5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
John Cheever Would Love This Book, August 14, 2008
John Cheever says that the hallmark of good fiction is when the action on the surface of the narrative is underlined by deeper meaning below the surface. Confessions of a Contractor has that in spades. On the surface, it is a romp through the lives of LA's too-wealthy-to-give-a-crap-about-money set, and as such it holds up hilariously. But Confessions is much more psychologically astute than just that. The novel is really about the unfulfilled needs and desires we all have, but that wealthy people try to fill up with the right tile for the bathroom and a new addition to the guest house. Murphy very cleverly shows that, once the basic human needs of food, shelter and clothing are met, if the more basic human need for love goes unfulfilled, no amount of expensive food, shelter or clothing is going to fill that aching void. A very exciting first novel. I can't wait for more.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Renovating? Don't miss this!, August 27, 2008
"The first thing a woman needs to know about renovating a house or apartment is simpe: do not, under any circumstance, sleep with your contractor, no matter what your husband or boyfriend is doing to you, or not doing to you."
("Confessions of a Contractor" pg 1*)
And before we get started, I have to say I would never sleep with my contractor........ unless he looked like Richard Murphy. I mean, oh my God, how did that slip out?
I wasn't sure I was going to like "Confessions of a Contractor". From the cover art, to the first line- I was sure that it was going to be a book that had sex all over the place. Lol, and in a way there was sex all over the place- in the 'steam shower in the master bath', on the 'sandstone floor in the kitchen', etc... but it was mentioned quickly and didn't bog down the rest of the story.
It's told all in first person, so the audience knows only what the main character, Henry the contractor, knows. This offers us a unique look at what your contractor is really thinking about you. And despite the fact that, yes, he slept with some of his clients- I still liked the guy! Besides liking the main character, I also enjoyed the others. Perhaps my favorites were Hector and Miguel, because if they didn't like you- they pretended to only speak Spanish.
I would very much recommend "Confessions of a Contractor" to anyone looking for a fun read. And I'll definitely be interested in reading anything else Richard Murphy puts out- right after I find out if there really are blind caterers.... well if you've read it- you know what I'm talking about!! If not, pick you copy up today.
*These lines may change in the final publication of the book
(Originally reviewed for "Kathleen's Book Reviews")
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Unexpectedly good...cover does it a disservice, September 11, 2008
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Richard Murphy's novel Confessions of a Contractor is a mix of many elements. Coworkers looking at the book resting on my desk asked, "is this a tell-all about what contractors do when you're not looking?' and "oh great, is this some sleazy tell-all about all the women this guy has slept with?" The cover art of a filmy nightie hanging from a ladder and some cast off high heels didn't help lift my expectations.
Confessions is told I through the voice of Henry Sullivan, a contractor working for the very wealthy in Los Angeles. After seventeen years, Henry is able to choose who he works with and takes only clients who have been "referred" by another client. To survive that long he has a firm set of rules about interactions with the homeowners. Of course, when repeat client, Sally Stein asks him to build her a guest house and brings him into her home to live with her, Henry has breached his own boundaries and more trouble is to follow. Clients Rebecca Paulson and her husband Derrick have called him after a contractor walked off the job leaving a mess. They have asked Henry to rescue them and Henry is bothered by a memory of Derrick. Despite sensing something very wrong about the couple, he agrees and finds himself trying to finish both jobs. His crew is getting frustrated and then INS comes calling. Enter Gia, his last girlfriend who needs him to go to couple's therapy, even though they have been kaput for over six months.
Against all my expectations, Confessions of a Contractor proved to be a witty, well crafted tale of a working man trying to do what he has agreed to do. Characters are deeper than expected, there are no easy fixes, and not everything is spelled out. Henry Sullivan proves to be a likable man trying to keep true to his set of ideals and who wants to not only renovate his client's homes, he wants to help them renovate their lives. There are no easy fixes. This was far better written and I enjoyed this book much more than I had ever expected.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
