A Ship Made of Paper
by Scott Spencer
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 343)
It seems that when Spencer started this book, he sat down and told himself, "I want to write a story about the complexities of race relations in America." He succeeds in writing a story about race, but since he obviously lets his agenda trump his storytelling, the interactions among all the characters become contrived and silly, making the complexity nonexistent. Every minor character serves as a device to get the major characters to discuss race, and since the minor characters are pl...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommended to Carol by:
NBA finalist sticker on front coverrecommends it for: not my daughters--too much sex and too many potty words!
Favorite quote from Iris: "You just don't take no for an answer, and maybe that's good. But it doesn't work with me. You think you're the first person who's ever told me I need to be doing this or that for my people? You think I haven't heard it from both sides of my family? And both sides of my husband's family, too? I'll tell you the same thing I say to them. You believe in freedom? Great. Then let me be free. Is that so hard? I've got one little life to live, that's all, that's the whole...more
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I only happened upon this book because my local library does not seem to be ordering Spencer's newest book, Willing. For whatever reason, I thought it sounded interesting but I let it languish on the shelf for quite a while and kept renewing it.
As it turns out, I loved reading this book. I didn't really love the ending and honestly, the protagonist was a real pain, but I found it engrossing. The protag has a "thing" for women of color and embarks on an affair with the mother of his...more
As it turns out, I loved reading this book. I didn't really love the ending and honestly, the protagonist was a real pain, but I found it engrossing. The protag has a "thing" for women of color and embarks on an affair with the mother of his...more
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Read in October, 2007
As a student of race, class and gender studies, the description of this book intrigued me. It was clear that somewhere in this book, there would be a dialogue based on the intricacies of these topics.
However.
I finished this book feeling a little duped. This book wasn't a clear discussion on race. Instead, it was an attempt to mix in some racial hot buttons into a soap opera format.
Guns and children? OJ Simpson? Run away teenagers? A blind woman? Sexual procreation to create ...more
However.
I finished this book feeling a little duped. This book wasn't a clear discussion on race. Instead, it was an attempt to mix in some racial hot buttons into a soap opera format.
Guns and children? OJ Simpson? Run away teenagers? A blind woman? Sexual procreation to create ...more
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Read in October, 2007
Francine Prose's excerpt of this book in her "How to Read Like a Writer" compelled me to read the whole novel. It's written in that desperately close third-person narrative style that reveals every neurotic tic of every character--a little exhausting, that kind of x-ray perception.
Still, I found the characters compelling, and didn't object to the unending series of over-the-top incidents that got heaped on them. I went with it.
I think of this style of writing as being related t...more
Still, I found the characters compelling, and didn't object to the unending series of over-the-top incidents that got heaped on them. I went with it.
I think of this style of writing as being related t...more
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Read in May, 2008
Yep, still liked this one - even though each and every character was unlikeable. The moral of the story: Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it!
[I figured that if I'm going to recommend this book to my friends, I better re-read it and familiarize myself with the content. I'm looking forward to revisiting this one!:]
I read this book on my honeymoon in Costa Rica, so the context may be unfairly influencing my love of this book. I don't remember any deep discussion...more
[I figured that if I'm going to recommend this book to my friends, I better re-read it and familiarize myself with the content. I'm looking forward to revisiting this one!:]
I read this book on my honeymoon in Costa Rica, so the context may be unfairly influencing my love of this book. I don't remember any deep discussion...more
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Read in March, 2008
Although this book was engaging, Spencer sank the boat with the overly dramatic plot and forced race issues. I also thought he conveniently villainized Hampton and Kate in order to gain sympathy for Iris & Daniel's infidelity. That said, the desire and passion of their affair were executed brilliantly, and it's a shame that the author didn't feel that alone could carry the book.
I'm considering giving one of his other books a shot, as perhaps this book was his venture into "new t...more
I'm considering giving one of his other books a shot, as perhaps this book was his venture into "new t...more
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Read in April, 2008
Very well written, especially the dialogue, which was full of subtext but felt real. Liked the way the author handled a difficult subject (white man cheating on girlfriend with a married black woman). The author was able to show simultaneously all the ill effects of the main character's poor decision-making (without beating the reader over the head or getting preachy), while making his poor decisions entirely understandable. A bit erotic in places for my Puritanical tastes. Sad but satisfying en...more
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Read in May, 2008
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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As usual, Spencer's sentence-by-sentence writing is an inspiration, a marker I can use to try to elevate my own lazy writing. Unfortunately, this book didn't grab me like Endless Love did. That being said, it's still a worthwhile read for writers and other language enthusiasts.
Oh, and Scott, if you're out there, I'm still waiting to hear what you thought of my workshop story, "Day 40."
Oh, and Scott, if you're out there, I'm still waiting to hear what you thought of my workshop story, "Day 40."
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Read in April, 2008
I don't like books that glamorize adultery, but I'm not sure that this one did. Maybe I didn't care enough about any of the characters for it to prompt a moral knee-jerk out of me. I'm still pretty jealous of the chemistry the two cheaters had, though. Some of their escapades got me questioning the physical possibility of them...and the all-out ruthlessness of their passion made me sick.
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Read in June, 2008
Okay, so this is a heavy story. Inter-racial relationship with a married woman and a man in a relationship. It's almost painful to read at times and the sexual relationship between these two is totally strange. It is interesting in a way how the characters play with the racial tension in their relationship. Overall, I'd say it's worth it to read.
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Read in March, 2008
Enthralling. A bit intricate, but in the way that a book should be when it's delving into human emotion. The characters are given the chance to explain their positions, and even if I didn't agree with them, I understood. Very well written. I'm off to read something happy now.
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Read in August, 2008
I couldn't get into this book even though I finished it. While reading it, I didn't feel like it was a story that hadn't been told before or a perspective that I had not considered on the subject. The characters seemed pretty flat, and I was not wowed by the dialogue.
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I read this as I was starting an inter-racial relationship and thought it would be interesting to read this story. The story line was fine (I'm surprised it is written by a male.), but I didn't walk away from this with any emotion. The writing was okay.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in January, 2007
Engaging characters, but the plot felt a bit forced as far as dealing with issues of race and infidelity. I felt that the ending was almost laughable. However, the writing was such that I wanted to know what happened to all of the main characters.
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Daniel, who lives with Kate, has a growing attraction to Iris, and eventually they have an affair. I enjoyed reading this book because it was a romance novel, written from a man's point-of-view, which I found refreshing.
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
someone who can't resist a novel about all-consuming desire
Another tale of love so passionate and forbidden that the lovers see no choice other than to ruin themselves and everything else in their lives in order to experience it. This is what Scott Spencer does best.
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Read in June, 2008
This book really bothered me for many reasons...if it is supposed to bother you, it did its job. I did read it quickly because I had no idea where it was going, but was annoyed the entire time.
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Read in December, 2007
Passionate and romantic. It was easy to identify with several of the characters, but also easy to dislike the majority of them. Complex characters with complex motives. A wonderful book.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 3.26 (238 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 3.17 (198 ratings) number of reviews: 41
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