Love and Other Impossible Pursuits (Abridged) Audiobook

" Due to a rather unsympathetic main character this book is not as good as Waldman's "Daughter's Keeper." Still worth reading. I see Waldman has gone back to nonfiction ("Bad Mommy") but I hope she has not completely given up on fiction. "

" I'm giving this four stars instead of three because even when characters and the writing got tiresome, I didn't want to put it down. I found myself being moved by unexpected moments -- some spelled out in detail and others implied in a lovely way. "

" By the end of the second chapter, I was done with this book due too much foul language and crudeness. No thanks! There are too many truly creative and good things out there to waste my time with such filth. "

" Oh my, what a delightful read. I SO love this one. I took a chance on it, and was so happy that I did. It's a great read. "

" Finding oneself, finding love, redemption...lofty themes and more daunting when one considers they surround the loss of an infant daughter for the central character. I could not put this book down because I found that character saying things and doing things that were so honest and real and destructive at times that my life was on hold until I learned what happened. A five year old boy, her step son, was beautifully (and accurately) developed, a reminder of divorce's often devastating consequences for children; his personality and voice grabbed me immediately and held me to the last page. Central Park appears in this book almost as another character and serves as an interesting metaphor. In the end, the book left me thinking about the work relationships, especially marriage and families, require and the layers that need to be considered over time. "

" For a book that is distinctly *not* plot-driven, I flew through this. I found Emilia's narrative voice compelling in that she's completely imperfect and petty and self-centered, but she's also fun and observant and sarcastic. So it's a fun ride watching her dish it out to her know-it-all 5 year old stepson. The writing was tight and for the 3 days I was reading this, I was immersed. Which is all I require to call a book a good read (pun intended). Great weekend read, if a bit dark for light reading. "

" After reading Michael Chabon's recent essays (and I loved Mysteries of Pittsburgh), I was curious about his wife, who he mentions a lot in his essays and is the author of this book. While I think she can string a good sentence together, I didn't really relate to the issues of motherhood, nor the NYC snottiness (it takes place on the Upper West Side) inherent in this plot. The sweet, simple ending, however, redeemed it all for me and I was left with a good feeling about the book (and the wife). "

" Great book, even though I really disliked the main character -- kept wanting to smack her for how she treated the equally obnoxious child. So, a very good author can weave a compelling story even with characters you don't care for. Hmm. "

" A bit like We Need To Talk About Kevin in the sort of can't connect way, but nowhere nearly as dark. Has a somewhat too successful ending but a very engaging read. "

" This one was okay. Normally love Waldman but this one was lacking that something special. "

" So sad, and touching. While I can't quite imagine loving a man, but disliking his child, Waldman can, and explains it all beautifully. "

" The blurb on the back read as if would be a humerous book and it was actually quite sad. Also the story got lost between pages of descriptive prose. Not my scene really overall, though enjoyed it in places. "

" It took me a few chapters to get into it but then I read the last piece at a break neck pass. Very real characters, to me a plausible story with the end result of a lot of tears. "

" This was a really good read, and not so predictable in some ways, neither of which I expected. Also, I don't remember liking a book with such a seriously flawed protagonist for a long time. "

" Enjoyable reading, another great woman author. "

" Really like Waldman's writing style and this one did not disappoint. Good layered novel. "

" went on a bit too long, and I didn't find main character very likable... "

" Absorbing light summer reading. 3.5 stars. "

" An interesting book about relationships and step-children. "

" I knew I liked this author when I read Daughter's Keeper. This book was pretty good. It centered on the main character's miscarriage experience and her dislike for her step son. "

" Waldman is so smart and funny. A good read and a heartwarming story--told with great wit and insight into complicated families. "

" I think some people will either love or hate this character, but no matter how you feel I think it's an interesting read. This woman is going through a lot and while I didn't always agree with the way she acted I wanted to follow her journey. "

" Emotional story of grief and forgiveness and how love sneak up on you and heal. "

" I really liked this book and flew right through it. It's really more of a 3.5 star star. Very good chick lit. "

" Realistic narrator (I see many critics and readers split on how well they can tolerate her), and the character of William, her stepson, is fantastic. Believable, yet with a fairytale quality. "

" The story of a husband and wife, his ex-wife, and his son/her step-son. "

" One of my favourite books in 2006/2007. Worth every page. "

" The blurb on the back read as if would be a humerous book and it was actually quite sad. Also the story got lost between pages of descriptive prose. Not my scene really overall, though enjoyed it in places. "

" I really enjoyed this book. I had seen the movie and then when I saw it was a book it went on my to read list immediately. "

" This was a really good read, and not so predictable in some ways, neither of which I expected. Also, I don't remember liking a book with such a seriously flawed protagonist for a long time. "

" Great book with amazing characters. You'll fall in love with the protagonist in spite of her egocentric and self-indulgent tendencies. "

" The story was pretty depressing and the grammatical errors made my head explode....... "

" I think I liked this book even though I spent most of it wanting to smack the tar out of the narrator. That goes to show how well written it was because I ended up not putting it down even though I thought she was an immature, insensitive, and narcissistic. "