I really couldn't relate....
I really couldn't related to these characters even though I only graduated from college 4 years earlier but I did want to hear more about their lives. My favorite part of the book is the jail scene - I loved that! Parking tickets - who would have thought....
Rated of 5
by Melissa Y. (Knoxville, TN)
The Red Book - I Wanted to Like It
I really wanted to like this book, however, it never really grabbed me. The characters came off as shallow and self-absorbed. Their Red Book entries were the best part of the book - seeing the way in which they viewed or, more precisely, wanted others to view their lives. The book was difficult for me to finish and I found myself picking up and putting down the book quite a bit. It was difficult to get through the entire book and if it hadn't been for this review I probably would not have finished it.
Rated of 5
by Barb W. (Mechanicsburg, PA)
The Red Book
I usually really enjoy books about women's friendships and relationships, so I was really looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations, as I had a hard time caring much about any of the four major characters. Maybe it was because most of them were very "privileged" women, and I found it hard to identify with their lifestyles, attitudes and even some of their morals (for lack of a better word), or maybe there were too many other characters in the story to focus on the four women. I'm glad I finished the book, but I doubt I'll be recommending it to anyone.
Rated of 5
by Maggie P. (Mount Airy, MD)
The Red Book
The premise of the book was wonderful. Catch up with four Harvard graduates as they gather for their 20 year class reunion. I imagined reuniting with three of my good friends from college and catching up on the ensuing years. Would four people thrown together in college be able to gather together again? With that in mind, I eagerly started reading the book. As much as I tried, I just couldn’t make myself care for the characters. I found myself forgetting about it once I put it down. It’s just possible it was too close to chick-lit to completely capture my attention. I still believe the premise should work.
Rated of 5
by Anna R. (Oak Ridge, TN)
Disappointing.
I looked forward to this book because the description sounded wonderful. First of all, there are so many words in the English language so why do authors use the "f" word so much?? Do people really talk like that? No one I know does. The characters are so spoiled and shallow and seem to think having sex with someone other than their current partners is no big deal. Also, there were too many characters in the book which made it hard to keep them all straight. The best part of the book was the last chapter. I will not be recommending this book to my book club. I'm not sure I will even loan it to anyone.
Fearless, gripping, at once darkly funny and tender, spanning three continents and numerous lives, Americanah is a richly told story set in today's globalized world.
The story of an American family, middle class in middle America, ordinary in every way but one. But that exception is the beating heart of this extraordinary novel.
First time novelist Vaddey Ratner captured my heart and senses in this novel based on her childhood in Cambodia. Her story transcends any news story...
read more
From the first page, I was drawn in by the lyrical writing of the author and mesmerized as the narrator, eight year old Raami, remembered the years...
read more
Trite but true, all good things must come to an end. I so wanted to keep reading the wonderful prose, the settings that let one think they are part...
read more
Kenn Nesbitt is new Children's Poet Laureate(Jun 12 2013) Kenn Nesbitt has been named the new Children's Poet Laureate: Consultant in Children's Poetry to the Poetry Foundation, which noted that the two-year position...
Full Story