Reinhart's Women

Reinhart #4

by Thomas Berger

Berger, Thomas, Reinhart's Women

Genres: Fiction

295 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Thomas Louis Berger was an American novelist, probably best known for his picaresque novel Little Big Man, which was adapted into a film by Arthur Penn. Berger explored and manipulated many genres of fiction throughout his career, including the crime novel, the hard-boiled detective story, science fiction, the utopian novel, plus re-workings of classical mythology, Arthurian legend, and the survival adventure.

Berger's use of humor and his often biting wit led many reviewers to refer to him as a satirist or "comic" novelist, though he rejected that classification.

Reviews

[George Crowder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read this work many years ago, among others by Thomas Berger, I wondered if it would be as enjoyable as I remembered. Yes and no. On the one hand, the author's genial grace and gentle humor is still evident, and it's quite a pleasure to enjoy a novel in which not so very much happens and many things remain (for this reader) unexplained by the book's conclusion. Having done a spot of writing in the years between my two reads, I found myself thinking that I might have taken things in a somewhat different direction, or probed a little further in my own treatment of the topics. And the convenience of certain plot developments--almost all of which work out to the great benefit of Reinhardt--seemed contrived, as my age has exceeded that of the protagonist. Still, Berger remains a writer whose work I read and re-read with pleasure.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read this novel previously but as with too much of my reading, had not retained much.
This comedy was at times verbal vaudeville with an assortment of characters that spanned the emotional spectrum. The story is slight but more than enough to savor some truly hilarious episodes.
Berger's prose is so delicate and sly he at times reminds me of Nabokov.
Reinhardt's coming to terms with contemporary sexual mores and his own transfiguration as a serious cook are heart warming and a triumph after his many business failures.
Highly recommended for a reprieve from our current political and economic distractions.

[Bill FromPA]

Previous: Neighbors
Next: The Feud

[John Fetzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A farce about morals in the modern day

Reinhart, getting older, feel less in touch with people, particularly women. He dithers and worries about what he will do and say, then about what he did and said. One in a series of such farcical books.

[Christopher Sutch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've found Berger's Reinhart novels to be a mixed bag. He was never able to match the quality of the best of them (the second novel, _Reinhart in Love_), and hit a particular low point with the third, _Vital Parts_. This novel, however, shows us a more mature Reinhart and a more mature Berger as well. The balance between Berger's caustic satire of American culture and more or less authentic characterization is superb (in fact, this is the first of Berger's novels in which I felt I could recognize "real" people in the characters he represents). In some ways, this book covers too many issues that Berger wished to comment upon (television, religious cults, the emergence of gay culture into mainstream American life, etc.), but it contains some fine and truly touching moments. Reinhart has matured into something more than an idealistic buffoon; he has become a real person who, although he is often puzzled by the actions of those around him, and who still occasionally has flights of unrealistic personal fantasy, has learned to rein in those flights of fancy and keep himself rooted to the ground; in short, he takes himself and the people he interacts with seriously and is forgiving of personal foibles and errors due to immaturity or inexperience in others. It's not the best Thomas Berger novel I've ever read, but it marks a shift into more thoughtful and interesting works as the author entered his 60s.

[Swan Bender · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be delightful enough to research more titles by this author and buy up more of his books. I am ready and willing to read them.
An interesting collection of people and events that kept me entertained.

[Susan]

Found on the free shelves 7/17/12. Except it's hardcover - not paperback