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With 19 out of 20 reviewers rating it 4 or 5 stars, Andrea Kayne Kaufman's Oxford Messed Up is a top pick among BookBrowse readers! Here's what they have to say:
Oxford Messed Up is the story of two highly original characters destined to be together. I enjoyed the unique personality of Gloria, who attempts to rise above OCD; and Henry, trying to overcome the chains of remorse from a demonized past. They share a bathroom and a devotion to Van Morrison, and they believe in each other when paralyzed by their own self-doubt (Pepper E). I loved this book. Andrea Kaufman does a marvelous job creating characters with major personality flaws and turns them into people with heart and substance... I especially enjoyed the intellectual aspects of the book as Gloria writes and comments about her women poets and she collaborates with Henry regarding the poetry/music of Van Morrison. For me, the book worked on many levels, and I was truly pleased with the results (Beth C). Oxford Messed Up is a smart, compelling book (Amy M); it is believable, and keeps the reader's interest. I'm looking forward to more from this author (Karen B). (Reviewed by BookBrowse First Impression Reviewers).
Full Review
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Recent Reader Reviews
Rated 
of 5
by Suzanne G.
A good story
Gloria and Henry share a bathroom at Oxford. Gloria, majoring in feminist poetry, is plagued with OCD while Henry is a lagging personality majoring in music. Their love evolves through all Gloria’s problems with OCD and Henry’s laziness. Van... Read More
Rated 
of 5
by Suchi
Oxford Messed Up - Delightful literary feast
A moving and poignant tale about two messed up people trying to find true love against a back drop of dead women poets and Van Morrison's optimistically enchanting music.
On the surface Gloria and Henry look like normal people, much like a brand... Read More
Rated 
of 5
by Amy M. (Brooklyn, NY)
Oxford Messed Up is a smart, compelling book!
Gloria Zimmerman, who suffers from an extreme case of OCD, and Henry Young, a former drug addict, meet at Oxford University when they discover that their dorm rooms share a bathroom. These brilliant people are drawn to one another, recognizing in... Read More
Rated of 5
by Karen B. (Bethlehem, PA)
Oxford Messed Up
I work in academia and thought I would enjoy this book. I was not disappointed. I probably come into contact with someone like Gloria or Henry regularly. When I started reading the book, I wanted to shake both of them. I wanted Gloria to get... Read More
Rated of 5
by Kathy P. (Saratoga, CA)
Oxford Messed Up
A passing thought in early pages was that it was the printer who messed up by publishing this book. That's a joke, but it does start very slowly. The first really interesting thing doesn't happen until the end of Chapter 9! Despite an initial... Read More
Rated of 5
by Cindy (Bryan, Texas)
Unusual and Fascinating
At first I was not certain this book was for me; the first few chapters dragged, and the two main characters showed little personality. But Kaufman was being clever, for when Henry and Gloria finally meet in Oxford it reminded me of the first time... Read More
...16 More Reader Reviews
Elyn Saks, J.D., Ph.D., 2009 winner of the MacArthur Genius Grant and author of The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness
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George Ivan Morrison (born August 31, 1945) hails from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He began his musical career as a young man in the 50s, playing cover songs with Irish show bands. His talent and fluency with numerous instruments - he plays the guitar, drums, keyboards, harmonica, saxophone, ukulele, tambourine, and sings - captured people's attention. By 1964 he had begun his professional musical career with the British...
