Rated of 5
by Marnie C. (Baltimore, MD) The Summer Without Men
Hustvedt's fifth novel details a poet’s mid-life reassessment of her marriage during one transformative summer. While the ending wraps up matters a bit too neatly, the narrator's strong voice proves both comforting and thought-provoking throughout. Smart summer reading for those seeking alternatives to typical “beach reads”.
Rated of 5
by Mary P. (Church Road, VA) Chick Lit DEEP
The Summer Without Men is a dense, witty, feminist exploration of gender through literature, philosphy and neuroscience, and secondarily through the eyes of the 50-something narrator Mia as she retreats to her hometown after a nervous breakdown prompted by her husband's midlife-crisis affair with a (naturally!) younger woman. This is a very intellectual book--the reader, if interested, may find herself pausing frequently to "Google" obscure Latin phrases, unfamiliar contemporary poets, and, frankly, for me, hitherto unheard-of sociobiologists and antique if not ancient Men (ironic emphasis on "men") of Learning. Don't be intimidated, though! While occasionally the book seems less like a novel and more like a feminist lecture or outright rant, it's wry and humorous and there's just enough (somewhat banal) "outside" touching the "inside" to keep the pages turning. I was strongly reminded of Marilyn French's excellent 70s-era novel The Women's Room and think that any readers' group with a focus on women's issues would greatly enjoy The Summer Without Men.
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Although heavy on the scientific details, which slowed down the story for me (OK, I admit, I was one of those liberal arts majors who skipped out on...
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U.S. ebook sales up in 2012, but rate of growth is slowing(May 16 2013) In 2012, trade book sales (i.e. non academic book sales) rose 6.9%, to $15.049 billion, and e-book sales continued to grow, although the rate of growth...
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of 5
by Marnie C. (Baltimore, MD) 
of 5
by Mary P. (Church Road, VA) 
