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kcadd44's review against another edition
4.0
I read the whole thing in a day ... but I love Curtis, so it's not surprising. Not as good as her others, but still a lot better than most things I read!
stenaros's review against another edition
3.0
"Huh. I seem to have missed reading one of Curtis Sittenfeld's books" said I to myself as I perused a review of her new novel. Being a fan of Prep and a rabid fan of American Wife, I put this book on hold at the library and soon had it in my possession. And then, while I read it, I puzzled over whether I had actually read this book before.
It's not listed in my Goodreads list, but that only goes back to 2008, so it's possible that I did read it when it was first published in 2007. The plot seemed incredibly familiar to me, so much so that I was distracted a bit while reading, stretching to see if anything felt familiar.
That said, I love how Sittenfeld's character was fairly removed from her emotions, peering at them as if watching them over a fence, happening to someone else. She was so careful, and so unnatural in her actions, I enjoyed her journey.
It's not listed in my Goodreads list, but that only goes back to 2008, so it's possible that I did read it when it was first published in 2007. The plot seemed incredibly familiar to me, so much so that I was distracted a bit while reading, stretching to see if anything felt familiar.
That said, I love how Sittenfeld's character was fairly removed from her emotions, peering at them as if watching them over a fence, happening to someone else. She was so careful, and so unnatural in her actions, I enjoyed her journey.
stella_nutella's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
mhall's review against another edition
4.0
I love Curtis Sittenfeld, for exactly the reason that might make her a frustrating read for others: she writes totally character-driven novels. And the characters are always so similar to me, and how I think, that I feel like she is revealing or explaining thoughts and behaviors that I have never quite articulated before. That, of course, makes her books a near-perfect match for my reading tastes and my temperament.
The Man of My Dreams follows Hannah through childhood through her twenties, focusing on her relations with different men in her life, as filtered through her low self-esteem and loneliness.
The Man of My Dreams follows Hannah through childhood through her twenties, focusing on her relations with different men in her life, as filtered through her low self-esteem and loneliness.
abbeysoffel's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
emilylandry's review
4.0
I've yet to meet a Curtis Sittenfeld story that I didn't like. This one is a particularly good read. On a side note, I don't think I've ever read anything written by Curtis Sittenfeld where she didn't write about farting.
jannie_mtl's review against another edition
3.0
I have loved Curtis Sittenfeld's other books, and was excited to get in to this one.
On a purely storytelling, literary basis, I was somewhat disappointed. While I enjoyed the main character, I often wanted to shake her out of the inside of her head, to tell her to grab life as it's going by. But there were many aspects of the story that struck very close to home and that continued to draw me in. Her early life, at home with her parents and sister, resonated a lot, as did her odd and ill-chosen early relationships, and her life in the dorm in her first year, being a bit of a loner and introvert. Perhaps my discontent was partly me looking back at my younger self, and wishing I'd done some things differently.
I don't think the novel is for everyone but, despite these reservations, I found it hard to put down.
On a purely storytelling, literary basis, I was somewhat disappointed. While I enjoyed the main character, I often wanted to shake her out of the inside of her head, to tell her to grab life as it's going by. But there were many aspects of the story that struck very close to home and that continued to draw me in. Her early life, at home with her parents and sister, resonated a lot, as did her odd and ill-chosen early relationships, and her life in the dorm in her first year, being a bit of a loner and introvert. Perhaps my discontent was partly me looking back at my younger self, and wishing I'd done some things differently.
I don't think the novel is for everyone but, despite these reservations, I found it hard to put down.
totallyshana's review against another edition
1.0
I hated this book. Totally unlikeable, embarrassing, whiny characters. No actual plot. I only finished it because American Wife was so unexpectedly great.
valhecka's review against another edition
3.0
This was all right. Mostly just all right. I might be going through Sittenfeld's novels too quickly; they have a sameness that's starting to wear me down. The main character is really great, and the book does a fantastic job of talking about depression and social anxiety in a low-key way. Otherwise, the things Sittenfeld does with verb tenses are more often confusing than clever, and I'm starting to resent how her characters are always upper-middle-class and vaguely homophobic.