Rating: 
Summary: Soap Opera
Review: The novel has finely drawn characters, and the scenes of life in Africa are interesting; however, the characters never do anything which is not easily predictable, and nothing not easily predictable happens to them. The novel concludes with such a non-ending, I wonder if Ms Shreve just got lost in the morass of her non-plot.
Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: If you can get through the first 50 pages, this book is one of Shreve's best. To date, I have only read a few of them, but this is her best by far. I was shocked by the ending-what a surprise twist! It left me with the satisfaction that comes with reading a really great book.
Rating: 
Summary: Loved This Book
Review: What a great read! This is definately a "take me away" experience. Anite Shreve wove beautiful threads of detail through this touching story. It certainly doesn't disappoint!
Rating:
Summary: Read It!
Review: I absolutely adored this book. It was the first Shreve book I have read, but it convinced me to read more of her works. I loved how this book literally did not "come together" until the very last page. I was warned about this before I read the book, and I'm glad I was because it really gave me something to look forward to. I admit that I almost put the book down during the first section because it was so confusing and slow-moving, but I'm so beyond thankful I didn't. Stick with it, and you will recommend this book to all your friends, like I did!
Rating:
Summary: From Virginia
Review: I just finished The Last Time They Met a few days ago. Although I enjoyed it immensely, like the other reviewers, I found the first 50 pages or so very confusing. My revelation came when I realized it was related to The Weight of Water. I would advise anyone who reads this book to read The Weight of Water also. When I reached the end of The Last Time They Met (and actually through out the book) I had to keep rereading passages. Afterwards,I went immediately to Weight of Water to refresh my memory and confirm what actually happened in the car accident.
Rating:
Summary: Great read take the time to digest it.
Review: A co-worker loaned this book to me, I called and thanked her the second I was done. Starts out slow but stick with it.
Rating:
Summary: I see the light!
Review: I'll admit: when I first started reading this book, I was a little annoyed with the writing style. It seemed distracting and rhetorical, and I found myself thinking, "I will never read another book by this author again!" The second half of the book changed all that, and the ending absolutely floored me! I read the ending several times to make sure that I understood what had actually happened, then I leafed through the first parts of the book to remind myself of prior events. The book is in reverse chronological order, so it's important to pay attention to the prior details. Read the book and you'll understand what I mean! The ending, if not the wonderfully vivid descriptions of Africa, made me an instant fan of Anita Shreve. I haven't read The Pilot's Wife yet, but I plan on getting it when I return my current library books. I picked this book on a whim -- a browse through the fiction section of the library -- and chose this book for the title and because I had heard raves about The Pilot's Wife. I'm glad I took a gamble on this one. The beginning is slow, true enough, but the ending is one which will stick in your mind for years to come. The ending is so remarkable that it has remained in my memory WORD FOR WORD since I put the book down. I don't see the ending as "cheating" the reader at all, because the rest of the book in its wonderful imagery and description and imagination makes up for it all.
Rating:
Summary: Romantic, touching, heartbreaking & unpredictable
Review: I have read only 2 other of Anita Shreve's books, but after finishing this I will read everything she has written. This book is thrill, touching and beautiful. As you begin the book we pick up with Linda, a middle aged woman with much of life needing to be lived... she encounters a lover form her past.... "the one" as some may say. His name is Thomas, and I absolutely loved his character. Cocky, yet vulnerable, handsome, yet unkept, and completely in love with her. The book starts with this last "meeting" of the two, and then takes you back in time through there last meeting, then the last before that (which is actually the first meeting) it may sound confusing, but it is not at all. It was difficult for me to put down, I agree the first portions of the book may be a tad slow, but it adds to the slow, needy feeling these two seem to have felt in between each of their stolen moments together. The best part of the book is the ending, which takes the puzzle you have been fitting together as you read, and not only finishes it, but creates the whole image of what you are reading into something entirely new. I walked away from this book (okay, so I cried....) and had a lot to think about, plus an immediate list of friends to pass the book along to. It is one worth reading and discussing and still discussing, so if book clubs or gatherings are your thing, you have to add this one to your list. One note from one amazed reader to the other- make sure you finish the book in a soothing, quiet place (not with the kids climbing all over you) you may have to re-read not only the ending, but other passages in order to soak it all in. I did give this book 5 stars because for me it was everything I love in a book, beautifully written passages, heart felt observations, interesting characters, and a heart grasping plot. If you enjoy womens books in this style (such as Elizabeth Berg,and Jaqulyn Mitchard are also so good at)this is not one to miss, because while it is a lot like your favorite womens read, it is also so much more.
Rating:
Summary: The Last Time They Met
Review: I have been a fan of Shreve, until this book. The ending of the story is an insult to the reader. After reaching the end, I felt as if I read the story in vain, I felt the whole story, up to the chapter titled Seventeen, utterly worthless reading.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST-READ for Any Shreve Fan; One of Her Best
Review: As an avid fan of Shreve, I have read all of her novels and found this to be my favorite. The story is beautiful in its presentation and totally draws in the reader. The imagery (especially throughout the second part of the book, the Africa sequences) is incredible, it paints the picture before your eyes and I felt as if I were there, standing, watching the characters as the story unfolded. The end is the most magnificent part of the story. The way the novel is written, the reader cannot guess the incredible conclusion though all the signs are there throughout the story. A must-read for any Shreve fan (or a great introduction to her works though to begin with this book would be to ruin the end to 'The Weight of Water' so 'Weight...' should probably proceed it, I guess). Haunting, beautiful, I'm not sure what else to say...it's definitely worth a dozen or so re-reads.
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