Black and Blue

Rating:
Summary: Not up to par
Review: Black and Blue, while a fast read, goes on too much. Quindlen practically hits the reader oever the head with the fact that Frannie is an abused woman. Subtlety is lost--this book can't compare to One True Thing, her previous novel. She defines her character by the abuse she has suffered, and if we can't gather this up for ourselves, she makes sure to tell us every five pages what we should be thinking. Frannie's character simply exists because she has been abused--that's all Quindlen gives the reader. What reading Black and Blue did for me was reinforce my belief that the best story about an abused woman is Roddy Dyole's The Woman Who Walked into Doors--Doyle gives the reader a character to sympathize with, not a situation. I was terribly disappointed with this book.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling subject but falls a bit short of hitting home run
Review: I couldn't put the book down. It is well written and certainly a compelling subject. It seemed to fall short, however, of a truly satisfying reading experience. Perhaps the realism of the story and situation required this kind of ending, or lack of resolution. Such is life.

Rating:
Summary: Mixed Review
Review: I found the book very good in some parts. But it just seemed to drag on. I got tired of it. I felt that she was encourgeing abuse by staying in an abusive relationship.

Rating:
Summary: Great book!!
Review: This book was wonderful. I read it in about 3 days which is highly unusual for me. The 1st person account was very real. I work with abused children and spouses and this could be a true story---especially the ending! This book gave some insight into what a child feels, thinks, etc. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Black and Blue Made Me Blue Too
Review: As painful as being beaten by your husband must be, reading this book about it hurt too. Anna Quindlan harps on and on about the same issues over and over and over again. The woman's new life and the life that she subjects her poor son too are so depressing and bleak that it's hard to see the light. I felt like I was reading a documentary rather than a novel. If the author wanted to get a point across she should have done so through a voice that is less stuck in the past, less self-absorbed, less pathetic really. Finishing this book made me feel black and blue. Leave this one on the shelf.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I have read in a long time.
Review: It's not often that I find a book I can hardly put down and this is one of them. It was extremely gripping and captured your attention 100%

Rating:
Summary: Not convincing, too predictable
Review: This book was a disappointment. While it starts out well enough, in the aftermath of an abusive marriage, it never fulfills its promise or even ocmes close. The ending was predictable, and her new marriage and relationships were not well defined. The last few chapters reminded me of a firecracker that just fizzled oout.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant, yet flawed ...
Review: Like so many others I roared through this book... couldn't put it down (and I have a 4-yr old competing for my reading time). Her psychotic husband, Bobby (as opposed to her son, "Robert" - the grown-up name), got under my skin and made me scared to go to bed at night. Quindlen was masterful at fleshing out these characters and making them very real, however, there were inconsistencies that finally, in the end, bothered me. Without wanting to reveal the ending.... I found it troublesome and not totally believable. It was almost a cop-out. Also, I couldn't get a firm grip on Fran/Beth; she was mostly spineless in her marriage (except when she'd take those early morning jogs through Brooklyn with and without injuries) and then strong beyond belief later. And for Criminy's sake, why a crowbar? Why not a gun, knowing Bobby like she knew him? Still, all-in-all an excellent read - one that would engender lively and provocative discussion for a bookclub.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting story ¿ mixed message
Review: I found this book to be a compelling read. However, as much as I enjoy Anna Quindlen's writing style, I was disappointed with the message of the book. Without giving away the story, I think she tells women that the consequences to leaving an abuser can be as damaging as the abuse itself.

Rating:
Summary: A fun book to read
Review: I found the book very easy to read and it went along fast. The only thing wrong was that it was very predictable. I was waiting for some suspense and it never came to me. Anna developed the charactoers very well. She did a good job with this novel.