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Love Warps the Mind a Little: A Novel
Ever since Lafayette Proulx quit his day job, left his wife, hauled his dog and his Royal portable across town to Judi Dubey’s house, and set out at last to be a fiction writer, his life has been a sordid mess. Judi’s exotically dysfunctional family isn’t all to blame. Sure, the murders are disconcerting. And, yes, Judi’s father’s gone off the deep end. Worse are the vicio...more
Paperback
Published
January 17th 2008
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published 1997)
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Feb 20, 2012
Amanda
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Amanda by:
Dr. Williams
Shelves:
john-hancocked
I did this book a grave disservice by attempting to read it during the fall semester. This is the type of book that deserves to be read without distraction. Unfortunately, I had to keep putting it down to grade papers and read book club books, so I kept losing the narrative thread. John Dufresne writes beautifully and his book about creative writing, The Lie That Tells a Truth, is one of the best there is. His characters are quirky and real; his writing reflects life as it is truly lived--all th...more
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Jan 13, 2009
Marguerite
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary-fiction
It took me a little while to warm up to the characters in this fine, though different, love story. John Dufresne's characters are refreshingly imperfect: a would-be novelist and chronic philanderer who gets his material straight from a reporter's notebook; a therapist born of an extremely dysfunctional family; conventionally unhappy friends and lovers; petty criminals and hangers-on. Though a love story, this also is a novel about choice, pursuit of one's dream, and the havoc imposed by illness....more
Highly, highly recommend! It's been a while since I read a book that made me cry like this one. I don't mean a simple little tear in my eye and a little sniffle in my nose. I mean bawling, complete with sound effects and a ream of tissues. Now, my real life paralleled part of the plot (in a vague way) a couple of years ago, so I'm sure that explains part of my reaction. But still... it takes an incredibly talented author to elicit such a strong reaction from a reader. Despite this, the book is a...more
Maybe one of the best things I could say about a book or anything for that matter is when you're not quite sure what to feel or think, because there's too much to say, and much more to comb thru in the aftermath. That's this novel exactly. So much going on. A lot of funny moments, but certainly a lot of sadness as well. The one thing I admire about Dufresne is while there are lots of big ideas and emotions being bandied about, it never comes across as philosophical lethargy; he cuts to the core...more
I love Dufresne's writing! I always find myself smiling when I read his character's because they are believable. I love that they are flawed and sometimes so damn self-sure in their wrongness. LayFayette "Laf" Proulx quits his job and his wife (14 yrs married) and moves in with his mistress Judi (who happens to be a therapist). She is diagnosed with ovarian cancer and Laf struggles with rejection (he's a writer) love and all out human existence :) I never look at any summary of Dufresne's writin...more
This book held me in its grasp from beginning to end! It is laugh-out-loud funny at times and heart-wrenchingly moving at others. It deals with what it means to truly love another person--all the messiness that that entails as well as how it uplifts and strengthens us. The characters are believable, vulnerable human beings like all of us. A book to remember and talk about for a long time...Be sure to read the author's foreword at the end in which he discusses why he writes fiction. It's somethin...more
I had an attitude about this book before I started reading it because it sounded like a male fantasy book - the man is having an affair and he doesn't know if he wants to stay with his wife or lover. Actually, I think he wants both. The book, however, redeemed itself for me because Lafayette's lover (Judi) is dying from ovarian cancer, and the two of them have to resolve their love and infidelity. The book was not a fast read, but it was interesting how Judi, who is a therapist, uses her skills...more
I had high expectations for this book because it was reviewed on NPR by another author and she made it sound like quite a find...a book that both makes the reader laugh out loud and cry. I did neither.
It is a story about a struggling writer who is kicked out of his house by his wife of 14 years, and he immediately moves into his girlfriend's house. The characters are not particularly likable, but I kept reading, hoping I would find "hilarious" and/or heartbreaking scenes. Sadly, they never mat...more
It is a story about a struggling writer who is kicked out of his house by his wife of 14 years, and he immediately moves into his girlfriend's house. The characters are not particularly likable, but I kept reading, hoping I would find "hilarious" and/or heartbreaking scenes. Sadly, they never mat...more
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I almost didn't make it through this book, but I pushed on and it did get better. I got lost in the beginning when the author would go back and forth between the main charachter in the story and the story the main charachter was writing a book about. I didn't want to hear about the people in his book. This story line would have been stronger to me if that entire part had been left out.
I loved to see his dedication (despite everything he was going through) to his new friend.
I loved to see his dedication (despite everything he was going through) to his new friend.
This one is hard for me to rate. It's somewhere between a 3 and a 4. I found the writing to be very accomplished and imaginative. What's it about? "Life and death. Is there anything else?" Mr. Dufresne treats very serious subjects with a light and true touch, and for that I give him a 4+. The trouble was that I didn't really like any of his characters, although I believed them, and for that I give him a 3+.
I haven't read a book in a looooong time, but I really enjoyed this one. A friend gave it to me for xmas and I picked it up about 2 months ago. I finished it, which is more than I can say for any other book in the last 6 months or so! I don't know why I enjoyed it so. I liked the writing and the story, even though the characters weren't very sympathetic. I am hoping I can get back on the reading horse now!
This book was interesting, and different from most of what I've read in the past few years. While it began as a witty, irreverent tale of a frustrated writer who splits with his wife, it soon becomes a story about his new girlfriend dying of cancer (in excruciating detail). I wish I had known that going in, for my own personal reasons - I find the topic of cancer illness so prevalent in real daily life that I would probably avoid it in fiction. It's not much of an escape.
I had high hopes for this story based on its description--a writer quits his day job, leaves his wife and moves with his dog into his girlfriend's house to write full time. But I immediately could not appreciate the removed tone, and the attempts at humor fell flat. The narrative sounded too much like the ruminations of a man simply going through a midlife crisis, a scenario I really don't want to spend too much time with.
this book sounded a lot like my brain often does, so when i say it was somewhat themeless, that's not necessarily a negative thing. i laughed and cried, and was profoundly irritated by and very sympathetic to the characters, so the writing was pretty damn effective...also, i'm glad i read this book in april and not, say, november.
I'm unsure as to WHY I like this book, but I did. It's not that I was enamored with the characters; certainly the narrative character has his flaws that make him less than your favorite person. It's not that I agree with decisions or thoughts and feelings expressed; but it was a beautiful and true-to-life story in some way and I appreciate it.
Lafayette Proulx keeps getting rejection letters from the places where he sends his writing. Now his wife has thrown him out, and Judi can't decide if she will take him in with Spot, his dog, who eats everything. Judi's relatives who dominate her space are difficult to live with. Laf finds himself attracted to other women. Then Judi gets cancer.
I started reading John Dufresne's books because his sister is an acquaintance and told me she sends him tidbits for the books and some are set in Worcester, Mass., where I live. I liked this book a lot, especially the point of view of the narrator, though I read it a while ago and don't remember the specifics.
I liked this book, though ti took me a while to get into it and to figure out where the author was going. It is about a writer as he's writing a book, though that is not the main story line. It intrigued me as to whether this is the author's own way of writing as well or made up for the story.
I wanted to like this more than I actually did, though I respect the authenticity and honesty of this book which works hard to give a picture of someone seeking what it means to love someone. What Dufresne does terrifically well is to anatomize death by cancer in all its raw and ugly pain.
I really wanted to like this book, but it just couldn't hold me. One more story about a stupid guy that can't maintain a relationship or stay monogamous. It just old and irritating, or maybe needs to be told in a different way. Whatever. it's up for grabs at New Year's--the pile is growing!
Disliked the book for the first 100 pages and didn't think I was engaged with the characters at all. But it slowly, almost imperceptibly, turned itself around. It ended up being a lot like life-- not a lot of supertext; the usual morality rules are problematized.
Hilarity coupled with serious themes makes for quite a ride. This book reminded me of White Noise a book that I disliked immensely. But this crew of crazies ring true as a failing writer tries to find worth in his life amidst, affairs, divorce, therapy, rejection, love, cancer, murder and death. To cite just of few of what is packed into this little wonder.
I'm about 1/3 of the way through, but not finding it terribly interesting yet. I may get it out of the library again to see if I can finish it. Well, I got it out again, but never read any more. Punting it.
This was an amazing book. Very sad and very hopeful at the same time. The fly leaf called it hilarious, which is totally off the mark.
It was funny, sad, irritating, introspective and the best book about dying I have ever read.
It was funny, sad, irritating, introspective and the best book about dying I have ever read.
Boring writing, boring characters, boring plot within a boring plot. I was the only one in my book club who persevered to finish this book.
The first book in a long time I just gave up on. I went about 120 pages and just did not care about any character enough to invest any more time in.
If you are from Worcester, read this...others may not appreciate the book as much but I found the narrator entertaining.
It is hard to say enough good about this book. It is a tragicomedy and very poignant. There are all types of love described and a very real and complicated man who asks very little in return. Also, a hilarious dog that will never be forgotten.
I think this is one of the best books that I have read in a very long time.
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John Dufresne teaches in the Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing program at Florida International University. He is a French-Canadian born in America.
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“You can't possibly conduct a proper affair without a lot of deliberating, scheming, speculating, and conniving. It's a delicate balance where the excitement must equal the guilt and sex must be as bright as the future you gamble.”
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22 people liked it
“Pleasure is, after all, a luxury. It's love that's essential.”
—
5 people liked it
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