Amazon.com
Barnaby Gaitlin is one of Anne Tyler's most promising unpromising characters. At 30, he has yet to graduate from college, is already divorced, and is used to defeat. His mother thrives on reminding him of his adolescent delinquency and debt to his family, and even his daughter is fed up with his fecklessness. Still, attuned as he is to "the normal quota for misfortune," Barney is one of the star employees of Baltimore's Rent-a-Back, Inc., which pays him an hourly wage to help old people (and one young agoraphobe) run errands and sort out their basements and attics. Anne Tyler makes you admire most of these mothball eccentrics (though they're far from idealized) and hope that they can stave off nursing homes and death. There is, for example, "the unstoppable little black grandma whose children phoned us on an emergency basis whenever she threatened to overdo." And then there's Barnaby's new girlfriend's aunt, who will eventually accuse him of theft--"Over her forearm she carried a Yorkshire terrier, neatly folded like a waiter's napkin. 'This is my doorbell,' she said, thrusting him toward me. 'I'd never have known you were out here if not for Tatters.'" These people are wonderful creations, but their lives are more brittle than cuddly, Barnaby knows better than to think of them as friends, because they'll only die on him. Yet his job offers at least glimpses of roots and affection. Helping an old lady set up her Christmas tree (on New Year's Eve!) gives him the chance to hang a singular ornament--a snowflake "pancake-sized, slightly crumpled, snipped from gift wrap so old that the Santas were smoking cigarettes." And Barnaby himself is sharp and impatient at painful--and painfully funny--family dinners, apparently unable to keep his finger off the auto-self-destruct button every time his life improves. As much as his superb creator, he is a poet of disappointment, resignation, and minute transformation. --Kerry Fried
Book Description
In this, her fourteenth novel--and one of her most endearing--Anne Tyler tells the story of a lovable loser who's trying to get his life in order.
Barnaby Gaitlin has been in trouble ever since adolescence. He had this habit of breaking into other people's houses. It wasn't the big loot he was after, like his teenage cohorts. It was just that he liked to read other people's mail, pore over their family photo albums, and appropriate a few of their precious mementos.
But for eleven years now, he's been working steadily for Rent-a-Back, renting his back to old folks and shut-ins who can't move their own porch furniture or bring the Christmas tree down from the attic. At last, his life seems to be on an even keel.
Still, the Gaitlins (of "old" Baltimore) cannot forget the price they paid for buying off Barnaby's former victims. And his ex-wife would just as soon he didn't show up ever to visit their little girl, Opal. Even the nice, steady woman (his guardian angel?) who seems to have designs on him doesn't fully trust him, it develops, when the chips are down, and it looks as though his world may fall apart again.
There is no one like Anne Tyler, with her sharp, funny, tender perceptions about how human beings navigate on a puzzling planet, and she keeps us enthralled from start to finish in this delicious new novel.
Customer Reviews:
An Easy-Going, Rambling Kind of Book.......2007-07-08
I've had this one on my bookshelf for a long time and I thought it was time to dust it off and read it before passing it on. I have heard many great things about Anne Tyler's books and it was with great anticipation I picked this one up to read. It's not as good as I thought it would be ~~ but it's not the worst either. It's just an easy-going, rambling kind of book ~~ kinda like life itself.
The main character is Barnaby Gaitlin, a thirty-year-old man who earns a living just taking care of elderly people ~~ if they needed a table moved, Barnaby was their man, if they needed to go to the grocery store, Barnaby would take them, if they needed to have someone water their houseplants while they're in the hospital ~~ again, Barnaby was their man. It is a sweet story about life, aging and coming to a self-realization that maybe that this is just all there is in this world. It's rather depressing if you stop to think about it but Anne Tyler glided over it rather gracefully.
Barnaby meets his "angel" on the way to Philly when he was visiting his daughter. Only this angel has feet of clay as this novel will show. When Barnaby was younger he was caught climbing out of his neighbor's house ~~ he would break and enter but not for cash or liquor like his friends, but he would steal mementos, something that would only be special to one person. It could be a diary, a photo ablum, an elephant carved out of ivory ~~ whatever. It was nothing precious that he could make a lot of money off of. With his family's shame hanging over his head, Barnaby tries to figure out a life of his own where he could rest contentedly. He meets Sophia, a woman six years older than him, and fell in love. Only when her aunt suspects that Barnaby stole the money ~~ he discovers that Sophia doesn't completely believe in his innocence.
It's an easy novel to read ~~ it's quick and rather predictable. It's great for summer and book club discussions ~~ but I am not sure if this book has made me an Anne Tyler fan. That remains to be seen.
7-8-07
Appearances can be deceiving.......2007-06-22
Not even thirty, Barnaby Gaitlin's life seems less than promising. He's already divorced, with a nine-year-old daughter; lives in a basement, which he pays for by doing odd jobs for the elderly and disabled; and owes his rich, eccentric parents $8700 for a crime he committed as a teenager.
Yet despite these crude facts, Barnaby is a good man. He truly adores his clients, even at their most demanding; he is happy without much in the way of material things; and he's just beginning to forge a strong relationship with his little girl Opal.
So when Barnaby's client Grace Glynn accuses him of stealing, Barnaby is floored. It's hard to say, however, if it's really the accusation -- or the later discovery that his girlfriend Sophia (Grace's niece) secretly replaced the missing money with her own funds to clear Barnaby's name -- which angers him most. Who asked Sophia to try fixing things? And worse, do her actions mean she doesn't believe he's innocent?
The Gaitlins have long believed in angels -- mysterious women appearing at crucial moments in their lives, and guiding them to wisdom and inspiration -- and Barnaby firmly believed Sophia was his. Now, however, he is beginning to see cracks in her perfection.
Goodness is all around him, in the least likely places; something Barnaby doesn't realize until a great deal comes to pass.
The World's Greatest Living Author.......2007-04-16
She remains an amazing author. I've hit a patch where I read about a man leaving his family, a suicide and a brother who blames himself for it, and a woman leaving her family. Anne Tyler always hits very close to home regardless of what the book is allegedly "about," because that's part of being Anne Tyler. But this wasn't quite so "heavy" a book as the others, so I welcomed it. It's one of those very rare gems known as an Anne Tyler book that you can read in a single day. Savoring it, however, is something you do for months and years afterward.
A Patchwork planet.......2007-02-21
This was the first Anne Tyler book for me and as is often the case I must say that I was expecting a little more based on the reviews that I had read. However, it was a good story and very funny at times. I just found it to be slower than I would have liked. I will read another by her because I did enjoy her writing style.
The Lady or the Tiger?.......2006-12-01
So which book did you read, eh? Was it the one with no real plot? Or did you read the psychological mystery? The coming of age story? The Lady or the Tiger? Or was it the one with way too many plots? OK, how about the ending? Did you read the book where the narrative was simply too ambiguous to have a meaningful ending? Or did your version have that plain vanilla ending: The money was misplaced by Auntie; Sophia replaces it; once the money is found, Sophia does not retrieve her replacement stash because she has somehow undergone a convenient transmutation into a newer version of Barnaby's mother. If that's the version you read, you were in the minority. Turns out, our Book Club had four, count them, interpretations: 1) Sophia moved the money and then merely moved it back. 2) The money was stolen but not by Barnaby. 3) Barnaby really did steal the money. 4) Martine stole the money because she knew it would scuttle Barnaby's relationship with Sophia. Which ending did you read? What about style? Did your book have too many pieces that did not fit together literally and literary-ly? Was this a patchwork or a crazy quilt? Perhaps you saw (experienced) it more like a mosaic or an impressionistic painting? Was this Manet, Monet or Mucket? Whatever flavor or color you got, when our very critical Book Club gives four stars, I'd have to say it's a pretty good book.
Book Description
Quilted Planet celebrates the evolution of a beloved folk art in America and around the world, displaying the eclectic influences that are present in today’s modern quilt designs. Gorgeously illustrated with more than 200 original examples from six continents, this cornucopia of quilting styles is an inspirational reference for historians, crafters, and quilters alike.
Never has it been more evident that quilting is the most culturally rich folk art being practiced today. From the earliest known quilt found in a Scythian chieftain’s tomb near Mongolia (circa 100 B.C. to 200 A.D.) to the hybrid designs of international contemporary works, quilting has mirrored the traditions, lifestyles, and social attitudes of people around the world for thousands of years. Quilted Planet celebrates the versatility of this timeless art form and what it has meant to various cultures by showcasing a wide range of quilt styles and techniques from across the globe.
As she delves into a cornucopia of eclectic quilting styles, Celia Eddy looks at how patchwork and quilting traditions have evolved independently by showcasing methods unique to regions from six continents. She also takes a close look at how these historical techniques are echoed continuously in the work of today’s quilt artists, demonstrating this art form’s enduring influence on contemporary textile arts. More than forty original techniques are highlighted, including those from the United States, Japan, India, Egypt, England, Ireland, France, and Sweden, each with a brief account of the history of specific quilting traditions, methods, and styles. Quilted Planet also includes explanations of the methods and techniques particular to certain regions, including French boutis, Victorian crazy patchwork, and Japanese sashiko, providing quilters with endless new ideas to experiment with and incorporate into their own work.
A gallery of contemporary quilts shows how modern-day artists transcend geographical borders in their use of new materials and techniques that superbly reiterate traditions of the past. With a comprehensive bibliography, exhaustive list of resources, and an introduction to basic techniques, Quilted Planet is the ideal reference and inspiration source for crafters, collectors, and historians alike.
Customer Reviews:
Quilted Planet : A Sourcebook of Quilts from Around the World.......2006-03-02
The book is exactly what the title suggests, a sourcebook of quilts -- beautifully photographed with to-the-point text. This is not a how-to book, but if want a fine reference source for quilts, this book will not disappoint you.
Book Description
She's one of America's finest contemporary novelists, winning many awards for her work--including a Pulitzer Prize. Anne Tyler is both literary and popular, one of the few writers whose high sales match her critical acclaim. Now you can enjoy three of her more recent bestsellers in one low-priced, attractively packaged hardcover.
Customer Reviews:
Great summer read.......2007-05-11
This is a great, easy, summer read. The characters are fun, quirky and surprisingly easy to relate to.
A Pathchwork Planet.......2004-05-03
This was the first book of A. Tyler's that I read. I thought the most beautifully written. Somehow the title suits the book and a beautifully crafted work. The characters are human, a bit sad and you find yourself cheering them on. This book enticed me to read her others. I also liked Ladder of Years, but not as much. Breathing Lessons for which she won the Pulitzer I felt was not as good as her later works.
Amazing bargain.......2002-03-21
This volume is a collection of three novels by Anne Tyler: "A Patchwork Planet" of 1998, "Ladder of Years" of 1995, and "Saint Maybe" of 1991. Hardbound and durable, this volume is a better option for a reader who has started reading Anne Tyler, and even for the reader who already owns one or two paperbacks with novels contained in this volume. This volume is simply beautiful. Pleasant serif typeface, good, bright paper, nice cover artwork, and finally, amazingly low cost. You get three hardbound novels for a price of one paperback. In addition, all three novels of Anne Tyler belong to the more interesting subset of her literary heritage, so there is really nothing to be suspicious about here. Psst, do not tell anyone I have said that, but such bargains are possible only in North America. Nowhere else I would be able to get hold of three interesting novels combined in one hardbound volume for almost nothing. Do not hesitate, dear reader, and rush to purchase this collection. Now!
Book Description
"A comprehensive introduction to plate tectonics, written in a beautifully balanced style. Neither too complicated, nor too simple, Sattler formulates information in a way that is lucid without being dull. The topics covered include the appearance of the inside of the earth, the formation and movements of tectonic plates, of continents and mountain, and the various ways of dealing withearthquakes.....A model of writing about science for children."--Kirkus Reviews. Bibliography, diagrams, index, maps.
Average customer rating:
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A Patchwork Planet
Anne Tyler
Manufacturer: Books on Tape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 0736642501 |
Average customer rating:
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A Patchwork Planet
Anne Tyler
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NSGZPS |
Average customer rating:
- A waste of time
- They killed trees for THIS?
- favorite book
- Witty and Sarcastic
- We'll all be dead soon....
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Otherwise Engaged : a Novel
Suzanne Finnamore
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Comic | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0375406522
Release Date: 1999-04-20 |
Amazon.com
After 18 months of dating, hemming, hawing, begging, badgering, and threatening--as well as performing "really sincere fellatio"--the heroine of Otherwise Engaged has finally finagled an engagement ring. Eve seems confident that Michael, "the epitome of a Nice Jewish Man," is the person she wants to spend her life with. Yet she nearly kills herself soon after the celebratory dinner, staring at her newly acquired rock while speeding along a San Francisco freeway. And she may kill Michael, too, but not accidentally: "Michael leaves his socks on the floor when he takes off his shoes after work. This used to be fine. But now a sock on the floor isn't just a sock on the floor. It's a sock on the floor for the rest of my life."
Suzanne Finnamore's comic novel chronicles the happy couple's year-long engagement--which, to judge from Eve's Valium intake, is about 11 months too long. Eve and Michael bicker over every last detail: whether to hire a professional photographer or one of Michael's advertising-director buddies; which one of them wastes more money; who used up the last can of chicken stock and didn't add it to the shopping list. At 36, Eve throws more tantrums than the average toddler, and Michael's moodiness and problems with his ex-wife certainly don't help. The result is one drama-queen dilemma after another, none of them much ameliorated by Eve's slapstick sessions with "a seventy-year-old Marin County prominent Jungian."
Eve's troubles are primarily self-induced, of course, and the lush life she leads as a lavishly compensated advertising copywriter makes it hard to regard her as a tragic figure. Still, Otherwise Engaged is worth a quick read by any anxious bride-to-be who's delaying that inevitable appointment with Martha Stewart's premarital to-do checklist. --Erica Jorgensen
Book Description
"What nobody tells you about getting engaged is he asks you and you're delirious for about two days and then it tapers. He asks you and you're running around telling grocery clerks and ordering subscriptions to bride magazines and discussing prong settings versus suspension settings, and then after two days this ebullience passes. It is no longer conceptual; you have the whole wedding to plan and from that moment on the pressure builds.
"The ebullience comes back, two days before the wedding. The boomerang effect. Something else no one tells you about.
"They should parachute this information into the major cities."
For every woman who has ever dreamed of getting married or survived the pre-wedding hell of planning the big day; for every man who has ever watched in horror as the woman he loves mutates into a bride-to-be--a wickedly funny first novel about the excruciating ritual otherwise known as modern marriage.
Michael has finally asked Eve to marry him. It is tempting to believe that everything is going according to plan. But from her first anxiety-producing en- counter with Modern Bride magazine to setting a date ("My impression is that if you don't set a date, they stone you"), finding a dress, ordering invitations ("I don't want the plain envelopes. I want the white go-go boots. Everyone else has them"), and the unrelenting chaos of life in the world beyond the wedding, from the fights and resentment ("For eighteen months I rubbed his back and made him soup and performed really sincere fellatio and now I'm tired") to the disconcerting realization that lately when she looks at her fiance she hears the striking of a Chinese gong and the words FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE echoing through her head, Eve discovers that planning a wedding is fraught with unexpected perils, and it's a long walk to the altar.
Otherwise Engaged is a wry, deliciously caustic ride through the outsized rituals of an American wedding, and a hilarious portrait of what happens to an otherwise rational, intelligent woman when she begins to plan one.
Customer Reviews:
A waste of time.......2007-08-07
This book gave me a headache. It jumps around and the thoughts the author conveys are incomplete and at times make no sense. I kept reading because of all the good reviews and hoped it would get better. In the end it was a huge let down.
They killed trees for THIS?.......2006-10-27
What a disastrously bad and unfunny novel. The self-involved main character is pathetic and whiny, the "plot" is see-through and cliched, and the writing style is far below what can be found on any mediocre blog.
When people criticize chick lit, this is exactly the kind of book they're talking about. It's shallow to such a shocking degree than when it tries to take itself seriously, or stretches for a literary flourish, it's absolutely cringe-worthy. I find it hard to believe the people who've praised it here actually read the same book.
This was given to me by an acquaintance shortly after my engagement. She said she didn't really like it but thought it would be "more my kind of thing." Obviously not a person who knows me well. Thankfully, it doesn't appear the author is terribly prolific, so readers don't need to worry about trying to stumble through page after page of show-offy navel-gazing.
I wouldn't say it's one of the worst books I've read, but it's certainly one of the most useless.
favorite book.......2006-05-17
i just started reading it again for the second time- i forgot how funny it was! very clever, origional humor.
Witty and Sarcastic.......2006-03-31
I loved this book! It was filled with witt and sarcasm. I am so disappointed to see all the reviews that are not based on the book but rather the reviewer's personal life and views on marriage and engagement. One of the best parts of the book is the over-the-top main character. She's vibrant, funny, witty, and intelligent not your typical "bride" character: A 20 something princess bride who is rescued by a prince and lives happily ever after.
I've lent this book to so many people that it is falling apart...at the seams.
We'll all be dead soon...........2006-03-09
I have a different take on this book from some other reviewers. I actually think Eve and Michael have a really good relationship and a strong bond. However, I think that Eve has major problems with depression/anxiety. I say this because she seems to have a black outlook on life. She mentions death repeatedly, and says quite a few really depressing things about the world we live in, such as that the only two things that have been invented in her lifetime are cell phones and chemotherapy. She says this like it's a bad thing. She comes across as insightful, intelligent, and caring, but extremely depressed.
She also seems quite anxious. I gathered this from the number of times she mentions being scared and the truly odd things she finds to worry about, such as that it's too late to have a relationship with an African-American man. She is in advertising, and it is quite clear to me that she has a lot of imagination. However, unfortunately, her imagination seems to be used in the service of coming up with truly odd things to worry about. Her insights are sharp, as when she describes the creative director who takes credit for others' work. But too often she uses her imagination to worry herself sick.
I actually was not angry with Eve, or Michael, but with the therapist. It seemed to me that instead of regaling her with Jungian-type insights, he should have been helping her correct her thought processes through something like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). One of the things he could have used this for is to help her evaluate the likelihood of her fears actually coming true. He could also have helped her with medication, which she needs, and her history of untimely deaths of loved ones. I was not surprised, reading about that, that she is preoccupied with death.
I really hope the author is a happy woman who chose to write about a depressed/anxious fiancee. If this is autobiographical, I feel bad for her - and I want to say: Get another therapist!
Average customer rating:
- Originally Posted on Romance Junkies in 2005
- Plain and boreeeng!
- Engaging and Enjoyable
- Saccharine
- Started out good, but...
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Otherwise Engaged
Eileen Goudge
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Book Description
Can a New York City journalist exchange her subway pass for an SUV and find happiness? Can a small-town wife and mother take on the role of single city woman and discover a whole new life?
Jessie Holland is in search of a hot story for Savvy magazine when her editor poses a compelling question -- can you ever really go home again? Jumping on the idea, and with her love life currently at a crossroads, Jessie plans to return to her Arizona hometown and follow the path not taken -- with a twist. Her best friend back home, Erin Delahanty, is dealing with a crumbling marriage, a teenage daughter, and the demands of running a bed & breakfast. Needing to take stock of her life, she agrees to Jessie's offer: she'll live in Manhattan for six months, while Jessie steps into Erin's shoes. But the choices and challenges they face take them by surprise...and what began as a daring magazine article will change both women forever.
Download Description
"What if you could live the life you've always dreamed of -- but never pursued? What if your choices -- married or single, career or motherhood, city or country -- could be made all over again? Bestselling author Eileen Goudge ponders ""what might have been"" in this tender, provocative tale of two best friends who exchange lives -- and discover the surprising places where their deepest joys and satisfactions live. Jessie Holland is a journalist on the rise in New York City -- and she wouldn't trade her walk-up apartment or her 2:00 a.m. sushi takeout for anything. Only lately, she's been in search of a hot story, and praying her career isn't cooling off. When her editor at Savvy magazine poses a compelling question -- can you ever really go home again? -- Jessie spins the fantasy into a feature story. Could she return to her western hometown and be truly content? Can a bona fide New Yorker exchange her subway pass for an SUV and find happiness? Erin Delahanty appears to have an enviable life as the owner of a popular bed & breakfast in a picturesque Arizona town. What's less visible are the escalating fights between Erin and her husband, Skip, and the tensions that are affecting their teenage daughter. When Skip unexpectedly leaves her, Erin turns to her best friend Jessie for comfort -- and is handed a stunning proposition: Come live in Manhattan for six months, while Jessie runs the inn and steps into her shoes. Neither woman has anything to lose: Jessie's romance with recently divorced news bureau chief Jonathan Silver is at a crossroads, while Erin needs time to sort out her marriage. But the choices and challenges they face in their new worlds take them both by surprise....What began as a daring magazine article will change both women forever. Can you go home again? Find out in this surprising and emotionally compelling novel from one of the freshest and most original storytellers of our time. "
Customer Reviews:
Originally Posted on Romance Junkies in 2005.......2007-05-13
I'll admit it up front-I am a huge fan of Ms. Goudge's work. She has the ability to mix women's fiction with romance, tragedy, hope, and love in a seamless mix of words on a page. I began reading her work years ago, and I'm glad I never stopped. If I had, I never would have had the pleasure of reading OTHERWISE ENGAGED, a book that hit me particularly hard.
What woman-for that matter, what human-hasn't at least once in their life wondered what would happen if they could change places with someone who has a seemingly enviable lifestyle? Everyone that I know-from my children, to my friends, to my co-workers, to my mother-has, at one point in time, pondered the question "Who would you want to be if you could trade places with someone for one day?"
In OTHERWISE ENGAGED, best friends, Jessie Holland and Erin Delahanty, get that chance; one that few of us ever will experience. For Jessie, being a journalist in New York City is the epitome of everything she's ever wanted. She'd never in a million years exchange her middle-of-the-night take-out meals and trips on the subway for a middle-class, hum-drum lifestyle in the middle of nowhere. As for Erin, owning a bed-and-breakfast in a rural Arizona town is the fulfillment of her dreams, with a seemingly perfect marriage and a great teenage daughter.
What isn't so obvious is that Jessie and Erin are both suffering-Jessie needs a hot story to propel her career into overdrive, Erin and her husband are fighting almost non-stop, and both women want only to be somewhere else, someone else, for the time it takes to figure out how to fix whatever is wrong.
OTHERWISE ENGAGED is a wonderful book. Two best friends, both at crossroads in their life, decide to switch places-just to see, of course, if you can really go home again, if the "what ifs" are better than the reality, and if the grass is any greener on the other side. Highly recommended, Ms. Goudge once again proves that life is what you make it to be-and that, in itself, isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Plain and boreeeng!.......2006-12-26
The book is just that "plain and boring"!!!
I was really interested in the story line, I read with so much enthusiasm in the beginning, but that soon dwindled. I had to skip so many pages hoping against hope that something interesting would turn up. There was absolutely no connection between Jessie and Hunter. I felt what they had was way too cold for them to really be in love.
I gave it 1-star because of the disappointing nature of the book, I had such high hopes.....
Engaging and Enjoyable.......2006-04-07
Plot Summary:
Jessie and Erin are best friends with youthful dreams for their future; Until events alter the path each intended. Jessie is a single and an aspiring journalist living in the big city. Erin is a married mom running a bed and breakfast with her husband. Both women have achieved some measure of success in their respective lives. But, now as adults, they each face personal challenges that make them reconsider the path not taken. Jessie and Erin agree to experimentally swap roles in hopes of finding the answer to "What if ..."? For Jessie, the path not taken means going back home to face her past while discovering a more domestic side of her. For Erin, the path not taken means heading to the big city in pursuit of the career she never realized. Along the way Jessie and Erin have to decide whether what is missing from their outwardly ideal lives and relationships, is really worth having.
Review:
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it. The plot is engaging because we've all pondered the "What if..."? question at some point in our lives. I found it refreshing that Ms. Goudge didn't need to create clich? character extremes to make the story more dramatic and because of it, I related to the characters more and felt as if I knew them. I also liked the fact that Ms. Goudge didn't rely on the overused clich? miscommunications and misunderstandings to create the conflict. The conflict is represented by the yearning to discover that which makes us happy and complete.
While all the characters are distinct and have their own imperfections, the story was credible and interesting to me because I'm familiar with characters and situations just like those she writes about. These are normal people experiencing real personal dilemmas. Ms. Gouge does introduce several subplots which are not explored at length but then I didn't expect it to be an epic saga when I picked up the book. I think she did a good job of fleshing out all of the characters in a way that provided a fairly balanced story so I was still left satisfied after reading her book. The various subplots she revealed served their purpose: to provide some background which sheds light on the character's motivations, to illustrate the character's personalities and to reveal the nature of their relationships; This was sufficient depth for me. I liked this book and recommend it as an enjoyable read.
Saccharine.......2005-11-08
Sometimes, one reads a book and wonders why its author doesn't have a bigger reputation, why that author isn't more appreciated for his or her writing skills.
And, sometimes, it's just the opposite. OTHERWISE ENGAGED falls into this latter category.
The premise actually is, yes, "engaging." Two dear friends, dear friends leading diametrically opposed lives, decide to switch existences for a period of time. The way that author Eileen Goudge sets up this premise makes it seem plausible.
Yet, after a promising start, the story is so flimsy that there is nothing to it.
The two heroines are so sweet, so kind, so thoughtful, so caring, so generous, so decent that the whole story defies belief. Even when one heroine has a hot affair with one man while she's keeping her relationship alive with her main guy, she rationalizes this affair with such morality that it's ludicrous.
Worse, it makes for just plain dull reading.
The prose isn't all that terrific, either.
Clearly, the author loves the adverb. Every line of dialogue is said "sweetly" or "soothingly" or "calmly" or "angrily" or.... There are other stylistic flaws as well.
In all, OTHERWISE ENGAGED only is a great read for readers who don't have very high expectations.
Started out good, but..........2005-10-28
I was really into this book for the first 100 pages or so, but then it started to get extremely confusing jumping back and forth between the two characters. I also found the story line very redundant. How many times were Erin and Skip going to almost fix their differences and then fall apart? I, too, found myself skipping through some of the descriptions further into the story; the wedding Jess went to with Hunter. I only gave it three stars because the premise of the story was a good one and it did start out alright, but then it just fell apart.
Customer Reviews:
Very highly recommended!!.......2001-02-16
OTHERWISE ENGAGED, the January selection of The Personal Touch! miniseries is not to be missed. Cara Summers presents the story of Tyler Sheridan, who discovers through the personal ads that her groom will miss the wedding. When she seeks out a Private Detective to find her fiancé, Tyler meets just the wrong guy at just the right time. When these direct opposites meet, the chemical reaction is extraordinary!
Thy have nothing in common except passion. Tyler's a Boston socialite and president of her company. She hires Nick Romano to find her erstwhile fiancé. From the first glimpse of the sexy, hunky Nick, Tyler's hooked. In the six months she'd known Richard, she'd never known him to stir anything close to the reactions Nick produces instantly. Sheridans don't hit people and they never loose their temper. They certainly don't fall for PIs. But in Nick's company, Tyler finds herself behaving in strange and different ways.
From the moment Tyler shows him her grandmother's recommendation, Nick finds Tyler getting to him. He'd already had the electric and phone disconnected, his boxes are packed, and Nick is ready to pull up stakes, leaving the world of PIs behind for becoming a lawyer. Then Tyler sashays into his office, convincing him to accept the case. His instant attraction is only cooled by the need to find out what Richard is up to. When Nick realizes that the missing in a fake, a liar and a kidnapper, he becomes determined to find the truth about the missing fiancé. And while they are otherwise engaged, Nick and Tyler may find that their hearts have a mind of their own.
If not for the personal touch, these dynamic characters would never have met. Even the twist of the title provides a nice giggle with its play on words. Indeed, Cara Summers creates a humorous, highly entertaining contemporary romance with her delectable writing style. Very highly recommended.
A Quality Read.......2000-08-23
I always knew that Bess was going to have problems at some point with her weight but I really didn't know when. It was thoroughly suprising what she did in this book. Nancy tries out for a tv station and Micheal Giannelli also gets the job. You can tell that they wll have a rough time in the beginning and eventually fall in love. This brings real life issues of college life along with a thrilling mystery. I liked it alot.
Romance+Mystery.......1998-01-16
Want Romance? Want Mystery? It's all here in the 23rd edition of Nancy Drew on Campus, Otherwise Engaged! It was a really good book because it was not only focused on romance but also mystery.Passions are running so high, that Nadia and Jake decide to get married just so Nadia can stay in the U.S. But Jake finds out that looks can be decieving. Meanwhile Nancy's quit her job at Wilder Times to work at TV station WWST. But she's found out that it's not all glamour and glitz especially with her co-host Michael Gianneli. And Stephanie has got a crazy plan to cement her bond with Jonathan.
i liked it!!!!!!!!.......1998-01-12
Nadia is such a brat! Pretending to love Jake, when she was only tempted by him, and really had a husband back in Russia. What a fruit loop! Jake is left broken-hearted, and in pain. And Nancy feels bad for him, but you can tell it's not going to be a couple thing.
A real mystery!.......1997-10-07
Nadia is hiding something and Nancy knows it. But Nancy has better things to deal with. Like her co anchor person at the tv station. Cute, he's bossy and he has a ego the size of Lake Michian. Stephine is finding out the married life is all of what is made up to be. When Nancy heard that Jake is Nadia she isn't about to stand around. So she goes out on an investation and learns more about Nadia then anyone ever expected. But you will have to read the book to find out.
Average customer rating:
- Blotnick doesn't actually do research.
- A great book for aspiring career-oriented women.
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Otherwise Engaged: The Private Lives of Successful Career Women
Srully Blotnick
Manufacturer: Facts on File
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Social Groups | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Unemployment | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0816010935 |
Customer Reviews:
Blotnick doesn't actually do research........2005-01-18
Srully Blotnick's column disappeared from Forbes after years and years when it turned out that his vast longitudinal data base of executive career patterns was non-existant. The business writing equivalent of Carlos Castenada!
A great book for aspiring career-oriented women........1998-08-03
Srully Blotnick conducted an in depth study of successful women and their careers and lets the statistics speak for themselves. You'll learn the how and why some women are more successful than others and what you can do to improve your prospects of career growth. This book makes for a perfect motivator or gift.
Average customer rating:
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Otherwise Engaged (Regency Romance)
Jacquelyn Gillis
Manufacturer: Jove
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
Regency | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0515107328 |
Average customer rating:
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Otherwise Engaged
Manufacturer: Richard Seaver Book / Viking Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ELBW3E |
Product Description
Hardcover with DJ, bookclub edition / Viking Press.
Product Description
multiple books ship as one item. save on shipping/handling charges.
Average customer rating:
- Big Event
- You'll laugh while reading this mystery
- amusing, farcical yet intelligent investigative tale
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Otherwise Engaged
Laura Young
Manufacturer: Overmountain Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1570722803 |
Customer Reviews:
Big Event .......2007-04-21
Kate Kelly's cousin wants "a favor," which proves deadly as Kate travels to a horse farm for an end-all engagement party. Who's doing what to whom becomes the menu-of-the-day, as guests and family stage an arena for explosive fireworks to touch off the celebration.
A well-paced read to take to the beach.
Nash Black, author of "Qualifying Laps" and "Taxes, Stumbling Blocks & Pitfalls for Authors 2007."
You'll laugh while reading this mystery.......2005-06-11
Kate Kelly's cousin Adam wants her to pose as his friend Brett's fiancée for a weekend at Brett's family Kentucky horse farm. Brett's mom is throwing him an engagement party, but his real bride-to-be has disappeared. She is a travel reporter and the magazine agrees to pay her expenses and those of a photographer so she can write about her experiences. Kate begins to think she made a mistake in agreeing, even as soon as moments after she has agreed.
Soon after arriving at Blue Grass Winds, his family's horse farm, a car blows up. There was someone inside, but they can't identify it immediately as it was too burned. The police begin investigating, but the family, including Brett, is not very helpful.
Kate soon discovers that someone is trying to scare her into leaving. They are using pranks, sometimes nasty or dangerous, but still just pranks. Brett keeps disappearing and she can't figure out what is going on. His mother is mentally unstable and is against the marriage.
Kate decides she'd better figure out who is behind all of this and what is going on before her life is in real danger.
This is a fabulous mystery. I laughed out loud many times. Some of the situations seem so unreal, but yet you know they could happe,n and they make you laugh. I hope there will be more Kate Kelly mysteries. I would love to read them.
I highly recommend this book.
amusing, farcical yet intelligent investigative tale.......2004-06-30
Her cousin Adam wants to take Travel Adventures reporter Kate Kelly to lunch, an event that fills her with trepidation because she knows from past experiences that he needs a favor from her. Sure enough, he wants her to pose as his friend Brett's fiancée for a weekend at his family Kentucky horse farm because his mother is throwing them an engagement party and his real bride-to-be disappeared. Against her better judgment she agrees to do it and the magazine is paying her expenses and that of a photographer because they want Kate to write a story about her experiences.
When they arrive at Blue Grass Winds, they are looking in a barn when they hear an explosion. A car blew up with someone inside but the body is too burned up for an immediate identification. While the police are going about their investigation, someone is trying to scare Kate into leaving through nasty and sometimes dangerous pranks. Her first thought is that it could be her supposed mother in law who is mentally unbalanced and doesn't want anyone marrying her precious son. When someone starts shooting at Kate, she decides to investigate even if it places her life in danger.
Laura Young has a wicked sense of humor that she imbues into the storyline. Even thought the plot is deadly serious, readers will find themselves laughing at slapstick and farcical scenes. The protagonist is a strong willed woman who makes her own decisions but isn't afraid to admit when she is wring. OTHERWISE ENGAGED is a cheerful book that stars quirky and humorous characters in a dangerous scenario.
Harriet Klausner
Books:
- A Stranger in the Family: A True Story of Murder, Madness, and Unconditional Love
- Adventures from the Technology Underground: Catapults, Pulsejets, Rail Guns, Flamethrowers, Tesla Coils, Air Cannons, and the Garage Warriors Who Love Them
- Adverbs: A Novel
- Along Came Mary : A Bad Girl Creek Novel
- An Evening of Long Goodbyes: A Novel
- An Inconvenient Wife
- Anthropology: And a Hundred Other Stories
- Apologizing to Dogs
- Barnaby Rudge Volume 3 of 3 A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty [EasyRead Super Large 20pt Edition]
- Border Crossing: A Novel
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- We Are All Suspects Now: Untold Stories from Immigrant America After 9/11
- Resources of the Earth: Origin, Use, and Environmental Impact
- Passion Bay
- Knots and Crosses
- Ray Gun: Out of Control
- Rhythms of the Brain
- My G-String Mother: At Home and Backstage with Gypsy Rose Lee
- Silver Boxes The Encouragement Gift
- Nature with Children of All Ages: Activities and Adventures for Exploring, Learning and Enjoying the
- Life & Times of a Mountaineer
Ladder of Years
Back When We Were Grownups
Celestial Navigation
Morgan's Passing
Clock Winder (1st Ballantine Books Trade ed)
