Powered By Blogger

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Book Review

The Marriage PlotThe Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a well written and complex book, involving the lives of three graduating college students, Madeline, Leonard, and Mitchell. The story begins on graduation day but flashes back and forth into each person's life, their hang-ups, aspirations, and ultimate choices. Along the way there is adventure, excitement, and heartbreak. In addition to the three main characters, around which the plot revolves, there are many, many side characters who come in and out of each of their lives and either add or detract from them. The story wraps up satisfactorily, but not in a way the reader might expect. Yet, given the ages, and dreams, of Madeline, Leonard, and Mitchell, the ending makes sense. This is not a book you can skim over. Every line is loaded with meaning. Eugenides is a terrific writer and it will be interesting to see what he comes up with next.

View all my reviews

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

My Sequel is Finished!

I've finally completed NO GOOD DEED, the sequel to my first book, NO STONE UNTURNED. I'm now doing the final editing. I say "final" but it seems every time I look at the manuscript I find something new to change, even if it's already been changed once or twice. I'm getting to the point of being satisfied with how it reads, and I've had someone else read it who has given me good, critical, feedback. I hope to see it published by June or July. A friend of mine has been "editing" her finished novel for over three years and is still at it, even though the professional editor she used has called it "spot on." Admittedly, she's fearful of the publication/promotion process that comes once the book is done. If she keeps on editing, she won't have to face it. I'm not looking forward to that process myself, but it's a necessary evil if you're a writer and want to see your work in print. Readers, how do you handle it? At what point do you say, 'my work is ready'?

Total Pageviews