The Love Letter

Rating:
Summary: A unique plot is almost wonderful...
Review: This is a very sweet book and a must-read for middle-aged women, especially if they are single. I appreciate Helen's contrary nature and her seemingly self-destructive impulses. I also appreciate her hesitation to take on her venerable family members. And I love the people who populate her bookstore (Johnny is quite believable). My only complaint - and a very real one - is that this plot droops and drags in places.

Rating:
Summary: A unique plot is almost wonderful...
Review: This is a very sweet book and a must-read for middle-aged women, especially if they are single. I appreciate Helen's contrary nature and her seemingly self-destructive impulses. I also appreciate her hesitation to take on her venerable family members. And I love the people who populate her bookstore (Johnny is quite believable). My only complaint - and a very real one - is that this plot droops and drags in places.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent read, vaguely disappointing ending.
Review: Well, that about sums it up. However, the book is really worth the read. It's sweet, witty, and sharp. This book demonstrates perfectly what I like about the way Cathleen Schine writes. She loves words, and so, since I perfectly concurr on that point, I do enjoy her books, few of them that there are. (Two? Maybe three, but I've only seen, uh, read two.)For example: I never used to use the word banal, or how about insouciant, but the way she sort of twists the words makes them catch. Anyway, I can't remember the last love story that I enjoyed as much. Please don't write it off as that "crappy women's writing", as many are wont to do. Cathleen Schine is a smart writer, and one who obvioulsy reads literature; I caught a lot of the references, but some of them were like whoosh, right over my head. A fun read, fast despite its being a people driven book as opposed to an action driven one. Not too hard, but feels challenging nontheless. Read the book. It's good.

Rating:
Summary: Dear Goat....
Review: What a fabulous love story, this is one of my favorite books. The story centers on a letter to Goat from Ram - the letter, of course, is received by the wrong person. The story takes off from there and there is love everywhere for everyone. It is a delightful and quick and easy read.

Rating:
Summary: Dear Goat....
Review: What a fabulous love story, this is one of my favorite books. The story centers on a letter to Goat from Ram - the letter, of course, is received by the wrong person. The story takes off from there and there is love everywhere for everyone. It is a delightful and quick and easy read.