What do readers think of The Affairs of Others by Amy Grace Loyd? Write your own review.

Early in The Affairs of Others by Amy Grace Loyd, the protagonist Celia Cassill says "My husband died a difficult death. I went with him, or a lot of me did….American life asks us to engage in an act of triumphant recovery at all times or get out of the way. I have been happy to get out of the way." Celia's attempt to counter her grief by becoming a fastidious yet inconspicuous landlord is destined for failure. In reference to her tenants she says "I am not here to make a family of them, to know them too well…" yet she keeps a watchful eye on each, secretively tackling their anguish in lieu of her own.

Loyd's book is not without its surprises, especially the extent to which Celia becomes involved physically. While the details of the story are engaging Loyd's prose is more so. An example is her repeated reference to hands; Les's large sometimes violent ones and her own, small but possibly equally destructive. This book does not feel like a first novel and is highly recommended for anyone seeking a compact, satisfying read that will linger once completed.

I'll start with the positives: yes, I will probably read this author's next book, the reason why is because of the hauntingly beautiful, evocative writing this debut author exhibits. I found myself marking sentences and paragraphs as I went along, reading them over, sometimes aloud, as poetry (Kudos to you for that, Ms. Loyd!).
That said, I actually read the entire book twice, because the storyline was so dense with the characters' actions and details I couldn't digest it properly in one read (not really a criticism). My main criticism is of the gratuitous sex throughout, with violence towards women. Though I understand why the author might have done that, I'm sorry she did. I guess what bothered me just as much was that the characters did not really seem to have changed at the end of the book, even though the author ended the book on an upbeat note (but it wasn't, really).
I loved the the themes of separateness, privacy, personal boundaries, lost and found love, but the pervasive unhealthy sexual relationships kind of soured the whole reading experience for me.

This book is well written and has interesting characters. Not necessarily all likable, but interesting. A widow owns an apartment building. You get to know the people in each apartment. It was a book I found myself thinking about even while I was not reading it.

This is a tough one! I echo the comments of many previous reviewers: the writing was the best part of this first novel. For that alone, I might have rated it 4 or 5 stars; however, the intriguing premise (youngish woman struggling with the isolation of early widowhood) was betrayed by the plot itself, which felt strained--a conscious effort to convey an edginess that bordered on the gratuitous--and the ending felt rushed and contrived. Disappointing.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The writing was superb; I enjoyed Loyd's descriptive text and interactions. Many of the pages are marked where snippets jumped out at me. I wasn't so wild about the subject matter after I got into the story. Maybe I'm a little behind the times, or not that interested in the kind of relationship that drove most of the rest of the story. The characters, Celia, Hope, Mr. Coughlan, and other minor characters were well-fleshed out, varied in their make-up, and truthfully written. The settings were beautifully described.
I will definitely read Loyd's novels in the future.

On page 2 the narrator, Celia, tells us that when her husband died a lot of her went with him. It is a tribute to the author's skill that this sense of "deadness" permeated the story. A beautifully written story that I did not much care to read.

The only thing that kept me going to the end of this book was the superb writing. And considering the morbid cast of characters this book needs all the help it can get.
A group of dysfunctional, barely making it misfits trying to get through life by escaping is not new news. I didn't like any of the characters, especially Celia - whose sanity is teetering on the brink. She's carrying a heavy load and should have gotten help a long time ago. I found the sex gratuitous and mildly offensive.

Everything comes together beautifully thanks to Mr. Coughlan who comes in at the end to rescue this sorry lot. A thoroughly delightful character, I wish there had been more of him. This book was basically a downer. No new news here.

The novel is about two women recovering from the loss of a husband - one by death and one by betrayal.

Celia is a young widow who becomes the owner of a small apartment building, and her tenants are chosen because they respect privacy. The book is well written. Each chapter is a mini story within the novel. Both Celia and Hope are well developed as characters, but personally, I couldn't relate to their choices. I wanted them to move on. I did enjoy Celia's thought and opinions about her tenants and those who visited the apartment. It is a thoughtful book not one for those looking for a page turner.