What readers think of Next to Love, plus links to write your own review.

I was hooked on this story from the beginning. This is a story of four couples and how world war two changes their day to day lives. The subject of women's identity and how the war changed their roles in society was examined by the narrative. The story brings home the issues of the veterns today and what this generation is going to face. The book touches on the children of the war vets and how they have a different perspective of the war . I like to read books that give me insight into our history. The subject appeared to be well researched.
The one issue I had with the book is that the characters could be developed more and sometimes I had trouble trying to figure out which character was narrating. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Next To Love is a terrifically engaging and provocative book. The characters are so well drawn that one can't but help to be engrossed in their lives. Ellen Feldman has a knack for creating vivid characters that stay with you, still speaking to you long after you close the book. Watch out, you might find yourself opening the book and needing to hunker down and read it straight through. Feldman gives us a portrait of war that is unique and original, but resonates with anyone who reads the novel. This is a book worthy of the best book club discussions and one that is worthy of rereading so that the nuances of her language can be uncovered.

Next to Love is an ambitious novel that suffered from trying to fit too much story into too short of a book. Three very different women face challenges that should have created a real emotional impact given the subject matter. However, I never felt connected to any of the characters. Trying to tell their stories over so many years left less room for the development of their characters. The pacing and cohesion of the book always felt off. There were some moments of great writing and times when I did want to see what would happen next. I do think there was a lot of potential. Overall it was a book that I do not regret reading, but not one that I will remember for long.

I wanted to like Next to Love. The premise--following a group of friends from WWII until the 60's-- seemed to offer a different twist to the usual "women & friendships" novel. Instead I found myself struggling to finish, in spite of some beautifully written phrases and intriguing plot lines. The characters were one dimensional and felt stereotypical---the girl from the wrong side of the tracks; the good girl. What could have been a fascinating glimpse of history through the eyes of women who lived through it left me cold by the end.

I think anyone who has loved can relate to this novel, especially during our times with men off to war as their families wait back in the states.Three couples are split apart by war, and this novel encapsulates what happens to them all with circumstances and choices made. I enjoyed it very much as it is in my grandparents time, but carries over to today! I highly recommend this book.

What a disappointment! Being an enthusiastic, voracious, and eclectic reader, I have rarely experienced such failed expectations. Given the rich backdrop of our history (WWII through the Civil Rights era with a nod toward the coming feminist movement), I found he lack of character development disappointing and somewhat astonishing. With that kind of tapestry, what I encountered were poorly-rendered sketches of characters rather than the rich portraiture I felt could have been - and the characters never moved off the canvas for me. Some of the sentences are lovely, and I happen to enjoy the "switchback" chronology the author employs, both in books and film, but I continued reading on awaiting a sense of satisfaction/recognition/empathy which never came. I was left in the final pages with an overwhelming sense of "Is that all there is?" I felt the original story line was terrific, and I frankly expected to receive a heavy tome in the mail - so perhaps it is a case of taking on too much. At any rate, given the potential, I have to rate this one a "2", which I've not done before.

I began reading "Next to Love" during a 10 hour car ride over 4th of July Weekend and was absolutely mesmerized. Despite the fact I was visiting family, I kept sneaking off to read a few more pages and then felt a bit bereft with I as done - it left me wishing for more.

This book tells the stories of a group of friends, ordinary people damaged by WWII and how each person deals with or fails to deal with their own tragedies and grief. It is about resilience of the human spirit, accepting life on life's terms, having courage to change, or wallowing in resentment. The characters in the book rang true for me. I liked the three central women and felt compassion and empathy for each. That is a sign of a good book!

I found this book very ordinary. At times she wrote beautiful sentences, other times I could hardly follow. There was not one character that I really liked. I felt like there were to many unresolved situations.