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Bobbie D. (Boca Raton, FL)
(10/17/12)
A Thousand Pardons - Can you ever forgive ?
A Thousand Pardons is a book that begins with what you at first think is a typical happy family. It soon turns out that they merely live in the same house. And it probably would have continued except for a young woman who enters the story and the house of cards come tumbling down. The author gives you real insight into the unhappy husband and father, a wife who becomes a mother and a housewife too quickly, and an little asian girl who is trying to make sense of her life and why her natural parents gave her away! And then, just as things unfold as you would imagine, an old school acquaintance enters the picture and it is like a new story and a mystery. The development of the leading characters and how they change as the story progresses is so well done! It all could have gone so differently. The book should certainly appeal to book clubs and to people of all ages.
Susan H. (Chappaqua, NY)
(10/16/12)
Almost there!
Very interesting.... A mid life man tired of his routines, responsibilities and rather than get professional help .. He acts on his impulses causes havoc to his family and work associates but does come to learn and understand that there are serious consequences for his actions.his wife rises to the occasion raises their daughter while trying to find work ... Out of her past she meets an old friend who is now a famous movie star ... He gets drunk, thinks he kills someone while he's blacked out and wife drops everything to run around trying to find the "maybe dead girl" ... Where did this come from .... Stick to the story ... Difficult family situation, Mr. mid-life man, trying to be the perfect family is not as easy as you might think.
Marybeth T. (Bellingham, WA)
(10/16/12)
Enjoyed
I really liked this book. It grabbed me from the beginning and kept me interested until the end. This is the first book I have read by this author and I love the way he captured the moods and essence of a fourteen year old girl. I think this would be a good book group book. Lot's of think to discuss. I was a little disappointed in the end. A little to tidy for me, but over all a good read.
Marjorie H. (Woodstock, GA)
(10/16/12)
A Surprise!
Yes, Jonathan Dee surprised me! He took a very ordinary theme - failed mid-life marriage with smart mouth daughter - and turned it on its head! A marvelously written book with depth of characters, I thought perhaps I had stumbled upon another ho-hum upstate New York couple coping with disappointment, boredom . . . . . . and then he turns the tables by introducing the character that ends up holding it all together! It was a complete "AH-HA" ending. I loved it! Don't miss this one. You won't be disappointed!
Laurie H. (Stuart, FL)
(10/16/12)
A Thousand Pardons=A Great Read
Well written and thought provoking, A Thousand Pardons is a great read. I enjoyed it on my back patio with a nice pot of coffee. This book would make a great book club selection, I'd enjoy others take on it. What happens when we expose our real selves?? Is it inevitable and the only way for us to grow?? Enjoy this book in your own special reading area.
Michelle N. (Hillsdale, NJ)
(10/16/12)
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.
Jinny K. (Fremont, CA)
(10/16/12)
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.
Eileen P. (Pittsford, NY)
(10/14/12)
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.