Reviews

Fool's Errand by Louis Bayard

trin's review

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2.0

I found this long and, for the most part, really boring. Patrick and his yuppie angst did not engage me, and all of Seth’s quirks, which I believe were supposed to be endearing, irritated the crap out of me. I believe it is possible to tell a small, personal story that, even if it has no cosmic significance, is still meaningful and important in its own way. But everything about this book felt small and trivial, and it wasn’t even redeemed by being funny. Instead it was nearly 400 pages of well-intentioned yawnsville.

apostrophen's review

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4.0

Patrick Beaton is a rare sort of gay male protagonist - he's not incredibly passionate, he's not perfect, he's romantic, but he's also got his head so far up in the clouds that he's a little bit of a sap and a pushover.

So, when Patrick decides that someone he saw barely (and maybe even in a dream) is Mr. Perfect, he starts to hunt him down. Between his hunting down Mr. Perfect in all the wrong places, he has to deal with a slew of complications:

1. His ex - who has hooked up with a Mr. Wonderful of his own.

2. Mr. Wonderful's ex - who wants Patrick to find his own Mr. Perfect to drive Patrick's ex to a jealous return, so that Mr. Wonderful comes back on the market. Did I lose you there?

3. Crazy rats.

4. The CIA.

5. His best friend's love life, and her meddling in Patrick's love life.

and

6. A confusing and unnanounced visit from his father.

All in all, this is a heartwarming tale, and I liked the direction it went. The ultimate conclusion is a plausible one, amidst a novel that's just shy of slapstick in places. There's a gentle touch to this story, in both dialogue and Patrick's thoughts, and it was a warm and snuggly sort of reading experience.
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