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Confessions of a Contractor
by
Richard Murphy (Goodreads Author)
A sexy, page-turning novel about the combustible mix that results when you blend desire, jealousy, and home renovationwritten by a successful screenwriter and former contractor.
Henry Sullivan has spent fifteen years renovating houses for wealthy women in Los Angeles. To distance himself from his clients and the intimate environments he works in, Henry has devised a set o...more
Henry Sullivan has spent fifteen years renovating houses for wealthy women in Los Angeles. To distance himself from his clients and the intimate environments he works in, Henry has devised a set o...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
August 14th 2008
by Putnam Adult
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Confessions of a Contractor is a fun look into the life of Henry Sullivan, experienced home fixer-upper. With fifteen years of experience Henry knows to seperate work from pleasure. However, he gets caught up in the mystery of a broken friendship between two women who he signs on to do remodel work for. One women is single and successful and he is drawn to her at every turn. Then there is her old friend, who is married with children. Both women offer many enticements as well as the usual remodel...more
I really enjoyed this first novel. It was an easy read, with a friendly tone. The main character, Henry, is a contractor. While the story is primarily about his relationships with two women whose homes he is renovating, you also get some great insight on how contractors work. Since we are considering adding on to our home in the near future, I especially was interested in those tidbits. Henry's relationship with Clyde the cat was great - both moving and funny, and an unexpected bonus.[return[ret...more
I thought this would be more of a story and less of a contractor's point of view in rehab/work/etc. I read a couple of chapters and decided to "shelve" it for now. I don't know if I couldn't get into it because I have other books I *want* to read or if it was the way the story was written.
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The summary sounded pretty interesting. Unfortunately the first 100 pages were pretty boring and dry. I struggled to keep my attention on the story and wanted to give up since I felt counterproductive; I didn't because I hate not finishing books.
Luckily the book got better halfway - the story and characters began to unravel and things were finally moving along. I appreciated the ending the most. It wasn't a fairy tale ending but good enough that everyone found their own revelations....more
Luckily the book got better halfway - the story and characters began to unravel and things were finally moving along. I appreciated the ending the most. It wasn't a fairy tale ending but good enough that everyone found their own revelations....more
This is a real page turner. I couldn't put it down. After reading this book you can't help but want to meet this Henry Sullivan
Quick, breezy read -- great for the summer. What takes it from 3 to 4 stars is an insider's perspective on high end remodeling, where money is rarely an object. For all of us HGTV junkies, it is a lot of fun. Also lifting it out of the ordinary is Henry Sullivan, the first person narrator who in an ironic voice gives the book its structure in the form of a lecture to potential home renovators. Everyone should be so lucky to have such an honest contractor. I liked this book a lot particularl...more
It's a great read! I read this over the weekend—and couldn't put it down until I was finished.
I liked this book. It was a little uneven at points and there were times around the half way point when I found the insider contractor comments a little too cute. But the underlying story of how Henry Sullivan was able to recenter his life during and after a tumultuous Summer was worth reading. Particularly interesting was author Richard Murphy's take on relationships, both comradely male-male and amorous male-female ones. I've read a number of the other reviews on here, many of them negative, a...more
Here's what's great about this book.
1. It's about friendships, but not in a touchy-feely, creepy-crawly kind of way.
2. The narrator's got the tone of one of those hard-boiled private eyes, like the Ross MacDonald novels. Which is awesome, for a book that could easily have been chick lit.
3. I think it does a good job of portraying L.A.
4. The author actually seems to know a lot about building houses and such, which makes it feel almost educational. Of course, it c...more
1. It's about friendships, but not in a touchy-feely, creepy-crawly kind of way.
2. The narrator's got the tone of one of those hard-boiled private eyes, like the Ross MacDonald novels. Which is awesome, for a book that could easily have been chick lit.
3. I think it does a good job of portraying L.A.
4. The author actually seems to know a lot about building houses and such, which makes it feel almost educational. Of course, it c...more
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Richard Murphy definitely knows women. He has woven a beautiful story and given full dimension and character to the women in his book. His knowledge and background in construction are almost inconsequential in the story to his knowledge and sense of women’s feelings. Don’t get me wrong, he does seem to know what he is talking about from a craftsman’s standpoint.
Sally Stein and Rebecca Paulson are different as night and day and yet they ...more
Richard Murphy definitely knows women. He has woven a beautiful story and given full dimension and character to the women in his book. His knowledge and background in construction are almost inconsequential in the story to his knowledge and sense of women’s feelings. Don’t get me wrong, he does seem to know what he is talking about from a craftsman’s standpoint.
Sally Stein and Rebecca Paulson are different as night and day and yet they ...more
John Cheever says that the hallmark of good fiction is when the action on the surface of the narrative is underlined by deeper meaning below the surface. Confessions of a Contractor has that in spades. On the surface, it is a romp through the lives of LA's too-wealthy-to-give-a-crap-about-money set, and as such it holds up hilariously, and I think it's easy to get fooled into thinking this is merely a good, light summer read because of Murphy's effortless and breezy tone. But Confessions is much...more
If you live in the LA area and are in the market to do some home renovations then you need not look any farther then Henry Sullivan. Henry has been in the business for about fifteen years as a contractor. His clientele is mainly made up of wealthy, beautiful women. So for this fact alone, Henry has rules set for himself and the most important one of them is…..never sleep with your clients. Plus the best contractors know how to keep the peace in the neighborhood, which is a wonderful thing as you...more
You can read my full review on my blog.
Harry Sullivan reads renovations the way a fortune teller reads tea leaves: he can predict the course of your marriage by the tiles you've chosen for the master bath. At the end of a project, when he has been part of your family and had access to your most intimate spaces, he knows more about you than anyone else. In Confessions of a Contractor, Harry learns some of these same lessons about his own life.
Rebecca Paulson has been dump...more
Harry Sullivan reads renovations the way a fortune teller reads tea leaves: he can predict the course of your marriage by the tiles you've chosen for the master bath. At the end of a project, when he has been part of your family and had access to your most intimate spaces, he knows more about you than anyone else. In Confessions of a Contractor, Harry learns some of these same lessons about his own life.
Rebecca Paulson has been dump...more
This book is not worth reading. I found it very boring and Murphy is not a talented writer. This was all an attempt to make a TV show. The whole thing was a set up from the start. Putnam would never publish garbage like this unless they new CBS was coming along to buy the rights. Too bad the whole thing backfired and Murphy once again failed to be a success in the entertainment industry. He has been trying for most of his life. Maybe he will make it one day but the years are running out.
This was a fun book that didn't take too long to read. It's a bit like a breezy chic-lit book, but with testosterone and a man's perspective. It helps that the author was a contractor for many years before becoming a screenwriter. He keeps the book chugging from scene to scene like you'd expect from a movie guy, but his knowledge of construction and carpentry keep the book grounded in a reality that might be lost with all the nutjobs the main character works for.
Tamra
rated it
Recommends it for:
Romance Novel People
Recommended to Tamra by:
Costco
Shelves:
fiction
I needed a shower after finishing this book. I didn't find Murphy's writting all that compelling and his characters were so shallow that I didn't miss any of them after finishing the book. In fact some of discriptions and metaphors had me laughing when they weren't meant to be funny. Oh-well, another couple of hours of my life wasted, I could have done worse. I don't want to hear any more confessions from anyone. Keep it to yourself!
A funny/serious story written by a new author who actually was a contractor. Henry has a few rules which helps him be successful in LA. The first and foremost is "don't sleep with your clients." For the most part, he does OK. The female characters are believable. The male characters, including his Mexican co-workers and Bill, the gentle spirited hippy type wacko are very likeable. Clyde the cat is great too.
A personal favorite quote: "Why bail bondsmen and people...more
A personal favorite quote: "Why bail bondsmen and people...more
I really enjoyed this book from a male perspective. The characters were all flawed and there was no storybook ending. There was no one inherently good or evil. I would read it again.
A nice, easy read about a contractor and his wealthy clients in LA. Nothing too difficult or earth-shattering, though the main character had some nice reflections on human behavior.
Confessions of a Contractor is about three steps away from chicklit but what honestly saves it from falling into the worst of that or any other genre is the quality of the writing. Murphy is funny. Hilarious even.
I really could have cared less what happened to the characters. After 100 or so pages I had to force myself to finish it.
Jenn
added it
Very entertaining if a little risque. If you've ever done home improvement work you will appreciate this book.
A light story with heart and a lot of behind-the-scenes information about remodeling homes. I really enjoyed it.
Not great, not terrible. I thought this was a memoir before starting it actually. Oops. Instead, this book tells the fictional tale of Henry Sullivan, an in-demand remodeler in the chi-chi side of LA. He deals mainly with rich housewives and sometimes develops relationships with them.
I found Murphy's writing style elegant and beautiful, but too heavy for this type of story. Describing relationships isn't Murphy's strongest suit, which left the story feeling a bit lopsided to me. You ...more
I found Murphy's writing style elegant and beautiful, but too heavy for this type of story. Describing relationships isn't Murphy's strongest suit, which left the story feeling a bit lopsided to me. You ...more
okay, i loved this book. who knows how many stars it deserves but it was great! loved the narrator!
Az Lina
added it
mixed feelings about this one. funny at some points but otherwise lacks the oomph!
I really enjoyed the dry humor and the laughs that I got from the book. He was really detailed with how a contractor goes about their day and work schedule but it had some dry moments and the ending could have been better.
I bought this book at the dollar store. I'm not sure why I read it all the way to the end.
A funny, quick-read book that anyone who has gone through a remodeling job will enjoy.
Well this was a fun romp through Henry's world of life, love, and never ending renovations in Los Angeles. I would call this Stud Lit since it is a chick lit type book written by a man from the man's perspective. Although Henry is very captivating, Clyde the cat was my favorite character in the book - or at least Clyde's impact on Henry. The ending, like most everything I seem to read, fizzled out a little, but it wouldn't stop me from recommending this as a perfect beach read or when you are...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Really deep novel or just a good summer read? | 2 | 13 | Jan 09, 2011 01:45am |
I dropped out of college at nineteen and moved to LA, where I began wandering around looking for an entrance to the entertainment industry. Being the wizard that I am, it only took me about fifteen years to find it. While practicing my misguided circles of sorcery, I renovated houses and apartments to support myself. Those doors were open.
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