Rating: 
Summary: Offbeat, but a little flat
Review: I love the premise of this novel and I enjoyed the characters. I did, however, find the novel a little slow going at times. But I honestly cared about Katinka and the people in her life and I wanted to find out what happened in the end. The best thing about the book is it's non-happily-ever-after ending. The book reads like a slice of life, ending with the open-endedness that life always has until it's over. I especially enjoyed Katinka's relationship with her mother (i can certainly relate) as well as her falling in love with little Max (what a cutie).I would have liked to have given this book 3.5 stars but unfortunately that wasn't an option. I recommend this book if you are looking for well-written, well-developed characters in a charming setting but aren't in need of fast-paced action.
Rating:
Summary: A little slow going, but worthwhile
Review: I love the premise of this novel and I enjoyed the characters. I did, however, find the novel a little slow going at times. But I honestly cared about Katinka and the people in her life and I wanted to find out what happened in the end. The best thing about the book is it's non-happily-ever-after ending. The book reads like a slice of life, ending with the open-endedness that life always has until it's over. I especially enjoyed Katinka's relationship with her mother (i can certainly relate) as well as her falling in love with little Max (what a cutie). I would have liked to have given this book 3.5 stars but unfortunately that wasn't an option. I recommend this book if you are looking for well-written, well-developed characters in a charming setting but aren't in need of fast-paced action.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, a little disjointed
Review: I probably expected too much from this book and was disappointed. The book was, for the most part, enjoyable to read but there were many parts that didn't seem believable. It seemed the book "floated" along very slowly for the first 3/4 and then all of a sudden all of these things happened in the last part of the book. A lot of it just didn't seem likely and it seemed that a lot of the characters all of a sudden changed their viewpoints, personalities, etc. I did like the fact that the ending was not predictable. Random and unlikely, but not predictable. This would be a good summer read, but nothing memorable.
Rating: 
Summary: A rich, engaging comedy that deepens as it goes along
Review: I read Mameve Medwed's "Mail" months ago, and I still remember everything about it vividly. I found myself engaged from the first line by the dilemma of her principal character, and by the beautifully rendered observations of life as experienced by a struggling writer, freshly-divorced, facing the twin problems of a complex romantic involvement and a nettlesome mother. The last hundred pages took me delightfully by surprise, as Medwed's story came into sharper and sharper focus and left me feeling genuinely moved. I highly recommend this book
Rating:
Summary: Well-written and witty
Review: I recently started this book on an airplane and, for the first time, I wanted to stay in the air as long as possible. Katinka O'Toole is a deeply complex character whose daily struggles with the pressures of familial and social expectations are presented with wit and humor. She is surrounded by a cast of characters all of whom are colorfully painted by Medwed. In fact, the author is even able to breathe life into a sack of flour. The theme of class and status inherent in this novel adds a level of depth and intellect to an already entertaining story.
Rating: 
Summary: This one will keep you laughing.
Review: I stumbled upon this book by accident. I was unaware of the Cambridge, MA locale when I began reading, but being familiar with the places mentioned definitely added to my enjoyment. Besides that, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read about someone in their early 30's who is trying to decide what they want in life. The story line and writing style reminded me a little of Stephen McCauley. Check this one out.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good but not up to the hype
Review: I was a bit disappointed with this novel. Though it got lots of rave reviews, I found the plot slow in parts. The writing was pretty good, although I found the frequent references to being a writer tiresome (e.g. "if I weren't a writer, I would say his eyes were as deep as pools" -- you ARE a writer so think of something better). I am always suspicious when the main character does an about-face in the last 40 pages of the book, so the ending was a letdown. But overall, I enjoyed reading the book. A light diversion, and the issue of class consciousness in the US is an interesting one that hasn't been explored as often as it might be.
Rating:
Summary: Genre Fiction- It is what it is
Review: I would certainly classify this novel as genre fiction- A Romantic Comedy. As with all genre fiction, it is what it is. You either like it or you don't. But you can't try to analyze it into something that it's not. If you try, you'll only be disappointed. My advice with this novel is to enjoy it for what it is- a nice romantic comedy. You can try to break it down in terms of whatever literary concept suits you, but that might be unfair to the author and the book. After all, would you analyze something more literary from a genre fiction perspective? Never. So why try to analyze this from a literary perspective? It's a very light read and thoroughly enjoyable when absorbed from the right perspective.
Rating:
Summary: I LOVE THIS BOOK!
Review: If you've somehow managed to miss this one, don't wait another second. MAIL is a delight, witty and wonderful from start to finish. Medwed's Katinka O'Toole is the absolute embodiment of obsessive tendencies. Everyone I've recommended this book to has LOVED it.
Rating:
Summary: Hotmail
Review: Katinka O'Toole is 35 years old and is recovering from a short marriage with a Harverd Proffeser. She is strugling to find her place in the writing world when she gets a breakthrough letter who is delivered by the mailman she has fallen in love with. The man Katinka's mother is dating, who happens to live in her apartments, his daughter and son-in-law have the perfect blind date for Katinka. Jake Barnes is brought into her the picture. He is a classy guy and very polite although he has curly red hair on his knuckles. With all the love and madness surrounding her, she is just having fun. This book was cute and full of suprises and fun. If you enjoy saucy romances, this book is for you but if you get bored easliy and you are more in to anger and death, this book definently isn't for you. ENJOY
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