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Sarah
Not only did I read this book, I also saw the movie. The book was gripping and it had good setting; the characters were very realistic and they acted as any person would have in this situation. The book is very insightful into the way two or more people can degrade their lives in the way of a material possession. The movie however is not worth seeing, it is an unimaginable bore and it resembles nothing of what the book portrays in the way of human nature.
This book is an example of writing that shows an author did this. By that I mean much care as to language and structure, plot and character went into the book. It can lead to heated discussions as the characters are analyzed in a book group. The ending, dare I say it, first confused me and somehow disappointed me. Pages that were turned offered suspense. The further you read the more you anticipated a gut wrenching ending. The drop off made for many questions. But I would read other offerings by Dubus as he does take his craft seriously.
Sam
Just as many people have said... this book wasn't as much disappointing, but rather lacking suspense. There were some parts which capture the reader's attention, but I would have to say that I was fairly disappointed in the ending. I wouldn't recommend this novel unless you like to read into detail about a woman's sex life and like to be bedazzled by an ending.
Sharon
This is one of the worst books I have ever read, filled with wholesale violence, blood, anger, stupidity, and characters none of which I gave a damn about. I cannot believe that they made a movie out of it. I was lured into buying it and reading it because of its beautiful cover! What a lesson!
S.L.B.
I'm not going to rate this book because I didn't read all of it,just a few pages but that was enough! I too,wanted to read this book because it was on Oprah's book list but I also heard mixed reviews but checked it out of the libary anyway but as soon as my libarian looked it up on thier computer he said'Uh,oh,this doesn't look good,it's been sitting on the shelf since December 2001!' You come to your own conclusions about the book but I could see,in my opion that it's flat,dark and whiny. It may be a masterpiece in some people's eyes but not mine!
Sue C
I, too, found this book vastly disappointing. I was willing to suspend disbelief for the first two thirds, where I was pulled along by interesting writing and two characters -- Kathy and Behrani -- whose emotional situations, if not their legal status, were relatively believable. But in the final third, the plot spun out of control to bring the book to a totally surreal end. I wouldn't recommend to anyone.
Susan
I fought my way through this book from the beginning. After Oprah and several critics gave this novel such high acclaim, I was determined to stick with it until I found the pleasure I had been promised. It never came. I was unable to develop any concern or affection for any of the main characters. The time bomb that ticked away with each turning of the page was something I almost wished would explode so that I could be finished with this disappointing read. I would also like to say that I disagree with the critics who describe this novel as 'believable'.
