Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009

Book Review: Laura Rider’s Masterpiece

Author:       Jane Hamilton

Publisher:    Grand Central Publishing/Hachette

ISBN:          978-0-446-53895-4

Website:      www.hachettebookgroup.com

 Type:         Fiction:Women’s

Pages:        224 Hardback

Purchase:    $15.63 @ Amazon.com (HERE)

The Story

“Laura and Charlie Rider have been married for twelve years.  They share their nursery business, the Prairie Wind Farm, in rural Wisconsin; they share their love for their animals; and their zeal for storytelling.  Although Charlie’s enthusiasm in the bedroom has worn Laura out, although she no longer sleeps with him, they are happy enough going along in their routine.

Jenna Faroli is the host of a popular radio show, and in Laura’s mind is “the single most famous person in the Town of Dover.”  When Jenna happens to cross Charlie’s path one day, and they begin an e-mail correspondence, Laura cannot resist using Charlie to try out her new writing skills.  Together, Laura and Charlie craft florid, strangely intimate messages that entice Jenna in an expected way.  The “project” quickly spins out of control.  The lines between Laura’s words and Charlie’s feelings are blurred and complicated, Jenna is transformed in her mind’s eye into an artist.  The transformations are hilarious and poignant, and for Laura Rider, beyond her wildest expectations.”

(Above excerpt is from Laura Rider’s Masterpiece – Cover)

The Review

This book came as a great surprise for me.  I certainly began reading this book and feeling one way about it, but then as I read on, my mind was changed.  Truthfully, the beginning of this read just held no interest for me.  I felt a need to press on and perform my review of it.   I think this is due, in part, to the fact that a friend had mentioned to me that Jane Hamilton had a more “well-known” book called The Book of Ruth  that was on Oprah’s book list and also won an award.  Well, if Jane Hamilton accomplished all of that, perhaps I did need to press on and open my mind.  Like I said, I am glad that I did.

This is a wonderfully descriptive book.  Hamilton’s writing ability is admirable and at times her wording is beautiful, especially at the end the of the book.  The story is so quirky and different that I had guessed several endings, none of which came true.  This book is unlike most other fiction books that I read and, for that, I appreciate this book for what it is and how it is written.  Beyond the storyline described above, I will not expel the details of the story because it is their unfurling that brings charm to the read.  However, I can and will state that Charlie is just the funniest little dude, ever, and it was hard for me to picture him.  Laura just comes across to the reader as totally insane and Jenna I just plainly feel sorry for.

I “dug” this funky read and am considering picking up The Book of Ruth to see if it is similar in nature to this book. 

This is a quote in the book that grabbed me:

“Maybe the whole point of love was to break each other so that from those shattered selves you could build a better, a sturdier self, so that you could go forward – not had in hand but  a comfortable arm’s length apart.  Ideally, if both parties were conscious in the romance, Every Man and Every Woman would enter the relationship with arms spread wide open, read for the adventure of being broken to pieces and reassembled.”

On Sher’s “Out of Ten Scale:”

This book has an interesting premise, points of questioning, and and unpredictable ending.   It’s not the typical woman’s fiction, nor is it the perfect “beach read.”  But, it is a story that makes you wonder “what if” and “what is she thinking?”  I suppose that makes it a good book club read.  For the genre Fiction:Women’s, I award this book an 8 out of 10.

P.S. If you’ve read The Book of Ruth, can you leave me a comment with your opinions on it below?

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