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The Good House
by Ann Leary 15 Jan 2013
304 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN-13: 9781250015549
by Ann Leary 15 Jan 2013
304 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN-13: 9781250015549
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| Readers' Rating: | 
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BookBrowse members resident in the USA can request free review copies of books through our First Impressions program. Below are their opinions on one such book...
Rated 
of 5
by Annie P. (Murrells Inlet, SC)
The Good House
The Good House is very good! Ann Leary has hit the nail on the head with Hildy Good with her snarky portrayal of a real estate agent doing her darndest to get listings and sell homes. The fact that Hildy is also a full-blown alcoholic trying to kid her kids into believing their intervention and "incarceration" at an addiction center has worked and dried her out when, in reality, she is becoming more wily by the day is - sorry - funny. Hildy can come up with some absolutely logical (to her) reasons why she is no longer an alcoholic, but at the same time, the story shows her tiptoe-ing through the tulips as she enjoys more and more the sauce that will surely kill her. Her drunken logic is right on, and gets her into a peck of trouble. I enjoyed her relationship with Frankie, a local and old boyfriend, while her girls really irked me with their righteousness. The horse scenes were well written, obviously by a person who knows the ropes with owning, showing, and loving a horse. Leary has written a good story of things she is informed about, probably has done a bunch of research, and put together an interesting life story for a middle-aged woman with a few foibles and lots of denial.
Again, a truly good story, well written, well told, that held my interest more and more as it went on. I absolutely enjoyed this book!
of 5
by Annie P. (Murrells Inlet, SC)
The Good House
The Good House is very good! Ann Leary has hit the nail on the head with Hildy Good with her snarky portrayal of a real estate agent doing her darndest to get listings and sell homes. The fact that Hildy is also a full-blown alcoholic trying to kid her kids into believing their intervention and "incarceration" at an addiction center has worked and dried her out when, in reality, she is becoming more wily by the day is - sorry - funny. Hildy can come up with some absolutely logical (to her) reasons why she is no longer an alcoholic, but at the same time, the story shows her tiptoe-ing through the tulips as she enjoys more and more the sauce that will surely kill her. Her drunken logic is right on, and gets her into a peck of trouble. I enjoyed her relationship with Frankie, a local and old boyfriend, while her girls really irked me with their righteousness. The horse scenes were well written, obviously by a person who knows the ropes with owning, showing, and loving a horse. Leary has written a good story of things she is informed about, probably has done a bunch of research, and put together an interesting life story for a middle-aged woman with a few foibles and lots of denial.
Again, a truly good story, well written, well told, that held my interest more and more as it went on. I absolutely enjoyed this book!
Rated of 5
by Shirley L. (Norco, LA)
An Entertaining Easy Read
If the primary goal of a novel is to entertain, and I think it is, then Ann Leary's The Good House performed this task admirably. I felt like I was in Wendover, Massachusetts, and meeting all of its delightful citizens. Of course they were all flawed; perfect people make for very dull stories. Hildy Good is a very flawed narrator and I loved her realness. She is blunt, unsentimental, self un- aware, manipulative and at times funny as hell. The author's portrayal of her struggles with alcohol are spot on and truly tragic. Not a story to change your life, but a fun, intelligent read that I enjoyed thoroughly. I plan to read other works by Ms. Leary.
of 5
by Shirley L. (Norco, LA)
An Entertaining Easy Read
If the primary goal of a novel is to entertain, and I think it is, then Ann Leary's The Good House performed this task admirably. I felt like I was in Wendover, Massachusetts, and meeting all of its delightful citizens. Of course they were all flawed; perfect people make for very dull stories. Hildy Good is a very flawed narrator and I loved her realness. She is blunt, unsentimental, self un- aware, manipulative and at times funny as hell. The author's portrayal of her struggles with alcohol are spot on and truly tragic. Not a story to change your life, but a fun, intelligent read that I enjoyed thoroughly. I plan to read other works by Ms. Leary.
Rated of 5
by Carol N. (San Jose, CA)
The Good House by Anny Leary
This was a good weekend read – chock full of wonderful, flawed characters with some pretty wicked senses of humor. The protagonist, Hildy Good is a 60-year old real estate agent who having survived her Hazelden invention two years earlier needs to prove she is neither an alcoholic nor a witch. She is truly an "original" that is irresistibly likeable but very untrustworthy. As a longtime resident, she pretty much knows everything (good or bad) that happens in the small New England town of Wendover. Having befriended a recent client, Rebecca McAllister, she becomes involved in her torrid affair with the town's resident psychologist. Soon her life goes into a tailspin and the tone darkens with approaching tragedy. This book is funny, poignant and terrifying. I believe that Ann Leary has achieved her goal – to write a legitimately funny novel about alcoholism without getting too preachy.
of 5
by Carol N. (San Jose, CA)
The Good House by Anny Leary
This was a good weekend read – chock full of wonderful, flawed characters with some pretty wicked senses of humor. The protagonist, Hildy Good is a 60-year old real estate agent who having survived her Hazelden invention two years earlier needs to prove she is neither an alcoholic nor a witch. She is truly an "original" that is irresistibly likeable but very untrustworthy. As a longtime resident, she pretty much knows everything (good or bad) that happens in the small New England town of Wendover. Having befriended a recent client, Rebecca McAllister, she becomes involved in her torrid affair with the town's resident psychologist. Soon her life goes into a tailspin and the tone darkens with approaching tragedy. This book is funny, poignant and terrifying. I believe that Ann Leary has achieved her goal – to write a legitimately funny novel about alcoholism without getting too preachy.
Rated of 5
by Susan S. (Lafayette, CA)
A classic unreliable narrator
I became delighted with this book about 20 pages in when I realized that Hildy Good, the main character, is a classic unreliable narrator. She seems to have a pretty accurate take on those around her, but is utterly deluded about herself. The story is witty, insightful, and surprisingly complex, with a mix of great characters and several different but overlapping story arcs that tie together by the end, touching on real estate, New England small towns, infidelity, psychiatry, autism, late-in-life romance, and alcoholism.
of 5
by Susan S. (Lafayette, CA)
A classic unreliable narrator
I became delighted with this book about 20 pages in when I realized that Hildy Good, the main character, is a classic unreliable narrator. She seems to have a pretty accurate take on those around her, but is utterly deluded about herself. The story is witty, insightful, and surprisingly complex, with a mix of great characters and several different but overlapping story arcs that tie together by the end, touching on real estate, New England small towns, infidelity, psychiatry, autism, late-in-life romance, and alcoholism.
Rated of 5
by Marjorie W. (Bonita Springs, FL)
The Good House
What a good read! I found it hard to put down and read it in two afternoons!! It is funny, but also explores the secrets that people harbor - so there is some sadness in the story. We all know people like this - such an accurate portrayal of small town life. I think it would be a good book for discussion as book clubs.
of 5
by Marjorie W. (Bonita Springs, FL)
The Good House
What a good read! I found it hard to put down and read it in two afternoons!! It is funny, but also explores the secrets that people harbor - so there is some sadness in the story. We all know people like this - such an accurate portrayal of small town life. I think it would be a good book for discussion as book clubs.
Rated of 5
by Kelly H. (Martinsville, IN)
The Good House, a good read
I really enjoyed this book. It was the main character, Hildy, that kept me hooked. It wasn't an exciting book, and not a whole lot happened. I felt like I was just hanging out with Hildy for a little while during a critical point of her journey through life, and I loved it.
The characters were realistic, as was the dialogue, and if felt like being in the know in an actual small town.
of 5
by Kelly H. (Martinsville, IN)
The Good House, a good read
I really enjoyed this book. It was the main character, Hildy, that kept me hooked. It wasn't an exciting book, and not a whole lot happened. I felt like I was just hanging out with Hildy for a little while during a critical point of her journey through life, and I loved it.
The characters were realistic, as was the dialogue, and if felt like being in the know in an actual small town.
Rated of 5
by Mary J. (La Quinta, CA)
Absorbing Characters!
This book draws you into small town life and its people. The characters are well developed and make you want to meet them and live there. I loved the story and will suggest it to my friends. 5 star read that I couldn't put down!
of 5
by Mary J. (La Quinta, CA)
Absorbing Characters!
This book draws you into small town life and its people. The characters are well developed and make you want to meet them and live there. I loved the story and will suggest it to my friends. 5 star read that I couldn't put down!
Rated of 5
by Kim L. (cary, IL)
Injured Spirit
I found this book to be well written. The characters were well developed especially that of Hildy. This is a book that many can connect with, because the characters experiences are all very believable. We have all either heard of or met someone with these issues. Very touching story and one that left an impression upon me.
of 5
by Kim L. (cary, IL)
Injured Spirit
I found this book to be well written. The characters were well developed especially that of Hildy. This is a book that many can connect with, because the characters experiences are all very believable. We have all either heard of or met someone with these issues. Very touching story and one that left an impression upon me.