Helpful Score: 10
I really enjoyed this book even though I didn't think I would. It's been sitting on a shelf for months, but since I'm not allowing myself any trips to the library till I finish all the unread gems on my shelves, I decided to slog through this and check it off my list. I actually finished it in one day and really enjoyed the narrator Jane and the other characters in the book. I liked the chance to see Jane as a teenager, which is how the book started out, and then in her 20's as she struggles to love herself and be loved by others. The chapter in the middle about a neighbor was unexpected, but not bad. This book has gotten a bad rap as "chick lit" but I wouldn't call it that. I think it aspires to something a bit bigger. Whether you think it succeeds or not is up to you
Helpful Score: 6
This was an enjoyable if light book. The book is a series of short stories, most featuring Jane Rosenal, a young woman in search of love and the meaning of love.
There are 7 stories and the two that fall flat are the one that doesnt feature Jane; and the other is one you arent sure if it is about Jane or another woman.
The stories begin with Jane at 14 and her studying her brother and his girlfriend, trying to understand the mating dance. Other stories follow her love affair with a much older man. The story focusing on her fathers illness was poignant, and the last story which gave the book its title is the funniest of all. This tale follows Jane as she decides to follow a book of rules on how to catch a man. It is a little bittersweet too, as we watch Jane change herself in an effort to win the heart of a man she loves.
Frequently funny, and a very wry look at dating and working in NYC, it was a nice read, but it is not a novel, and one should not expect the kind of continuity a novel brings. It is however well written, clever and frequently witty; an enjoyable and easy read.
There are 7 stories and the two that fall flat are the one that doesnt feature Jane; and the other is one you arent sure if it is about Jane or another woman.
The stories begin with Jane at 14 and her studying her brother and his girlfriend, trying to understand the mating dance. Other stories follow her love affair with a much older man. The story focusing on her fathers illness was poignant, and the last story which gave the book its title is the funniest of all. This tale follows Jane as she decides to follow a book of rules on how to catch a man. It is a little bittersweet too, as we watch Jane change herself in an effort to win the heart of a man she loves.
Frequently funny, and a very wry look at dating and working in NYC, it was a nice read, but it is not a novel, and one should not expect the kind of continuity a novel brings. It is however well written, clever and frequently witty; an enjoyable and easy read.
Helpful Score: 3
Another entertaining, perfect for a vacation read. A good "chick lit" choice.
Helpful Score: 3
You'd think I'd know better, and not be swayed by such things as a title and cover art, and you'd be thinking way too optimistically. The book started out better than it ended. I was thinking the main character might be a little more tomboyish, maybe even into hunting and fishing, but it wasn't like that. It was all the standard "Waaaah, my boyfriends don't treat me right!" stuff that you always see. The interesting twist was when the main character is affected by another book, and tries to act out the advice of a self-help book, and that was a really comical and well written part of the book. You would really be able to imagine the whole scene, without giving too much away, you have known people exactly like she is describing. I still liked the book, I still read the whole thing, and found it enjoyable about 25% of the time. There would be enough interesting things to keep me hanging on through the dull parts. Just not my style of book I guess, I don't really go for the victim-of-nonviolent-but-unsatisfying-and-unselfaware-love/lust/dating/marriages. The main characters were just a little too passive for me.
Helpful Score: 3
Much better than I'd anticipated! Surprisingly mellow, melancholy and reflective story on the different types of loving relationships.
