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pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
I seem to be establishing a pattern - reading Russo on my vacation. Last year I read Straight Man. This may not be a good thing - I feel like there are a lot of similarities between these two books.
However, I am not sorry I read That Old Cape Magic. Russo writes well about middle aged men who have been married for 30 plus years. He also does a good job with those men's families - especially their wives.
Part of me wishes, however, that his characters' lives did not look so much like my own. I appreciate the humor, but it might cut too close to the bone. What would I do if my husband started down the path that Jack Griffin heads down in this book?
However, I am not sorry I read That Old Cape Magic. Russo writes well about middle aged men who have been married for 30 plus years. He also does a good job with those men's families - especially their wives.
Part of me wishes, however, that his characters' lives did not look so much like my own. I appreciate the humor, but it might cut too close to the bone. What would I do if my husband started down the path that Jack Griffin heads down in this book?
k_cavacini's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this novel; like all of the other Richard Russo novels I've read the writing is excellent and the characters are well-developed.
wsk56's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable character driven novel about a man and his separation from his wife, his parents (both alive and dead), two marriages, his wife's crazy family and the alure of Cape Cod in summer. While I did enjoy reading this book, it wasn't my favorite Richard Russo novel. Still, it contained some quite memorable moments.
kmatthe2's review against another edition
3.0
It has that Russo wit and insight, but lacked the charm of the others. Still, a good read.
ardaigle's review against another edition
5.0
I found it difficult to get into this novel but I believe that was only because I did in on audio over an extended period of time. The only other Russo work I have read was Empire Falls and this novel was similar in that there was no clear plot direction: just the story of people living, loving, and learning about themselves. I found these characters to be compelling and authentic and the story was believable and simple without being predictable. This was definitely my favorite of the three.
carrieliza's review against another edition
3.0
No strong feelings about this book, really. It's not a very dense or rewarding read, it just sort of...is. I didn't care much about any of the characters. I had high hopes for this, after loving other Russo books. Will try something else.
littlemascara's review against another edition
3.0
I kinda wish I could do 3 1/2. Russo is one of my favorite authors and he creates another vivid world, writing honestly about marriage and upper-middle class angst. But it felt a little more lightweight than usual. All the same, i still find myself thinking about it, months later.
martha_imani's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
loribulb's review against another edition
2.0
The quality of the writing couldn't quite make up for how booooooring the story is- at one point I realized that any character in the book could die on the next page, and really wouldn't care.
jxg255's review against another edition
3.0
Made a tough love story a little humorous. A story that explains that every marriage has issues and skeletons but each couple deals with it differently and find love in each other regardless of the path it takes.