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Suzanne Davis Gets a Life
"Incredibly charming…Suzanne Davis Gets a Life has an emotional honesty and moments of real wisdom."—Philadelphia Inquirer
Suzanne Davis lounges around her tiny New York City apartment in her pajamas, writing press releases for the International Association of Air-Conditioning Engineers, listening to the ticking of her biological clock, and wondering where life is taking her. As her 35th birthday looms, Suzanne embarks on a wrong-headed, but very funny, quest—to find Mr. Right and start the family she hopes will give meaning to her life.
Her quest plunges us into the world of her Upper West Side apartment building, a world of overly invested mothers, fanatical dog-owners, curmudgeonly longtime residents, and young (and not so young) professionals. All are keenly observed by Suzanne, whose witty self-deprecation endears her to us even as it makes us want to shake some sense into her.
Light in its tone but incisive in its social satire, Suzanne Davis Gets a Life balances its wit with true concern for its protagonist. We can't help but wish Suzanne success in "getting a life." But can such a search possibly yield the meaning she craves? When her extremely annoying mother arrives on the scene, it appears that her plan has been hijacked. But serious illness opens her to new people and a new perspective. She ends by getting a life—even as she may lose one.
Cohen "portrays timeless and universal challenges through a buoyant combination of humor, pathos, and gumption."—Booklist
"Suzanne Davis Gets a Life isn't just seriously entertaining, it's entertainingly serious…I want my romantic comedy heroines to have wit, but I want them to have character too, and be as interested in the world as in themselves. Paula Marantz Cohen has given me all of that."—Margo Jefferson
A "witty commentary on contemporary life, enriched by a funny, flawed, and likable heroine."—Kirkus
"Ms. Cohen is a perceptive, comic writer."—Wall Street Journal
Paula Marantz Cohen's novels include Jane Austen in Scarsdale or Love, Death and the SATs, Jane Austen in Boca, and the recent What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper.
Suzanne Davis lounges around her tiny New York City apartment in her pajamas, writing press releases for the International Association of Air-Conditioning Engineers, listening to the ticking of her biological clock, and wondering where life is taking her. As her 35th birthday looms, Suzanne embarks on a wrong-headed, but very funny, quest—to find Mr. Right and start the family she hopes will give meaning to her life.
Her quest plunges us into the world of her Upper West Side apartment building, a world of overly invested mothers, fanatical dog-owners, curmudgeonly longtime residents, and young (and not so young) professionals. All are keenly observed by Suzanne, whose witty self-deprecation endears her to us even as it makes us want to shake some sense into her.
Light in its tone but incisive in its social satire, Suzanne Davis Gets a Life balances its wit with true concern for its protagonist. We can't help but wish Suzanne success in "getting a life." But can such a search possibly yield the meaning she craves? When her extremely annoying mother arrives on the scene, it appears that her plan has been hijacked. But serious illness opens her to new people and a new perspective. She ends by getting a life—even as she may lose one.
Cohen "portrays timeless and universal challenges through a buoyant combination of humor, pathos, and gumption."—Booklist
"Suzanne Davis Gets a Life isn't just seriously entertaining, it's entertainingly serious…I want my romantic comedy heroines to have wit, but I want them to have character too, and be as interested in the world as in themselves. Paula Marantz Cohen has given me all of that."—Margo Jefferson
A "witty commentary on contemporary life, enriched by a funny, flawed, and likable heroine."—Kirkus
"Ms. Cohen is a perceptive, comic writer."—Wall Street Journal
Paula Marantz Cohen's novels include Jane Austen in Scarsdale or Love, Death and the SATs, Jane Austen in Boca, and the recent What Alice Knew: A Most Curious Tale of Henry James and Jack the Ripper.
220 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2014
2 people are currently reading
504 people want to read
About the author
Paula Marantz Cohen
25 books66 followersPaula Marantz Cohen, Distinguished Professor of English, received her BA in English and French from Yale University and her Ph.D. in English from Columbia University. She is the author of seven books and numerous essays on literature, film, and culture.
Her most recent academic book, Silent Film and the Triumph of the American Myth (Oxford UP), was selected as a Choice Outstanding Book for 2003. Her first novel, Jane Austen in Boca (St. Martin's Press), was a Literary Guild/Book of the Month Club Featured Alternate and a Page-Turner of the Week in People Magazine.
She has articles and stories in many journals, including Yale Review, Boulevard, Iowa Review, Raritan, The American Scholar, and The Hudson Review. She is the Co-Editor of the Journal of Modern Literature and a regular reviewer for the Times Literary Supplement. She is the recipient of the Lindback Teaching Award.
Her most recent academic book, Silent Film and the Triumph of the American Myth (Oxford UP), was selected as a Choice Outstanding Book for 2003. Her first novel, Jane Austen in Boca (St. Martin's Press), was a Literary Guild/Book of the Month Club Featured Alternate and a Page-Turner of the Week in People Magazine.
She has articles and stories in many journals, including Yale Review, Boulevard, Iowa Review, Raritan, The American Scholar, and The Hudson Review. She is the Co-Editor of the Journal of Modern Literature and a regular reviewer for the Times Literary Supplement. She is the recipient of the Lindback Teaching Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
July 31, 2014
It's really 3.75 stars: “Suzanne Davis Gets a Life” pretty much sums up what happens in this delightful novel. It’s Chick-lit at it’s finest, with a little twist. You have your self-deprecating protagonist (Suzanne), the bossy Mom, the outspoken BFF, and a pushy neighbor. Suzanne finds herself to be 35, single, with a job she can do at home in her PJ’s. Which she does…a lot…never leaving her NYC apartment. In a “Bridget Jones” sort of way, she decides she’s going to make serious changes to get herself a life. If you are a Jane Austin fan, you will love this novel, as Suzanne makes continuous references/comparison’s about Austin’s books and Suzanne’s life. This novel is intelligent, witty, and accurate. I do remember being 33, single, with an abysmal dating history, thinking the same things Suzanne does. It’s a fabulous read and a perfect summer beach read. I give it a 5 star rating in Chick Lit. It’s very satisfying.
July 11, 2014
In spite of my being an early thirtysomething, female NYC-dweller, pretty much the target demographic for these books, I’m not at all what one would call a “chick lit” person. I have absolutely no interest in the Bridget Jones’s Diaries of the literary world or any of those other books you’ll find with jackets splashily showing cartoonishly thin renderings of trendy cosmopolitan young women clutching oversize designer purses and tiny dogs on leashes. No, thanks. So I was a little skeptical when I picked up Suzanne Davis Gets a Life on a friend’s recommendation.
However, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself really enjoying this book. There’s too much plot to discuss in a short online review, but I’ll mention just a few parts that I loved. First, the basic plot is intriguing for a literary-nerd lady like myself and the book is genuinely funny. Suzanne is on a quest for her own Mr. Darcy, but she realizes that Elizabeth Bennet found hers among just the few inhabitants of a tiny 19th-century English village, whereas Suzanne lives in the immensely populated New York City of today. So she decides to scale down her search for Mr. Darcy to just the contacts she has within her own Upper West Side apartment building. I found this conceit truly inventive and a fun framework for a novel. And throughout, there is so much well-executed comedy, I found myself chuckling aloud as I read it.
Second, I thought it was great that I started out the novel kind of loathing Suzanne, but by the end of it I came to admire her and to wish I had some of her brassiness. Her character progression is realistic, well done, and praiseworthy. I also appreciated reading from the viewpoint (and this is not a spoiler because it’s mentioned on the book cover) of a person dealing with serious illness with humor and self-deprecation. I think in real life a lot of people deal with illness that way, but we so rarely get to see or read about it in popular culture. I’d compare this novel’s treatment of it with that of the excellent film 50/50 or with David Rakoff’s wonderful essays about his own disease, which he ultimately succumbed to.
Suzanne is not a character you’re going to immediately get behind. She’s selfish, diet-obsessed, cynical, lazy, oblivious, and a bit overly conscious of her biological clock. But as the book progresses and you spend more time with her, you quickly begin to realize that she is also curious, intelligent, funny, self-aware, generous, and willing to grow and learn from her mistakes—attributes we all should strive for. I delighted in following Suzanne on her journey to find her Mr. Darcy, and really, herself.
However, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself really enjoying this book. There’s too much plot to discuss in a short online review, but I’ll mention just a few parts that I loved. First, the basic plot is intriguing for a literary-nerd lady like myself and the book is genuinely funny. Suzanne is on a quest for her own Mr. Darcy, but she realizes that Elizabeth Bennet found hers among just the few inhabitants of a tiny 19th-century English village, whereas Suzanne lives in the immensely populated New York City of today. So she decides to scale down her search for Mr. Darcy to just the contacts she has within her own Upper West Side apartment building. I found this conceit truly inventive and a fun framework for a novel. And throughout, there is so much well-executed comedy, I found myself chuckling aloud as I read it.
Second, I thought it was great that I started out the novel kind of loathing Suzanne, but by the end of it I came to admire her and to wish I had some of her brassiness. Her character progression is realistic, well done, and praiseworthy. I also appreciated reading from the viewpoint (and this is not a spoiler because it’s mentioned on the book cover) of a person dealing with serious illness with humor and self-deprecation. I think in real life a lot of people deal with illness that way, but we so rarely get to see or read about it in popular culture. I’d compare this novel’s treatment of it with that of the excellent film 50/50 or with David Rakoff’s wonderful essays about his own disease, which he ultimately succumbed to.
Suzanne is not a character you’re going to immediately get behind. She’s selfish, diet-obsessed, cynical, lazy, oblivious, and a bit overly conscious of her biological clock. But as the book progresses and you spend more time with her, you quickly begin to realize that she is also curious, intelligent, funny, self-aware, generous, and willing to grow and learn from her mistakes—attributes we all should strive for. I delighted in following Suzanne on her journey to find her Mr. Darcy, and really, herself.
May 28, 2014
I read this light, sharp book in one reading.
I couldn't help comparing it to both Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones' Diary for obvious reasons. Its pitch is much closer to that of Pride and Prejudice, with plenty of social satire that simultaneously invokes Austen and keeps the book modern. Its heroine is much more self-sufficient and much less ditsy than Bridget Jones. But it's also much shorter than both Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones; I was disappointed to see so much wrapped up so quickly at the end.
I think Ms. Cohen wrote this with well-read beach-readers in mind as her audience. On one hand, she openly acknowledges one point where the readers "may get ahead of" her narrator, which basically saves the scene; on the other hand, she repeats certain narrative ticks with annoying frequency (e.g., her narrator's inability to mention her psychologist without the phrase "$200 an hour"), as though we all had memory problems. She must assume we're all going swimming every 3 pages...
All in all, I'm probably over-ranking it by giving it 4 stars. As beach reads go, it's a 5-star book. As a work of literature? More like 3--adequate, not stellar. So I'll give it 4, as we all need a few more light-but-not-stupid books in our lives.
I couldn't help comparing it to both Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones' Diary for obvious reasons. Its pitch is much closer to that of Pride and Prejudice, with plenty of social satire that simultaneously invokes Austen and keeps the book modern. Its heroine is much more self-sufficient and much less ditsy than Bridget Jones. But it's also much shorter than both Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones; I was disappointed to see so much wrapped up so quickly at the end.
I think Ms. Cohen wrote this with well-read beach-readers in mind as her audience. On one hand, she openly acknowledges one point where the readers "may get ahead of" her narrator, which basically saves the scene; on the other hand, she repeats certain narrative ticks with annoying frequency (e.g., her narrator's inability to mention her psychologist without the phrase "$200 an hour"), as though we all had memory problems. She must assume we're all going swimming every 3 pages...
All in all, I'm probably over-ranking it by giving it 4 stars. As beach reads go, it's a 5-star book. As a work of literature? More like 3--adequate, not stellar. So I'll give it 4, as we all need a few more light-but-not-stupid books in our lives.
August 30, 2019
I know this is a book of only 227 pages and I am about a third of the way through, and that was with some skimming. But, I can’t do it. This book is just too stupid along with its main character. ..Now I have a second thoughts, because of the first review and they’re just introducing a dog into the story and I do love doggies…so maybe I’ll read a few more pages....It seems Ms. Cohen isn’t a dog lover. Here’s some of my thoughts up until this section;
Friends are people who laugh at your jokes? That’s it? Maybe it’s the millennial generation but if that’s Suzanne‘s idea of friends is those people who laugh at your jokes?
I wonder if this is the new standard of people who communicate constantly via social media and all of its abbreviations, but without any actual facial and tonal communication. So glad I am not younger! How’s that for a very unusual statement?
I have angels in my life. I know I do. We SEE, HEAR and react to how our friends are Feeling. Sometimes when we are overwhelmed, it is hard to put our feelings into words. It’s hard to even put it out there that we are feeling depressed or upset.
The other day I spoke on the phone to my best friend and knew after about three minutes that something was wrong. I asked her what it was. But turned out she was feeling very hurt by one of her sons regarding her upcoming visit to him and his family. We didn’t actually come up with a “solution” but she appreciated the sympathy and empathy involved as we discussed what the next step would be. She felt better afterwards for having talked about it with someone who cares.
You don’t get that through social media media. It’s no wonder so many people, especially the young people of today just lack compassion. Could there be less depression and even less suicides if people communicated either face-to-face or at least over the phone when you can hear feelings? Oh, yes. OK I got to page 65 and really, I just can’t stand it anymore. Suzanne is just an overgrown goofy mean girl. The time reading this book has been totally wasted. PS Consider the one star a -*.
I just had to write up the experience of my next book here. It is a young adult book and, even though I am a senior citizen, these are sometime so rewarding. The book I read was Molly‘s Story by W Bruce Cameron. It’s also a very small book but this book is absolutely great. Just what I needed to wash the bad taste of “Suzanne” out of my brain.
Friends are people who laugh at your jokes? That’s it? Maybe it’s the millennial generation but if that’s Suzanne‘s idea of friends is those people who laugh at your jokes?
I wonder if this is the new standard of people who communicate constantly via social media and all of its abbreviations, but without any actual facial and tonal communication. So glad I am not younger! How’s that for a very unusual statement?
I have angels in my life. I know I do. We SEE, HEAR and react to how our friends are Feeling. Sometimes when we are overwhelmed, it is hard to put our feelings into words. It’s hard to even put it out there that we are feeling depressed or upset.
The other day I spoke on the phone to my best friend and knew after about three minutes that something was wrong. I asked her what it was. But turned out she was feeling very hurt by one of her sons regarding her upcoming visit to him and his family. We didn’t actually come up with a “solution” but she appreciated the sympathy and empathy involved as we discussed what the next step would be. She felt better afterwards for having talked about it with someone who cares.
You don’t get that through social media media. It’s no wonder so many people, especially the young people of today just lack compassion. Could there be less depression and even less suicides if people communicated either face-to-face or at least over the phone when you can hear feelings? Oh, yes. OK I got to page 65 and really, I just can’t stand it anymore. Suzanne is just an overgrown goofy mean girl. The time reading this book has been totally wasted. PS Consider the one star a -*.
I just had to write up the experience of my next book here. It is a young adult book and, even though I am a senior citizen, these are sometime so rewarding. The book I read was Molly‘s Story by W Bruce Cameron. It’s also a very small book but this book is absolutely great. Just what I needed to wash the bad taste of “Suzanne” out of my brain.
February 24, 2017
Who knows, maybe it had something to do with what was going on in my life when I read it, and maybe it doesn't deserve the superlative rating. I don't care. I just plain loved it. It was funny and relatable.
July 10, 2014
Suzanne Davis is infuriating — she rationalizes why she can’t do charity work, complains about her studio apartment on West 76th Street and is so wrapped up in her own ideas about how life should look that she misses a few big things on her journey. In other words, she’s exactly the type of person most of us are — sometimes, at least — a little self-absorbed but trying really hard to wrangle our expectations back to manageable.
Suzanne Davis Gets a Life by Paula Marantz Cohen begins with the aforementioned Suzanne trying, some might say desperately, to find a husband with whom she can procreate and move on to the next stage in her life.
Cohen’s novel is my favorite type of chick lit: smart, funny, and light without being overtly formulaic. Readers will find themselves cheering on Suzanne, and even though the book’s setup helps shift the possibility of a happy ending into almost-certainty, no one will be exactly sure of how Suzanne’s life — once she gets one — will fit into her idea of what it should be.
Read more of my review at Playing with Words
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for consideration for review. All opinions are my own.
Suzanne Davis Gets a Life by Paula Marantz Cohen begins with the aforementioned Suzanne trying, some might say desperately, to find a husband with whom she can procreate and move on to the next stage in her life.
Cohen’s novel is my favorite type of chick lit: smart, funny, and light without being overtly formulaic. Readers will find themselves cheering on Suzanne, and even though the book’s setup helps shift the possibility of a happy ending into almost-certainty, no one will be exactly sure of how Suzanne’s life — once she gets one — will fit into her idea of what it should be.
Read more of my review at Playing with Words
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for consideration for review. All opinions are my own.
August 17, 2014
I'm not a huge fan of modern chick-lit but this book was fantastic!! For some reason my copy had pages missing, but I won it for free so I can look past that
June 26, 2019
I truly enjoyed the wittiness of the writing and the descriptive tendencies of the author, despite the repetitious nature and continuous use of certain phrases and descriptions, but I have a feeling the author did it intentionally and with a purpose that undoubtedly was meant to portray certain aspects of the main character, Suzanne, so I was willing to overlook it in terms of its annoyingness factor. This book was very easy to read, I felt myself become quite invested in whether or not Suzanne actually was able to get a life, and found myself not wanting to put it down, hence reading it in one day. The story is simple, engaging and funny...but I did take issue with some of the stylistic choices and plot digressions of the author...which lowers the rating in my opinion. However, if you are looking for a fun, easy, entertaining summer book and don’t mind cheesy, chic lit...then I definitely recommend this book.
August 11, 2025
Suzanne is a 34 year-old woman who is navigating life. From her shoebox of an apartment and her not too challenging writing job, she thinks of creative ways to meet Mr. Right. The writing is charming and often very funny, and I’m sure many can identify with dealing with an overbearing mother, health surprises and the ticking of the biological clock.
August 28, 2017
Suzanne is single, working at a boring job and living in a tiny apartment in NYC. She kvetches big time, but eventually is able to adjust to her world with grace and humor. Funny observations, and good life lesson!
September 30, 2017
This book took a turn in the middle I totally didn't expect and is all the better for it.
October 1, 2017
I really enjoy Ms. Cohen's work. This was a truly touching look at how a thirty something takes charge of her life and realizes her dreams in totally unexpected ways.
November 10, 2022
Like other novels by Paula Marantz Cohen, this story made me laugh. It's witty, wise, and as usual, has quirky and fun parallels with Jane Austen novels. I liked it very much.
September 9, 2014
Paula Marantz Cohen's plucky heroine in Suzanne Davis Gets a Life is a 34-year-old single woman living in a "shoe-box" sized apartment in Manhattan and writing press releases for I-ACE, the International Association of Air Conditioning Engineers. With a far-from-glamorous job, a ticking biological clock and not even a Mr. Right-Enough in sight, Suzanne has decided enough is enough. "Let's face it; I want more," she tells us straight. "I'm not asking for a Jane Austen novel, but I want love or at least companionship and maybe a bigger apartment. In short, I want a life." (p.7)
Suzanne goes about the getting of a life in a humorous and determined way. Taking inspiration from Jane Austen, who focused her plots on a few families in a small English country village, Suzanne decides to focus her husband-hunting efforts on the dozen or so people in her New York apartment building.
As a tech writer working from home, Suzanne has a flexible schedule and she takes full advantage of it. She decides to launch her find-a-mate project by studying the mothers in her building who frequent the playground across the street. They have succeeded at marriage and motherhood and must, she concludes, have something to teach her. Before long, she has them categorized into three groups. First are the very young, "dazed"-looking moms who seem to be "wondering how it was they had gotten here." Next are the slightly older moms who have left work to stay home full time and are secretly exultant if a little guilty about it. Finally there are the really old moms who are completely engrossed in every aspect of childcare to a worrying degree. "All that care—how could it not result in serious neurosis?" Suzanne asks.
It isn't long before Suzanne "makes contact." Pauline, a forty-something mom of a precocious young daughter asks Suzanne to join her book club, promising that one member is a suitable, unattached young man who might be just the one she's looking for. Of course it is never quite that easy. Suzanne picks the least suitable choice more than once, but seems to be making some kind of slow progress when she is suddenly derailed by a diagnosis of "pretty good," curable breast cancer.
Suzanne faces her illness without flinching, humor intact, even though the medication she'll have to take for the next five years probably means that a biological child will not be in the cards. Cancer is a major bummer, but not without its perks. As Suzanne puts it, "It was the first time that I found myself a member of a club where I didn't have to exert myself to belong; I didn't have to make lanyards or sing in the choir or do community service or chatter in Spanish around a lunch table. I didn't even have to read books. It was nice to be congratulated for doing nothing." (p. 197) She's even getting along better with her irritating mother. It all has something to do with perspective. Suzanne realizes that she already has a life, one she's willing to fight for.
The twists and turns of Suzanne's quest to get a life—or rather to fight for the one she already has—are funny in themselves, but funnier still is her dry, sarcastic wit that shows her to be astute but not bitter. This is a book that will really, truly, actually make you laugh out loud. Suzanne Davis is just plain likeable, the kind of character you not only enjoy but wish were a real person so you could be friends. And the happy ending is at least as satisfying as any Jane Austin novel could be.
by Lisa Shirah-Hiers
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
Suzanne goes about the getting of a life in a humorous and determined way. Taking inspiration from Jane Austen, who focused her plots on a few families in a small English country village, Suzanne decides to focus her husband-hunting efforts on the dozen or so people in her New York apartment building.
As a tech writer working from home, Suzanne has a flexible schedule and she takes full advantage of it. She decides to launch her find-a-mate project by studying the mothers in her building who frequent the playground across the street. They have succeeded at marriage and motherhood and must, she concludes, have something to teach her. Before long, she has them categorized into three groups. First are the very young, "dazed"-looking moms who seem to be "wondering how it was they had gotten here." Next are the slightly older moms who have left work to stay home full time and are secretly exultant if a little guilty about it. Finally there are the really old moms who are completely engrossed in every aspect of childcare to a worrying degree. "All that care—how could it not result in serious neurosis?" Suzanne asks.
It isn't long before Suzanne "makes contact." Pauline, a forty-something mom of a precocious young daughter asks Suzanne to join her book club, promising that one member is a suitable, unattached young man who might be just the one she's looking for. Of course it is never quite that easy. Suzanne picks the least suitable choice more than once, but seems to be making some kind of slow progress when she is suddenly derailed by a diagnosis of "pretty good," curable breast cancer.
Suzanne faces her illness without flinching, humor intact, even though the medication she'll have to take for the next five years probably means that a biological child will not be in the cards. Cancer is a major bummer, but not without its perks. As Suzanne puts it, "It was the first time that I found myself a member of a club where I didn't have to exert myself to belong; I didn't have to make lanyards or sing in the choir or do community service or chatter in Spanish around a lunch table. I didn't even have to read books. It was nice to be congratulated for doing nothing." (p. 197) She's even getting along better with her irritating mother. It all has something to do with perspective. Suzanne realizes that she already has a life, one she's willing to fight for.
The twists and turns of Suzanne's quest to get a life—or rather to fight for the one she already has—are funny in themselves, but funnier still is her dry, sarcastic wit that shows her to be astute but not bitter. This is a book that will really, truly, actually make you laugh out loud. Suzanne Davis is just plain likeable, the kind of character you not only enjoy but wish were a real person so you could be friends. And the happy ending is at least as satisfying as any Jane Austin novel could be.
by Lisa Shirah-Hiers
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
September 24, 2016
I didn't enjoy this much at the beginning and almost put it down but I'm glad I kept with it. Suzanne Davis, the narrator, becomes more and more likable as the story goes on and she encounters certain challenges in her life. While this may be characterized as "chick lit" (a genre that I enjoy) the story was unique and offered some valuable lessons.
January 19, 2015
Suzanne is a 31...OK…34-year-old single woman living in a tiny apartment in New York City. Her job is as a technical writer for an air-conditioning company. With her biological clock ticking away, she has yet to find the perfect man. As she works mostly from home, her every day life is pretty predictable. However, she is determined to step up her search for a husband and decides to start by spending time on the apartment’s playground observing the mothers as they interact with their children on a daily basis. She slowly gets to know some of them which gets her introduced to several men and involved with a book group. A couple of the men she meets aren’t too bad but neither are they the greatest.
Suzanne has a mother who has driven her crazy all of her life resulting in her now amassing large fees from her shrink. Thank goodness her mother lives in Arizona.
The story takes us through some of the dates Suzanne has with men and the resulting sexual encounters. In addition, she introduces readers to the characters in her apartment building that will leave the reader laughing.
Life continues on this flat line way until Suzanne is diagnosed with breast cancer. What follows is an account of her reaction to her illness and her treatment.
The novel has a number of laugh out loud moments. The biggest thing that struck me was that I could just hear Woody Allen telling this story. It was perfectly written for him to narrate it.
While I enjoyed some of the humorous moments and goofy characters, I found that the book became a bit monotonous after awhile. However, I’m sure many readers will like the comedy.
Suzanne has a mother who has driven her crazy all of her life resulting in her now amassing large fees from her shrink. Thank goodness her mother lives in Arizona.
The story takes us through some of the dates Suzanne has with men and the resulting sexual encounters. In addition, she introduces readers to the characters in her apartment building that will leave the reader laughing.
Life continues on this flat line way until Suzanne is diagnosed with breast cancer. What follows is an account of her reaction to her illness and her treatment.
The novel has a number of laugh out loud moments. The biggest thing that struck me was that I could just hear Woody Allen telling this story. It was perfectly written for him to narrate it.
While I enjoyed some of the humorous moments and goofy characters, I found that the book became a bit monotonous after awhile. However, I’m sure many readers will like the comedy.
July 26, 2016
Suzanne Davis Gets a Life is how one unhappy woman decides to do some changes in her life. She has a rather boring job, even though she has the luxury of working from home. She has issues with dating and a mother who is a very annoying woman, albeit helpful when Suzanne is diagnosed with cancer. We learn a lot about the characters that live in her Upper West side apartment. We go along with Suzanne for the ride of the hell that cancer can be, through chemo treatments, losing her hair, wig shopping and generally not feeling well. I know what this is like having had a husband go through chemo treatments. It is not a fun ordeal for the person suffering from it not the caregivers observing it. But persevere she does with sarcastic wit and a best friend and her mother to help her through the worst of it.
Does Suzanne Davis get a life and is it the one she most wants?? You have to read the book for those answers... I loved this fast paced at times snarky novel. It is easy to read and full of interesting and eccentric people, most of whom live in Suzanne's apartment building. Great story!
Does Suzanne Davis get a life and is it the one she most wants?? You have to read the book for those answers... I loved this fast paced at times snarky novel. It is easy to read and full of interesting and eccentric people, most of whom live in Suzanne's apartment building. Great story!
August 31, 2014
As soon as I started reading, I started giggling at some of the author's references about life, relationships, and men. The book was an easy read from start to finish. I definitely enjoyed the fast minded, talking and thinking on the author's part. I was glad to know someone could babble on like me sometimes. I also related to the love/hate relationship with her Mother. Ultimately, no matter what the circumstances or relationship, they are still your Mother. I laughed hysterically at the debacle with Kurt and Phillip; too funny! I wasn't expecting the story to turn the way it did, however, I was glad to see that someone can shed a positive light, mindset, disposition on what most would consider a big fat negative in their life. I am going to borrow this to a friend who has been in the author's shoes, just a different form of it, and hopefully she can see the positivity in the book. Thanks for allowing me to be a Goodreads winner! Much gratitude!
September 10, 2014
OK, so this may not have been the perfect book, but it gets 5 stars from me: 1) because if I could write a chick lit book, this is exactly the kind of book I would write; and 2) the author's name is the same as mine, so maybe this is the kind of chick lit book I could write someday. Suzanne Davis is not very likeable in my book -- her personality is not one towards which I would naturally gravitate -- but she is a real and genuine heroine. So many of these books are all about meeting Mr. Right, and how life first becomes interesting due to all the interactions they have (positive and negative) and then becomes perfect when they both succumb to their attraction. Suzanne Davis' life transformation was not dependent on meeting the guy, and was more about when you have the right priorities and fix the broken things in your life, then the people who come into it become worthy of your attention. I like the philosophy and accordingly, I liked this book a lot.
July 25, 2014
A great summer read. I read it in the hospital. Funny and smart-alecky enough to keep my attention away from worrying about David. There's a Jane Austen theme woven through the book, as I guess there is for all of this author's books, given their titles. This is the first I've read. Because of that theme, it's clear from the start where the book is going. Somebody wants to get married. That someone is clueless about her own best interests. The setting is Manhattan, actually one particular apartment building in Manhattan. There's an impossible mother, who turns out to be one of the best characters. Some times I actually laughed out loud. So the narrator is definitely snarky; her social commentary give the book its edge. I actually like her much better in her snarkyness than in her enlightened state.
July 28, 2014
I'm not entirely sure what the fascination is lately with Jane Austen is lately in the novels I've been picking up. My last one - According to Jane - was just a dreary mess. Boo hoo, Mr. Darcy doesn't exist.
This one picks up on the same sentiment, but at a tolerable level. Book Club allows it to be woven into the story line, rather than a all-consuming fixation. I did enjoy that the protagonist grows and learns to be more accepting - accepting of her surroundings, people near her, her mother and her own shortcomings.
This book was very good with explaining personal feelings and relationships. Only so-so when it came to describing cancer and cancer treatment. It was put in to move along the plot and prompt the change in the main character, but I think it could have been researched and written better.
Certainly a nice read - light-hearted beach reading...
This one picks up on the same sentiment, but at a tolerable level. Book Club allows it to be woven into the story line, rather than a all-consuming fixation. I did enjoy that the protagonist grows and learns to be more accepting - accepting of her surroundings, people near her, her mother and her own shortcomings.
This book was very good with explaining personal feelings and relationships. Only so-so when it came to describing cancer and cancer treatment. It was put in to move along the plot and prompt the change in the main character, but I think it could have been researched and written better.
Certainly a nice read - light-hearted beach reading...
August 7, 2014
This is definitely a fun summer book to read. It deals with some of life's serious topics in a humorous way. The main character is a theory something New Yorker. She looks at life and her relationships with men and her mother with sarcastic humor. As she decides to try a new approach to meeting men she experiences some life changing thoughts. Then life throws her a curve ball and she goes through some attitude adjustments. Her relationship with her mother and her neighbors grow. She reevaluates her life and her job. This new outlook is a wonderful message to all the women out there who are unhappy with their looks their friendships, who have doubts and low self esteem.
July 25, 2014
Won this book from Goodreads first-reads. Thank you!
I found this book a little hard to get into, but after a few chapters, I found myself wanting to find out what happened.
Suzanne is 34 years old, worried about her biological clock and finding 'Mr Right'. She has a medical crisis, which puts a lot of things into perspective. This is a quick, light read that I enjoyed. Would be a great book to take to the beach.
I found this book a little hard to get into, but after a few chapters, I found myself wanting to find out what happened.
Suzanne is 34 years old, worried about her biological clock and finding 'Mr Right'. She has a medical crisis, which puts a lot of things into perspective. This is a quick, light read that I enjoyed. Would be a great book to take to the beach.
October 29, 2014
When Suzanne hits 34 years old she decides that she has to come up with a new plan to meet Mr. Right. She starts by joining the book club in her apartment building and getting to know her neighbors. She discovers that life has a way of throwing curve balls when you least expect it and sometimes you get what you ask for and sometimes you don't. I liked this book and Paula Marantz Cohen has a writing style I like.
August 6, 2014
Fun, witty read and quite different from the usual chic-lit. The characters all seemed real, not fake and overly pretty and gorgeous, which paired well with the dynamic life story of our heroine. Lots of laughs were packed in and I'm glad the author didn't squeeze the juice out of the book by trying to lengthen the book to a ridiculously inappropriate number of pages for stories of this type.
March 12, 2016
Suzanne Davis is me in a lot of ways, which is why I laughed and nodded throughout this book, much to the confusion of my family members. This book was funny and a good, light read, one that made me think about how we pull ourselves out of our own life's ruts, and how it takes the help of others to do so. Which maybe means that it's not such a light read after all.
December 22, 2014
It took some time for me to get through this tale of Suzanne Davis. At first, I didn't care much for her but she does grow on you after a time. The bits of humor got me through and led me to finish her story. I did find myself skipping whole passages of the story which is never a good sign. I have to say, in addition, I would never last in that bookclub!
July 21, 2014
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It's not your ordinary silly chick lit. Suzanne Davis Gets a Life is a smart, thoroughly enjoyable read that is ideal for a summer weekend take along. I plan on reading more from the author.
September 20, 2014
Couldn't stay focused on the story but did enjoy it. Cancer is not a funny topic, but Suzanne learned to live life with this horrible disease and laughed at it. Humorous, serious and all in all a pretty good read. Loved her Mother! Thank you GoodReads and Paula Marantz Cohen!
July 25, 2014
I won this in a goodreads giveaway! And it started like stereotypical chick lit, but got more edgy and fun, although I could totally see the end coming from the beginning. And I'm a little insulted by the implication that all it takes to get a boyfriend is to leave your apartment.
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