Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published in USA
Sep 2006
192 pages
Genre: Short Stories & Essays
Publication Information
Jennifer Weiner's talent shines like never before in this collection of short stories, following the tender, and often hilarious, progress of love and relationships over the course of a lifetime. From a teenager coming to terms with her father's disappearance to a widow accepting two young women into her home, Weiner's eleven stories explore those transformative moments in our every day.
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"These stories range from an old lady held hostage to a New Yorker who gives up killer real estate for a guy. Weiner's fans will recognize the kooky-kid-sister
sagas, but it's the new territory notably Swim and Dora on the Beach that
shouldn't be missed. A-" - Entertainment Weekly.
"The heroines-hooked-on-bad-boys notion wears thin, but fans will savor Weiner's confidential tone and salty wit. [3 out of 4 stars]." - People.
"Puts Weiner on the map as one of her generation's best literary voices." - The Boston Herald.
"Another delightful example of Jennifer Weiner's tender way with words and
emotions." - Harper's Bazaar.
"The Guy Not Taken showcases a maturing Weiner...In Her Shoes author
Jennifer Weiner is resigned to the fact that in some circles she is referred to
as the 'Queen of Chick Lit.' But I challenge anyone who says her short-story
collection, The Guy Not Taken, isn't serious women's fiction." - USA Today.
"This collection of 11 stories written over the past 15 years reads like a
series of studies for Weiner's larger chick lit portraits .... One roots for
Weiner's characters as they come to terms-and in some cases, heal-from
disappointment and neglect." - PW.
"In her recent novels, notably In Her Shoes, Weiner explores human relationships
in all their complexity, poignancy, and delight. Although Weiner's voice and
settings are very contemporary, the messes people make among family members,
friends, and lovers are as old as time." - Library Journal.
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Jennifer Weiner was born in 1970 on an army base in Louisiana. She grew up in Connecticut, and graduated from Princeton University with a degree in English literature. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Central Pennsylvania, Lexington, Kentucky, and Philadelphia, before the publication of her first novel, Good In Bed, in 2001.
Her novels In Her Shoes (2002), which was turned into a major motion picture; Little Earthquakes (2004), Goodnight Nobody (2005), the short story collection The Guy Not Taken (2006), Certain Girls (2008), Best Friends Forever (2009), Fly Away Home (2010), and Then Came You (2011). Her work has appeared in Seventeen, Salon, Redbook, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, and Elle.
She lives in Philadelphia with her family.
... Full Biography
Author Interview
Link to Jennifer Weiner's Website
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