Customer Reviews

Disappearing Acts

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

This is my second review of this novel... the first review I wrote got lost in cyber-space. That in itself should say alot about this book because I really wouldn't take the time to write another review unless the book 'deserved' it. And this one does.

This book was so 'real' that I never felt as though I was picking up a book to read it... I felt as though I was living it.
Terry McMillan has such an extraordinary talent for making characters come alive.... she is truly gifted.

This story is about Zora, a twentysomething, college-educated woman who has chosen bad men all along the way (been there, done that). She is trying to figure out why she's chosen these guys and is determined not to repeat these mistakes. She is also a talented singer who is determined to 'make it'.

Franklin is a father of two ... separated from his wife and is living in a rooming home just trying to get his 'constitution' together. While he works out, does his woodworking, and struggles to keep a job and pay his child support, he is doing pretty well. He is smart, charming, talented, big and sexy.

Zora and Franklin meet at the apartment she has just rented in Brooklyn, NY. He is the laborer working on her floors. At first their meeting is simple, but as the two continue to get to know each other, an intense and close relationship develops.

They fall in love.... and with that comes the story. So real, so happy, so heart wrenching.

Franklin is a man who you will love and hate at the same time. He has a huge heart but is burdened by his inability to achieve what he is capable of. He is constantly reminded of 'the white man's power' and is wounded by his own Mother's lack of love. This combination is a major negative force for him. He seems to take one step forward, then two steps backward... and this eventually turns him into an angry and self-destructive state.

But the story continues... as does real life. That is what is so wonderful about this book. Real life doesn't always have perfect, or imperfect, endings. And true love stories never end.

A lot has been said on Disappearing acts, so I'm going to keep mine short and simple. Well this was the first black frictional book I read some years ago. The most interesting thing is that I have re-read it twice since, and every time I have to recommend a book for one of my friends, this is among one of the first books I would recommend (that is if they haven't already read it). This is a fictional story based on the relationship between a boy and a girl. Franklin is a blue-collar worker with a truck full of excess baggage from his previous marriage, and in his own words says he is taking a vacation from all of 'em. Zora is a collage-educated music teacher who is also trying to make a fresh start after a string of bad choices. Well, they meet up and all their resolutions do a "Disappearing act". They go through the roller-coaster ride of boy meet girl, and sometimes it even goes to the extreme, but Terry does not mince with her words. In fact that is what I like about McMillan's writings, she tells it as it is in any given situation. So if you are looking for a good book to read that would keep you up and take you through the motions, then this boy meets girl with a difference is definitely the one for you.

Okay,so I read the book. It was the bomb for it being my first black novel but when I went back and read bits and pieces of it again, I realized how weak Franklin actually made Zora. Our girl went downhill in relation to her common senses and uphill in relation to her weakness. So what if the brotha was fine! He was broke, barely educated, and plain old disrespectful: everything Zora was not. When are we ladies(of all nationalities) going to learn to listen to God and see past that playaz charm? But even with soft-hard, love-hate characters, the girl(Terry) can put that pen to the paper and make you feel what they would feel if they were real and THAT is what makes a good writer. At any rate, I still enjoyed seeing real life on paper. I would love to further discuss this and other books via e-mail at sugabunz@yahoo.com.

The first time I read the book I loved it, I couldn't put it down, I wanted them to make a movie, I, well, I was 14. The second time around at age 19 I wasn't so impressed. Reading it a second time, with a mature mind let me see things I missed the first time. Was it me or did anybody notice Franklin did all of the following things...
-Raped Zora
-Hit Zora
-Cheated on Zora
-Abandoned Zora and the baby
-Destroyed Zora's house
-Verbally abused her by calling her fat
-Lied to her about his divorce/children/lack of college degree

Yet still in the end they ended up together and we are supposed to call this a love story. Puh-lease! This is more like a tragedy.
Terry McMillan is a wonderful writer, yet still this book is sad and lacking. It's sad because she glorified the Tragedy of so many African American women. Franklin was a poor example of an African American man, Zora...she's just weak. She got pregnant out of wedlock 4 times. It needs repeating, 4 times. If Zora was a real life person my friends and I would have some 3 and 4 letter words to describe her. I'll just call her loose. If it wasn't for the plot I'd love this book because it's so realistic and Terry's Dialogue has always seemed like the voices of people I know. However, as a strong Black woman I can't support such a weak individual as Zora, had it been me I would've never let Franklin back into my life or my bed. This is a twisted story.

Zora is a teacher with a good job and great apartment, unfortunately she messes everything up for herself by taking Franklin as her live-in boyfriend. He is a loser who lies to her, can't keep a job, is married, and blames everyone else for his problems. He takes his anger out on Zora and basically turns her well-ordered life into hell. It's as though she thinks she doesn't deserve any better. This is a depressing novel throughout (although lots of housecleaning takes place), and I can't find anything to recommend it, except perhaps some woman will read it and learn from Zora's mistakes.

This book was very real in its portrayal of the way women need men in their lives and will allow even extremely dysfunctional men to share their lives out of simple fear of loneliness and sexual needs. As a feminist, I too deplore the way her lover treated Zorah, who should have known better. But shouldn't we all? They used to say that lesbians were on the front lines of the women's movement, but I've always felt straight women were, because they have to share their hearts and beds with the enemy.

It's not easy being a woman in a man's world, and sometimes we have to take what we can get if we want the social status that comes with having a man. Also, by the time Zorah realized how destructive Frank could be, she was already in love with him. It's very difficult for a woman to UN-love a man, because women are trained to love unconditionally. Actually, it's a beautiful trait that often gets us in trouble. I happen to think it's great to simply live alone or be without a man - many women can do that. But sometimes a jerk just slips in. McMillan realistically portrays this moment in a woman's life. Also - Frank redeemed himself by apologizing for everything and getting into career and substance abuse recovery in the end. He wasn't a complete scoundrel; just a sef-centered a---h---. Any of you girlfriends out there recognize him?

There are a lot of "Terry McMillan wannabees" out there but she is the ORIGINAL and she's the MASTER of this type of story. Zoe and Franklin, a couple with their own struggles and their many ups and downs, literally jump off of the pages, thanks to the brilliant and totally realistic characters that Terry McMillan creates. Although I liked her other books as well as this one, Disappearing Acts is her best work, as far as I'm concerned.

Lonely, confused, and hardworking man meets lonely, hardworking, dreamer of a woman and they fall in love and live happily ever after is what we are all used to either reading about or seeing on TV, right? Well...wake up and smell the DAMN coffee because we are living in the 21st century and and we are no longer living in "la-la" land. I realized this when I picked up the novel "Disappearing Acts", written by Terry McMillan. She uses humor and realistic topics we all can relate to, such as love, hate, betryal, trust, and friendship to gain and reach out to her captive audiance."Disappearing Acts" is a delightsful story about the union of two very different people, Franklin and Zora. They are like the African-American version of "Frankie and Johnnie". Franklin is a sometimes employed construction worker, high school drop-out but surprisingly educated and well-mannered. He's separated with two sons that barely know who their father is. He seeks meaning in life without women. But he unexpectedly meets a woman who is somehow the answer to all of his problems, Zora. Zora is a young, beautiful, dreamy, and sometimes insecure middle school music teacher who yearns to be the next Whitney Houston Nina Simone. She swears that the only goal she plans to reach is her singing career. When these two beatiful people meet...the chemistry is undeniable. But they both have skeletons in the closet that they are afraid to reveal. This is a story that anyone of any race, ethnicity, or backround can relate to. Terry McMillan is definetly speaking the truth through her words. I suggest that anyone in search of a good book to read..this is definetly the one to pick up.

I read this book for the first time about 10 years ago when it first came out. Re-reading it made me realize how much I've grown in the last 10 years. The first time I read this book (and, in some ways, this time too), I was just disgusted with Franklin and disgusted with Zora for putting up with him. How could she let him manipulate and control her? How could she allow him to keep coming back into her life after so much drama? Then I realized you have got to walk in her shoes before you judge her. Zora is in LOVE. She doesn't just love this man, she is IN LOVE with him-which allows her to be patient and to do things that we don't do when we operate with our heads rather than our hearts. I want to think that in the end, Zora gets the ultimate blessing because Franklin recognizes her commitment. I think Terry McMillan did an excellent job developing Franklin's character in this book; she tries to make you somewhat sympathetic to his trials. However, I wish she had further developed Zora's character so that we can better understand what makes her willing to wade through Franklin's pitiful, trifling ways.

By now it's obviously clear that Terry's books are a reflection of her life. First "Mama" and growing up with so much uncertainty, other then of course her Mama's love. Then "Disappearing Acts" and growing into adulthood. This book is clearly about the initial attraction and then her first true love. The book focuses on the relationship she shared with her son's (Solomon) father. The excerpt in Essence magazine began Terry's career. Franklin and Zora loved. They loved hard. But when the relationship turned sour, and Franklin allowed his ego to get in the way of his trust of Zora, the whole thing got ugly.

I agree with some other people who commented, Zora shouldn't have gone back to him either, he hit her, he raped her, wanted to kill her, and felt he was above changing his son's diaper. Brother would need more than dimples and ebony skin to make me put up with that mess.
The book clearly states a message and the characters are very real. Her character development is unparalleled. I know a handful of people in this type of situation. She starts the book off with each one of the characters making a vow to themselves that they are going to live up to their highest potential and not let love or anything tangle their feet. But then, they meet each other. And yes they really are meant for each other. But they do everything prematurely, and they have sex before they really know each other or themselves. And boy do they have sex. SEx.SEx SEx. It eventually causes all of these distractions jealousies and other bad stuff. Eventually they both find themselves thinking, hey where am I, I'm so wrapped up in this other person it seems like I've disappeared. Hence the title. It teaches that before you can fall in love or lust with some one else you must first get yourself together or else you really won't be an enhancement to anyone else's life.

McMillan is a good writer, cusses like a sailor, but an excellent writer. She basically shows a lot of women and men why potentially good relationships tend to consistently blow up in their faces, its not the people that they date who have the problem, its partly them not living up to the best of who they are.
To all those people who didn't get the ending, I'll explain it for you. Franklin was always preoccupied with sex, remember? Well for the first time in the book, he obtained it then later fizzle out and the commitment to themselves change their ways which kept them from success and happiness and being an asset each other's lives. Terry writes about reality, not junk. Highly recommend.