I read a book this week, and it made animpression on me- enough of one tohave me write this review which, let metell you, is not easy for me to do on myphone. It is well written, without glaringgrammatical errors that cause me to stumblewhile reading, and think 'huh?" to myself. AI read a book this week, and it made animpression on me- enough of one tohave me write this review which, let metell you, is not easy for me to do on myphone. It is well written, without glaringgrammatical errors that cause me to stumblewhile reading, and think 'huh?" to myself. ALittle Love Story has:drama, without angst; love, more thanromance; depth, (no brooding analysisrequired) plus it purely delighted me to read. Igot great satisfaction and enjoyment, eachtime I picked it up.I don't always want the escapism of'unputdownable', nor the ease of lightromance, but a good story, one that iswell written is special indeed- and very rare.I read a lot, and I do mean a lot. I don'thave a TV, my wonderful CD radio is on thefritz, and I don't have a full screen,functioning, computer ( see theaforementioned phone)- you can seewhere I am going here...A good book, for me, is worth way morethan its weight in gold. 'A Little LoveStory' by Roland Merullo is a sort of,'semi precious' gem, of a book. Go toyour library and give it a whirl.Little Love Story has:drama, without angst; love, more thanromance; depth, (no brooding analysisrequired) plus it purely delighted me to read. Igot great satisfaction and enjoyment, eachtime I picked it up.I don't always want the escapism of'unputdownable', nor the ease of lightromance, but a good story, one that iswell written is special indeed- and very rare.I read a lot, and I do mean a lot. I don'thave a TV, my wonderful CD radio is on thefritz, and I don't have a full screen,functioning, computer ( see theaforementioned phone)- you can seewhere I am going here...A good book, for me, is worth way morethan its weight in gold. 'A Little LoveStory' by Roland Merullo is a sort of,'semi precious' gem, of a book. Go toyour library and give it a whirl.
On the face of it, and given the title, this would normally be the type of book I would shy away from. The last two books by Roland Merullo were so outstanding though, that when this was on the shelf at the library, I just had to take it home. I am so glad I did. Jake is a painter/carpenter with a tragic past. Janet is one of the governor's top aides with a seemingly tragic future. Sounds like time to reach for the Dramamine, right? And in other hands, that might be the case. In Merullo's grip, however, the reader can relax and be entertained. His descriptions of physical things, as well as emotional ones are humorous, real, and true. When he describes a season, you want to look out the window to assure yourself of the reality of our own world. Often when he describes a common human emotional situation the reader is startled to recognize themselves, and to identify with the character on a level where they might otherwise have felt they were alone. He takes the small, everyday feelings, and the big, sort of cosmic ones, and expresses them in a way that makes one feel as if that was exactly the way they had always wished to explain things. This is not smack-you-upside-the-head writing but rather slice of life, simple and satisfying. Interesting characters, an uncommon twist to a perhaps familiar story-line, and nice Boston setting all add up to another winner for Merullo.
What do You think about A Little Love Story (2006)?
I enjoyed this book but it left me wondering WHY this couple got together. I felt the dialogue and reasoning given in the book were not satisfactory to explain their love. Don't get me wrong, I am glad they found each other, but doesn't it take more than mutual need and loneliness to make a meaningful love relationship? Also, what is up with the non-ending ending? Please explain the date range listed on the last page. It left me shaking my head and rereading for missing information. I could never figure it out.
—Sharon
A stranger sent this book to me. I thought it was because he or she thought I would like the book. In that sense, she was right. I enjoyed the book much more than I expected. The story shouldn't work, but it does. When I got to the last page of the book, much to my surprise, the stranger who sent it has written a note, in a type of handwriting that can only be described as "grandmotherly." The appearance of the note jolted me. I had no idea it was there until I turned the page. It said:In the spring of 2007, our sweet, granddaughters, Elyse and Alaina, were diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. May they witness a cure in their lifetimes.If you've read the book, you get it. I write a weekly column for my local newspaper. This grandmother was doing what she could -- through a simple book -- to help educate others about the plight of her grandchildren. Her effort touched me deeply. And I pray that someone out there does find a cure for cystic fibrosis for all the little Elyses and Alainas out there.
—Jan Risher
Half way through this story, I realized I was reading the wrong book. Now how bad is that? Somewhere last week I read an accolade about Breakfast with the Buddha by Roland Merullo. To make a long story short by the time I plucked it off our library shelves, I had A Little Love Story in hand. Right author, wrong title.Jake has sworn off sex for a year after his girlfriend is killed in the Pennsylvania 9/11 flight. Stepping out for a donut his car is hit by Janet, an aide to the governor. Jake imm
—Carol
