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Terrific Find
“I woke late one night and flicked on the tube, and a movie was on. Although halfway through, the movie drew me in. It was Little Children, and it kept me awake and after it was over I could not go back to sleep thinking about it. Next day after ordering it and Election from Amazon, could not wait for their arrival. A wonderful find this "NEW" author for me.The books grab you from the beginning and hold you over a cliff until the last page.I am not a skillful writer of reviews, but do know a good read and this guy got it all.”
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-07-01. -
0 of 1 members found this review helpful.
dark humor, but nothing special
“The book definitely kept me engaged, and it had some great dark comedy. It didn't really have anything that stuck with me, though.”
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-02-14. -
2 of 2 members found this review helpful.
What a read!
“I actually sought this book out after watching the sleeper movie adaptation of it (co-written by the author) that's been playing on cable. The movie stayed very close to the book, though some of the secondary characters' detail was either cut from the final or not fleshed out. But there's so much going on in the book that relates to the desires of adults not wanting to embrace their responsibilities both as parents and partners. Perrotta's sparse writing style packs a wallop though. You feel like you're in the room, whether it's during the intimacy of a sexual tryst between the characters or during the discomfort they feel at a dinner party with their spouses. There's a lot to like and learn from here, while the tale weaves in and out of dark humor and ironic passages. Check this book out. I look forward to now reading Election (which became the brilliant Reese Witherspoon/Matthew Broderick film) and Joe College. ”
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-01-05. -
Excellent read. Both men and women can enjoy it.
“Great book! It had been a long time since I found something to read that wasn't a complete disappointment. Being a stay at home mom myself if I find the time to read a book it better be worth it...this was really worth it. My husband picked this book up for me to read but when he wanted something to read and couldn't find anything at the moment he picked this up and devoured it in one day. He couldn't put it down. He really like it and knew I would too.
An amazon user wrote this on 2008-11-27.
He was right, when I finally got a chance to read it (several weeks later) it was time well spent.
There are times when you can see yourself in some of the charters or others you know in some of the charters. Interesting be be on the outside looking in at life and/or what life maybe like for those we know.
I'm off to find other books by this author...” -
2 of 4 members found this review helpful.
an excellent entertaining author writes a tired and predictable novel.
“I bought this book used for $1. I'm glad I paid this much for it because while it was very mildly entertaining it had the tiresome plot of rich/middle class white mostly heterosexual people in suburbia having affairs and the plot does go on like a soap opera or like a full season of Desperate Housewives but the book's themes have been covered A LOT before, way too much in my opinion. While this book is supposed to be satire Perrotta isn't that good at writing satire about the suburbs or about rich/middle class heterosexuals.
An amazon user wrote this on 2008-11-02.
I like Perrotta's other novels but this one is a big waste of time and totally predictable.
I also agree with the people who wrote about how Perrotta's characters are way too flat and we don't know enough about them and towards the end we learn more about minor characters in the novel who we should have learned more about in the beginning of the novel.
*****SPOILER ALERT***** DO NOT READ PAST THIS POINT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR THE ENDING!
Also the book just ends, out of nowhere. I didn't care about any of the characters or feel sorry, or happy for any of them and two of the main characters who were having an affair were planning to run off and get married or at least stay together as paramours and Todd doesn't show up because he falls while trying to ride a skateboard. How lame of an ending? Also both main characters know where they both live so it's not like they're complete strangers or they'd never see each other again ever.
Also Sarah's husband who goes to San Diego to meet with Slutty Kay/Carla they go out to dinner the day after having sex on the beach and you never hear if they wind up together or if Richard joins the adult entertainment industry.
The pedophile character was totally predictable and so was the ex cop. It would have been better if they hadn't been flat cookie cutter characters that we've all seen before.”
