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Most Helpful Reviews
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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “Great read for people like myself who are serving a life sentence in academia....” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “Suppose to be a comedy but I just didn't get it. Too many characters that didn't have anything to do with each other. Very disappointing.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“Moo was one of those books that I was so sure I would enjoy that I was really looking forward to reading it. I thought that since I have been in the field of higher education as lecturer/professor for the last 17 years and before that as a college student and graduate student, I would find it insightful, funny, and entertaining.
Jaede wrote this review Monday, March 19, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I couldn't have been more wrong. I so could not wait to finish the book not because I was enjoying, but because I simply wanted to be done with it. Ironically, I didn't connect with any of the characters; they irritated me. And I found that there were so many characters that I often couldn't keep them straight, especially the four girls sharing a room that Smiley spent some time introducing us to and delving into their insecurities. It wasn't just those girls though; it was even the faculty members that I couldn't keep straight, so I found myself flipping back through the book and re-reading pages where the characters were introduced just to straighten them out. After doing that several times, I began writing the characters down to keep them straight. But even that didn't help!
Perhaps it was because some of the characters were so bland that they simply weren't memorable.
I was expecting quirky and neurotic characters; after all, many a mid-western college is filled with just those kinds of characters. I should know, I've been colleagues with enough of them. (I'm pretty sure I might have been labeled as quirky and perhaps even neurotic by some of my fellow colleagues, but that is another story altogether.)
I found myself wanted to simply quit reading, but I plowed on and FINALLY finished.
So, why doesn't the book have a lower star rating?
Well, frankly, the writing was good. Some of Smiley's descriptions of small-town college life were spot on, especially here laying out of the financial finagling that can occur with financing and budget cuts and trying to get grand monies. She also had some great descriptions of faculty meetings and the machinations that occur not only within the meetings but behind the scenes as everyone positions for power (i.e. tenure).
I just wish the book had been more engaging as a whole. If found myself wondering how I would write this review because as I sat down to write it, I found myself thinking "so, what exactly was that book really about" because not too much of it stuck with me in the end.
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“Awesome so far”
Eve Geisler wrote this review Sunday, January 29, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“read 1997”
Judy H wrote this review Monday, August 29, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“College town anecdotes, Death of a brother complex family”
Laurel B Deloria wrote this review Wednesday, August 17, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Well so far its an alright book, I bought it at the local second hand shop, with no jacket, I bought it on the chance that it might be a good book. First chapter had me hook but as I'm going along, I don't know what to think just yet!”
Becky K wrote this review Monday, April 4, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Enjoyed; not as good as I was hoping.”
Ann S wrote this review Friday, January 14, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“very entertaining book”
Natasha C wrote this review Sunday, January 2, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“To be honest- i gave up! It grew tiresome for me!”
Anita D wrote this review Thursday, November 25, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A satire about in-fighting and politicking on a university campus, among other things. Has some quite funny bits.”
JMW wrote this review Saturday, September 25, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
