Rating: 
Summary: Gotcha!
Review: As its title implies, Anita Shreve's novel is about a couple with a past. The first clever thing Shreve does is present their story backwards, beginning when the man and woman are age 52, both successful poets, meeting again after 26 years at a literary festival, picking up rather easily, all things considered. The story then moves to them at age 26, meeting after a gap of 9 years, in Africa of all places; they pick up again rather easily, despite all the hints of a mad teenage love affair rendered apart by some car accident, despite the fact that both of them are married to others. Along the way, tragedies in their lives are alluded to, and you have to wonder, what is it about this specific accident that makes all this melodrama and tragedy, not to mention some inconsistencies and odd effects, make sense? Well, you do find out, in the very last paragraph of the book. That's the second clever thing Shreve does, produce a very late, very surprise ending that turns everything on its ear at the same time it repulses any criticisms about content that may seem accidental or inconsistent. Gotcha!Darn clever, but is it art? It is literate, a rare pleasure in this world, but is it literary? Genuine art, or literary fiction, must tell the truth. Well, this is "well-observed," it creates its own world and keeps a lid on it. That said, there are times when you question the motivations, reactions and choices made by the hero and heroine, aspects that are not necessarily resolved by that final moment. Also, for all of Shreve's tightly controlled sentences, the language within sometimes echoes romance novel conventions. Tears rise "unbidden." The bedroom scenes especially do not rise above conventions. The book is absolutely humorless in the way that popular melodrama can be. The main characters are sympathetic and pleasant to be with, the African scenery is rendered well, and there are questions to puzzle out. Ultimately, though, to be good literature, a book just can't kick up the questions, it has to answer them responsibly, and Shreve's work doesn't quite hold up that end of the bargain.
Rating: 
Summary: Anita Shreve is brilliant!
Review: I am surprised to see that so many people aren't satisified with this novel, so I must write and vent my support of Ms. Shreve. She is a talented writer and I adore The Last Time They Met. It is a beautiful and poignant love story that touched me very much, for I could relate to the protagonists. In fact, this novel moved me so much that I went out and immediately bought all her other books and am saving them like treats for later. Feh to her critics. Well done.
Rating:
Summary: One of her best!
Review: This is my favorite novels of A.S. as of yet. All of her books leave you pondering the story for days and this book is no exception. DO NOT READ THE LAST PAGE FIRST as some have suggested. You must know these characters! Whoever has advised this - ignore them! They somehow missed the point of the book - What if?
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I read The Pilot's Wife and loved it. I found this new book pretentious and a waste of time and money. It was almost like the book was written because a contract required it. The writing was utterly boring. The characters were pathetic, they both had good lives but were obsessed about a love they had long ago, then get divorced and do it already!
Rating:
Summary: The Last Time I Will Read Anita Shreve
Review: Self absorbed, poignant, pretentious, plenty of Catholic angst, details that move boringly slow, nuance in the mundane - not at all my kind of book. Linda is a woman who seems to have given up on life when she hit middle age, who orders food over and over again to not eat it. She meets a former lover at a literary convention, and maybe things will pick up? [Hint: don't count on it.] In hindsight, the italicized speech and italicized thoughts make a little more sense - but were annoying and rather affected. And, yes, the ending is a very contemptible, condescending trick and renders the book insignificant.
Rating:
Summary: Talk about letting me down slowly...
Review: I loved the Pilot's Wife and was excited to read The Last Time They Met but it was an utter disappointment. I agree w/ the reader who recommended reading the last chapter 1st. In fact, one could read ONLY the last chapter and then NOT go back to read the rest as it would only drag on to a pointless story. I love a story of deep and undying love as much as the next person but I could barely begin to care about these two lovers until the last few chapters. The reading was slow and felt as if Shreve was just trying too hard to be a writer of great talent and for her characters to be as well. I suggest passing on this novel.
Rating:
Summary: Surprise Ending? Please!
Review: While reading the book, I found Shreve's writing almost pretentious. Finally, the surprise ending (discounting the first two sections of the book!) was unbelievable, and wrapped up in less than a page. It reminded me of the ending in Dallas (when Victoria Principal woke up from a dream) or in "Tootsie" when he revealed that he was a man and made up some contrived story as to how s/he got there! I just thought it was cheap and surprised that a professional reviewer would give it any high marks! I have read The Pilot's Wife and The Weight of Water and enjoyed both of them, but this one should have had either a different editor or should not have been published in the first place. I definitely feel like I wasted both my time and money on this one!
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous
Review: One gets a sense of what Anita Shreve is up to after reading some of her novels. Well, I think she is one of the best explorers of the human heart. I have read her Fortune's Rocks, Where or When and The Weight of Water and as in those books, this book delves deep into the frailty and the fragility of our lives and how much things can change by a moment of hesitation. The love between Linda Marie Fallon and Thomas Janes is elaborately outlined and for those of us who felt cheated at the end of Where or When, I think although the theme is similar, this book has a better ending in the sense that you do not sense a rush towards conclusion. One more point to mention is the need to read The Weight of Water before this book as they are related. Strongly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: My mouth dropped open
Review: This would have been a 5 in my mind except for the dreadfully difficult time I had with the first 20-25 pages. I read and re-read trying to get into the story. Why the airport detail? Why the hotel detail, etc.? But, if you can get past that, what an intriguing and interesting book. I was sucked into each period of the lover's lives and was delighted that they had found each other again in later years. I was desperate to get to the end to see where they would take their relationship this time. My mouth dropped open. I was one of the people who had to go back through the book several times to look for clues about the ending. I sat for two days with my mouth open wondering at that ending. I think anyone who enjoyed any of Anita Shreve's books would be thrilled with this one. I love the way she hooked two novels together with the same characters--"The Weight of Water" is good too, but this one was really pulled it together.
Rating:
Summary: Read Weight of Water first -both are fabulous
Review: This story begins at the end and I couldnt put it down. Anita Shreve is a master in manipulating time in her stories. We meet our main characters in the present after a 34 year separation and we go back in time to the first time they met. This is a frustating love story. I have no patience for cheaters. If they loved each other so much why didnt they leave their spouses but I guess this is part of the intensity of extra marital love.
Thomas is the same character from The Weight of Water . This is his story before and after the events on the first book. I think you dont have to read The Weight of Water to appreciate this book but I think it would be pointless to read this book first and The Weight of Water second for this book gives you the surprinsing end of the first.
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