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Where’d You Go, Bernadette is Arrested Development in book form.
The book is equally hilarious as the Netflix-revived sitcom, and there is a good reason for that: The author, Maria Semple, was a producer of Arrested Development[RJ1] .
Bernadette matches the crazy antics that make Development unique. The book follows an eccentric mother, Bernadette, who seems to have a method to her madness that no one else can figure out. Bernadette’s daughter tries to lead a successful, normal life despite her hectic surroundings at home. To round out the family, Bernadette has a husband, a successful executive at Microsoft, who cannot decide whether to stand by his wife’s crazy plans or shelter his daughter from her.
The entire plot revolves around one goal: a family trip to Antarctica.
Antarctica isn’t exactly a top family destination. However, when Bernadette’s daughter decides she wants to take a cruise there in celebration of her accomplishments at school, her parents decide to plan the trip.
That’s when things get a little out of whack.
Readers shouldn’t expect any less from a former producer of an eccentric television show. Arrested Development is anything but traditional. In the sitcom, the plot revolves around the tagline, “Now the story of a wealthy family who lost everything and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together.”[RJ2]
The show is about a son who has to keep his family together after their father is sent to prison for building his wealth through corruption. That’s not too far off from a mother with a hidden past who disappears right before a trip to the southernmost continent.
Need more proof? Bernadette contains identity fraud, the destruction of a home, fishing gear, a foot being run over by a car and penguins.
The plot alone is enough to keep readers interested. However, Semple’s style makes the book even less traditional. The book is written as a compilation of e-mails, letters and memories. It gives insight into Bernadette’s antics, but doesn’t fully explain her reasoning until the end. The book switches viewpoints to try to cover all perspectives.
All of this blended together makes for a hilarious tale.
Part of what makes Arrested Development witty is the subtle inclusion of what’s happening in the background during scenes. It relies on a lot of detailed visuals. Semple is able to accomplish those traits on paper. Bernadette’s bizarre behavior is easily pictured in readers’ minds. There are details that don’t connect until the end, but easy to refer back to on paper.
Semple proves that her creativity thrives across media. She gives hope that even if Netflix doesn’t renew Arrested Development for another season, the unique storytelling of Arrested Development can live on through books.
