Page 5 of 5
There are currently 35 member reviews
for A Thousand Pardons
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Mary Ellen B. (Hebron, CT)
Modern Angst
The book starts off as a meltdown of a suburban family when Ben, an attorney decides that he needs more excitement in his life. His bad judgement creates a mess resulting in divorce, estrangement with his young daughter, and legal trouble. His wife on the other hand, reinvents herself as a talented publicist. The plot bogs down when a former childhood friend, now a famous actor crosses path with the wife, and the book takes off as a thriller that doesn't quite materialize.
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Michelle N. (Hillsdale, NJ)
This one didn't grab me...
I really don't find many books that I just don't care to finish reading, but unfortunately this was one of them. It wasn't bad, it wasn't good - it was just...there. The writing didn't hold my interest, the characters weren't adequately portrayed in order to make me care what happened to them, and there seemed to be a lot written about one of the main character, Helen's, job. I read most of the book and then just didn't care enough to finish it. Unfortunately I would say to just give this one a pass.
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Jinny K. (Fremont, CA)
A Thousand Yawns
Although I'd never read anything by Jonathan Dee, I was looking forward to this book based on his having been a Pulitzer finalist as well as this book's synopsis. The beginning of the book was very engaging, but as it went on the characters seemed shallow and unsympathetic and I felt only glimmers of caring what happened to them. The unlikely scenario toward the end of the book involving Karen and the celebrity she'd known as a child was really puzzling and seemed to lack resolution, although it seemed to be trying for enlightenment.
When the book was over, it still seemed somewhat unfinished; I was disappointed in this novel.
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Eileen P. (Pittsford, NY)
Fairy Tale Gone Wrong
The beginning of this book is like something out a fairy tale for middle-aged women. A husband, Ben, engages in strange and destructive behavior. The wife, Helen, finds unexpected talents which lead to lucrative employment. Unfortunately, in the second half of the book, I found Helen's behavior bizarrely unreasonable and out of character. I wasn't willing to buy into the parallels in the couple's choices that Dee seemed to be suggesting. I ended up feeling rather disappointed by the book.
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Christie K. (Hobbs, New Mexico)
A Thousand Pardons
I believe this book started out fairly well. But early on I lost interest in it. I found the plot meager at best, and the character's unbelievable and not very interesting. I like to give a book a chance, to let it develop (or in this case, get better) over time, but couldn't engage with this book to it's ending.
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Lisa M. (Fullerton, CA)
A Disappointment
The title of this book gives the impression that it's a story of forgiveness and redemption, but what it mostly seems to be about is people behaving badly and not really learning anything from their mistakes. Populated by underdeveloped and largely unlikable characters, this stunted storyline leaves a lot to be desired. I kept waiting to feel invested in the characters and story and never really did.
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Mary S. (Hilton Head Island, SC)
Big Disappointment
I really wanted to like this book, however, even though it was barely 200 pages long, I plodded through it. The storyline was rambling and disjointed, the characters unbelievable, and the ending unsatisfying. It is hard to understand how the author could have been a Pulitzer Prize finalist. I have seen better writing by authors with fewer credentials than his. The author should ask the readers for a thousand pardons for subjecting us to such a poorly written, unfinished work.
