Bad Advice [Hardcover]

Karin Goodwin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2002

Generations of philandering and bad choices come to a head on the last day of September, when Judith Ealey mistakenly assaults a man in the Arizona desert and her older brother, David, falls in love at a theater in Boston. But when Judith sleeps with her victim and David's lover declares she's a lesbian, their romantic entanglements take a new turn, further complicated by the interventions by their feuding father and grandfather, a private detective, and the arrival of other friends and lovers. Freewheeling, funny, and insightful, Bad Advice shows that no matter what mistakes you make in this life, you always have the chance to make more.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like Goodwin's first book, Sleeping with Random Beasts, her sophomore effort stars an indecisive, self-centered heroine who can't get her act together. Judith, in her mid-30s, has fled the East Coast and is living in Tucson, Ariz., working as a waitress and sleeping with her married landlord. While out for a jog, she injures a man she believes is going to attack her. When she realizes he isn't dangerous, the two form a friendship that meanders toward love. Judith and the man, Scratch, are moral and geographical vagrants desperately in need of a home base, and each looks to the other for stability. Back east, Judith's older brother, David, is more grounded but involved in a loveless relationship. A charged encounter with a bisexual stranger named Iris leads him into an unfamiliar, impulsive realm. He and his new obsession hit the road, heading west toward a possible meeting with Judith, whom David hasn't seen for two years. As other friends and family members-all battling dysfunction across the psychiatric and physical spectrums-join the siblings for an explosive reunion, the story starts to spin out of control. Goodwin's wry sense of humor and sharp dialogue compete with a slack, colloquial narration ("She looked like a brain, in disguise for the evening as an almost-babe"). Her primary talent seems to lie in creating unpleasant characters who are ultimately likable; the dual plot line works nicely, but when its various satellites come crashing down, narrative overload may leave readers unimpressed.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Unsuitable romantic entanglements and bizarre family problems abound in this novel populated by a cast of characters who are both truly odd and oddly appealing. Fortysomething Judith has escaped to Arizona to avoid everything she hates about home. The tone for all that follows is set by her opening encounter with Scratch, the man she will fall in love with. This scene can't be adequately summarized, and so must be read to be believed. Her East Coast brother, David, begins an equally unusual relationship on the same night. Events and revelations bring family, friends, pets, lovers, and ex-lovers together in Grandpa's mountain cabin as if by magic six months later for a denouement that leaves the participants "damaged but living," and makes the reader's head spin. Despite all the foolishness and churning insanity, Goodwin's novel avoids a pat ending, and is quite engaging and utterly unique. Danise Hoover
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; First Edition edition (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811836924
• ISBN-13: 978-0811836920
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,820,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Bad Advice by Karin Goodwin, November 20, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Bad Advice (Hardcover)

This book should be a movie! The plot is fast paced and fun, I had trouble putting it down. It provides insights into relationships and spirituality without being the least bit preachy. The character's all have strengths and (major) weaknesses, like most people, and it is mind-expanding to see them using the one to grapple the other with varying degrees of succes. I highly recommend it!