Elegance : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: What were you looking for, Shakespeare?
Review: When I was a little girl in the 80's I would pick up "manners" books from the 50's in my school library. They seemed to illustrate a standard of perfection far beyond my grasp. When I first picked up "Elegance" I was reminded immediately of my strange first steps into the self help realm. The book took me there...it did an excellent job of spinning me into another place.
There were elements that appeared forced, or unnecessary, but I was not too concerned about them. I, unlike some other reviewers, didn't pick this book up expecting literary genius. I don't feel that a strong deconstructionist criticism would really be helpful for this book.
I smiled and laughed out loud at least 5 times throughout the novel. I cared about and was confused by and for the character. I related to the premise of the book, if not the plot details and overall I thought it was good. We aren't pitting Kathleen Tessaro against Pynchon any time soon. Obviously the book is on a different scale but... It did what it aimed to do and I laughed. Those two things make it a 4 in my book.

Rating:
Summary: As elegant as one of Britney Spears' weddings
Review: "Elegance" consists of a genuinely charming premise so shoddily executed that it makes me a little sick to my stomach. What could have been a smart, clever (even subversive) addition to the "chick lit" bookshelf is, instead, a clumsy amalgam of amateurish characterizations, painfully obvious narrative, tin-eared dialogue and ham-fisted melodrama. (As many of the reviews here show, however, there's clearly an appreciative audience for such attributes normally considered to be drawbacks in a novel.) Normally I would have stopped after the first chapter or two, but having been given the book as a gift I felt obliged to soldier on, rolling my eyes as Louise (who seems to be nothing more than a cut-rate, K-mart version of Bridget Jones -- and what would Mme. Dariaux think of buying our heroines at K-mart, hmmm?) totters through the ever-more asinine twists and turns masquerading as a plot, much like Louise herself masquerading as a "classy" woman in her cleavage glitter and hooker skirt at the Ritz.

But perhaps it is not all Ms. Tessaro's fault. For example, on page 192 (of the hardback edition), Ms. Tessaro misuses the word "nonplussed" (she uses it to mean "cool" or "not bothered," when in fact it actually means "bewildered" or "at a loss," as she might have discovered had she possessed a dictionary). While this (and several other howlers) certainly cements her status as being completely unqualified to write the instructions on a shampoo bottle, much less a novel, it certainly raises the question as to who, exactly, was editing the book. Perhaps pressed for time or money, William Morrow (the publishers) simply assigned a mailroom clerk to the task, or possibly a monkey. In any case, it is a shame that plagiarism is a crime -- in an actual writer's hands, Tessaro's premise would make a fine book.

Rating:
Summary: beach book
Review: A fun read for the beach or airplane -- not mindless, but highly entertaining, with elegance tips thrown in, too! It almost seems like 3 different novels -- first the sad unhappy married Louise, then the coming-out-of-her-shell Louise, then the "empowered" dating-a-younger-man Louise. Plus the elegance tips are almost like a fourth book! But in real life, people truly ARE different at different stages of their lives, and Louise is a very real, believable character. Highly recommended to take on vacation instead of "War and Peace."

Rating:
Summary: charming beach novel
Review: although it feels like another 'single girl making it in London' story at first, the author takes some interesting detours with the wisdom she gleans from an ancient French writer. Its a fun read and perfect for the beach or picnic. I hope this writer continues to give us fun novels like this one.

Rating:
Summary: Fun, but lacking warmth
Review: As far as entertainment value goes, this is a good book; it was pleasurable to read and hard to put down. Often I had a hard time stopping at the end of a chapter because I wanted to read on to the next excerpt from Madame Dariaux's book , and then I would read on after that because the story had drawn me in. I loved the built-in style tips and found myself wishing that I had a few high-quality items instead of lots of cheap clothes.
I do with the book had a little more warmth, however. It's fine that it focuses on Louise, her past, her problems, and her transformation...but I wish slightly more attention had been paid to the people in her life, notably her two housemates, Colin and Ria, and her eventual love interest. Of all of these, Colin gets the most narrative attention, but he still seems like a sort of shadowy figure. After one tantalizing episode that establishes the friendship between Louise and Ria (and made me want to know more about what they're like together and how they interact), the latter practically drops off the radar; the reader is simply made to accept that the two women now have a meaningful relationship as friends without being given any more information on the subject. Ria really serves to initiate a new, more mature lifestyle for Louise; after she has done her job as a character she ceases to have a meaningful place in the narrative. I didn't feel that I knew Louise's love interest much better. I'm sure they're crazy about each other, but I didn't feel it--I just had to take the story's word for it.
Other friends, like Poppy and Flora, are little more than cardboard cutouts.
Basically Louise is the only real character in the book. I felt that something of her was held back from me because I wasn't allowed to see how she relates to the (supposedly) most important people in her life. It seemed that she was meant to care about people other than herself, but I didn't find myself convinced.

Rating:
Summary: Enchanting book ~ clever storyline!
Review: Hard to put down!!! Louise finds a book in a secondhand bookshop called Elegance by a stylish Madame. She puts the words to use and her life takes a turn. GREAT story!

Rating:
Summary: No sympathy for this narrator
Review: I agree with much of what Abby said, below. This book is very disappointing. If you are expecting a fun, witty Helen Fielding-style book, you're going to be disappointed.

Tessaro breaks a most basic rule of writing by telling the reader how the main characters are feeling rather than showing it. It feels forced. But the main problem I have with this book is that the main character, Louise, is very unappealing. She comes across as selfish and shallow and self-obsessed. Tessaro obviously wants us to think "you go, girl!" when Louise tells us about flirting openly with her husbands' colleagues; instead, I marvelled at how I was supposed to like a character who did these kinds of pathetic things. Finally, the whole premise of the book is weak - that by wearing tight clothes and putting on makeup, you can transform your life. Louise may become more physically attractive, but that doesn't change the fact that her character, like this book, leaves much to be desired.

Rating:
Summary: A Librarian Says This is A Wonderful Read!
Review: I am a librarian and read _a lot_ of books that I check out from my branch of the library. I only buy copies of books that I know I will want to read again. When I finished this book, I immediately ordered my own copy and began reading it again! It is _that good_. The writing is excellent, causing me to laugh out loud, and the experiences she relates are all ones that women go through in navigating the world of clothes, status, fashion, etc. I am no clothes horse, but I related with a lot of the experiences and how they are tied into the clothes we wear. In short, I highly recommend this book!

Rating:
Summary: Could have been better
Review: I can't help but wonder if the author was on some new medication or was perhaps getting input from conflicting sources.... The book started out as charmingly funny and rather touching but after a few chapters it seems that someone suggested that it take an edgier turn and advised the author to throw in an abortion and perhaps begin using the F word which she did. It picked up a little later and became mildly funny but by then had lost all of it's charm and I felt little or no sympathy whatsoever for the heroine. It's a shame to see such a great idea and a reasonable amount of writing talent go to waste like that.

Rating:
Summary: I loved it!
Review: I couldn't put this book down. It was a really fun read and I loved the characters. I think it is well written and intelligent. This would be great beach reading.

This is definitely chick-lit though. I couldn't really see my husband reading it.