The Late, Lamented Molly Marx

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

The world of Molly Marx is all expensive bistros, Upper East Side duplexes, high fashion, interior design, and weekends abroad. All of the primary characters are rich and beautiful; they have high end, well paying jobs and never want for anything. They are sexy, glamorous, and shallow as rain puddles.

The biggest offender is Molly herself. Molly is completely passive. In life she never acted on her own desires, choosing instead to allow others to act upon her. She married her husband, not because she loved him, but because he was the first man to ask her. She moved from Greenwich Village to the Upper West Side, not because she wanted to, but because her mother-in-law wanted them nearby. She had a child, not because she wanted to, but show more because her husband thought it was time. Indecisive and naïve, Molly is more comfortable allowing others to make decisions for her than taking the time to figure out what she really wants. She isn’t much different in death. Narrating the story as a disembodied spirit passing time in the Duration, Molly is able to watch over her nearest and dearest as they go about their lives, but is forbidden to interfere. She must remain passive, observing the aftermath of her own death, unable to ease the pains and shames it brings to light.

This makes Molly a problematic narrator. Though her voice is strong and punchy, her inability to act makes her a non-entity in her own story. More than once I wondered why Koslow chose to write this book in first person. She could have told the story just as effectively in third person for all the insight Molly’s perspective brings to the book. It’s difficult to invest in a character that spends her entire life and death acquiescing to others to such an extent that it robs her of her personality. And, though I’m willing to concede that might be the whole point, it doesn’t make for very absorbing reading. show less

Molly Divine Marx is dead!

But that's just the beginning of this book. Molly is in her "Duration". Duration= being able to see your friends, family, etc. and hear their thoughts, yet not be able to do anything to contribute to what they're thinking, feeling, etc. (a little reminiscent of The Lovely Bones). With her guide "Bob" she is able to navigate through this new state of being and is able to flit from one person to another as they try to solve the mystery of her death.

The story starts at Molly's funeral and shows us how her husband, daughter, parents, sister and friends are all affected and are coping with her untimely death. Oh yea, and of course, the investigator who is handling her case and is trying to decipher whether her death show more was an accident, suicide or murder.

Through flashbacks we are able to read about Molly's relationships with her husband (who is quite the cheater and a very despicable character) and then there's Luke (the man that Molly was in love with). We are able to relive some of the best moments as well as some of the mistakes she made in her life.

I absolutely - hands down - adored this book. I thought Molly was such a lovely narrator. She was just so funny, likeable and so full of life - that it was sad to think that she was dead from the start of her story. Ms. Koslow's characters are well-developed and singularly distinct with little quirks and flaws that make them real. This is one of those rare books that draws you in and you feel as if you are experiencing it rather than just reading it.

Was Molly in such a slump in life that she couldn't find any other way out of her situation other than to kill herself? Or was she murdered? You'll have to read this gem of a book to find out - but I will warn you, this book isn't so much about solving a mystery as it is about relationships. I enjoyed this very much and I highly recommend it.

This book is scheduled for release on 5/19/09 - so mark your calendars as you will not be disappointed. show less

"I read this book through the Early Reviewer program. The characters are just great, but the plot drags and I couldn't believe how long it took me to get through this relatively short book. I felt that the theme here is essentially identical to that in Lovely Bones, but that book did it better. This is not a bad read, but it's not great either. I would recommend Lovely Bones as an alternate read."

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 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

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