The Hazards of Good Breeding: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: What are the hazards of good breeding? For Caroline Dunlap, a recent college graduate returning home for the summer, the summer, the hazards include divorced parents, a mother who has lost much of her grip on reality, a father who can't connect with his children, a younger brother who is a bit of a social misfit, an ex-boyfriend babbling on and on about living in Tibet, boring parties and even more boring people. Much of the action in the novel is seen through Caroline's eyes and luckily for the reader, Caroline sees through most of the garbage in the wealthy world she grew up in. The novel makes for entertaining reading and is very reminiscent of Cheever and O'Hara, but is told with more of an obviously discerning eye. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Terrific
Review: What are the hazards of good breeding? For Caroline Dunlap, a recent college graduate returning home for the summer, the summer, the hazards include divorced parents, a mother who has lost much of her grip on reality, a father who can't connect with his children, a younger brother who is a bit of a social misfit, an ex-boyfriend babbling on and on about living in Tibet, boring parties and even more boring people. Much of the action in the novel is seen through Caroline's eyes and luckily for the reader, Caroline sees through most of the garbage in the wealthy world she grew up in. The novel makes for entertaining reading and is very reminiscent of Cheever and O'Hara, but is told with more of an obviously discerning eye. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: interesting males, boring as hell females
Review: What is it with female writers? (myself being an exception). They must have never met an interesting person of the female persuasion. The little brother, Eliot, and the father are complex, interesting characters, while the typical "nervous breakdown" mother and daughter Caroline are mere satellites to the "men in their lives". It really makes me sick to see male writers like Jonathan Franzen come up with beautifully complex portraits of women (Denise in The Corrections, Renee in Strong Motion) while every book I have read recently by a female just trots out the same silly, self-deprecating, doormat-like, joyless, self-denying, anti-hedonistic neurotic cliches in depicting their female characters and their lives.

Rating:
Summary: Good breeding? very good reading...
Review: Yes, I agree with one reviewer here: I cannot stand typos in books from reputable publishing houses. But this is nonetheless a very good read, but not (I think) in Cheever class as some have suggested... Jack is a sour and dour central character, unattractive and monochromatic but well drawn. The ending is particularly good and the prediction regarding Eliot's future sounds pretty accurate to me. I am so happy to find these talented American debutant novelists, first the wonderful Nancy Clark, now Jessica Shattuck... I hope they all keep writing as I am an impatient reader.