Into Love and Out Again

by Elinor Lipman

From the acclaimed author of Isabel's Bed comes a delightful collection of short stories. These wry and sassy tales illustrate the vulnerable heartbeat beneath the brash style of the eighties. Behind their professional self-assurance, Elinor Lipman's characters question and fear, search and yearn for that most elusive of commodities--love.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

194 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

I love talking with readers - for 1:1s and Book Club visits, find me on Skolay: www.skolay.com/writers/elinor-lipman

Elinor Lipman is the author of 14 humorous novels about contemporary American society; essay and short story collections. Born and raised in Lowell, MA, she divides her time between Manhattan and the Hudson Valley of New York. She received the New England Book award for fiction in 2001. Her first novel, "Then She Found Me," was adapted for the screen, starring Helen Hunt, Bette Midler, Colin Firth and Matthew Broderick. Her fourth novel, "The Inn at Lake Devine" was adapted for the off-off Broadway stage by Tongue in Cheek Theater. In 2011-2012, she held the Elizabeth Drew chair in creative writing at Smith College. Her novel, “Ms. Demeanor," was a finalist for the 2023 Thurber Prize for American Humor. In 2021, her hometown Library, Pollard Memorial Library in Lowell, established The Elinor Lipman Prize, awarded annually to Lowell residents and students at Lowell universities.

Reviews

[june3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book when it was published, about 30 years ago.
Major stars for two of the most perfect short stories ever written:

Frankie's Soup
You're Right, I Know You're Right

So glad to have located another copy of this lovely collection.

[Book Concierge · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5***

This is a collection of short stories set in New York City. As the title implies, the focus is on love … falling in love, attraction, heartbreak, excitement, intimacy, falling out of love.

Lipman peoples her work with a variety of urbanites. They are newly married, newly divorced, eager to meet “the one,” swearing off romance after a breakup. Some are focused on careers but find love in friendship. Some actively seek a partner. Some don’t want a long-term relationship, but a quick hook-up. All of them are interesting and, mostly, people I’d want to know. One couple, Tim and Hannah, meet in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles, and their romance unfolds over several stories in the book.

This was Lipman’s debut work. I’ve become a fan of hers in the last few years and decided to go back and read some of her earlier works. She writes with wit and tenderness and eyes wide open to her characters’ flaws and gifts.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elinor Lipman delights with a book of short stories, each of which leaves the reader salivating for more. Had this collection been a thousand pages, rather than a mere 200, readers would still have devoured it with as much fervor! Maybe more, for plot resolutions would have been more forthcoming, instead of leaving the reader with little or no resolution.

Fans of Tom Hank's Uncommon Type should peruse Into Love and Out Again for stories that both squeeze the heart, and cause involuntarily laughter from their clever witticisms.

[Bettina Mateo · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Bonnie Fazio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Elinor Lipman, and this book of short stories did not disappoint.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very enjoyable collection of short stories for the most part. The first few stories end very abruptly and are quite unsatisfactory. There are a run in the middle which are more like incomplete chapters of a book – perhaps six in dealing with the same characters. Then she returns to her singular stories. Bits and pieces of her stories come a bit too close to me, particularly the story ‘Thick and Thin’. The story ‘Keeping in Touch with Holly’ reminded me very much of my own high school relationship with Kate Stocker (whose last name I momentarily had difficulty recalling) which I haven’t seen in close to twenty years. The collection in the middle shows promise as a novel, but is unfinished. I got the distinct impression that this is common to all of her writing. The style of her prose is enticing; it’s just horribly abrupt in the end.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever since I read and loved Then She Found Me by Elinor Lipman I've looked forward to reading her books. I didn't know she also wrote short stories. I picked this one up at a library book sale. It is in the Lipman style: breezy, easy reading, funny, great characters. Although not up to the high standards of Then She Found Me (my personal favorite of all the Lipman books), it is still a fun read. The misunderstood, almost nebbishy characters all looking for love are a hoot to read about. I must admit I like the happy ending stories better than the few in this collection that end on a sad or ambiguous note. Great beach read or for when it's raining out and you want to stay curled up on the couch with a fun book.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories is Lipman's first published work in 1987, a harbinger of the true characters, pithy dialogue and social commentary that she has since produced. Several of the short stories are connected, which I always find interesting. Do I keep writing that I love the honesty of her characters, their flaws, the risks they take, their behaviors to hide their loneliness? Finally, someone long ago wrote on the title page of the copy I borrowed from the library, "I have only three words to say to Elinor Lipman: NEVER STOP WRITING!" My feelings exactly...

[LibraryGirl2008 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe it’s because I just forced myself to finish reading a book of strange, morbid fantasy/horror tales of varying (and sometimes questionable) quality, but I found Into Love and Out Again to be pure delight. Lipman’s little book of stories could best be described as resembling a box of chocolates: weighing in at just under 200 pages, it bundles unrequited love, childrearing, self-image, and other universal trials of the modern day woman into sixteen stories, each offering a short, tasty revelation on the matters of love and relationships. Reader, enjoy.

[Lesli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Into Love and Out Again was Elinor Lipman's first book; it's a collection of short stories, some of them about the same people, that I enjoyed very much, both for the characters and the writing. I highly recommend Elinor Lipman. I've read all her books and enjoy them immensely. I guess I'd say they're comedies of manners.

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute collection of her short stories. I liked the ongoing one in the middle, with Timothy and Hannah, the best. The collection would have been better arranged, however, by not having it end on such a sad note. Surely, the editors could have put that particular story elsewhere, rather than at the end?

[Anne Bartholomew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful, surprising little book. Be on the lookout for 80s era tropes but don't mind them, they don't obscure the truth of things that happen to and between the characters you meet. It's wry and honest and bittersweet and funny and it made me glad that diaphragms are a thing of the past.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Elinor Lipman's first book--short stories, and they are all quite enjoyable. This is another one I own and will always have in my collection. See my review of "The Way Men Act," Lipman's second book.

[Bayneeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to a version read by Paula Parker. These are short stories (I like short stories) and have the typical Lipman characters( I like Lipman characaters) and situations (and I like Lipman situations).

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that the center of this book included several interconnected stories, while there were a number of stand alones as well. i didn't like all the characters, but certainly got different perspectives on life and love.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not partial to short stories, so I probably shouldn't have read the book. But I'd gotten it home from the library and it was here . . . Anyway, good character development, but it doesn't really go anywhere. It's like the author emptied out her idea drawer.

[Luann Ritsema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readable and reliably romantic. These are infused with the humor I'd expect from Lipman, but of a gentler delivery. Much heart.

First read in 2015. Reread in 2018. I found I’d forgotten them but quite liked them again!

[Arline · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read.

[Anika · Rating 4 out of 5]

The collection was her first publication and you can see the beginnings of Lipman's future novels in these charming short stories.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good short stories. I really enjoyed them.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the characters and dialog, although I felt she really hit her stride in her novels.

[Inna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A delightful collection of short stories.

[Tmorgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Elinor Lipman. Breezy, funny, deceptively good.

[Doris Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not like that some of the short stories were about one couple. I thought the last story would be good for discussion in a short story group

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories with one extended novella in the middle. Pretty wonderful!

[Sarah]

Enjoyable short stories from what I recall...