What do readers think of The Summer Without Men by Siri Hustvedt? Write your own review.

I was captured by the first sentence, then the first paragraph of this book. To my disappointment the rest of the book did not meet my expectations. Although this book is beautifully written with its clear and cogent sentences, I was disappointed. There are too many plots in this book; had the author used her talent for prose on the primary plot, this would have been an excellent book.

In the past I have really enjoyed my First Impressions selections, but I feel that this novel is not my style. I felt that the narrative was very jumpy. Maybe that was what the author intended, however, I felt that it was distracting. I also did not feel an attachment to the characters.

really not what i envisioned , i really forced myself to read through this book i felt it to be boring.

I wish that this novel had actually been a "smart, sassy reflection on the varieties of female experience", as Kirkus Reviews asserts. Hustvedt aims at some meaty topics (marriage and fidelity, teenage girlhood, minor and major insanity, aging, childhood imagination...) but never hits a real emotional mark. Her wit and elevated observations feel forced and effortful, her characters remain flat actors reciting lines, and I couldn't make myself care about any of them. Smart, but not nearly smart enough, The Summer Without Men will disappoint readers wanting more of the sharp intellect and swift craftsmanship Hustved revealed in What I Loved.