Stephanie S. reviewed on + 168 more book reviews
I did not enjoy this book, and yet it was a page-turner. The heroine, Dolores Price, was not only unliked through most of the book by many of the other characters she came in contact with, but she was unlikeable as well. I simply could not muster sympathy for her 90 percent of the time.
Worse, many of the scenarios seemed very forced to me, convenient set-ups by the author to direct the story as he wanted. (Which is what writers do, of course, but it shouldn't be as noticeable as it was here, or done so often). Dolores develops an unhealthy and rather creepy fixation on a college roommate's long-distance boyfriend. So eventually Dolores manages to not only track him down (thanks to an incredible stroke of pure luck), she furiously relocates, moves across the hall from him, meets him the very first day, beds him that very first night, and their love affair begins. I simply couldn't accept the logistics of this string of events as it all seemed so unbelievably orchestrated to me.
Later (and this book covers nearly 40 years of Dolores's long and so very unhappy life) Dolores's ceiling caves in one day. Well, how convenient, the strange fellow she meets in class (who happens to have a crush on her, natch) is a contractor! Repairman to the rescue. Oh, and to another reluctant romance! Like I said, the pages kept turning, but it was mostly in contempt. Dolores's constant drum-beating of self-loathing, poor choices and mean words and deeds made me want to see how low she could go next time. Who else would disappoint her? Who else would she herself disappoint? The list on both sides was very long. In the end, this book was pointless to me. I gained no insight by reading it. Dolores doesn't learn much either. She just learns to plod along and stuff (mostly bad) happens.
Lastly, this book contained this: while having another bleak conversation with her deplorable husband, Dolores thinks this: "His words had burned me more times than they'd soothed me. I cautioned myself not to be taken in by this verbal Noxzema." I book marked that page because I didn't want to forget that passage. Now I wish I could.
* One star only, because I'll admit it was a page-turner.
But for all the wrong reasons.
Worse, many of the scenarios seemed very forced to me, convenient set-ups by the author to direct the story as he wanted. (Which is what writers do, of course, but it shouldn't be as noticeable as it was here, or done so often). Dolores develops an unhealthy and rather creepy fixation on a college roommate's long-distance boyfriend. So eventually Dolores manages to not only track him down (thanks to an incredible stroke of pure luck), she furiously relocates, moves across the hall from him, meets him the very first day, beds him that very first night, and their love affair begins. I simply couldn't accept the logistics of this string of events as it all seemed so unbelievably orchestrated to me.
Later (and this book covers nearly 40 years of Dolores's long and so very unhappy life) Dolores's ceiling caves in one day. Well, how convenient, the strange fellow she meets in class (who happens to have a crush on her, natch) is a contractor! Repairman to the rescue. Oh, and to another reluctant romance! Like I said, the pages kept turning, but it was mostly in contempt. Dolores's constant drum-beating of self-loathing, poor choices and mean words and deeds made me want to see how low she could go next time. Who else would disappoint her? Who else would she herself disappoint? The list on both sides was very long. In the end, this book was pointless to me. I gained no insight by reading it. Dolores doesn't learn much either. She just learns to plod along and stuff (mostly bad) happens.
Lastly, this book contained this: while having another bleak conversation with her deplorable husband, Dolores thinks this: "His words had burned me more times than they'd soothed me. I cautioned myself not to be taken in by this verbal Noxzema." I book marked that page because I didn't want to forget that passage. Now I wish I could.
* One star only, because I'll admit it was a page-turner.
But for all the wrong reasons.
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