The FIERY PANTHEON : A NOVEL

Rating:
Summary: a small jewel
Review: I discovered Nancy Lemann because Tom Robbins said that he reads her. If you like Anne Tyler or Robbins, chances are you'll like this book. Dark, funny humor, with great characters and clever prose. If you're too politically correct to enjoy it, it's your loss.

Rating:
Summary: much ado about very little
Review: Nicely written, silly book. Repetitive. Characters about whom one cares little, lolling through desolate lives, doing nothing -- extravagantly. The humor is stretched and vague. Fortunately, it is a quick read and some of the insights into the lives of Bush-like Southern families are interesting -- almost frightening to realize that our next President may come from this wasteful milieu. Makes one want to tax the rich to support the needs of the working poor.

Rating:
Summary: A madcap, delightful, original novel
Review: When I wake during those ghastly hours of the early morning, I often think of a line from this wonderful, bubbly novel: 4 a.m. is bedtime for many people. Instead of wallowing in life's troubles, I think of a madcap cast of characters removing their tuxedoes, their high heels, and hopping into bed. I highly and happily recommend this cheerful novel!