Isabel's Bed

Rating:
Summary: A book about friendship between 2 very different women
Review: I loved the book especially because it has a blond bombshell / sex goddess who also turns out to be a caring and loyal woman who values her female friends (not the stereotype). Lots of humor and hopeful romance thrown for good measure. Nice to find a book with provocative topics that finds humor but avoids the satirical hard edges that I was expecting.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining Summer Read
Review: I picked up this book upon a friend's suggestion and reading a few reviews about it. I was definitely not disappointed. I have not read from Elinor Lipman before, but I definitely don't believe this will be my last!

The book is entertaining, funny and a very easy read. The characters are very well set out, though sometimes I did expect to find more detail about them. The relationships between the characters are very clear, logical and sometimes, as in real life, unexpected. The book mainly portrays a woman who has been 'dumped' by her boyfriend of 12 years for another woman who is much younger. The story unfolds as she decides to seek fulfilment rather than sit around and feel sorry for herself. She decides to pursue her long time dream of writing a book and meets Isabel Krug, who is so much different than Harriet. Their relationship go beyond employer-employee in a shor time and they become friends. The ending is unexpected but satisfying, all lose ends are tied. It makes the reader realize, no matter what your age, sometimes you look for satisfaction in all the wrong places.

Obviously, I DO recommend this book!

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable but trivial (but enjoyable!)
Review: If you like Anne Tyler's books (The Accidental Tourist, etc.), then you'll love this story of an unlikely friendship.

Unemployed, broke, and recently broken up with her boyfriend, Harriet Mahoney applies for a job as ghostwriter of the autobiography of Isabel Krug. The job comes with decent pay and a room in Isabel's house on Cape Cod. An aspiring but unpublished writer, Harriet jumps when she is offered the position.

Isabel is benignly goofy and her life story includes having her lover shot while in bed with her, by his wife. Harriet slowly comes out of her shell as she settles into life on Cape Cod and friendship with the dotty Isabel Krug. Eccentric characters come and go as Harriet lets go of her tightly-wound self-image and--following Isabel's example--lightens up.

There's no great moral lesson in this book, just lots of laughs, warm smiles, and characters you'd love to share a cup of tea (or, more likely, a bottle of wine) with.

Rating:
Summary: Really warmed to this book as I went on
Review: The blurbs on the cover of this book really put me off at first - someone on the front cover saying that 'by about page ten the reader has a grin on his face' and on the back something about her being the new Jane Austen - etc etc. While being none of those things to me though, I found a lot else in it which grew on me as the book progressed, and surprising to myself I found that I couldn't put it down - and reading to the finish I found it a fun, and infinitely satisfying read.

The heroine of the novel is Harriet Mahoney - 42, failed in a long term relationship, aspiring novellist and looking for a way to escape New York and her ex-partner for a while - wound-licking stuff. She applies for a position ghost-writing Isabel Krug's life story - the fact that she has no idea just who Isabel is, or how notorious her story is, is the subject of the book. Harriet goes to live with her at Cape Cod and in fact it is the growing relationship between these two women which was for me, the most interesting part of the book. As we learn more about Harriet we also have more of Isabel revealed. Its all done in context of the novel and some of it is quite startling. One thing I'll say for Elinor Lipman is she really knows how to tell a story without over-killing points - but she is also wonderful at providing great twists to the story at various points.

It really is an 'engaging' read, but it might take you more than 10 pages to get into. I certainly didn't find I was grinning for a week - but I found it a great read and I think itsworth perservering with if you aren't immediately grabbed by it.

Rating:
Summary: A book with heart
Review: This is a book I find to be wonderfully layered with truth. On the surface it's a funny and light-hearted. But as you read deeper into the novel you find that it is more then just laughs and giggles. Isabel's Bed has a lot of heart and tells a good story. Harriet Mahoney comes to terms with her writing ability, her relationship with her X-boyfriend; she finds new friends and a new home. Through her struggles you see that it isn't necessary to write a published book or have a high paying job or a degree in a University to make you happy. You just have to find your own voice and live it out loud and that's what Harriet Mahoney did. It's really an enjoyable read and who can't help but love this book?

Rating:
Summary: Highly-charged entertainment!
Review: What a wonderful novel! This book had everything - romance, intrigue, friendship and revenge. Such a great combination. I really did love this book, a second for me by Elinor Lipman, and much better than the semi-drivel that was The Inn at Lake Devine. One thing bothered me about Isabel's Bed - the absence of you-know-who by the end of the book. The Itzy-Hare-Pete-Costas combination should have ended with a collective bang! Needless to state, I highly recommend this book! It's a light and fast read, packed with humour and realism.

Rating:
Summary: Highly-charged entertainment!
Review: What a wonderful novel! This book had everything - romance, intrigue, friendship and revenge. Such a great combination. I really did love this book, a second for me by Elinor Lipman, and much semi-drivel that was The Inn at Lake Devine.

One thing bothered me about Isabel's Bed - the absence of you-know-who by the end of the book. The Itzy-Hare-Pete-Costas combination should have ended with a collective bang!

Needless to state, I highly recommend this book! It's a light and fast read, packed with humour and realism.