Literacy And Longing In L.A. (2007) - Plot & Excerpts
Book Lover is a painfully inconsistent depiction of a self-absorbed and largely unsympathetic heroine, Dora, whose best feature is her adoration of books. All book lovers will enjoy all the quotes and literary references the novel makes and admire Dora's dedication to books - except even that doesn't last.There isn't really anything driving the plot; instead Dora's life meanders on past the reader's eyes, without any direction or tension. There's romance without tension, life challenges that are easily conquered, and a personal journey that goes pretty much nowhere. Dora herself is a strong voice and I did like how closely the author's manage to get into her head and thoughts. However, she is deeply unsympathetic. Constant appeals to how Dora's life is so lackluster look very unconvincing when the heroine has handsome men falling over her, a trust fund, expensive taste, no job (but a former successful career). Her childhood is realistic and believably unhappy - why then did the authors constantly emphasise that her biggest problem, the sign of how messed up she's become, is that she can't drive on the freeway? If the reader is expected to feel sorry for the heroine you have got to make her suffer. Torment her, put hardship in her way, thwart her plans, at least embarrass her. Book Lover is like listening to a rich, beautiful, clever person whinge about how hard everything is for them because their cleaner was late that morning - it's not going to work for most people.Being unloveable might have been a problem I could overlook, though in chick lit I think you should want to root for the woman at least some of the time. The major fault with Dora was that she was an inconsistent character. The place where this was most irksome was in her discussion of the many wonderful books mention in Book Lover. Dora is presented as a down-to-earth reader who is worried that her tastes aren't literary enough and doesn't go in for pretentiously over analysing books. Except then she does, in the a superlatively pretentious manner. She loves woman's fiction and chick lit and has a bookcase suspiciously filled with high literature and classic novels. I felt that Dora was unlike any reader I had ever met - she had no taste or opinions of her own that stayed constant, she just seemed to like whatever suited the scene the author's were writing at the time.One of the things I most disliked about this book was how mean it was; posh people were snobs to be disdained, poor people were slobs, feminists were man-haters, new bosses were harpies. Is nobody in LA interesting, nice and not a stereotype? It would be alright if there was a sense that it was Dora who was so critical and we were to judge her for it, but there is no counterbalance. And the only loveable people in the book are the poor and weird (has to be both) who need Dora's help - which smacks of them being just there to show how nice she is to the unfortunate. And when it wasn't busy being snide and insensitive, it was dull. I think that may even be worse. Yes, shopping for expensive shoes is fun: reading about shopping for expensive shoes is not exciting. The glamour was a clinical list of how posh the food was and who designed which dress, nothing at all swept me away into a fantasy of being a fabulous and well-read woman. It simply was not fun and with this added to the lack of plot and tension, I found it a very boring read. Perhaps the Daily Mail writing that it was "smart and classy" on the back cover should have been my warning; neither fish nor foul, neither high nor low fiction, it was a confused book.
For most of the book, I didn't like Dora at all. Maybe I saw too much of my own self-destructive behavior in her book binges, but I hated her.I still had to read the entire book though. I had to find out what happens. The problem, I think, with Dora is that she has many problems in her life and like a real person she has issues with confronting and solving them. How often do people actually take charge and fix their own lives, their own problems? A perfect example happens in this very book - Dora tries to fix Bea and Harper's lives with material items instead of figuring out how to fix her own life.If I didn't like Dora, then I must say that Fred was the disgusting piece of dog shit you've stepped in. Only instead of being on your shoes its in between your toes because you walk around barefoot in your house (this has happened to me before, sadly). He rubbed me the wrong way and so did Palmer. There isn't a single, male character in the book that we meet that I liked at all.The best part of this book develops after the weird, awkward sex scenes (that my eyes glazed over, they were boring) and the Fred/Dora relationship is starting to go down. It's basically when Dora meets Bea and Harper and her discovery of what she's missing in life (a normal, loving family). I don't agree with how she goes about trying to get that, but Dora's a messed up girl and it will take a long time for her to straighten out.Even if this review sounds negative, I think the book is a worthwhile read. Strongly disliking the characters is not a good reason to say no to a book - I learned a lot about myself by reading it and comparing myself to Dora.I no longer fall into my own version of book binging, but I remember vividly what it was like. Starting in Middle School I would read books anywhere and anytime. Didn't matter that I was in class, I wanted to read. Didn't matter that it was time for bed, I wanted to read. There were days where I would go without very much sleep, food, or care for personal hygiene just so I could read. I would stay in the same position for hours just reading book after book.
What do You think about Literacy And Longing In L.A. (2007)?
I think this book was having an identity crisis. It looks like chick-lit but it is something else adjacent to that. Although I read it in a single sitting (ugh, please don't tell me I am like that protagonist), I was a little bit indifferent about the whole exercise. Dora's bookishness, although relatable (like her love of wine...hmmm) was as irritating as she suspected. I was very glad when she devoured Darlene's romance novels because her literary snobbery needed to be challenged. After all, not all Man Bookers are great reads (even if they are great literature); sometimes a trashy romance with a ripped bodice on the cover is just what the doctor ordered.Also, the blurb that makes a point of trying to frame Dora's depression management approach of binge-drinking as different to those women who shop, eat or drink is completely wrong - Dora actually does all of those. Such a deeply unhappy person, and I found her supposed discovery of happiness in the end to be really rather unconvincing.And we all know that one never dates the cute boy in the bookstore. One merely fantasises about him and never does anything about it because it is never going to live up to the fantasy. And now Dora's gone and ruined it for everyone...
—JC
Another book that left me somewhat confuddled. On the one hand, it's hard to resist a book that wallows in reading, and I enjoyed Kaufman & Mack's navigation of the L.A. book scene, including a little ode to the now sadly-deceased Dutton's Brentwood Books. (How wrong is it that that's gone? VERY.) Some of the narrative twists were surprising and well done, as well—I really liked how Dora, the protagonist, becomes involved in the lives of her boyfriend's mother and niece, and how those relationships evolve and change. However, I found it really hard to sympathize with Dora a lot of the time. Oh the poor dear! She's a trust fund baby with nothing to do all day but sit around and read! Lady, I wish I had your problems.Well-written and at times moving, but also somehow off. *peers at it*
—Trin
"I collect new books the way my girlfriends buy designer handbags."Despite a main character who could be construed as a kindred spirit, this book disappointed me. The blurb on the back described the plot as that of a woman who deals with the problems of her life by going on a book reading binge. Okay. Excellent strategy. And the authors (Why are there two? Two authors concerns me.) tossed into the story every wonderful book title, every wonderful book quote, every wonderful author...but it wasn't enough. A stew of things obsessive readers love, but it wasn't enough. The book still read like a rough draft. Disappointing.
—Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance
