What She Saw... : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: good indie chick film?
Review: Wherein we observe the development of a girl from 5th grade to about age 27, a girl that we eventually realize is quite attractive, though she has the persistent belief that she's a Dawn Weiner. It could make a great film. While I think Lucinda Rosenfeld has a good ear for dialogue and gives us painfully well-executed visuals, to the point where I felt I had been there myself (because, what young self-involved American female hasn't?) I thought the writing tired and too desperately-trying-to-be-trendy. It's the kind of book that would've made an impression about 10-15 years ago, but now the market is just too saturated, and let's face it - descriptive language a la Confederacy of Dunces has been immitated ad nauseum. Judging by the age of the character, Rosenfeld probably did write like this 10 years ago (in college), so it's too bad she didn't try to get it published then. Now, though, I think she'd be great writing for current female TV characters -- could give them something interesting for us to watch!

Rating:
Summary: I READ IT TWICE IN A ROW
Review: Women, men, anyone under 40: this is an unprecedentally pitch-perfect and scarily funny novel of our own kind of turn-of-the-century courtship. Rosenfeld illuminated phenomena in social life - and actual LIFE - that I hadn't known I needed illuminated. I felt in love with Phoebe Fine. I was dazzled. And I cried.

Rating:
Summary: Plotless
Review: Yes, it's a somewhat interesting concept, but I have no idea why this book got such wonderful attention from the critics. Probably because it's a woman chronicling her barely-relationships with men, and boy, don't we love to hear about that? This isn't a novel so much as it is 'rosenfeld spills about her experiences with men' -- at least, that's what it feels like. No plot, nothing coherent. Pick up 'bridget jones' or one of the other recommendations instead.