Dubin's Lives

Rating:
Summary: Dubin's Lives
Review: A strong book that engages the reader in its story as though s/he is a character. Taking you on a rather poignant journey through the seasons, not only of the year but of William Dubin's life, his stayed yet tender relationship with his wife and his fun, youth replenishing affair with the 23yr old Fanny Bick. All the time we are reminded that life is for living and the moment for siezing.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful study of a flawed man
Review: Long ago, a creative writing teacher recommended this book to me. I've finally read it, and in turn I highly recommend it. Malamud shows a mastery of prose and an immense talent for description. His passages describing the changing seasons are incredible!

At first, the author's tendency to bend the "laws" of punctuation and grammar threw me a little. The first twenty pages didn't hold my interest, but after that I adjusted to his style and grew to appreciate it. It was worth persevering.

The book tells a story that is at once absorbing, sensual, frustrating and heartbeaking. Whatever the author's intentions, I found the title character to be rather less than admirable -- and normally a book with an unlikeable protagonist would be hard-pressed to keep my interest. This one did earn my interest, and even gained moments of insight and sympathy that brought me inside the flaws of the main character and allowed me to understand him, even if I never exactly liked the man.

I recommend this book for its deep exploration of a flawed man as he grapples with love, aging, and temptation. Well done.

Rating:
Summary: bmalamud does it again
Review: malamud in staight away into the story.He has a prudence of verbiage! as usual this tale counter points all his other fictions. althoughI have the notion this is premised on his own encounters in life. I heartily urge thoughtful people to read this book.