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jsisco's review
3.0
Wasn't the best book, but he had an intriguing way of tying everyone together, and the three main characters came into focus in unexpected and randomly connected ways. I like that he inserted things that never really needed to be explained and explored a slightly mystical piece of his text.
His treatment of characters was downright odd and entirely left of center, and he started threads that he never returned to, but it was a pretty good book overall.
It wasn't a book that I was dying to get back to, but it was always a book I lost myself in, if that makes sense.
His treatment of characters was downright odd and entirely left of center, and he started threads that he never returned to, but it was a pretty good book overall.
It wasn't a book that I was dying to get back to, but it was always a book I lost myself in, if that makes sense.
wonderwoman619's review
4.0
Very good and different. Lots of characters made it interesting and a little hard to follow. I was glad how they all came together in the end.
gemmakenny's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
ivanbiber's review
4.0
Read this so long ago that I can't even remember what year, but it was one that I enjoyed so much that I kept the book rather than sending it to the used bookstore.
nachomatt's review
3.0
Weird, but enjoyable. However two years later- what stays with me is that it was very weird.
t_d_brooking's review
5.0
What an emotional upheaval this fantastic book of stories provides! Schickler's stripped down writing style is vibrant and clever. Several stories stuck to me and I had to revisit. Truly enjoyable on every level.
mbsteblein's review
3.0
I don't remember the separate characters much (it's been a little while since I read this with book club) but overall I enjoyed the character's interaction between the stories. The one I remember most is the woman who gave her husband a bath every night (I think?), and the unraveling of that story made me very sad. It's not hard to imagine all of these storied being true and it makes you look twice, or maybe think twice about people and what's really going on in their lives.
tazurrrnov's review
4.0
My 4-star review of this is purely for how much I enjoyed it -- this is not a book without problems. In fact, for sheer enjoyment, I would give it a 5, but yes, as other reviewers have pointed out, the sexism is truly wild. It sure is a book by a man in 2001, that cannot be denied. But the writing is funny and scintillating, the characters are dynamic, and I had a wonderful time theorizing as to whether the Preemption represents purgatory or literal hell. Very satisfying to watch the narrative lines come together. Reading this was a thrill, but one with lots of eye-rolling throughout.
blevins's review
5.0
Second time I've read this unbearably charming book and I might have liked it more than when I first read it in 2002. I've bought this for at least 4 friends and they also really, really liked it.
The book is comprised of linked stories set around a particular mysterious old apartment building. It's just romantic and enchanting in an edgy, non chick lit way. Wonderful.
The book is comprised of linked stories set around a particular mysterious old apartment building. It's just romantic and enchanting in an edgy, non chick lit way. Wonderful.