Rating: 
Summary: A feast for the ears
Review: When, many years ago, I raved about the first audio book I had listened to, my sister-in-law, a librarian, haughtily informed me that "Books are meant to be read, not listened to".I knew nothing about Terry McMillan when I picked up the unabridged audio version of this book, not even that she was a black author. I needed a book for a long drive that turned out not to be long enough. We started listening in Savannah, and by the time we reached southern Florida, were thoroughly absorbed by the lives of the Price family, but only part way through the book. We finished it in rental cars along the coast of Portugal, and from Marseilles through Provence to Avignon, where the car rental and the book ended at the same time. Along the way we laughed and cried at Viola and her extended family. The many reviews posted have already described the book and its complex structure. The five * raters have it right - it doesn't matter if you are white or black, or even if the characters are, their experiences cross color lines, and everyone should be able to identify with the characters Ms. McMillan has created. I love to read, but have always had trouble reading dialect. The superb cast chosen for the unabridged audio version make this book come alive in a way that I believe makes it an even better "hear" than I am sure it must be as a "read". Since each chapter was written in the voice of one of the characters, the audio format is especially suitable. The subtleties of dialect, and differing degrees of sophistication between the characters are brought out by hearing them speak. If my sister-in-law was truly correct about books being made to be read and not listened to, this audio might well be the exception that proves her rule.
Rating: 
Summary: too neat and tidy
Review: I adore Terry McMillan and am proud of the niche she is carving for up and coming Black writers. She has a fresh, breezy and flowing writing style that sucks you in and carries you along through the trials and tribulations of her wonderfully real characters. 'A Day Late and A Dollar Short', following on the disappointing heels of 'How Stella Got Her Groove Back', is one of those magnificent reads. I won't go into the plotlines of the different characters as other reviewers have done so already. Essentially, it's a novel about a family whose lives are all seeming to fall apart. For me, and other Black readers I've discussed this novel with, I was amazed at the similarities of the characters to my own family . . . and even myself! The novel is a bit hard to get into at first. Each chapter is told from the point of view of a different character (there's six main characters) and the purposeful use of bad grammer and language can, at first, be a bit annoying. However, once you get into it, the novel flows effortlessly and seamlessly.
My only beef is the ending is too tidy. By the last page everyone cleans up their act, makes amends with the past, kicks their addictions and PRESTO CHANGE-0! Instant happy family. I would have preferred a more realistic, less Disney-ish happy ending, but it's fiction, good fiction, so I can forgive that.
Rating: 
Summary: A night to remember
Review: T'was a dark and stormy night. The wind danced with cold rain to create a mixture of hard and loud pounds against my roof. Inside the light flickering from a scented candle made my room warm and cozy, easy. The smell of jasmine romanced the air as I picked up a Terry Mcmillan book. AH, I knew it would be magic. 450+ pages to conquer, ready to dive into 1994 and right in the middle of the Price family saga... 8pm...glared daringly at the shiny gold and red cover 9pm...First crack of the book 10pm...reads inside flap with rave reviews from critics 11pm...starts reading 12am...critical of first chapters, but sees great potential 1am...growing into a state of boredom 2am...in a state of boredom 3am...closes book, grabs reciept, takes back to bookstore 4am...realizes never will buy Terry's books again author note: I love Terry. She is a talented writer and I give props to any black author who is trying to make it in the cut throat literary world. Worth repeating, I love Terry as a sister in Christ, however I do not love the content of her books. Her works are toooooo negative and not male friendly. I don't know what kind of life she's had, but she must not have had very many positive experiences with men. This book was a good attempt though so I give it 2stars.
Rating:
Summary: You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel.
Review: This novel was a tremendous joy to read. It contains everything a reader would want to know about the evolution of the African-American community, all wrapped up in one microcosm called the Price Family. This is the story about a mother, a father, and their four children; all of whom represent different stages of "evolution". The oldest sibling (Paris) represents the most "advanced" on the evolutionary scale, with her education, her career, and her material possessions. The last on this scale is Lewis, the only son. He has no money, no education, and no clue about life. This is a story about love, hate, fear, jealousy, resentment, and of course, a tremendous amount of joy. The author incorporates the entire spectrum of emotions in this highly entertaining story. Though the reader might infer several morals to this story, the most notable is the idea that one can be miserable in wealth, but can also manage to be content in poverty. I highly recommend this novel.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK! and i hardly read!
Review: i am a fan of black females. i hardly read, but i had noticed i was lacking in quite a few "bigger" words, so i knew i had to start reading again. i picked up this book at the bookstore, seeing its a best seller.. i read it and now i know why!!! This is a great book! Terry McMillan is great at describing the way people look! From her description, there are HOT black females in this book! Terry McMillan must have had a guys help writing this book, cuz she DEFINETLY knows how to get a GUYS attention! This book is actually FUNNY, and i never knew a BOOK could be funny! however this book is also sad! Viola may pretend to not like her x husband.. but it shows her x husband at least cares for her and talks to her to let her know she still cares. Terry McMillan's books usually ALWAYS end up to be a movie! I'm glad i got to finish the book before the movie starts if there is a movie. i HOPE this book DOES be a movie!
Rating:
Summary: Crosses color lines
Review: Terry McMillan knows about real life. I loved reading about Vy and her whole family. She captures the essence of what it is like to live in a big family, with all its joys and pain. I laughed out loud when I read the dialogue between Cecil and Brenda. I love the way Vy speaks the truth to her kids. Although I am white, Terry McMillan speaks to me better than any contemporary white writer. Families are families, forget about race. She had me laughing a crying. I couldn't put the book down. A wonderful, heartwarming read!
Rating:
Summary: You Got to Read This Book
Review: It was a great book. I loved every page of it. It portrays the family dynamics to which many of us can relate.
Rating: 
Summary: Not A Good Read
Review: This book was way too expository. The characters' monologues revealed too much and violated the "show don't tell" policy that EVERY CREATIVE WRITING STUDENT IS TOLD. A cliche, yes, but it is nonetheless true. Aside from their manner of speaking, there was not much difference in the personality of each character. And the monologues ran on for too long--I wanted more scenes, more action, more dialogue that revealed the character rather the character telling the reader what they are like. The tough issues raised in this novel were glossed over. Why bring up such matters if they can't be handled with more depth instead of being explained away in one sentence: "Oh, she doesn't have that problem anymore." All in all, the book was too expository, it was not well written, and it was Mama: The Sequel! Better yet, "The Price Monologues."
Rating: 
Summary: Almost 4 stars...
Review: I really got into this book in the beginning. I loved all the characters, and I appreciated the alternating narrators. The technique gave the reader a much more rounded perspective on the characters and their life situations. In general, this is a well written, engaging novel with a great deal of interesting things to say about the ties that bind families together. It's definitely worth reading. The some of the characters are terrific. I thought Vy was a riot, and I loved her relationship with her granddaughter Shanice. I didn't care for any of the male characters, but that was as much due to the fact that they didn't get as much space as it was anything to do with how they were written. As the book got to about the 200 page mark, however, it started to drag. Once the key event happens to Vy that brings the family together (even though I think another reviewer mentioned it, I won't say just in case) I got really interested again. I If the story had been about how all the family members cope after that event, and come back together to deal with their complex sibling relationships, I'd have enjoyed the book more. I thought that the problems Janelle and Paris had were complex enough that they could've had a book of there own. We didn't really get to know Lewis or Charlotte as well as the other two siblings, so I was less invested in them. In the case of Charlotte that was particularly disappointed, because I was really intrigued by the conflict between her and Paris. If McMillan weren't such a gifted writer, with such a good ear for dialogue and character, I might not have been so frustrated by these things. But the last 150 pages or so were so engrossing to me that I know she could've made the book even better than it was - and it was still better than alot of fiction on the market today. Overall, despite my few problems with the novel, this story was a very enjoyable reading experience. It makes for a great summer read. I've never read anything by Terry McMillan prior to this book. I'm definitely a fan now.
Rating:
Summary: wow
Review: This book was really a book! I know that sounds silly but it's not just something you pick up from the bookstore to balance out your summer reading log. This is the kind of book that you take buy and rush home to start reading. Well, what makes this book so special? You'll have to find that out when you read it! Because I'm not letting the secret out!
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