The Guy Not Taken
I'm on a roll this year with books! Okay not quite considering that we're almost halfway through the year, but it's good progress nonetheless. I purchased this book awhile ago for a trip to Vegas. It looked like a perfect poolside read with a cast of characters that could be easily embraced. Plus I'm a fan of short stories even if they leave you hanging a bit at the end. But I never got around to reading it by the pool...was too busy sipping frozen drinks and chatting with girlfriends I suppose.
I've only read one other book by Weiner, Good in Bed, which was good but quite predictable. Many of the short stories in this book revolve around the same themes of body image, family struggles and building relationships. Some stories are touching while others fall kind of flat. A bit of a letdown but then again it's only short stories and there's very little to commit to. The Author's Interview at the end notes that many of these stories were written when she was still struggling to get a book together. The characters definitely were not fully developed but many went on to inform her subsequent books. It's a fast read if anything. Pick it up if you plan to sit on the beach with nothing to do.
I've only read one other book by Weiner, Good in Bed, which was good but quite predictable. Many of the short stories in this book revolve around the same themes of body image, family struggles and building relationships. Some stories are touching while others fall kind of flat. A bit of a letdown but then again it's only short stories and there's very little to commit to. The Author's Interview at the end notes that many of these stories were written when she was still struggling to get a book together. The characters definitely were not fully developed but many went on to inform her subsequent books. It's a fast read if anything. Pick it up if you plan to sit on the beach with nothing to do.
