The Good Life: A Novel Audiobook

" Rich Manhattanites spend the months after 9/11 in a tumultuous, ill-fated romantic drama. Replete with teenage drug addiction redeemed by horses, various -onack Hamptons towns, celebrity sprinklings. There is an overarching message that love is fickle and there are two types of men: "those who cheat and those who feel guilty about it." Did I mention I'm happy not to live in NYC? Still, a much better read than my last go-round with pukey "South of Broad." "

" A pretty good read and the author has a nice way with words. The ending was disappointing: after all that the characters had been through, against the backdrop of 9/11, they chose not to take a chance on new lives, except for the 14-year-old daughter who chose to live with her grandmother in rural Tennessee. The others chose to remain in unhappy and unloving marriages. "

" Like being at a dinner party with a bunch of suckasses who have never quite made it clear why they get to be so much better than you. Enough with the name-dropping. Enough. "

" The life of New Yorkers after 9/11. Family life, high society parties, children entering the dangerous teen years, and extramarital affairs, all while dealing with America's tragedy. "

" McInerney's 9/11 book, from which we are to learn that tragedy and catastrophe makes people altruistic for about four seconds until they remember their own banal problems and set about causing more. I wish I could have just looked at this as a love story, or as a group of people trying nobly to exit unsatisfying situations. Instead (like all of the McInerney books I've read) it comes off as a story made even more shallow and pathetic by the heavy surroundings of a life-altering event. At least it didn't have a happy ending. "

" 3.5 stars if possible. be prepared for amplitudes between brilliance and cheese; overall smart & sexy "

" I read this book over the weekend. It was about a bunch of NYC married people who cheat on each other after the 9/11 events. I kind of found it boring and had no sympathy for any of them. IT was sorta slow. "

" Book club read. Characters did nothing for me.. "

" Much better than I anticipated; one of the first post 9-11 novels, and quite indelible. Very moving. "

" This is a book set in post 9/11 New York - but is not all about 9/11, but rather the interpersonal connections of a few people after this event. 9/11 is the backdrop, not the focal point and the story is poignant. "

" Well written. A Good Read "

" the only reason i finished this terrible, overwrought book is that i was stuck on a 12-hour flight from munich "

" Great story and Robertson Dean reads it wonderfully. Recommended. "

" Excellent character development, entertaining read! "

" McInerney is always a good read. Not mind blowing, but never let's you down. "

" Not a great book, but good for summer reading. Very gossip heavy, was kind of enjoyable because it read so easily, but the story is kind of one dimensional and the incorporation of September 11th into it turned me off somewhat. Didn't make me want to read more by him. "

" Story contrived but depiction of life in lower Manhattan after 9/11 was interesting "

" Enjoyed this book and was satisfied with the way it ended. Definitely brought back memories of 911. "

" A solid read but nothing special. The characters seemed very formulaic and the supporting characters should have had more of a voice. I feel the author fell short with what was a good idea and a promising beginning. "

" Normally, I like Jay McInerney but this was painful. "

" In The Good Life, there is some genuis in McInerney's satirical view of the affluent, entitled Manhattan upper class. Unfortunately, against the catastrophic backdrop of 9/11, the sappy love story is disappointing. "

" McInerny is one of my favorite authors. However, this was a good book, but not one of my favorites by the author. "

" Of course the tragedy of 9/11 would be a very daunting task to take on in a novel, but McInerney does a fairly good job of documenting the numerous ways in which the human spirit confronts or avoids dealing with tragedy. "

" Good read...but the ending felt false. "

" Loved it. Great tale of post 9-11 NYC. Inspired my own writing. "

" A solid read but nothing special. The characters seemed very formulaic and the supporting characters should have had more of a voice. I feel the author fell short with what was a good idea and a promising beginning. "

" This was a very good book. "

" Interesting follow-up to <em>Brightness Falls</em> (although it's not necessary to have read that book to enjoy this one). The book shows the connections made between people in Manhattan in the months following the 9/11 tragedy. "

" More successful Manhattanites with troubled lives, this time with added extra 9/11. Jay McInerney's one of the few novelists I read, mainly because the writing's so sharp, and The Good Life didn't disappoint. "

" predictable and cliche. a bad version of a tom wolffe novel. "

" This was the right time, and I am precisely the right age, to read this book. Thoroughly enjoyed it. "

" ma cosa è successo a McInerney? lo hanno rapito gli ufo e sostituito con un borsista di un corso di scrittura creativa? "

" tragic story of how 911 impacted relationships, childhood, marriage and business of 4 couples in NYC. "

" Once again McInerney shows he is a master at conveying mixed emotions among complex characters. You can see where this one is going but the ending is realistic and satisfying. "

" An amazing novel. Nothing more, nothing less. "

" It was okay, no engaging plot that propels the story forward. "

" the beginning of this book is a FIVE. but it somehow loses its momentum and the characters take on too much towards the end...but worth the read. "

" Normally, I like Jay McInerney but this was painful. "

" Much better than I anticipated; one of the first post 9-11 novels, and quite indelible. Very moving. "