Need : A Novel

by Lawrence David

Happily married psychiatrist Pam Thompson finds her comfortable life with her graphic artist husband, Dennis, beginning to unravel when she takes on Joan Dwyer, an attractive, forty-something woman abandoned by her husband, as a patient

Genres: Fiction

363 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Incisive depiction of the manner in which a female therapist tactically castrates her husband in every altercation. Uninspired writing, there's not much in the way of notable turns of phrase, here's the best of it: "... he is frustrated with his wife--her manipulative, controlling, reserved behavior"..."......he wanted to be "....comforted, supported and cared for rather than disputed, humiliated and challenged".....Pam to Dennis: "Whatever it is you're missing here, you're getting from her, and if you continue having her satisfy these needs, you won't bring them to me......""Joan isn't listening, and the words float by, garbled by her current thoughts"....."....seemingly random incidents can alter a child's sense of self imperceptibly and do emotional harm that may not be displayed in observable symptoms until years later"....."when you deny your feelings, they'll come back at you in unexpected ways, surfacing at inappropriate times when you aren't prepared to deal with them"....about fifties thinking: "A wife with a good arts background is useful to a successful man, makes him look good, fills in the areas of culture he's too busy to attend to".........The characters are superficial, shallow and unexceptional.

[SeveredTherapy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could someone please let Mr. David know that while writing an outline for a story is a fantastic idea, you actually have to connect your bulletpoints to make it a coherent story?

I only made it about 50 pages in, before I had to put it down. It truly felt like reading an outline of an interesting story, marred by the fact that there was no real connection between the bulletpoints.

It was an interesting premise, but the execution felt very High School English.

[Katheryn Bourne · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story/plot of this novel was quite good. I enjoyed the premise and the overall story development. David has a unique talent, with Need, to make you dislike every character for their own specific short comings. At points they can almost be unbearable, which is a feat in itself.


As for the writing, this fell short for me. Odd sentence structure, word choices, and a distinct lack of description be it physical or emotional.

[pb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Depression, marriage problems, jealousy, loneliness and suicide. A good book. Good story and a quick read. The story centers in on a therapist and one of her patients. The patient ends up having an affair with the therapist's husband. Hilarity doesn't ensue. Well written with an evolving plot that keeps you wondering where the 3 battered lives involved will end up. It's a car wreck happening one page at a time. I picked up this book because Naomi Watt's is suppose to be starring in the movie adaptation of it with Nicole Kidman. My library didn't have a copy, but I found it on Amazon for a penny (plus 3.99 for shipping, still not a bad deal). While I was reading it, I thought Watts would be the patient, but after checking IMDB, I read that Naomi is to be the therapist. I can see her doing either role well. Schedule has the movie slated for 2009, but both actresses have full schedules, so I'm just hoping it gets made one of these days. Read the book in the mean time. Highly recommended!

[eluvianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book is addicting, the dialog is difficult to get past. I'd often wonder, who talks like that? Dennis Perry's character in particular. A man that attentive seems inplausible if not completely ridiculous. Additionally, how he wouldn't be able to see from the get-go that Joan Dwyer was as needy as she was, is absolutely unbelievable (for one, a woman crying inconsolably on a first date is a red flag, sorry). Not so much in incapacity but tell us author, why is he blind? The point of third-person omnicient, though I'm no writer, is to give full scope. Yet I'm left to wonder what truly motivated these people beyond sleep-inducing marital woes. Intriguing almost solely for the drama (how Pam finds out Dennis is cheating on her, although somewhat predictable, provides for some fun suspense) and whether or not Joan kills herself.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting take on a love triangle between a therapist, her depressed patient, and the therapist's husband. Satirically funny yet very tragic. This was a suggested read by a favorite author of mine, Augusten Burroughs.

[Charity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suicidal patient unknowingly dates her therapist's husband and becomes a pawn in their marital feud. Very thrilling and impossible to put down.

[D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

strange what people would do, thinking they are helping someone, when we have professional experience does that mean we really know whats best? suicide stuff