theraykay's review against another edition
3.0
The quietness of Nora’s charmed life plays the main role in this novel by Anna Quindlen. Living in one of the only dead-end streets in New York City, her and her husband, Charlie are starting to want different things in their lives now that their children are about to graduate college. Their marriage, seemingly perfect on the outside, takes a subtle turn when a headline-making incident in their neighborhood highlights the class differences they fight hard to ignore.
There is a quiet unraveling in this novel. Quindlen manages to bends time, weaving from present to past and back again in the prose and thoughts of her main character, Nora. The story shows that life most often changes with a subtlety, often unnoticed by those in the midst of it, until one day, their life no longer feels their own.
There is a quiet unraveling in this novel. Quindlen manages to bends time, weaving from present to past and back again in the prose and thoughts of her main character, Nora. The story shows that life most often changes with a subtlety, often unnoticed by those in the midst of it, until one day, their life no longer feels their own.
candicec's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to like this book, but it fell short for me. Overall it's a story about a marriage, race, upper-class New Yorkers and their staff, and family/relationships. It's SLOW. I don't mind a slower moving book if there is engaging character development or something actually happens. I just didn't really connect with these Manhattan residents.
There were so many characters in this book that it was hard to keep track of who was who. In addition to that the story of the main character kept jumping around in time with no clear segue, which was confusing and distracting. It probably took me twice as long to read this book as it should have because I kept having to re-read sections figure out what was happening!
There were so many characters in this book that it was hard to keep track of who was who. In addition to that the story of the main character kept jumping around in time with no clear segue, which was confusing and distracting. It probably took me twice as long to read this book as it should have because I kept having to re-read sections figure out what was happening!
sueann's review against another edition
3.0
I think you have to love living (or the idea of living) in NYC to love this book, so I’m giving it 3 stars. I liked the cast of characters and the pace of the novel, though.
amyma's review against another edition
2.0
Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen is not my type of book. I am a fan of Ms. Quindlen's writing, but this story was just too slow for me, I did not care for a single character. I kept reading and reading to the end, hoping to be drawn in or find something that would make me care one bit about any of the characters, but it never happened. It isn't that I don't enjoy a nice, leisurely read, this one just did not seem to hold my attention. Another of Ms. Quindlen's books that I found to be on the slower side was Miller's Valley, but unlike with this one, I grew to love the characters, the setting, and the slow telling matched the tempo of the town. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review.
attytheresa's review against another edition
3.0
It is no surprise that on reading Quindlen I always recognize myself, my friends, and my family, the places and times I have lived in. After all, we are of the same generation women, graduated a mere three years apart from the same women's college, faced many of the same challenges. [b:Alternate Side|36525343|Alternate Side|Anna Quindlen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1509674849s/36525343.jpg|58248812] adds to that familiarity NYC Upper West Side real estate porn.
Easy and fun as it was to read, somehow it was a little lacking. The story is told in a rambling style reminiscent of the long walk to work taken by Nora, the protagonist, through the West Side of Manhattan. This created an emotional distance, especially with Nora, and led to some unnecessary repetition of story, thoughts, etc. It is an enjoyable read capturing very much a generation and locale, just not a great read.
I read this because the cover was irresistible and it was Anna Quindlen. I also slotted it in as a book taking place in my home town [NYC] for the 2015 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge.
Easy and fun as it was to read, somehow it was a little lacking. The story is told in a rambling style reminiscent of the long walk to work taken by Nora, the protagonist, through the West Side of Manhattan. This created an emotional distance, especially with Nora, and led to some unnecessary repetition of story, thoughts, etc. It is an enjoyable read capturing very much a generation and locale, just not a great read.
I read this because the cover was irresistible and it was Anna Quindlen. I also slotted it in as a book taking place in my home town [NYC] for the 2015 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge.
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
4.0
Recommended by Jane.
Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search?formids=target&lang=eng&suite=def&reservedids=lang%2Csuite&submitmode=&submitname=&target=alternate+side+quindlen
Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search?formids=target&lang=eng&suite=def&reservedids=lang%2Csuite&submitmode=&submitname=&target=alternate+side+quindlen
judyward's review against another edition
3.0
Nora and Charlie live on that most rare of streets--a dead end block in Manhattan. As a result, their neighborhood is close knit and insular with the usual gossiping and the usual cranky and/or intrusive personalities. There is an annual Christmas party at one home, an annual block party, and the neighbors share a handyman named Ricky. But one day when Nora comes home from her run in the park to find the atmosphere on the block has been shattered by a violent act and everyone chooses sides with predictable results. This is in part an examination of the effects of aging on long-term marriages, career choices, and life expectations. And the entire book is a love letter to the city of New York and all of the wonder and craziness that goes along with it.
mollykduncan's review against another edition
3.0
I like Quindlen--she writes calm, quiet books about relationships and personal growth, and this was another good example of that. It's not what you'd call fast-paced, but the characters drew me in and made me care about them more than enough to want to keep reading.
lorenabachii's review against another edition
3.0
I saw a lot of hype on this book from different social media platforms so I thought that I would try it out since it sounded like a good book. It's a story of a married couple living on a dead end block in NYC where something happens that throws their lives and the lives of the inhabitants of the block into disarray.
I had a hard time getting into the book by the first few pages but I told myself to get at least partway through the book to see if I would actually enjoy it. Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book as much as others had. I found the writing somewhat dry and at times boring for me. It was not a horrible read and I did enjoy some sections of this book. It has a real life feel to it, where as, certain events that happened to the characters could happen to us in real life. All in all, this is not a book I would recommend to others.
I had a hard time getting into the book by the first few pages but I told myself to get at least partway through the book to see if I would actually enjoy it. Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book as much as others had. I found the writing somewhat dry and at times boring for me. It was not a horrible read and I did enjoy some sections of this book. It has a real life feel to it, where as, certain events that happened to the characters could happen to us in real life. All in all, this is not a book I would recommend to others.