book data
402 ratings, 3.54 average rating, 167 reviews
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published
April 15th 2008
by Random House Audio
binding
Audio CD
isbn
0739331906
(isbn13: 9780739331903)
description
Exhilarating short stories of women breaking free from convention
Every now and then, right in the middle of an ordinary day, a woman rebels,...more
Every now and then, right in the middle of an ordinary day, a woman rebels,...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 771)
Read in August, 2008
Reading ELizabeth Berg is kinda like eating apple pie a la mode: while you enjoy the flavor and guilty pleasure and rationalize that because it has apples it is nutritious, deep down inside you know you should be partaking of something more substantive. Nonetheless, we all need some dessert sometimes. This collection of short stories made me laugh out loud - particularly the title story, which should be read by anyone who ever tried to diet or "cut back" or went to Weight Watchers. (An...more
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Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
Toni
I am not a fan of the short story genre. I don't like becoming emotionally invested in characters only to have them leave me a few pages later. (No, I do not have abandonment issues.) But, heck, I'd read the back of a cereal box if it was written by Elizabeth Berg. Fortunately, I was not disappointed and only a bit miffed at the brief time spent with her characters.
This is most definitely a women's book but it is NOT chick lit. The collection of stories are not light, romantic fluff. Rather ...more
This is most definitely a women's book but it is NOT chick lit. The collection of stories are not light, romantic fluff. Rather ...more
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Read in June, 2008
There are thirteen stories in this collection. I enjoyed reading all of them. My two favorites were:
Rain, about a guy who gives up the rat race to live a simpler life.
The Only One of Millions Just Like Him, about letting go of a beloved elderly dog.
With Elizabeth Berg, I always find something to enjoy, even in the stories I can't relate to. She makes observations about humans and life in general that are amusing or profound or both. You think to yourself, "Oh...more
Rain, about a guy who gives up the rat race to live a simpler life.
The Only One of Millions Just Like Him, about letting go of a beloved elderly dog.
With Elizabeth Berg, I always find something to enjoy, even in the stories I can't relate to. She makes observations about humans and life in general that are amusing or profound or both. You think to yourself, "Oh...more
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Read in July, 2008
I enjoyed listening to the author read these stories. As with most short story collections, some of the stories were better than others. In particular, I enjoyed the story that was a letter reading a recipe for making apple pie and the story about Michael. I think I enjoyed listening to these stories more than I would have liked reading them -- the author reading them aloud made them feel like a conversation with a favorite aunt or an old friend.
I also was glad to hear a shout out to Nora...more
I also was glad to hear a shout out to Nora...more
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Read in May, 2008
this book was defintely not as "chick-lit"-y as it looks, which was a pleasant surprise. granted, it was mainly about women, their relationships, and body image issues, but it had substance to it. i really found myself relating to the characters in these stories. my favorites were "rain" and "mrs. ethel menafee and mrs. birdie stoltz." i've never read anything by elizabeth berg before, but i definitely plan to read more of hers.
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I guess I'm learning to love short stories. I reserved this title because I read Berg's "Dream When You're Feeling Blue" and absolutely loved it. This had wonderful stories. Another reviewer wrote that Berg writes about ordinary people doing ordinary things and this hits it right on. She writes with such an easy, flowing manner and it is such a pleasure to read.
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Read in August, 2008
This is the book that I had hoped I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron would be.
Laugh out loud funny, honest, and spot on - these short stories completely capture what it feels like to be a woman.
My favorite stories were:
The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted
The Party
Double Diet
Truth or Dare
What were yours?
Laugh out loud funny, honest, and spot on - these short stories completely capture what it feels like to be a woman.
My favorite stories were:
The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted
The Party
Double Diet
Truth or Dare
What were yours?
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9 comments
Read in September, 2008
recommended to Dotty by:
Joanna Bell-Schmid
Short stories do not thrill me and this is the first book where I got through all of them.
All in all, a bit depressing. All of the stories are about overweight, aging women that are trying to feel alright about themselves. There were moments of goodness but I do not recommend.
All in all, a bit depressing. All of the stories are about overweight, aging women that are trying to feel alright about themselves. There were moments of goodness but I do not recommend.
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Read in April, 2008
242 pages but written so as to be a fast read. A collection of short stories with middle-aged women as the main characters. Many of these women could be me! Not only are these stories liberating, they also validate my thoughts, feelings, concerns, etc.
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i've never read Berg before, so these stories were a pleasant surprise. she has a wonderful simplicity, and creates universal truths out of the most ordinary of situations. plus she's hilarious.
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Read in May, 2008
I like Berg. Period. She writes about ordinary people doing ordinary things, so ordinary people can relate. She has a nice easy style. Quick, enjoyable, enlightening, validating.
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I like the the first two books of hers that I read. I bought this home from the library thinking it sounded like an "easy" read and since it was made up of short stories I thought I would at least be able to put it down when I needed. I never expected it to be so depressing, and maybe I didn't give it enough time. Truthfully, thought, I could have cared less. The first story made me hungry (was that the intent of the author?), the second seemed trivial, the third bored me and by th...more
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an enjoyable collection of short stories - i laughed, i cried, i craved a krispy kreme donut
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Read in November, 2008
This was one of those books I grabbed from the library unplanned. Usually I end up returning them, unread, on second thought - don't want to waste my time. She is a familiar author, has written too many books for them to be any good, right? Don't know why I actually ended up reading this one, but I am glad I did. Easy weekend read, nothing really new here, just themes you will probably recognize in your own life. Very good writer, liked her style and ability to acurately and realistically p...more
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Read in September, 2008
recommends it for:
Other Berg Fans, maybe some Weight Watchers, leaders & participants
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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Erma Bombeck may have started the trend but Elizabeth Berg definitely refines it with this book. There should be a new "catch-phrase" for this genre - "chick-lit" for the over 40 crowd.
I have never read Ms. Berg before but was compelled to pick this one up by the title.
It is a collection of short stories featuring "mature" women who decide, for either an hour, a day or a week to let their hair down and do something they have always wanted to do (that would ...more
I have never read Ms. Berg before but was compelled to pick this one up by the title.
It is a collection of short stories featuring "mature" women who decide, for either an hour, a day or a week to let their hair down and do something they have always wanted to do (that would ...more
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Read in October, 2008
recommends it for:
Elizabeth Berg fans
Anyone who has noticed what I've been reading since joining Goodreads knows that I like Elizabeth Berg A LOT! I enjoyed these stories, although I think I liked the title story the least. I thought it was kind of silly. All of the stories have to do with women and the changes and challenges they face in life. What I admired about Elizabeth Berg in these stories is the way she portrayed the male characters. So many times in books about women, the men are real jerks, so it was refreshing to re...more
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recommends it for:
Women Walking Fast
A great quote from the last page of the last story: "But time does not hold still, and Rita thinks now that it's a blessing, she thinks that what it means is that your life is free to make or unmake every day." The women in these short stories all consider making or unmaking their average lives in some way - a widow changes the course of her life by trading in orthopedic shoes for kitten heels and a trip to Vegas, a woman tries desperately to hide from her grown family in a closet at T...more
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I just finished this book. It is a series of short stories and some were stronger than others. What I liked most was her dealing with women who are middle-aged or old and the realities that they deal with. Also her struggles with weight and over-eating, familiar topics to many women... I recommend it.
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Read in April, 2008
I'm just not a short story person. Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorite writers but even she, with her considerable talents, cannot make me one. This was an enjoyable book though the pace was sort of uneven. Some stories were great, some good and a couple just OK. I found the great ones: Full Count, Rain, Mrs. Ethyl etal, and Truth or Dare frustrating because my time with the characters was too short. I wanted them to have their own books. As for the rest, I guess I would just rather be en...more
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currently-reading (on 89 people's shelves)
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short-stories (on 11 people's shelves)
2008 (on 7 people's shelves)
read-in-2008 (on 5 people's shelves)
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