A Day Late and a Dollar Short

Rating:
Summary: Another Hit
Review: Terry McMillan is on of the most realistic writers of today. She gives you an in depth look into the lives of everyday people that you can relate to. With her newest novel, A Day Late and a Dollar Short, she takes you into the lives of Viola Price and her family. With this novel McMillan shows you the difficulties a mother faces as she tries to keep a distanced family together. She gives you insight into sibling rivalry, child abuse, and a family dealing with the death of their mother. A Day Late and a Dollar Short is a book that I hope will touch the heart of many people as it did mine. Terry McMillan's A Day Late and a Dollar Short, really hit home for me. i could relate to the lose Vy's children felt when she died. I recently lost my father and know that endless emptiness that McMillan's character Paris felt when she heard the news. The scene that McMillan paints is so clear and vivid that you can see the pain nad fear in Paris' eyes. McMillan did a wonderful job at showing how families rally around each other in a time of neeed. At the end of the book how every one put their differences aside to make the wishes of Vy come ture. This is a book that anyone with a distanced family should read, it may just be the stepping stone you need to bring your family closer together.

Rating:
Summary: Good but not great
Review: I was very excited about reading Ms. McMillan's new book, I suggested it as our selection for April's book to read for our bookclub group. I have to say that I was very disappointed with the book. The characters are exciting, but Terry takes to long to have the characters interact with each other. They never seem like they are talking to each other, it feels like I am reading a diary. In each chapter you are reading another characters point of view, I would have liked to have the characters come together and interact. I was bored with the delay in bringing the characters together. It was not quick reading for me, It was not as exciting as her other books that I have read. I did not get excited about reading this book until the last 2 chapters, I can say that I was not disappointed with the ending, but why did I have to wait until the very end to start really enjoying the book.

Rating:
Summary: A Day Late and Dollar Short
Review: I have bought all of Terry's books, but to me this is the best one yet. The only complaint I have about this book is that the word "thank" was used repeatedly (but the proofreader should have caught this mistake)when it should have been "think", but other then this one complaint the book was WONDERFUL. I read this book almost non-stop, and then I insisted that my sister read it. I could see me, my family and friends in this book, it was as if you grew-up with the characters. Terry has a writing style that is soulful, and she speaks in so many different voices, while maintaining the characterization of each character. There is no confusion as to who is speaking. As promised on the book jacket, I cried and I laughed. Bravo Terry!

Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: Pages Readers Group selected A Day Late Dollar Short for our discussion meeting really without knowing what to expect. We now feel that it ranks at the top of the list for one of Terry's best. It spoke about family relationship opposed to the stereotypical male-female relationships, that Terry has become known for. Her characters were three-dimensional and could have been your relatives. As a group we agreed that Viola truly loved, respected, and knew her husband and each of her children although she could come off very critical. If you didn't know that while reading the book, when Thanksgiving came you truly knew it then. Even though Viola had to die in order for her family to begin to live, she touched on everything that was going on in each of their lives with solutions in tow. Thank you Terry for weaving such a story that put us on notice that it is easy to be a Day Late and a Dollar Short.

Rating:
Summary: Terry McMillan's book is right on time!
Review: Another terrific book from Terry McMillan and I think that she progressively matures in her work. This book is a gut-busting, gaffaw-out-loud, 2001 look at the complications of family life at middle age. Each chapter of the book is "written" by a different member of Viola's family (including herself of course as the matriarch of the brood). This gives readers an excellent insider's view of each character while giving you the "whole picture" of their dysfunctional selves and relationships. (The good news is that there is a happy ending and hope for functionality). It's McMillan's typical gossipy, lively, trendy, characterizations. You'll recognize yourself (or at least someone you know) in every chapter. A FUN read!!

Rating:
Summary: Too Much Dysfunction For Me.
Review: I was not thrilled with this book. Now first let me say that it seems I am not with the norm. Most folks love this book. I say that this is another story about a dysfuctional African American family and I grow tired of this particular subject.

Now in reference to Terry McMillian's writing style....well she leaves too many loose ends for me. She doesn't complete the characters. I do see this book as the next hour long drama or movie of the week. I would prefer movie of the week so I would only have to se it one time. Maybe on BET. Maybe that is what she is planning.

I read this book as part of a book club. Most of the members in the club gave the book a 3 out of 5 stars. The book did stir up some intense conversation about values and opinions of responsibility and how it relates to sexual abuse.

Personally...I cried at the end. I was surprised because I MADE MYSELF finish the book...a struggle to say the least. So I at least related to one character.

Rating:
Summary: A day late and a dollar short
Review: This book is definitely a must read. I've read 2 of the TM books. And so far this is her best one yet. I love how she gets you into the characters. It's like a detailed description of my family. I would just like to say, it is truely a great piece of work. If you haven't gotten it, it is definitely one you must have, if you are a TM fan. I can't wait until I get off from work because I'm coming home to the Price family.

Rating:
Summary: Imagination At Its Best
Review: When a Novel's words are painted on the pages of a book and you can see the life of each character drawn out in Terry Mcmillan's own imagination, one can't help but love the drawing. Terry is one of today's finest writers and I am glad she has again successfully completed a new work of art. The title true to the content; yet nothing short of a miracle.

Rating:
Summary: Ain't Nothing Like Family
Review: There's nothing like love and approval from your family. The price family loved each other so much that they sometimes let that love get in the way of their common sense. All of us like these characthers are guilty of trying to please the ones that we love. In all likelyness, our loved ones love us for who we are and most often recognize are potential. Paris tried so hard to be successful and a leader that she put her own happiness and sadness aside; Charlotte had a good job, husband, and family yet she thought that she was less than her sister Paris; Janelle the youngest at 35 still acting a baby let her indecision harm her family; and Lewis was busy drowning his sorrows in a bottle. Meanwhile, there mother, fiesty Viola is trying to keep them all together while Cecil, her husband for 30+ years, is living across town with another woman and three children. Unfortunately, it took a tragedy to bring everyone together under one roof for a civil moment. There was so much life and love to this story that it made me take a look at the people in my family. Maybe I will contact that aunt that I'm not on good terms with.

Rating:
Summary: Realistic work of Fiction
Review: It took me a while to actually finish reading this book. I don't regret having to wait. This is one of the best TM books I have ever read! The characters in this book are so realistic that you can relate to them in your own life. This family had so much drama going on in their life.

The heroine and mother, Viola Price has an ongoing struggle with her asthma attacks. Through all of her ups and downs she has to be the backbone of the family, even if they don't all appreciate her.

Cecil, their father, has had it up to here with Viola's complaining and non-affection attitude with him. He discovers love on the other side of the track with a woman half his age, on welfare living in the projects, and raising three kids.

The oldest daughter Paris reminded me of Vanessa William's character in "Soul Food", just not as nagging and as stuck-up. The family sees Paris as the person to run to when ever they are in a financial bind. Paris was one of the better children of the Paris family because she did what she could to help all of her younger siblings, even if they didn't appreciate it. Paris went out of her way and pocket to help her mother receive everything that she deserved. However, Paris was lacking in her own personal life, but was unwilling to let anyone know that she was fighting her own demons.

The second child, Charlotte, thought the world was against her. She was spoiled and selfish and choice to run away from her problems rather than face them like a woman. She hung up one to many times for me on people. Her favorite word for a female is to assume that everyone in the world is related to or is a female dog. She felt she was treated unfairly because she choice not to go with her family to the West Coast but remained in the east. She needed to take a look at her own life before judging others.

The third child, Janelle had much drama in her life. She choose to look toward a man for comfort and life's answers to her tough question. She consulted with psychics rather than within herself and believing that she had the answers all along. It took a tragedy with her daughter to finally realize that she had put too much trust in a man for guidance in her life.

The last child, but certainly not with the least problems and the only boy of the family, is Lewis. He has a son that he doesn't take care of, an ex-wife that's been saved and remarried, and a drinking problem along with mass medical problems. His choice of comfort is beer, whisky, or just about any kind of alcoholic drink that he can find. He's at least 30 something doing various odd end jobs, license revoked due to DUI's, and not paying any amount of money for child support.

It takes a fatal tragedy to pull this family together. They must realize that family is the only one that will be with you when the times are good and when the times are tough. If you can't relate to someone in this book you are lying. This is a great book! Well done TM!