mbsteblein's review
3.0
I don't remember the separate characters much (it's been a little while since I read this with book club) but overall I enjoyed the character's interaction between the stories. The one I remember most is the woman who gave her husband a bath every night (I think?), and the unraveling of that story made me very sad. It's not hard to imagine all of these storied being true and it makes you look twice, or maybe think twice about people and what's really going on in their lives.
tazurrrnov's review
4.0
My 4-star review of this is purely for how much I enjoyed it -- this is not a book without problems. In fact, for sheer enjoyment, I would give it a 5, but yes, as other reviewers have pointed out, the sexism is truly wild. It sure is a book by a man in 2001, that cannot be denied. But the writing is funny and scintillating, the characters are dynamic, and I had a wonderful time theorizing as to whether the Preemption represents purgatory or literal hell. Very satisfying to watch the narrative lines come together. Reading this was a thrill, but one with lots of eye-rolling throughout.
blevins's review
5.0
Second time I've read this unbearably charming book and I might have liked it more than when I first read it in 2002. I've bought this for at least 4 friends and they also really, really liked it.
The book is comprised of linked stories set around a particular mysterious old apartment building. It's just romantic and enchanting in an edgy, non chick lit way. Wonderful.
The book is comprised of linked stories set around a particular mysterious old apartment building. It's just romantic and enchanting in an edgy, non chick lit way. Wonderful.
lola425's review
4.0
Loved this collection. Got it as a recommendation from a reader's advisory source I was testing and it was an absolutely perfect fit. Sexy, offbeat, often weird, but all the stories dovetailed so nicely together, the ending was a perfect payoff and there were characters you loved, hated, and loved-hated. Perfect for the reader who likes something a little edgier.
mryjne's review
3.0
EH....it was okay but i just didnt feel the connection between all the stories. the characters knew each other in some way, but i didnt feel anything...important. idk if that makes sense but yeah. I really had to push through the last 74 pages because i just didnt feel anything. But it was okay for what it was...
tomaind's review
2.0
This book was very strange! Very weird characters through the whole book and did not really care what happened to any of them. Probably one of the strangest books I've ever read.
amy_doze7's review
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
suannelaqueur's review
4.0
Hilarious? Not really. Sexy? Not much. Deeply tender? ....Yeah. In a weird, odd, haunting way... Yeah. These stories of flawed, unsavory people were tender. And weird. And...tender. Wow. Just....wow.
msjoanna's review
5.0
I see that this book gets really mixed reviews, but I loved it. I thought the characters were wacky, but not in ways that triggered lots of eye-rolling from me. While I didn't necessarily understand the motivations of the characters or believe that real life people would act the way these characters did, the writing was good enough for me to suspend reality and experience these characters as fantasy instead. The book does have a thread of dark sexuality running through it, and one that isn't necessarily to everyone's taste, but I found it entrancing and fantastical rather than misogynistic and off putting. To each his own.