented Molly Marx" features the title character retelling portions of her life and observing the actions of the people she loved from the Duration--her version of the afterlife. Molly slowly unfolds the path that led her to be Mrs. Marx, a mother, and ultimately a woman involved with another man. As she, along with the people she is still following on earth, find out how she died Molly discovers who she really was in life, along with her strengths, weaknesses, and friendships.

Although from the summary it sounds like "Molly Marx" might be totally depressing, this book is actually funny, warm, and at times touching. The emotion the author describes as Molly looks down on those she left on earth feels real, and the story show more offers an interesting technique for the author to use to allow a woman to consider her life as a whole, including her faults. The characters were not all likable, which made them all more realistic. I really enjoyed this book, and the way the author unfolded the story, even if I wish it had ended slightly differently.

I would recommend this as a good summer beach read. It's a quick read and a great example of smart chick lit. show less

To begin, I really had my doubts about how much I could enjoy reading a book that followed a woman, Molly, from the moment of death. It's a bit depressing, to always realize you know the end, especially when you fall in love with that character, which is exactly what happened. I loved the character of Molly, and though it was sad to realize I knew the tragic end of Molly from the get go, I simply could not stop reading the book. I can't recall ever reading a book where the back drop is some form of the ever after and the characters view more behind the scenes.
Molly is a flawed and beautiful character, I found myself hoping that the beginning of the book began in dream sequence so that Molly could wake up and correct all that she did show more lament.
All in all a surprising and great read. show less

Until she was found dead along the bank of the Hudson River, Molly Marx led an enviable life. A young wife and mother, Molly now finds herself in the Duration, where with the help of a refreshingly unorthodox guide, she can observe the friends and family she left behind: her philandering plastic surgeon husband, the irresistible colleague who became her lover, a competitive twin sister, her controlling mother-in-law, a loyal but confused friend, and her purest love: a three-year-old daughter.

Review: The Late, Lamented Molly Marx is a delightful book to read. It grabbed me from the beginning, and I treasured every page. Suddenly, around page 200, I realized I didn't want it to end. Partially it was because I loved the characters; they show more were people I wanted to eat dinner with. I didn't want to say goodbye to them. Mostly, though, I couldn't imagine how the book could end satisfactorily. Part of the book is a murder mystery of sorts (think Elisabeth Hyde's The Abortionist's Daughter - it is a whodunit, but your first instinct is to describe it as powerful, character-driven literary fiction), and it becomes clear that someone had to kill Molly; I didn't want any of the characters to be guilty. I also wanted Molly to somehow find life again. She's such a vibrant character I often found myself forgetting she was dead. She was dead, of course, and eventually the characters have to face reality. I see some of my imaginary self in Molly. She's a fellow Midwesterner turned Northeasterner, and she worked in publishing. Certainly publishing and librarianship are connected, but I'm a little farther from the action in the library.

I'm still glad I read this book; I loved it. Unfortunately for me, the ending was somehow unsatisfying. The first two thirds of the book would have gotten 5 stars, but after a few months of pondering, I give it four stars. I still loved it, and I still recommend it, but I'm not grabbing it from the virtual shelves to place in your hands. I will, however, be first in line to read Sally Koslow's next novel. show less

Molly Marx is buried in Jersey, about six exits from an IKEA. What an interesting final resting place for someone who worked in design! Koslow has created an interesting heroine in Molly Divine Marx, and instead of jumping on the zombie bandwagon, has created a clever place, somewhere between heaven and hell, called the Duration. Molly's guide in the Duration is Bob, and he explains that she can still view the lives of her small daughter, husband, family and friends but must obey the "rules", or she won't be able to peer into their lives anymore. The story moves between Molly's life as she lived it and the lives of the ones she loved after her death. "The Late, Lamented Molly Marx" is truly about the mystery of her life and the choices show more she made as well as trying to solve the mystery of her death. show less

Sally Koslow's second novel, The Late, Lamented Molly Marx, is a well-written and thoughtful observation of the fragility of human life and the relationships we find ourselves caught up in. Her main character, Molly, is a vibrant young woman stuck in a faithless marriage to the insincere Barry, a successful New York plastic surgeon, who's worked on many of his attractive clients in more ways than one. When Molly finally decides to right the wrongs in her marriage by distancing herself from Luke, the man she deeply cares for, and working at her failing marriage through counseling, relationships suddenly explode on a rain-whipped bike trail. I won't spoil the ending, but suffice it to say, Sally keeps the reader guessing, right up to the show more last few pages, about what actually happened to Molly on the banks of the Hudson. Was it suicide? Murder? An unfortunate accident? Read this witty exploration of the dark side of love for the thrill of finding the answer, but also for its superb characterizations, deftly excavated morality issues and genuineness of purpose. Koslow takes on tricky topics with a straightforward, but light touch, easing up on the maudlin and leaving behind all the pathos and humanity. The Late, Lamented Molly Marx is a first-class piece of writing offering a wholly satisfying story. show less

Molly Divine Marx is in quite a state - a dead state. After passing over into the Duration at the young age of 35 and under mysterious circumstances, Molly has a lot of time to ponder her present, while one foot remains in the past, when she was alive.Molly becomes a spectator of the life she left behind. She watches as her loved ones, especially her young daughter Annabel, try to make sense of life without Molly. She reflects on her choices and whether or not they put her on a collision course with the hereafter. But mostly, Molly just misses being alive.I picked this book up on something of a whim. I'd been seeing it everywhere and decided it was time to give it a whirl. Little did I know I would fall in love with this novel. Molly is show more such a funny, lovable, endearing, and honest character that it was totally easy to be pulled into this story merely by Molly's strength of will.The plot was wonderful. I sort of expected a sappy plot about Molly yearning for her former life. And while Molly does yearn, the plot is anything but sappy. Well-constructed and engrossing, this quick-paced gem is now one of my favorites. I highly recommend this novel. show less