Rating: 
Summary: A unique plot is almost wonderful...
Review: This is a very sweet book and a must-read for middle-aged women, especially if they are single. I appreciate Helen's contrary nature and her seemingly self-destructive impulses. I also appreciate her hesitation to take on her venerable family members. And I love the people who populate her bookstore (Johnny is quite believable). My only complaint - and a very real one - is that this plot droops and drags in places.
Rating: 
Summary: INTELLIGENT, LITERATE AND WITTY
Review: I WAS PREPARED TO DISMISS THIS BOOK, HAVING SEEN THE MOVIE WHICH I DIDN'T LIKE. BUT I LOVED A COUPLE OF SCHINE'S OTHER NOVELS ('ALICE' AND 'RAMEAU'S NIECE') SO I THOUGHT I'D GIVE IT A TRY. LESSON LEARNED...DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S MOVIE. THE NOVEL IS AS LITERATE, COMPLEX AND PLAYFUL AS SCHINE'S OTHER WORK AND HAS ANOTHER LEVEL OF SOULFUL SEXUALITY AND LONGING WHICH MAKES IT VERY SATISFYING. THE REVEAL AT THE END, WHICH EVEN THE MOVIE DIDN'T SPOIL FOR ME, WORKS SO BEAUTIFULLY, YOU WANT TO START OVER AGAIN JUST TO HAVE THAT PLEASURE REPEATED.
Rating: 
Summary: A huge disappointment
Review: I enjoyed Alice in Bed years ago and thought I'd like this one -- I had to force myself to finish it. I found both Helen and Johnny totally uninteresting and very hard to believe. Completely pointless and boring -- the first 100 pages were the hardest to get through. I can only imagine how bad the movie must be!
Rating:
Summary: Every woman's Fantasy
Review: I am wondering, had I read this book before I saw the movie, would I have enjoyed it as much?? And I did enjoy it!! But I think I kept visualizing scences from the movie as I read, which gave the book more depth. I found Helen terribily unlikeable and arrogant(or was I just jealous). It made me long to live beside the sea, surrounded by books in my own bookshop, and fall passionately in love!! It was the sort of book that had a lingering effect upon me. Although, I felt the ending to be absurd, it was none the less a warm, feel-good read.
Rating:
Summary: Not Fun
Review: For me, this was a painful read. Pages upon pages of description - definitely enough adjectives to slow the pace, muck up the flow, and irritate the reader. And for what, I'm not quite sure. Because there were no themes in the book that warranted such detail, really. The story line is for lack of a better term - boring. The main character - unlikeable. And while I recognize many enjoy this book, I was never so glad to finish a novel and move on to something better.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful story with a great ending
Review: This book was great. Once I started to read it, I could not put it down. I just had to find out who wrote the letter. The reason I am writing this review is that I was not disappointed at all by the ending. If I read a review of a book and see that someone was disappointed with an ending, I ususally do not buy the book. There were so many great things about this book - mentioned in the other reviews so I won't repeat. I'm giving it 5 stars because it was funny, thought-provoking, and surprising.
Rating:
Summary: THE LOVE LETTER
Review: I truly loved this book. The intrigue of Helen finding the love letter and not knowing who wrote it is wonderful. Her affair with Johnny can make you feel young again.The book is wonderful but you must read it before you see the movie or you will never want to read the book after seeing the movie. The movie goes way off the mark and turns the story into a comedy but it is really a romantic drama.
Rating:
Summary: Wise, witty, and sweet
Review: I've always been drawn to older women-younger men relationships, and that was the main reason why I decided to try out this novel. I'm glad to say that i have NO REGRETS! 'The Love Letter' is contemplative, funny, intelligent, provocative, wise, and sexy. It was nice that there was a he-said/she-said scenario. 'The Love Letter' allows the reader to take a close-up look at the cynical,"older woman" Helen and at the earnest "younger man" Johnny. I thought it was interesting how both characters have very real flaws: Helen is a bossy, manipulative, and opinionated forty year-old while Johnny is an idealistic, sometimes immature and irresponsible twenty year-old. These are REAL people you can identify with! The writer also explores the many cultural and intellectual differences posed by the twenty years that separate Helen and Johnny - she doesn't gloss over nor does she over-dramatize the generation gap. There are many warm, quirky moments between the two unlikely lovers and you can't help but hope that everything works out for them. This novel also parades a host of colourful characters ranging from Helen's irascible grandmother and urbane mother to the mysterious Miss Skattergoods and other assorted inhabitants of the small town of Perquot. And of course, there is THE LOVE LETTER which sets everything into motion at the beginning of the novel. All these ingredients add fun and humour to an otherwise rather serious and thoughtful book. Although the story does move rather slowly, it is liberally sprinkled with clever word play, beautiful imagery and witty exchanges that make the wait worthwhile. My only real complaint is the ending which had perhaps a little less closure than I would have preferred. Definitely a book that I shall cherish and read over and over again!
Rating:
Summary: Love in the Afternoon
Review: The Love Letter reads like a slow rolling August afternoon. As the title implies, letters provide the novel with a guiding factor as well as a source of misunderstanding between the brooding yet responsive Johnny, and the domineering yet stimulating Helen. Helen, incidentally, is 42 years old and the proprietor of the independent books where Johnny is an employee. One morning, along with other forms of correspondence, Helen receives an anonymous letter declaring love, lust and certain gravitational distortion. Helen, who thrives on the short memo and the picture postcard, becomes consumed by the contents of the letter. As Helen searches for the writer, she discovers her attraction to Johnny, who is more than thrilled to jump right in. Ms. Schine devotes several pages to burning internal questions that distract from realistic thinking and play with your day. She has created a soft mystery instilled with deft observation and sensual description. Her obvious acceptance of unconventional love affairs is refreshing. The Love Letter is a passive, pleasant fumbling toward nothing.
Rating:
Summary: A very fun read
Review: I enjoyed this book very much, I don't know why the previous reviewers gave it such poor ratings. I loved the dialogue and the love leter itself, very romantic. This book is not for those looking for a serious read, but great for a nice relaxing Sunday afternoon. Highly recommend!
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