A social satire full of dopamine-releasing one-liners and sparkling writing. But it can be frustratingly uneven ... Semple’s satire of privilege and its soul mate, obliviousness, is delectable as always ... Part of the appeal of Semple’s fiction has always been her wild plotting — she just keeps putting stuff in the blender. But sometimes the blender grinds and says, What, exactly, are we making? ... Even in this sometimes vexing novel, you relish the warmth of the author’s vision and ultimately get on board with her can’t-stop-won’t-stop mischief.
[A] thriller, complete with international terrorists, arms deals, and glamorous spies, but it’s also a goofy romantic comedy, so it sometimes sounds like an episode of Sex and the City written by Dan Brown ... Considering its discombobulated mix of elements, Go Gentle resembles one of those manic bake-off contests ... Although the plot involves Adora gradually discovering the limits of Stoicism, readers may want to brush up on Epictetus to keep calm amid all this comic chaos. It’s hard to imagine another writer getting away with this kitchen junk-drawer of a novel.
Takes several story lines out for a spin ... Depending on their tolerance levels, readers may or may not choose to go along for the ride ... Go Gentle tells of bomb scares, a purloined statue, double-dealing, an explosion at the Louvre and mother-daughter travails. There’s a #MeToo back story that seems to have wandered in from another novel entirely ... But perhaps it’s a mistake to ask for more from the endlessly inventive Ms. Semple.
A joyful, madcap novel ... It’s got all the trappings of a spy novel with a witty scattered midlife lady at its center ... It takes Semple’s contradictions to get a witty frothy Stoic art heist comedy romance.
This month, if you read just one former Arrested Development writer’s comic novel about a woman who used to write for TV but has shifted gears, make it Go Gentle ... Weirder and more ambitious than Semple’s previous books ... Often difficult to keep track of what’s going on but I didn’t mind because Semple has such an agile brain ... There’s more heavy stuff than you’d expect in Go Gentle, but Semple frappes it all together into a wild ride of a book that’s delightful while you’re reading it and that lingers long after you’re done.
Semple writes with immense charm The book fizzes with funny lines ... Buoyant and fun ... At times this merry chaos tips over into a less satisfying disjointedness ... Elsewhere, Semple’s energy and economy with backstory are brilliantly deployed ... The book is a zany high-wire act and the main plot, which at times seemed like a shaggy dog story, is ingeniously wrapped up at the end. For me, the whole doesn’t really cohere, but as Marcus Aurelius said, everything is perspective, not truth. I felt both cleverer and sillier after finishing this book, which is a lovely way to be left.
Some of what unfolds perhaps strains the limits of believability if you pause to consider the sequence of events, but don’t pause, just keep going ... Go Gentle is a fun, rollicking read, but it’s not only that. It’s a moving portrait of an interesting person that may also make you reflect on yourself.
Semple entertains in every moment of this smart story of Greek philosophy and Greek statues; desire, happiness, and their opposites; and priceless midlife peace.
Exhilarating ... Semple is an acclaimed storyteller with a fondness for intellectually dazzling heroines of a certain age, and her fourth novel is her best yet.
A thoroughly fun and raucous read that richly explores the wisdom that comes with middle age and the tradeoff between being content and taking chances ... Maria Semple’s newest novel defies easy description ... Plentiful laughs are paired with Semple’s rich exploration of the wisdom that comes with middle age and the tradeoff between being content and taking chances. Go Gentle’s gentleness is just as bracing and satisfying as its humor.
Outstanding, genre-bending ... Maria Semple is a truly American author who sees the pathos, chaos and humor in each episode, in each character’s needs and wants ... Go Gentle is hard to put down --- and the final events will stay with readers long after the last page is turned. This is the perfect book for spring, a time for renewal and recharging.
An energetic caper ... Some readers will have trouble keeping up with the freewheeling plot, but Semple’s writing is as limber as ever ... There’s plenty to enjoy in this rollicking adventure.
