Helpful Score: 2
i really think that you have to be a RMB fan to really enjoy this one.being a big fan i did.the story revolves around Frazier who thinks she is dying,tells everyone she is gay and thendoes not die...set in the south as most of Ms.Brown's are it is very funny and yet sad.
Helpful Score: 2
Fantastic! I kept laughing out loud. Rita Mae Brown surely knows how to keep a story flowing.
Helpful Score: 1
From Publishers Weekly
The risible title is arguably the best thing about Brown's latest comic novel, the tale of a woman who unwittingly comes out of the closet in midlife when she is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Under the impression that she is on her deathbed, wealthy North Carolina art dealer Mary Frazier Armstrong mails a series of brutally candid letters to her kith and kin, only to discover that she isn't dying after all. Brown delivers some nicely sketched southern characters: Mary Frazier's imperious mother, Libby, whose long-simmering anger has poisoned her daughter's life; her sensitive brother, Carter, an alcoholic redneck whose lifelong self-destructiveness is partly a response to Mary Frazier's success; her closeted lover, Ann, who is made uncomfortable by their claustrophobic secret life; and her dazzlingly outrageous gay friend Billy Cicero. But this gallery of character sketches cannot save the story from predictability and a deeply unconvincing resolution. Arch dialogue, lack of plot and an overall inattentiveness to nuance are the distinguishing features here. Fans of Brown's previous books ( Bingo ; Rest in Pieces ) may enjoy this story, but first-time readers are bound to be disappointed.
I quite agree with this review.
The risible title is arguably the best thing about Brown's latest comic novel, the tale of a woman who unwittingly comes out of the closet in midlife when she is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Under the impression that she is on her deathbed, wealthy North Carolina art dealer Mary Frazier Armstrong mails a series of brutally candid letters to her kith and kin, only to discover that she isn't dying after all. Brown delivers some nicely sketched southern characters: Mary Frazier's imperious mother, Libby, whose long-simmering anger has poisoned her daughter's life; her sensitive brother, Carter, an alcoholic redneck whose lifelong self-destructiveness is partly a response to Mary Frazier's success; her closeted lover, Ann, who is made uncomfortable by their claustrophobic secret life; and her dazzlingly outrageous gay friend Billy Cicero. But this gallery of character sketches cannot save the story from predictability and a deeply unconvincing resolution. Arch dialogue, lack of plot and an overall inattentiveness to nuance are the distinguishing features here. Fans of Brown's previous books ( Bingo ; Rest in Pieces ) may enjoy this story, but first-time readers are bound to be disappointed.
I quite agree with this review.
Although I found small parts of this book
disilusioning, it was a good read overall
and kept me entertained.
jojo46580 in Indiana
disilusioning, it was a good read overall
and kept me entertained.
jojo46580 in Indiana
A successful art gallery owner, under the impression that she is dying, writes letters to family and friends, opening her heart (and coming out of the closet). The only problem is ⦠she's been misdiagnosed. The resultant storm, aided and abetted by a mysterious painting of Roman gods and goddesses, makes for an entertaining and occasionally thoughtful read.
Enjoyable.
Witty, enjoyable book. Slightly too descriptive for my tastes, but an interesting story nonetheless.
What happens when you think you are dying and write letters telling your innermost thoughts to those around you...only to find (oops!) you are NOT dying after all!
Blehhhhh. I picked up this book because I was looking for something light and easy to read (and small, so it could fit in my backpack) and, though it was light and easy to read, the story was ridiculous and the characters predictable. I skipped the last few chapters because I could not wait to finish the book. There were a few good parts (Frazier punching her drunk ex, mostly) but overall ... nope. Maybe it's just because the book is dated, who knows.
in great condition
Cute book
Just love Rita Mae Brown's books!
Witty and yet introspective with a fair amount of sex thrown into the mix. I enjoyed it.
a great big funny read
