false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg 71830 4 The hero of Carolyn See's <I>The Handyman</I> has something of the sacred and more than a little of the profane about him. Back in his native Los Angeles after an abortive stay in Paris, Bob Hampton sets himself up as a jack-of-all-trades in order to pay for his art supplies. Soon, however, he's emotionally involved with several of his employers--each of whom is "sandblasted by life" and each of whom he does his best to rescue. In fact, this unlikely savior seems to work quick wonders on these dysfunctional households. What matter if he ends up bedding a few of the females in the process? But more to the point, Bob is roused by his role: <blockquote> I was beginning to get the idea that maybe you couldn't change the world but you could paint sadness over, brighten the whole thing up. And maybe the bright stuff would bleed down into the interior and start changing it. </blockquote> Carolyn See's story of Bob Hampton's seminal summer of '96 would be intriguing in itself, but she gives it another dimension--and several more layers--by framing it with two grant-application letters, circa 2027. It seems that a certain young researcher wishes to explore the early <I>oeuvre</I> of the eminent Robert Hampton, as well as his relations with the "Testigos" or "Witnesses." These witnesses, as one reads on, are all the people he encountered, changed, and was changed by in 1996; and one of the key pleasures in <I>The Handyman</I> is matching up each individual against his or her sadder, younger self. Like its title character, See's novel is casually inspiring. <I>--Winnie Wheaton</I> 1602322 1999 The Handyman: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle) total:109|5:25|4:43|3:33|2:6|1:2| 109 410 155 36 2350894 037550155X 9780375501555 2 2 3.76 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2350894.The_Handyman_A_Novel 3 1 false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Tue Dec 18 23:38:13 -0800 2007 Tue Dec 18 23:51:07 -0800 2007
Probably easier to follow if you live in LA, since the city and some of its neighborhoods are the setting for most of the scenes, and by placing certain characters in...more...]]> 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 5 0 false Tue Sep 18 14:28:06 -0700 2007 Tue Sep 18 14:39:34 -0700 2007
From Barnes & Noble's editor here's a brief description-- Meet Bob Hampton. UCLA graduate in his la...more...]]> 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 5 0 false Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 28 22:50:57 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 28 22:53:26 -0700 2009 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 3 0 false Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 -0800 2000 Fri Feb 13 12:55:29 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 13 12:55:57 -0800 2009 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 4 0 false Thu Jan 29 15:01:40 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 29 15:02:40 -0800 2009 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 2 0 false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Mon Dec 29 23:36:50 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 29 23:38:53 -0800 2008 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 5 0 false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Dec 11 05:19:49 -0800 2008 Thu Dec 11 10:39:30 -0800 2008 2350894 037550155X 9780375501555 2 2 3.76 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2350894.The_Handyman_A_Novel 4 0 false Mon Jun 22 08:44:59 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 22 08:47:08 -0700 2009 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 3 0 false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 29 16:57:12 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 29 16:59:02 -0800 2008 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 0 0 false Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 03 11:41:48 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 03 11:45:00 -0700 2009 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 5 0 false Fri May 30 22:13:42 -0700 2008 Fri May 30 22:19:04 -0700 2008 more...]]> 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 3 0 false Mon Jan 05 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Apr 29 16:19:52 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 29 16:20:35 -0700 2009 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 3 0 false Wed Jan 31 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sat Aug 01 11:26:01 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 01 11:26:34 -0700 2009 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 4 0 false Mon Apr 27 14:44:28 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 27 14:44:45 -0700 2009 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 2 0 false Mon Aug 20 18:23:44 -0700 2007 Mon Aug 20 18:30:17 -0700 2007 more...]]> 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 5 0 false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Sun Mar 30 12:02:36 -0700 2008 Sun Mar 30 12:08:44 -0700 2008 more...]]> 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 3 0 false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Mon Oct 08 14:40:03 -0700 2007 Mon Oct 08 14:43:09 -0700 2007 more...]]> 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 5 0 false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Oct 02 08:37:34 -0700 2007 Thu Oct 25 08:41:12 -0700 2007 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 4 0 false Sun Jun 22 10:32:16 -0700 2008 Sun Jun 22 10:36:53 -0700 2008 71830 0345426606 9780345426604 106 34 3.76 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170793605m/71830.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71830.The_Handyman_A_Novel 2 0 false Wed Oct 17 06:58:53 -0700 2007 Wed Jun 06 16:52:40 -0700 2007 Wed Oct 17 06:57:00 -0700 2007 Interesting book - handy guy adventures and how he changes the lives of the people with whom he comes in contact.
Not really special.]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=71830