Melissa Bank: Girl's Guide To Hunting And Fishing

[novella]

This is a really good book. Technically I guess it's chick lit, but it's well written, much better than Bridget Jones or The Nanny Diaries (the extent of my chick lit experience). Has more in common with Susan Minot's Monkeys, I think, in that it's a novel built of distinct stories. I'm only halfway through it--it's a quick read--but will post back with a complete view when I am done.

Has anyone else read this?

 

[Freya]

Oooh. I'm looking for a career too. I'd pretty much settled on cowboy, but maybe I could be a hunter. Or a fisher.

 

[Litany]

Not read that one. But Monkeys certainly sounds intriguing. Care to elaborate?

 

[novella]

Oooh. I'm looking for a career too. I'd pretty much settled on cowboy, but maybe I could be a hunter. Or a fisher.

Phooey. I thought you found your niche as a yodelling barmaid in folk costume.

 

[novella]

I finished this over the weekend. It's a novel in stories, which is a newish and interesting form that really works in this book. About 8 or 10 short pieces that show facets of the protagonist's life over time.

The author sustains her writing straight through the last page, which is so refreshing. The last story, same as the title, is my favorite, in fact. There's one story, written in a very impersonal third-person voice, that stands out as being not as good, doesn't have the same charm and pathos as the rest, but overall it's a very good read, particularly as it is packaged as a quickie chick-lit book but is a lot more, and so exceeded my expectations.

The protagonist is an American East Coast (NY, NJ, Boston) girl between age 14 and mid 30s at various points. Mostly it shows her emotional coming of age, but the 'outer' narrative is very strong. Anyway, high recs.

 

[mehastings]

I read that book years ago when it first came out (1999 I think). I can't remember all that much of the plot anymore, but I remember loving it and wishing that the author had more books out. There was a lot of press about it at first and then it just sort of stopped. I had heard something about a screenplay, but I don't think it ever materialized. For a while I was wondering why the book was suddenly being re-released in Mass Market, but I think I have figured it out. Melissa Bank has a second book coming out in a couple weeks called The Wonder Spot. I hope it is as good!

 

[Kookamoor]

I started this on a plane to Ottawa and finished it on the way back. A quick read but really engrossing and after initially disliking the main character I really wanted to see her succeed. I think my dislike centered around my relating to her 14 year old character - that surly sort of puberty-blues phase in my life - where I also felt as though I was treated as a child but felt closer to an adult.

I will agree with novella when I say that the last story was also my favourite. The structure of the story was a little more complex and somewhat surreal (

Spoiler

It made me wonder if she actually heard the voices - she was, after all, seeing a psychiatrist/ologist/oanalyst - or if these were merely mediums for conveying her thoughts

)

Spoiler

I didn't understand the point of the story in the middle, though, where Jane was just the upstairs neighbour. It didn't seem to have any relevance... did I miss something? Anyone care to comment on that?

I'm not sure this fits into the chick-lit category. I associate chick lit with being written in simple language and with a simple structure, and being fun but forgettable after it is put down. What is the definition of chick lit, anyway?

Thanks novella for the recommendation! This one was on my TBR because of this thread.

 

[bluecaffeine]

Is this better than The Wonder Spot?? I recently read Wonder and found myself just begging the author to hurry up and get on with it already. It started out fabulously, but by the last half I was bored out of my mind.