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202nd out of 422 books
—
1,500 voters
It's O.K. If You Don't Love Me
by
Norma Klein
New Yorker Jody has what she thinks is a very liberated view of sex, while Midwesterner Lyle still thinks love means having to say you're sorry. "The trauma and confusion of the sexual coming-of-age by a liberated woman is presented with skill and understanding." LIBRARY JOURNAL
Mass Market Paperback, 256 pages
Published
March 12th 1986
by Fawcett
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Omg, if only life was a easy as a sheepskin coat and as carefree as a 18 year old behind swaggering in the air. Klein's protagist Jody is probably the most amazing YA protag. She's cheeky, slutty, nerdy, bossy and despite being so beyond her years she is still so teendreamqueen. The book is supposedly a look at modern love (complete with bellbottoms and outdoor hippie concerts) between two very different teens. It changed my life. I wanted to find some 18 year old boy to corrupt (uh, when I was...more
This is a really sweet, complicated story about first love. Classic Norma Klein.
In retrospect, it's probably better that I did not read these Klein novels in my youth. I think I would have had boyfriend expectations that were all kinds of unrealistic for high school. Kind, sweet, feminist, attractive, supersmart boys who love you for your complex personality? Pretty sure we didn't have those where I grew up.
I hated that Jo cheated on Lyle, though. I didn't really get that.
In retrospect, it's probably better that I did not read these Klein novels in my youth. I think I would have had boyfriend expectations that were all kinds of unrealistic for high school. Kind, sweet, feminist, attractive, supersmart boys who love you for your complex personality? Pretty sure we didn't have those where I grew up.
I hated that Jo cheated on Lyle, though. I didn't really get that.
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I'd never heard of Norma Klein before, but an article in BITCHfest: Ten Years of Cultural Criticism from the Pages of Bitch Magazine extolling her virtues convinced me to check her out.
There wasn't a huge amount of plot in this one, but the characters were interesting and real, and while it was obvious this book was written in the seventies, most of it is still widely applicable today.
And the virtues Bitch discussed were all there: the way female sexual desire is presented as normal and natural,...more
There wasn't a huge amount of plot in this one, but the characters were interesting and real, and while it was obvious this book was written in the seventies, most of it is still widely applicable today.
And the virtues Bitch discussed were all there: the way female sexual desire is presented as normal and natural,...more
Jody considers herself a native New Yorker and believes herself to be fairly liberated. When she meets Lyle, a corn-fed boy from the Midwest, she realizes that not everyone is as open-minded as she is. The two of them begin a tentative relationship, though, and find themselves falling in love for the first time.
Norma Klein’s quiet, exploratory novel about first love and coming of age in the 1970s is extremely subtle. It’s quiet and often understated, and while the story’s protagonist is a smart,...more
Norma Klein’s quiet, exploratory novel about first love and coming of age in the 1970s is extremely subtle. It’s quiet and often understated, and while the story’s protagonist is a smart,...more
I found this book instrumental as I was growing up and I appreciate it each time I re-read it. Essentially, Jodi, as sophisticated as she is by her life in New York, still has to establish her independence and grow up through her own experiences with respect to her ideas on gender relations and the role of women (especially as her absent father has affected her) as well as her evolving sexual relationship with Lyle. I find it refreshing to see a teen female character who loves science and wants...more
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My aunt bought me this book at the mall in Couer d'Alene, Idaho at a bookstore that no longer exists. She bought it because I was staying the weekend of my high school prom with her. My boyfriend and I had broken up right before the prom...after I had the dress, the shoes, etc. At least my cousin Bridget wore the dress (she was invited to the prom at the last minute!). I don't know if it was the circumstances, the story or what but I loved the book then and still do. I still have the original co...more
I've just re-read this book, which I've read maybe 3 times over the last 30 years. Each time, I've loved it. If you like character-driven fiction, this is as good as it gets. If you like Norma Klein, this is her best. Too bad that it's stuck in the YA ghetto. I'm now a 64-year-old guy, and I find it perfectly satisfying as an adult book about two teens, first love, a clash of cultures (middle class Ohio versus Jewish Manhattan) with a nice story arc with a touching ending. Judged as an adult tit...more
This was my absolute favorite Norma Klein book as a teenager, so I was nervous upon rereading. I think it's because I really identified with Jody. She's not one of those people who just goes around spouting off the first thing on her mind, but she's very truthful, even if the truth will hurt. Lyle is such a sweet, caring guy. At the time I first was reading this, I was really into tennis too, which features a lot in the book. None of these books are very dated though as Ms. Klein rarely mentions...more
Jul 15, 2009
Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
children-s-classics,
young-adult
I remember being pretty surprised that this YA book had sex in it. I believe this is the one where they have sex on the bathroom floor. I think it was too mature for me. Not a favorite from my reading as a kid.
I read this as a teen and really liked it , this time around I didn't like it so much , the main character was so self absorbed and not very likeable it made it hard to enjoy the book, I had nothing in common with her at all
I used to love Norma. Is she still in print?
I liked it. Jody was an early feminist, for sure.
First love.
I learned about sex from these books. I loved them in middle school.
Very frank. Klein was my favorite author as a young teen.
Jun 14, 2013
Jamie Warner
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Norma Klein was born in New York City and graduated cum laude and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa from Barnard College with a degree in Russian. She later received her master's degree in Slavic languages from Columbia University.
Ms. Klein began publishing short stories while attending Barnard and since then she had written novels for readers of all ages. The author got her ideas from everyday life...more
More about Norma Klein...
Ms. Klein began publishing short stories while attending Barnard and since then she had written novels for readers of all ages. The author got her ideas from everyday life...more
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