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The Family Man. Elinor Lipman (2010)

by Elinor Lipman(Favorite Author)

3.49 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0755329457 (ISBN13: 9780755329458)

languge

English

genre

Humor

publisher

Headline Review

review 1: Reading this novel was such a bizarre experience. Because there was no plot, really. I mean, there was, but I couldn't really figure out the book's point. A lawyer who is gay reconnects with the adult daughter of his ex-wife. The daughter is an struggling actress who has been hired as a love interest to boost the exposure of a D-grade celebrity. However, the dialogue succeeded at being so normal and everyday, that I was swept up in these realistic conversations and almost finished the entire story before realizing that nothing much was happening and nothing much was going to happen. So does a book need a point to be enjoyable? Maybe not.
review 2: Henry Archer has been divorced from Denise for 25 years when she is widowed and he writes her a note of co... morendolence. The divorce from Denise was a happy occurrence for Henry because he knew he was gay and wanted out of the marriage, but Denise was cheating on him, which added an unpleasant tone. His sympathy for her as a widow, however, leads to her invasion of his life looking for sympathy and support when her pre-nup kicks in and she is left with almost nothing. That's "nothing" in the terms of the very well off in NYC. Contact with Denise prompts Henry to reach out to the step daughter he adopted during his marriage to Denise. The step/adopted daughter turns out to work at his hair salon, and so begins a new relationship for Henry, a retired lawyer with a very settled life. Denise manages to set him up with a young gay man, named Todd, who turns out to be more than interesting. The daughter, Thalia, is an aspiring actress with the full-on personality of the young in NYC.This book is a romp through the shallow world of the celebrity and the wealthy, with witty scenes and complications. It's fun, nothing serious, and a light read. There are certainly several charming but stereotypical characters, and Henry's struggles between his staid life as a lawyer and his new role as a father are humorous. less

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