( 20 reviews )
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Posted: Jun 28 2009
I thought I'd try this book on the basis that I'm going through a similar, unpleasant divorce. Am I glad I read it? Yes. The author writes about the trauma involved in divorce in a moving and very truthful way, I felt. But (and this is where it all went pear-shaped for me), I struggled to believe that the heroine would start to date quite so early in the process as Sam does. There doesn't appear to be a time frame, so it's hard to judge just how long this process took, but I've been going through it for two years and I'm not out of the woods yet. And as for jumping back into the shark pond? Nope, way too soon. I feel that would have been true for Sam's character, given that she appeared so devastated by her husband's abandonment. As for her son...I have a fourteen year old who isn't into porn - all I can say is for eleven her kid sure is advanced! I just felt that in the real world (and I truly did think that Elizabeth Berg must have been through this herself), things are not quite so clear cut. As for her husband wanting to come back...well, they never do in real life. A shame, but the end just felt contrived and predictable. Elizabeth Berg should have shown more courage and written a slightly grittier, less fairy tale ending. Because as we all know, in real life, there is no happy ending.
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Posted: Jun 15 2009
This was a quick easy read. It is the story of a women getting divorced and the changes in her life. She is surrounded by many bizarre characters. My favorite is King, a overweight, sexually challenged graduate from MIT who makes a living doing temporary jobs. These jobs include dog walking, furniture moving and telemarketing. There are many other colorful characters. Not an exciting or even realistic book in some aspects but not a total waste.
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Posted: Jun 12 2009
I think I have read almost all of Oprah's picks, but this one does not stand out from the pack. I have been divorced and I had a really hard time identifying with the main character's actions and reactions. It is just not memorable to me, nor outstanding but merely average. I have noticed that many reviewers rave about this book, but I wonder if the "Oprah effect" is not one of the main reasons.
