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To Die For
When her husband is shot dead by her teenage boyfriend, would-be television journalist Suzanne Maretto steps into the role of grieving widow with a brilliant performance. But few suspect her dark side. This chilling novel of ambition and sexual obsession goes behind the mask of an apple-pie beauty to probe the sinister manipulations of a mesmerizing femme fatale.
258 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
407 people are currently reading
2573 people want to read
About the author
Joyce Maynard
58 books2,845 followersJoyce Maynard first came to national attention with the publication of her New York Times cover story “An Eighteen-Year-Old Looks Back on Life” in 1973, when she was a freshman at Yale. Since then, she has been a reporter and columnist for The New York Times, a syndicated newspaper columnist whose “Domestic Affairs” column appeared in more than fifty papers nationwide, a regular contributor to NPR. Her writing has also been published in national magazines, including O, The Oprah Magazine; Newsweek; The New York Times Magazine; Forbes; Salon; San Francisco Magazine, USA Weekly; and many more. She has appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNN, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Charlie Rose, and on Fresh Air. Essays of hers appear in numerous collections. She has been a fellow at Yaddo, UCross, and The MacDowell Colony, where she wrote her most recently published novel, Labor Day.
The author of many books of fiction and nonfiction, including the novel To Die For (in which she also plays the role of Nicole Kidman’s attorney) and the bestselling memoir, At Home in the World, Maynard makes her home in Mill Valley, California. Her novel, The Usual Rules—a story about surviving loss—has been a favorite of book club audiences of all ages, and was chosen by the American Library Association as one of the ten best books for young readers for 2003.
Joyce Maynard also runs the Lake Atitlan Writing Workshop in Guatemala, founded in 2002.
The author of many books of fiction and nonfiction, including the novel To Die For (in which she also plays the role of Nicole Kidman’s attorney) and the bestselling memoir, At Home in the World, Maynard makes her home in Mill Valley, California. Her novel, The Usual Rules—a story about surviving loss—has been a favorite of book club audiences of all ages, and was chosen by the American Library Association as one of the ten best books for young readers for 2003.
Joyce Maynard also runs the Lake Atitlan Writing Workshop in Guatemala, founded in 2002.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
November 16, 2017
I am intrigued with Joyce Maynard. Her personal story is so interesting, she is brutally honest and is not afraid to push the boundaries of topical and personal issues. I have asked my public library to add her memoir, At Home in the World, as I can't locate it in any libraries here in Australia.
This is a literary read, but of most interest to me is the fact that she wanted to explore the issues of fidelity, sexual obsession, ambition, and violence and the role that pop culture in the form of media and magazines play a part in this. How far would one go for gratification and self-fulfilment, and ultimately, love.
While reading this book I looked her up online, so easy to do of course, and there is so much to this author to discover.
I love that the main character in this story, as crazy and self absorbed as she is, states that she'd like the girl that just married Tom Cruise, but forgets her name?.. to play her in the movie of her life. Nicole Kidman plays her in the late 90's movie version of the book.
Now I've re piqued my interest in the movie, so will watch it again soon. Joyce makes a cameo as the main character's lawyer, carrying her mother's ashes as her mum always wanted her to be on the big screen. A worthwhile and interesting read!
This is a literary read, but of most interest to me is the fact that she wanted to explore the issues of fidelity, sexual obsession, ambition, and violence and the role that pop culture in the form of media and magazines play a part in this. How far would one go for gratification and self-fulfilment, and ultimately, love.
While reading this book I looked her up online, so easy to do of course, and there is so much to this author to discover.
I love that the main character in this story, as crazy and self absorbed as she is, states that she'd like the girl that just married Tom Cruise, but forgets her name?.. to play her in the movie of her life. Nicole Kidman plays her in the late 90's movie version of the book.
Now I've re piqued my interest in the movie, so will watch it again soon. Joyce makes a cameo as the main character's lawyer, carrying her mother's ashes as her mum always wanted her to be on the big screen. A worthwhile and interesting read!
May 30, 2022
This is a reread of a great book I read MANY years ago. Review below.
You like to think you can count on a person. To hang around”
― Joyce Maynard, To Die for
Five stars.
This is a book that any mystery lover should read. It is simply brilliant.
It is also so way ahead of its time. It is such a commentary on both our media and reality TV..but reality TV w as a long way off when this book was published. It isn't new . Might be one of the best psychological thrillers I've ever read.
SPOILERS:
It tells the story of Suzanne Stone, an aspiring media journalist willing to do just about anything for the chance to get on TV. So when her kind and devoted husband starts talking about starting a family and settling down..why not kill him.
Suzanne is a sociopath, utterly without conscience and it is fascinating to read about her. She enlists the help of local teenagers to get the job done. One of them is in love with her and she thinks nothing of seducing him to get him to bend to her will.
This story is loosely based on a true story.
It is told by multiple characters in almost a docudrama way. All of these characters are important and all of them are memorable. The way the voices of the characters are written is so sharp and skillful you will be thinking of them and this book, long after you turn the last page.
This was also a film with Nicole Kidman playing Suzanne. She won a Golden Globe for her performance.
The book is wickedly dark, bitingly witty and what it has to say about the media in general is fresh and so before it's time, that the books stands out for that alone. Add the incredible characterizations and deeply involving Prose and you have a five star winner on your hands.
This is a must read.
You like to think you can count on a person. To hang around”
― Joyce Maynard, To Die for
Five stars.
This is a book that any mystery lover should read. It is simply brilliant.
It is also so way ahead of its time. It is such a commentary on both our media and reality TV..but reality TV w as a long way off when this book was published. It isn't new . Might be one of the best psychological thrillers I've ever read.
SPOILERS:
It tells the story of Suzanne Stone, an aspiring media journalist willing to do just about anything for the chance to get on TV. So when her kind and devoted husband starts talking about starting a family and settling down..why not kill him.
Suzanne is a sociopath, utterly without conscience and it is fascinating to read about her. She enlists the help of local teenagers to get the job done. One of them is in love with her and she thinks nothing of seducing him to get him to bend to her will.
This story is loosely based on a true story.
It is told by multiple characters in almost a docudrama way. All of these characters are important and all of them are memorable. The way the voices of the characters are written is so sharp and skillful you will be thinking of them and this book, long after you turn the last page.
This was also a film with Nicole Kidman playing Suzanne. She won a Golden Globe for her performance.
The book is wickedly dark, bitingly witty and what it has to say about the media in general is fresh and so before it's time, that the books stands out for that alone. Add the incredible characterizations and deeply involving Prose and you have a five star winner on your hands.
This is a must read.
April 4, 2010
I loved this book!! Such a unique way of telling a story. The book is fiction but is based largely on the Pamela Smart case of the early 90's; it also rings familiar with numerous other real-life cases that have gotten national media attention throughout recent years, way after the book was written.
Suzanne Maretto is a young woman who has always wanted nothing more than to become a high-profile tv news reporter. She is focused on her career goals to the point of obsession, and anything that gets in her way be damned. She is shallow and manipulative, able to turn on the charm to get what she wants. When she decides that what she wants is to have her husband out of the way, she worms her way into the lives of 3 teenagers who become so enamored with her that they end up at her beck and call. You can probably guess what follows.
What is unique about this book is that the story is told entirely in "documentary" form, with alternating accounts told by all the key characters in their own voices. I liked the ending, as it was somewhat unexpected.
The only positive thing I can say about Suzanne is that she adored her dog, which in my book, makes it impossible to truly despise her!
Suzanne Maretto is a young woman who has always wanted nothing more than to become a high-profile tv news reporter. She is focused on her career goals to the point of obsession, and anything that gets in her way be damned. She is shallow and manipulative, able to turn on the charm to get what she wants. When she decides that what she wants is to have her husband out of the way, she worms her way into the lives of 3 teenagers who become so enamored with her that they end up at her beck and call. You can probably guess what follows.
What is unique about this book is that the story is told entirely in "documentary" form, with alternating accounts told by all the key characters in their own voices. I liked the ending, as it was somewhat unexpected.
The only positive thing I can say about Suzanne is that she adored her dog, which in my book, makes it impossible to truly despise her!
October 14, 2013
I've been on a little Joyce Maynard kick after really enjoying After Her , so I checked out my library to see which of her older stuff it had. I settled on To Die For, even though by its title, it seemed more than a bit campy.
Before I read this, I came across a review that complained it read like a made-for-TV movie. Looking only at plot line--beautiful, ambitious young reported manipulates disadvantaged teens to off her husband for her--I can see where the comparisons come from, but I really think it was a lot more meaty than that. For one thing, I thought it was very affecting--many of the chapters cultivated a very icky, must-take-a-shower feeling that left me shaking my head in disbelief but desperate to keep reading more.
The strength of this, I thought, was the author's ability to portray one event--even if it seemed inconsequential--in all the different interpretations of all of the people involved in it. In particular, the way the main character, Suzanne, explained things was downright chilling, especially since the reader had just read it told in several different ways right before. She's completely sociopathic, and the reader can't help but shake their heads when they read her interpretation of what went down. But, she's such a gifted manipulator that even halfway through the book, when the actual events before substantiated by a number of different accounts, I found myself wondering, "but what if her telling is the actual truth?"
It's interesting to me that this was made into a movie, because I just can't see it carrying the same strength without the chapter-by-chapter, behind-the-scenes look into each character's mind regarding the events that took place. As a straight-line progression story, it seems like it would be missing the heart that this book had that made it so satisfyingly unsettling.
Before I read this, I came across a review that complained it read like a made-for-TV movie. Looking only at plot line--beautiful, ambitious young reported manipulates disadvantaged teens to off her husband for her--I can see where the comparisons come from, but I really think it was a lot more meaty than that. For one thing, I thought it was very affecting--many of the chapters cultivated a very icky, must-take-a-shower feeling that left me shaking my head in disbelief but desperate to keep reading more.
The strength of this, I thought, was the author's ability to portray one event--even if it seemed inconsequential--in all the different interpretations of all of the people involved in it. In particular, the way the main character, Suzanne, explained things was downright chilling, especially since the reader had just read it told in several different ways right before. She's completely sociopathic, and the reader can't help but shake their heads when they read her interpretation of what went down. But, she's such a gifted manipulator that even halfway through the book, when the actual events before substantiated by a number of different accounts, I found myself wondering, "but what if her telling is the actual truth?"
It's interesting to me that this was made into a movie, because I just can't see it carrying the same strength without the chapter-by-chapter, behind-the-scenes look into each character's mind regarding the events that took place. As a straight-line progression story, it seems like it would be missing the heart that this book had that made it so satisfyingly unsettling.
June 30, 2012
What a wonderful read. I had a hard time putting it down, actually. I loved how the novel was set up in testimonials, there was so much dramatic irony regarding what Suzanne would say and where the truth was with the kids. I just love novels that tell a story that already happened.
When starting the novel, you already know the basic plot: Suzanne is Pamela Smart, seducing a teenage boy and hiring him and two other teens to murder her husband. Your first impression before reading is 'how interesting, I'm sure she's messed up". From the first page, you read nice things about Suzanne's past and how she was so wonderful. You start out somewhat liking her and wanting her to fufill her dreams but you grow to absolutley hate her. You grow to root for Lydia and Jimmy.
What I love is that the characters resemble reality. They are people trying to figure out truth from lies. One person has a positive opinion about Suzanne while another knows the truth. Suzanne as a character is so interesting; rolling in lies underneath her ambition and beauty.
Awesome, fun read. I suggest it if you're looking for an intriguing crime novel.
When starting the novel, you already know the basic plot: Suzanne is Pamela Smart, seducing a teenage boy and hiring him and two other teens to murder her husband. Your first impression before reading is 'how interesting, I'm sure she's messed up". From the first page, you read nice things about Suzanne's past and how she was so wonderful. You start out somewhat liking her and wanting her to fufill her dreams but you grow to absolutley hate her. You grow to root for Lydia and Jimmy.
What I love is that the characters resemble reality. They are people trying to figure out truth from lies. One person has a positive opinion about Suzanne while another knows the truth. Suzanne as a character is so interesting; rolling in lies underneath her ambition and beauty.
Awesome, fun read. I suggest it if you're looking for an intriguing crime novel.
December 11, 2009
Maynard's book, using elements from the 1990 Pamela Smart murder case, is told in the form of a highly engrossing collection of first-person narratives from various characters: the accused (aspiring newscaster Suzanne Stone Maretto), her parents, the victim's parents and sister, the teenage accomplices, and a few accounts from various onlookers and acquaintances.
The psychological portraits drawn are engaging and powerful; compared to Suzanne's self-absorbed tunnel-vision of calculated retconning, the accounts given by the wrong-side-of-the-tracks teenagers she befriends and manipulates to kill her husband Larry are almost heart-breaking in their raw honesty, bewilderment, and eventual sense of betrayal. Two in particular--Jimmy and Lydia--clearly have Suzanne up on a pedestal from the beginning of their acquaintance with her; to them, she's a flash of light and colour in their otherwise bleak lives, at least until Suzanne uses then discards them.
There's a powerful sense of class conflict throughout the book; the well-off WASP background of Suzanne clashes strongly not just with that of Larry's honest and likable working-class parents but also with the abuse, neglect and poverty that her teenage acquaintances and their parents face--making Suzanne's manipulation of them all that much more appalling. "The game is rigged. Doesn't everybody know that yet?" Jimmy's mother wearily asks.
I was impressed at how nearly everyone narrating is sympathethic to some extent, not an easy thing for a writer to accomplish with this kind of story. People are clearly portrayed as often being the result of not just their own choices in life, but also of those made by others around them, of the circumstances of their birth, of what has happened to them in the world.
We can even feel a very slight sympathy for Suzanne herself, so lost in her style-over-substance lifestyle and desire for the outwardly "perfect" life (seemingly encouraged by her well-meaning but appearance-emphasizing, overly indulgent parents) that she honestly seems to believe her own version of events. Not surprising when considering that this is a woman who equates looking good for an audience with actual virtue, but chilling and sad nonetheless. We can truly believe that this is a woman who would arrange to have her spouse killed not just for the insurance money, but to avoid the "messiness" of a divorce. To her, appearances are everything.
A gripping and cautionary tale of pursuing the modern American dream of fame/success for all the wrong reasons and in all the wrong ways, To Die For offers a supercharged reminder of the dangers of prizing surface over depth: truly, all that glitters is not gold.
The psychological portraits drawn are engaging and powerful; compared to Suzanne's self-absorbed tunnel-vision of calculated retconning, the accounts given by the wrong-side-of-the-tracks teenagers she befriends and manipulates to kill her husband Larry are almost heart-breaking in their raw honesty, bewilderment, and eventual sense of betrayal. Two in particular--Jimmy and Lydia--clearly have Suzanne up on a pedestal from the beginning of their acquaintance with her; to them, she's a flash of light and colour in their otherwise bleak lives, at least until Suzanne uses then discards them.
There's a powerful sense of class conflict throughout the book; the well-off WASP background of Suzanne clashes strongly not just with that of Larry's honest and likable working-class parents but also with the abuse, neglect and poverty that her teenage acquaintances and their parents face--making Suzanne's manipulation of them all that much more appalling. "The game is rigged. Doesn't everybody know that yet?" Jimmy's mother wearily asks.
I was impressed at how nearly everyone narrating is sympathethic to some extent, not an easy thing for a writer to accomplish with this kind of story. People are clearly portrayed as often being the result of not just their own choices in life, but also of those made by others around them, of the circumstances of their birth, of what has happened to them in the world.
We can even feel a very slight sympathy for Suzanne herself, so lost in her style-over-substance lifestyle and desire for the outwardly "perfect" life (seemingly encouraged by her well-meaning but appearance-emphasizing, overly indulgent parents) that she honestly seems to believe her own version of events. Not surprising when considering that this is a woman who equates looking good for an audience with actual virtue, but chilling and sad nonetheless. We can truly believe that this is a woman who would arrange to have her spouse killed not just for the insurance money, but to avoid the "messiness" of a divorce. To her, appearances are everything.
A gripping and cautionary tale of pursuing the modern American dream of fame/success for all the wrong reasons and in all the wrong ways, To Die For offers a supercharged reminder of the dangers of prizing surface over depth: truly, all that glitters is not gold.
July 6, 2016
Suzanne Maretto, the main character of Joyce Maynard's To Die For, desperately wants to be famous. She wants nothing more in life than to be a national news anchor, and she pursues that goal with relentless determination. Not even just like Jim Harbaugh levels of determination. Attacking each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind isn't enough. She will do whatever it takes. If that means taking out her good-natured husband because he has the gall to want to start a family, well, that's what it means. She begins an affair with an underprivileged, not especially bright high school student and convinces him and his friends to carry out the hit.
The story is told in a multiple-narrator format. We don't know at the beginning that this is the story of a murder, just that something big must have happened. Chapters are told from the viewpoints of Suzanne's parents, her teenage lover, his friends, her husband's parents and friends, and even Suzanne herself (among others). Slowly, the story emerges: the affair, the murder, the arrests, the aftermath. It's well-written, with several very different perspectives that each maintain their own voice (her parents both think she's the bee's knees, but the tone of each parent varies from the other) and so engaging that you keep thinking "just one more chapter" (they're all short) and before you know it you've gobbled through half the book.
I remember seeing the movie treatment of this book several years ago, and enjoying both the sharp satire and the strong performances (Nicole Kidman as Suzanne and Joaquin Phoenix as her young boyfriend were both particularly good). Both the book and the movie depict that rare beast: the sociopathic female. It seems that career ambition is the new social climbing for ladies with anti-social personality disorder. While Scarlett O'Hara and Becky Sharp schemed to land themselves wealthy husbands, Suzanne Maretto and her obvious counterpart, Tracy Flick, maneuver to achieve professional goals. This makes me a little uncomfortable, honestly. I don't think you need to look further than the discourse that has surrounded Hillary Clinton during her time in public office to see that a woman who is too obviously interested in power is treated as some sort of freakish anomaly. I'm in my second traditionally male profession (the law, now lobbying) and the double standards at work are very real and very persistent.
The story is told in a multiple-narrator format. We don't know at the beginning that this is the story of a murder, just that something big must have happened. Chapters are told from the viewpoints of Suzanne's parents, her teenage lover, his friends, her husband's parents and friends, and even Suzanne herself (among others). Slowly, the story emerges: the affair, the murder, the arrests, the aftermath. It's well-written, with several very different perspectives that each maintain their own voice (her parents both think she's the bee's knees, but the tone of each parent varies from the other) and so engaging that you keep thinking "just one more chapter" (they're all short) and before you know it you've gobbled through half the book.
I remember seeing the movie treatment of this book several years ago, and enjoying both the sharp satire and the strong performances (Nicole Kidman as Suzanne and Joaquin Phoenix as her young boyfriend were both particularly good). Both the book and the movie depict that rare beast: the sociopathic female. It seems that career ambition is the new social climbing for ladies with anti-social personality disorder. While Scarlett O'Hara and Becky Sharp schemed to land themselves wealthy husbands, Suzanne Maretto and her obvious counterpart, Tracy Flick, maneuver to achieve professional goals. This makes me a little uncomfortable, honestly. I don't think you need to look further than the discourse that has surrounded Hillary Clinton during her time in public office to see that a woman who is too obviously interested in power is treated as some sort of freakish anomaly. I'm in my second traditionally male profession (the law, now lobbying) and the double standards at work are very real and very persistent.
January 3, 2016
ATTENZIONE: La trama -nonché il retro di copertina - sono SPOILERANTI al massimo, NON leggeteli!! Sonzogno, complimenti eh, da Oscar proprio!)
*Storia della mia vita che non interessa francamente a nessuno :D*
Ho preso questo libro DUE volte in biblioteca, ogni volta attratta da titolo e trama (sì, il titolo evidentemente non mi aveva così colpito la prima volta!!): entrambe le volte il libro mi è piaciutissimo, pur essendo estremamente malvagio e poco adatto alla me 11/12enne (e poi ci chiediamo perché io sia cresciuta strana!).. Dopo coff coff 13 anni, il tarlo di questo libro mi è rimasto, così come era vividissima in me la scena finale del libro (quella che, gentilmente la Sonzogno spiattella sulla copertina -_-) ma non ricordavo né titolo né autore :(
Una fatina buona mi ha aiutato, Libraccio lo aveva disponibile e niente, il resto è storia!!
*Fine episodio della mia vita*
E' un romanzo che consiglio ASSOLUTAMENTE, se riuscite a recuperarlo, leggetelo!
Partiamo col fatto che la vicenda si ispira ad una storia vera, perché gli sciroccati non sono mai abbastanza e spesso la realtà supera di gran lunga la fantasia (cit. a scelta: Pirandello e Palahniuk :D).. La Maynard poi costruisce la vicenda in un modo che mi fa impazzire: tantissimi POV, principalmente quello dei tre ragazzi e di Suzanne Maretto, ma anche dei familiari di Larry, di Suzanne, di Russell, Jimmy e Lydia, nonché gente random che si trova invischiata nella vicenda e che aiuta a far luce.. Man mano che il lettore procede nella lettura, viene attanagliato dal dubbio: chi sta mentendo? Chi è il narratore inaffidabile? A chi dobbiamo credere? Tra contraddizioni, versioni diverse (e talvolta fantasiose :D) la vicenda viene ricostruita fino ad un epilogo fortissimo (anche se da una parte, un po' esagerato per Lydia, secondo me).
Io ADORO i narratori inaffidabili, mi mandano in brodo di giuggiole *_*
Vi troverete di fronte ad uno dei personaggi più malvagi ever, senza scrupoli né morale, garantito!!
Jimmy povera stella a me ha fatto un po' di tenerezza.. Un pochino certo, mai quanto Larry ;_;
Non potevo francamente finire l'anno in modo migliore!!
*Storia della mia vita che non interessa francamente a nessuno :D*
Ho preso questo libro DUE volte in biblioteca, ogni volta attratta da titolo e trama (sì, il titolo evidentemente non mi aveva così colpito la prima volta!!): entrambe le volte il libro mi è piaciutissimo, pur essendo estremamente malvagio e poco adatto alla me 11/12enne (e poi ci chiediamo perché io sia cresciuta strana!).. Dopo coff coff 13 anni, il tarlo di questo libro mi è rimasto, così come era vividissima in me la scena finale del libro (quella che, gentilmente la Sonzogno spiattella sulla copertina -_-) ma non ricordavo né titolo né autore :(
Una fatina buona mi ha aiutato, Libraccio lo aveva disponibile e niente, il resto è storia!!
*Fine episodio della mia vita*
E' un romanzo che consiglio ASSOLUTAMENTE, se riuscite a recuperarlo, leggetelo!
Partiamo col fatto che la vicenda si ispira ad una storia vera, perché gli sciroccati non sono mai abbastanza e spesso la realtà supera di gran lunga la fantasia (cit. a scelta: Pirandello e Palahniuk :D).. La Maynard poi costruisce la vicenda in un modo che mi fa impazzire: tantissimi POV, principalmente quello dei tre ragazzi e di Suzanne Maretto, ma anche dei familiari di Larry, di Suzanne, di Russell, Jimmy e Lydia, nonché gente random che si trova invischiata nella vicenda e che aiuta a far luce.. Man mano che il lettore procede nella lettura, viene attanagliato dal dubbio: chi sta mentendo? Chi è il narratore inaffidabile? A chi dobbiamo credere? Tra contraddizioni, versioni diverse (e talvolta fantasiose :D) la vicenda viene ricostruita fino ad un epilogo fortissimo (anche se da una parte, un po' esagerato per Lydia, secondo me).
Io ADORO i narratori inaffidabili, mi mandano in brodo di giuggiole *_*
Vi troverete di fronte ad uno dei personaggi più malvagi ever, senza scrupoli né morale, garantito!!
Jimmy povera stella a me ha fatto un po' di tenerezza.. Un pochino certo, mai quanto Larry ;_;
Non potevo francamente finire l'anno in modo migliore!!
April 15, 2014
True Rating 3.5 stars
I had seen the movie first and enjoyed it, I thought Nicole Kidman was brilliant. In reading the book, I realized what an incredibly good job the screenplay writer had done in maintaining the feeling of the book. Although the topic is obviously awful, particularly as it was based loosely on a true story (The Pamela Smart case), the book is darkly funny throughout. The entire story is told by several different characters in short chapters of first person narratives. I found that the characters were all throughly fleshed out and despite all being basically stereotypes, each had an authentic voice.
I had seen the movie first and enjoyed it, I thought Nicole Kidman was brilliant. In reading the book, I realized what an incredibly good job the screenplay writer had done in maintaining the feeling of the book. Although the topic is obviously awful, particularly as it was based loosely on a true story (The Pamela Smart case), the book is darkly funny throughout. The entire story is told by several different characters in short chapters of first person narratives. I found that the characters were all throughly fleshed out and despite all being basically stereotypes, each had an authentic voice.
September 20, 2018
Sooo this book was strange. I thought the arrangement was super cool. It was just like a bunch a police statements. That being said- I didn't really like it. I read it super fast but I think that was just because I was ready for it to be over! This wasn't the worse book I've ever read but it certainly wasn't an enjoyable read. Just not my kinda book.
March 11, 2018
I really liked how the book was constructed but I felt it was too long - especially in the middle.
November 9, 2025
i really enjoyed this book! i am a sucker for shifting perspectives/narratives, and i love the whole interview style that the author used to move the story along. i have to admit, it does start slow because there is a lot of back story to dive into first. once it started picking up, i couldn’t put it down! there are a lot of characters to remember, but they all add to the story.
March 6, 2021
25-year-old Suzanne was always going to go places. Ambitious, full of aphorisms and positive can-do energy, she wills herself into a job at a tiny television station in her New Hampshire hometown. The job isn’t much, but she has lots of ideas and she is desperate for fame and success in a way than her little town can't contain.
She is married to Larry Maretto, who is completely devoted to her. He used to be a drummer in a rock band but now, he quickly turns to thoughts of raising children and settling down. To all the world it seems like they are the perfect couple.
But behind the scenes is a different story. In many ways, Larry is not the man she married. While she wants to be the next Barbara Walters, Larry just wants to stay home and raise kids. It is a far cry from the exciting life she imagined.
But Suzanne finds a project that will satisfy her enormous ambition: interviewing “at risk” kids at the local high school. To that end, out of thousands, she manages to find only three who will volunteer: one of whom being 16-year-old Jimmy Emmet.
Suzanne, Jimmy, and the other two students (Russell and Lydia) spend time outside of school, but quickly it is young Jimmy who becomes infatuated with Suzanne. Eventually, they become involved, which dovetails with Suzanne’s one-sided marriage and her ambition to be more than she is. She takes advantage of the inexperienced and poorly educated Jimmy and soon hatches a plan to eliminate the man who stands in her way.
And that’s where it gets messy…
To Die For is told by multiple alternating narrators, who all have their own version of the truth. We hear from Suzanne, her mother, Jimmy, other students, the police detectives, etc. It reads like a true crime documentary, but as it came out in the early ‘90s and is more than generously based on a real event (Pamela Smart…Google it) it is patterned after some of the trashy TV that was on back then (Hard Copy, anyone?). Events seen through the eyes of one character are completely different through the eyes of another. It brings to mind all the issues with eye-witness testimony: If we don’t even see the same things, how can we agree on truth?
To Die For is by no means great literature. But it’s good trashy fun.
She is married to Larry Maretto, who is completely devoted to her. He used to be a drummer in a rock band but now, he quickly turns to thoughts of raising children and settling down. To all the world it seems like they are the perfect couple.
But behind the scenes is a different story. In many ways, Larry is not the man she married. While she wants to be the next Barbara Walters, Larry just wants to stay home and raise kids. It is a far cry from the exciting life she imagined.
But Suzanne finds a project that will satisfy her enormous ambition: interviewing “at risk” kids at the local high school. To that end, out of thousands, she manages to find only three who will volunteer: one of whom being 16-year-old Jimmy Emmet.
Suzanne, Jimmy, and the other two students (Russell and Lydia) spend time outside of school, but quickly it is young Jimmy who becomes infatuated with Suzanne. Eventually, they become involved, which dovetails with Suzanne’s one-sided marriage and her ambition to be more than she is. She takes advantage of the inexperienced and poorly educated Jimmy and soon hatches a plan to eliminate the man who stands in her way.
And that’s where it gets messy…
To Die For is told by multiple alternating narrators, who all have their own version of the truth. We hear from Suzanne, her mother, Jimmy, other students, the police detectives, etc. It reads like a true crime documentary, but as it came out in the early ‘90s and is more than generously based on a real event (Pamela Smart…Google it) it is patterned after some of the trashy TV that was on back then (Hard Copy, anyone?). Events seen through the eyes of one character are completely different through the eyes of another. It brings to mind all the issues with eye-witness testimony: If we don’t even see the same things, how can we agree on truth?
To Die For is by no means great literature. But it’s good trashy fun.
April 30, 2014
Keeps you wanting more
Purchased this book on a daily Kindle special. I didn't expect it to be written so well. Maynard chose to write in first person using all her characters. It's wonderful because you do get to know each character well by the end. of course there are a few chapters told by 'not-so-popular' characters, but these help the story line move smoothly. This is very different from most murder mysteries in that you know who plans the murder and who commits the murder. Definitely worth reading!
Purchased this book on a daily Kindle special. I didn't expect it to be written so well. Maynard chose to write in first person using all her characters. It's wonderful because you do get to know each character well by the end. of course there are a few chapters told by 'not-so-popular' characters, but these help the story line move smoothly. This is very different from most murder mysteries in that you know who plans the murder and who commits the murder. Definitely worth reading!
August 13, 2014
This is an amazing look into the mind of a psychopath. And, a rather likeable psychopath (if such a thing exists), I might add. When we hear stories of crazy stuff like teachers having affairs with their teen-aged students, or kids killing their parents "for the experience of watching them die" we can't help but wonder , "What were they thinking?" Well, Joyce Maynard has nailed it. I recommend this book to all readers who enjoy a well-told tale with fascinating psychological undertones. Well done.
February 15, 2021
I seem to love everything written by Joyce Maynard. Off to read Labor Day before I see the movie.
Added in 2021: Here is a blog post I wrote about my love for Joyce Maynard's work https://www.choosingeasy.com/my-justi...
Added in 2021: Here is a blog post I wrote about my love for Joyce Maynard's work https://www.choosingeasy.com/my-justi...
October 18, 2023
2 stars
Not thrilling, but an interesting story.
I feel this would of been a lot better had the writting/layout/format been different. I disliked the 20 different perspectives we got.
Not thrilling, but an interesting story.
I feel this would of been a lot better had the writting/layout/format been different. I disliked the 20 different perspectives we got.
July 14, 2025
I watched To Die For, the film, when it was first released in theaters, I loved it! I knew it was loosely based on the Pamela Smart case, which I was familiar with because I was a bit of a true crime junkie in the 90's. I had intentions of reading the novel To Die For, but then I went to college, and here I am, decades later, and I have finally read it. What the heck was I waiting for???
To Die For is fantastic! It is done in an interview format, so it reads like a true crime documentary/podcast. I binged this book in a couple of days. The character work is fantastic. You get a real sense of who these people are, what they value, and what has shaped them. You also get a lot of social commentary on class, nature/nurture, the media, and how consumers of true crime create an atmosphere where some of the most reprehensible criminals become romanticized figures. I recommend this book to fans of thrillers and fans of satire, as the book is often darkly hilarious. I will be reading more by Joyce Maynard.
To Die For is fantastic! It is done in an interview format, so it reads like a true crime documentary/podcast. I binged this book in a couple of days. The character work is fantastic. You get a real sense of who these people are, what they value, and what has shaped them. You also get a lot of social commentary on class, nature/nurture, the media, and how consumers of true crime create an atmosphere where some of the most reprehensible criminals become romanticized figures. I recommend this book to fans of thrillers and fans of satire, as the book is often darkly hilarious. I will be reading more by Joyce Maynard.
October 23, 2018
Absolutely loved this one. Great characterization. Disturbing. Fascinating. Creepy.
Quick read. Short chapters. Loved the unique, documentary style of multiple POVs. I’ve seen the movie and now that I’ve read the book, I’m impressed how closely GVS stayed true to the book.
This is my third book to read from Maynard. She is so talented; I adore her writing!
Quick read. Short chapters. Loved the unique, documentary style of multiple POVs. I’ve seen the movie and now that I’ve read the book, I’m impressed how closely GVS stayed true to the book.
This is my third book to read from Maynard. She is so talented; I adore her writing!
November 6, 2025
It's such a fun read ! I love the multiple povs and the writing style.
July 17, 2025
A good read.
June 25, 2023
To Die For is a fiction story, but was heavily influenced and based on the Pamela Smart case from 1990. It's a particularly salacious story, and it translates well to a fictionalized rendition. This book was also made into a very good movie, starring Nicole Kidman. Published in 1992, it holds up today, even with dated references and content, as a searing commentary of the price of ambition and fame.
November 10, 2019
When 18-year-old Joyce Maynard was in college, fellow, middle-aged writer J.D. Salinger (yes, the author of Catcher in the Rye) convinced her to drop out and live with him in what was essentially an emotionally abusive relationship.
While there are glaring similarities between this story and the Pamela Smart case, Maynard insists that this true crime wasn't the only thing that inspired her; I have a feeling that the character of Suzanne Stone was partially due to Salinger.
I discovered this novel through the Reelz Channel several years ago, where they aired a double feature on Pamela Smart, including the Gus Van Sant adaptation. Smart herself was not happy about her fictional counterpart in this.
At first, I was underwhelmed by the movie. I found the seduction to have happened too quick, and many of the darkly-comedic lines had to be edited for TV. There were quotes that were, word-for-word, taken from the reenactment scenes in Murder Made Me Famous, with me foolishly thinking that the author of the book lacked originality!
Now, obviously, I've given it another chance by reading the source material. Even while already knowing what was going to happen, it still ended up being an intriguing story, with multiple POVs written like interviews - although some information I felt was unnecessary. It's made me want to watch the movie again (uncensored, of course). Funnily enough, Suzanne even mentions at one point that she'd like the actress who just married Tom Cruise to play her, not remembering her name; not only did Nicole Kidman play her in the adaptation, but it gave her more recognition beyond "Tom Cruise's wife"!
Still, I'm conflicted about the ending. . I also, once again, felt sorry for Jimmy. Yes, he committed a crime, but I don't think he deserved ; not only was he blatantly manipulated, he was a teen! It's sad, if not frustrating, to read how everyone called him and his friends "hood" and "losers" rather than sympathizing with them, apart from their parents and maybe the Detective.
While there are glaring similarities between this story and the Pamela Smart case, Maynard insists that this true crime wasn't the only thing that inspired her; I have a feeling that the character of Suzanne Stone was partially due to Salinger.
I discovered this novel through the Reelz Channel several years ago, where they aired a double feature on Pamela Smart, including the Gus Van Sant adaptation. Smart herself was not happy about her fictional counterpart in this.
At first, I was underwhelmed by the movie. I found the seduction to have happened too quick, and many of the darkly-comedic lines had to be edited for TV. There were quotes that were, word-for-word, taken from the reenactment scenes in Murder Made Me Famous, with me foolishly thinking that the author of the book lacked originality!
Now, obviously, I've given it another chance by reading the source material. Even while already knowing what was going to happen, it still ended up being an intriguing story, with multiple POVs written like interviews - although some information I felt was unnecessary. It's made me want to watch the movie again (uncensored, of course). Funnily enough, Suzanne even mentions at one point that she'd like the actress who just married Tom Cruise to play her, not remembering her name; not only did Nicole Kidman play her in the adaptation, but it gave her more recognition beyond "Tom Cruise's wife"!
Still, I'm conflicted about the ending. . I also, once again, felt sorry for Jimmy. Yes, he committed a crime, but I don't think he deserved ; not only was he blatantly manipulated, he was a teen! It's sad, if not frustrating, to read how everyone called him and his friends "hood" and "losers" rather than sympathizing with them, apart from their parents and maybe the Detective.
June 25, 2023
NOTE: Since the new audio version is not displaying on Goodreads (I have requested it via GR librarian), I am posting this under the older title here. The new audiobook is by Audible Studios — released June 6, 2023, and available now.
Joyce Maynard's (fav author) latest audio version of TO DIE FOR is hilarious, seductive, a highly entertaining satire— full of dark humor, crime, sex, ambition, money, and murder.
No one can tell a re-telling quite like Joyce Maynard! Unsettling in its social commentary, this darkly comedic thriller was inspired by a scandalous 1990 Pamela Smart crime.
A huge Maynard fan not sure how I missed this the first time; however, after listening to the smashing audiobook, I rented the movie on Prime Video and enjoyed it. Suzanne was pure evil.
A 22-year-old Suzanne Maretto, a pathologically self-absorbed, ruthlessly ambitious femme fatale, would-be TV journalist, and the three high school misfits she recruits to kill her husband so she can be free to pursue her chosen career.
"A seductive page-turner" about a murderously ambitious cable news star by the New York Times best-selling author of Labor Day (The New York Times Book Review).
Suzanne Stone Maretto has craved attention since she was a little girl, deciding to be the next Barbara Walters. At 22, she is manipulative, ambitious, and beautiful; she lands a job at a local suburban cable TV news station as a secretary; however, this, of course, is not good enough for her, and she decides to do a documentary of the local high school students.
Set in a small New Hampshire town, To Die For follows Suzanne Stone (Nicole Kidman), a young, manipulative, ambitious woman with big dreams of being on television.
After marrying Larry Maretto (Matt Dillon) and securing a job reading weather reports at a local news station, Suzanne begins to work on a documentary about teenage life. The project sees her cross paths with local teens Jimmy (Joaquin Phoenix), Russel (Casey Affleck), and Lydia (Alison Folland), and before long, Suzanne's marriage to Larry takes a back seat to her career aspirations.
Deceitful and manipulative, she decides to kill Larry, enlisting the help of her hopelessly naive and impressionable teenage acquaintances. After a media firestorm engulfs the scene, placing Suzanne front and center in the white-hot spotlight of celebrity, a series of revelations brings everything to a screeching halt.
She is married to a good-looking Italian guy, Larry, and an up-and-coming restauranteur from a good family. Suzanne's parents have spoiled her thinking she can do no wrong.
When Larry starts talking about having children and not supporting her ambitions, she decides to get rid of him, telling Jimmy, her new 15-year-old high school lover he is abusing her. Jimmy and his friend Russell set up a pretend robbery to murder him. She selfishly uses the three video documentary students from the local high school and casts them aside.
The deed is done, and now she plays the grieving widow searching for a new TV deal. She sells them all down the river. However, Larry's father knows she did this to his son, and he will make her pay.
Maynard's brilliant, funny, and groundbreaking novel—adapted by Gus Van Sant into the cult classic movie of the same name, starring Nicole Kidman and Matt Dillon—was first published in 1992 before the era of manufactured stardom and the phenomenon of televised murder trials as entertainment.
The book remains a razor-sharp satire of celebrity-fixated culture and the American obsession with TV. This novel imagined the phenomenon of reality television before its creation, with alternately bone-chilling and hilarious accuracy.
When the film was released in 1995, reality TV was still in its early days, but Nicole Kidman's portrayal of a woman obsessed with fame and celebrity is more pertinent now than it was nearly three decades ago. She possesses all the vanity and cynicism that's all too recognizable in our current social media and influencer culture.
If you enjoyed TO DIE FOR, I highly recommend her other audiobook, THE INFLUENCERS (short story based on Gabby Petito true crime) and her latest literary suspense, THE BIRD HOTEL. All five stars!
Blog review posted at
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 6, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
June 2023 Must-Read Books
INSPIRED BY:
Joyce Maynard's 1992 novel of the same name, was itself inspired by a scandalous real-life crime taking place two years prior. Inspired by the story of Pamela Smart, a Communication major out of Florida State University, she married Gregory Smart in 1989.She relocated to New Hampshire, aspiring to work in television as the next Barbara Walters.
After taking a media coordination position with one of the state's school districts, Smart's marriage began deteriorating when she learned of her husband's infidelity, and she soon entered into an affair with a 15-year-old student, Billy Flynn.
Then, on May 1, 1990, the lifeless body of Gregory Smart was discovered in the couple's condo, with police suspecting he'd been murdered during a burglary. After a highly-publicized trial, Pamela Smart was convicted for her involvement in Gregory Smart's murder on March 22, 1991. She received a life sentence and was eventually transferred to Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in New York. For their part, the four teenagers who participated in Smart's murder were ultimately paroled.
Joyce Maynard's (fav author) latest audio version of TO DIE FOR is hilarious, seductive, a highly entertaining satire— full of dark humor, crime, sex, ambition, money, and murder.
No one can tell a re-telling quite like Joyce Maynard! Unsettling in its social commentary, this darkly comedic thriller was inspired by a scandalous 1990 Pamela Smart crime.
AUDIO: Narrated by an entire cast with an award-winning performance making the characters come alive. Told from each POV—each voice is unique, from the main characters, the parents, the teens, the boss, detectives, and the media. I was hooked from the beginning to the end.
Joyce Maynard, Michael Crouch, Piper Goodeve, Carly Robins, Lily Ganser, Tara Sands, Paul Castro Jr., Lisa Flanagan, Jonathan Davis, Jim Conroy, Will Collyer, Arianna Ratner, Dwayne Hill, Jeff Wiens, and Adam David Thompson
A huge Maynard fan not sure how I missed this the first time; however, after listening to the smashing audiobook, I rented the movie on Prime Video and enjoyed it. Suzanne was pure evil.
A 22-year-old Suzanne Maretto, a pathologically self-absorbed, ruthlessly ambitious femme fatale, would-be TV journalist, and the three high school misfits she recruits to kill her husband so she can be free to pursue her chosen career.
"A seductive page-turner" about a murderously ambitious cable news star by the New York Times best-selling author of Labor Day (The New York Times Book Review).
Suzanne Stone Maretto has craved attention since she was a little girl, deciding to be the next Barbara Walters. At 22, she is manipulative, ambitious, and beautiful; she lands a job at a local suburban cable TV news station as a secretary; however, this, of course, is not good enough for her, and she decides to do a documentary of the local high school students.
Set in a small New Hampshire town, To Die For follows Suzanne Stone (Nicole Kidman), a young, manipulative, ambitious woman with big dreams of being on television.
After marrying Larry Maretto (Matt Dillon) and securing a job reading weather reports at a local news station, Suzanne begins to work on a documentary about teenage life. The project sees her cross paths with local teens Jimmy (Joaquin Phoenix), Russel (Casey Affleck), and Lydia (Alison Folland), and before long, Suzanne's marriage to Larry takes a back seat to her career aspirations.
Deceitful and manipulative, she decides to kill Larry, enlisting the help of her hopelessly naive and impressionable teenage acquaintances. After a media firestorm engulfs the scene, placing Suzanne front and center in the white-hot spotlight of celebrity, a series of revelations brings everything to a screeching halt.
She is married to a good-looking Italian guy, Larry, and an up-and-coming restauranteur from a good family. Suzanne's parents have spoiled her thinking she can do no wrong.
When Larry starts talking about having children and not supporting her ambitions, she decides to get rid of him, telling Jimmy, her new 15-year-old high school lover he is abusing her. Jimmy and his friend Russell set up a pretend robbery to murder him. She selfishly uses the three video documentary students from the local high school and casts them aside.
The deed is done, and now she plays the grieving widow searching for a new TV deal. She sells them all down the river. However, Larry's father knows she did this to his son, and he will make her pay.
Maynard's brilliant, funny, and groundbreaking novel—adapted by Gus Van Sant into the cult classic movie of the same name, starring Nicole Kidman and Matt Dillon—was first published in 1992 before the era of manufactured stardom and the phenomenon of televised murder trials as entertainment.
The book remains a razor-sharp satire of celebrity-fixated culture and the American obsession with TV. This novel imagined the phenomenon of reality television before its creation, with alternately bone-chilling and hilarious accuracy.
When the film was released in 1995, reality TV was still in its early days, but Nicole Kidman's portrayal of a woman obsessed with fame and celebrity is more pertinent now than it was nearly three decades ago. She possesses all the vanity and cynicism that's all too recognizable in our current social media and influencer culture.
If you enjoyed TO DIE FOR, I highly recommend her other audiobook, THE INFLUENCERS (short story based on Gabby Petito true crime) and her latest literary suspense, THE BIRD HOTEL. All five stars!
Blog review posted at
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 6, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
June 2023 Must-Read Books
INSPIRED BY:
Joyce Maynard's 1992 novel of the same name, was itself inspired by a scandalous real-life crime taking place two years prior. Inspired by the story of Pamela Smart, a Communication major out of Florida State University, she married Gregory Smart in 1989.She relocated to New Hampshire, aspiring to work in television as the next Barbara Walters.
After taking a media coordination position with one of the state's school districts, Smart's marriage began deteriorating when she learned of her husband's infidelity, and she soon entered into an affair with a 15-year-old student, Billy Flynn.
Then, on May 1, 1990, the lifeless body of Gregory Smart was discovered in the couple's condo, with police suspecting he'd been murdered during a burglary. After a highly-publicized trial, Pamela Smart was convicted for her involvement in Gregory Smart's murder on March 22, 1991. She received a life sentence and was eventually transferred to Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in New York. For their part, the four teenagers who participated in Smart's murder were ultimately paroled.
September 2, 2018
I originally read this years ago because I was a fan of the movie, starring Nicole Kidman and Joaquin Phoenix. This was long before I realized who Joyce Maynard was, and she is now one of my top favorite writers.
I reread this because I just watched "Pamela Smart: American Murder Mystery" on the ID network and so many details reminded me of this book. Turns out Joyce did use this true story as somewhat of an inspiration for her novel but, of course, she put her own spin on the facts, making it entirely fiction. It's very entertaining, especially if you read like you are "watching" a murder mystery program on TV. Also, having read Joyce's autobiographical work and understanding the importance of both TV and music in her life, it is fascinating to view the main character's own fascination and fixation with television.
4-Stars! Great read!
I reread this because I just watched "Pamela Smart: American Murder Mystery" on the ID network and so many details reminded me of this book. Turns out Joyce did use this true story as somewhat of an inspiration for her novel but, of course, she put her own spin on the facts, making it entirely fiction. It's very entertaining, especially if you read like you are "watching" a murder mystery program on TV. Also, having read Joyce's autobiographical work and understanding the importance of both TV and music in her life, it is fascinating to view the main character's own fascination and fixation with television.
4-Stars! Great read!
November 24, 2019
Another fantastic Joyce Maynard page turner. This novel incorporates and explores many facets of being human, like love, lust, ego, belonging, and the fragility of life. The story is told in turn by the characters in first person narrative, flowing effortlessly from one chapter to the next. It is a rewarding and satisfying read, tightly written and nicely concluded, and also leaving the reader with a certain mystery to ponder. You can't go wrong with this boo. Highly recommended!
July 26, 2014
Hated it but had to find out what happened. Hated it even more after I finished it. Lol
December 11, 2017
Bonne histoire, le style m’a beaucoup plu.
February 13, 2018
I loved this book
got a new author to read
looking forward to watching the movie
what a B****h
Cherie'
got a new author to read
looking forward to watching the movie
what a B****h
Cherie'
January 1, 2021
Best read
Loved it loosely based on the Pamela smart case and now a movie this is a well put together un put down able book now one of my favorites recommended 😃
Loved it loosely based on the Pamela smart case and now a movie this is a well put together un put down able book now one of my favorites recommended 😃
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