The Portable Veblen

Veblen Amundsen-Hovda, a quirky freelance typist in Palo Alto, finds herself engaged to Paul, a promising young neurologist working on a device for treating brain injuries. As their wedding approaches, both must navigate complex family dynamics, including Veblen's hypochondriac mother and Paul's damaged parents. The story's unique perspective is enhanced by Veblen's special connection to squirrels and her interest in the work of her namesake, economist Thorstein Veblen. Her relationship with Paul faces mounting pressures as his medical research project becomes entangled with a major pharmaceutical company. Set against the backdrop of Silicon Valley and the medical industry, the novel tracks the challenges of modern romance while examining the influence of family histories, professional ambitions, and personal beliefs. The Portable Veblen explores themes of authenticity and compromise in contemporary life, questioning how individuals balance societal expectations with their true nature and values.

Readers describe this as a quirky love story that balances humor with deeper themes about family dysfunction, medical ethics, and corporate greed. Many found the main character Veblen endearing and relatable, particularly her relationships with squirrels and her challenging family dynamics. Liked: - Sharp, witty writing style - Complex family relationships - Blend of serious themes with comedy - Original narrative voice - Details about squirrels and nature Disliked: - Plot meanders in middle sections - Some found it too whimsical - Character motivations unclear at times - Medical/pharmaceutical subplot feels disconnected Ratings: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (5,800+ ratings) Amazon: 3.8/5 (200+ ratings) Reader comments highlight the divisive nature: "Charming but scattered" appears in multiple reviews. One reader noted "Either you'll love the quirkiness or find it grating." Several mentioned struggling to finish despite enjoying the writing style. The squirrel elements particularly split readers - some found them delightful while others saw them as too precious.

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🔸 The book's protagonist shares her name with Thorstein Veblen, who coined the term "conspicuous consumption" and critiqued materialistic society in his 1899 work "The Theory of the Leisure Class" 🔸 Squirrels, which play a significant role in the novel, are one of the few mammals known to adopt orphaned babies from their own species in the wild 🔸 The author, Elizabeth McKenzie, served as senior editor of Chicago Quarterly Review and editor of Catamaran Literary Reader, bringing years of literary expertise to her novel 🔸 The book was shortlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction in 2016, putting it alongside some of the year's most acclaimed literary works 🔸 The novel's Northern California setting includes Stanford University and Palo Alto, areas that have transformed from agricultural communities to global tech hubs over the past century