Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner - 2 stars

[Joy D]

Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner - 2* - My Review

Toby Fleishman is a doctor living in New York City. He is in his forties and his marriage to Rachel, who runs a talent agency, has crumbled. He starts using a dating app and engages in lots of “sexting.” One day, Rachel drops off their two kids with him and disappears. Toby must then manage his demanding hospital job while caring for his children full-time. The novel looks at the reasons for the failure of their marriage from multiple perspectives. There is an unexpected twist about two-thirds of the way through the book, which causes the reader to reevaluate what has happened up to that point.

I am not exactly sure how this book got on my “to read” list. I must not have read the description closely, since it clearly indicates it is an “occasionally raunchy novel of marriage, sex, and dating.” Sadly, it is way too raunchy for my taste. I say “sadly,” since I think this could have been a much better novel about the double standard in career ambitions if it had focused less on Toby’s sexual adventures and more on the social issue it is criticizing. Toward the end, there is a didactic explanation to make sure the reader does not miss the point. I think this is one of those “love it or hate it” types of books.