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nnekajax's review against another edition
3.0
To be frank and succinct: I wasn't as moved as I expected to be but I did have some laughs and I was touched by the story.
sasha_in_a_box's review against another edition
4.0
Maybe it's not the greatest piece of literature, but the moments of humor and honesty at the price of pride made this an enjoyable, quick read that's been lingering with me pleasantly for a couple of days. Bonus points for dazzling descriptions of Paris and its people, especially since I'm usually left cold on stories that romanticize it. And even more points for a believable male POV, the empathy and the poking fun. Read this for a good story on marriage, its mistakes and grace and stupidity and intimacy and tenacity and vulnerability.
healtopalm's review against another edition
2.0
I liked the thread of commentary about the Iraq War more than the main love story. The characters were self-absorbed and unlikable.
bofrazer's review against another edition
3.0
Too well-written for me to bail out, but not a fun reading experience living this guy's tortured life (think "We Need to Talk About Kevin"). The female author does an amazing job of the male pov, unfortunately (think "Carnal Knowledge"). I was happy with the ending, but I see this opinion is not shared by all.
mdreaderlady's review against another edition
2.0
Although I loved the setting (Paris!) and there was some quirky humor, overall I didn't like this book. It's told from the perspective of a cheating husband who is trying to win his wife back. My main problem was that the main character is so awful, I couldn't get past him. It's not just the cheating. He is also relentlessly pretentious, egotistical, and pathetic. And he never gets any better, even at the end. I wanted to throw hard objects at him, not keep reading his story. Decent writing, but not a great read.
mollyk's review against another edition
3.0
this review perfectly captures how I felt: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/997587356
I hated the main character. He doesn't deserve his wife. however, I found the story engaging and interesting, and enjoyed it. (I feel like the word "incredulous" was overused in the middle chapters, but, whatever.)
I hated the main character. He doesn't deserve his wife. however, I found the story engaging and interesting, and enjoyed it. (I feel like the word "incredulous" was overused in the middle chapters, but, whatever.)
loriameadows's review against another edition
4.0
I'm surprised by the low average rating for this book. From a cursory glance at other reviews, it seems like people are turned off by the main character and couldn't get into it because of that. I agree that Richard Haddon is selfish, short-sighted, and whiny- so are a lot of people in real life. In many ways, I thought those characteristics made him more believable. I enjoyed the depiction of his marriage and the decision to be unfaithful, as well as the consequences of his infidelity. I will admit that I found his attempts to reconcile with his wife to be quite shallow, but overall I thought it was a good read.
erburnside's review against another edition
3.0
True, the protagonist is highly unlikable at times, as many reviewers have said, but I think he is as unlikable as many of us would also be if someone were privy to all of our honest thoughts even though we may not ultimately make the same poor choices. Fitting and believable first person narrative.
emilyrowellbrown's review against another edition
3.0
Maum constructed a complicated narrator, one who was both likable and frustrating, and made for an engaging read. The book explored infidelity's many ramifications, and I appreciated that the work of marriage and mature love was not taken lightly. Recommend, if in large part because of the relative silence we keep on this subject.
jamiebooks15's review against another edition
1.0
I don't have much to say about this book. Characters were lame, art was lame, the premise was annoying and I honestly don't know why I finished it. I wholeheartedly do not recommend this book.