Customer Reviews

The Great Husband Hunt

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is not a romance! The title and photo on the cover could mislead you. But this is a clever book, a marvelous character read. And I loved it. I think Laurie Graham has captured the ultimate eccentric spirit in Poppy, who is modeled somewhat on Peggy Guggenheim, according to Graham's interview at the end of the novel. (By-the-way, author Graham now resides in Venice, the home of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum.)

I am reminded of the Mitford novels and biographies, not Jan Karon, but Nancy Mitford, i. e. Love in a Cold Climate, The Pursuit of Love, Don't Tell Alfred. And of the Five Sisters: The Langhornes of Virginia. There is even a taste of the absurditiy of AbFab of BBC TV.

For certainly Poppy has genuine feelings, as expressed by her loss of her father and the confusion over his double life, and she belabors her having been controlled by her mother and her aunt. But she is a strong and willful rich woman, a mustard heiress who seems to have no sense of conventional behavior at all, especially as it concerns her daughters, or husbands. She buys her way through life, but it isn't all despicable. In fact, her ways as an avant garde originator/fashion designer, and discover and seller of art, are not so foreign to those who actually fill that world even today. Witness the emergence of design of all kinds in the world of cable TV channels and realize what entertainment value it must provide to not only stay on the air but multiply and clone itself into more and more programming.

There is a definite message in this journey the reader takes with Poppy at the helm, and it is the importance of one's family after all. In addition there is a sense of history, as in the effect of world events on culture. But the humor and oddity in the story line keep this from being a maudlin tale. The whole set of characters is no more eccentric than any other good novel, often a Southern tale. But the mix of Jewish and Christian culture with the art world and the world of the wealthy makes for a fun read. Poppy is an addictive flower of a protagonist, both reprehensible and sympathetic.

Okay, maybe it's because I majored in English/Literature that I'm a bit more picky about what I read than the others who have reviewed this novel, but I have to ask - did we all read the same book?

To begin, both the title and book "blurb" were tremendously misleading. The gist of both was that Poppy was a spunky, free-spirited girl trying to fight against the oppression of her mother's grand scheme to find her a husband. Instead, this is the rather self-centered ramblings of a rather uninteresting woman. Whoo - Poppy's an aviator? Whoopie! I'd have been more impressed if that part of the story was enlarged upon... what was it like for her, as a woman in the early 1920s, to take flight lessons, etc.? In fact, I would have been more impressed, period, had the author actually told a story. Instead, the reader is subjected to Poppy's constant "I'm so great, I'm so much better than everyone else is" bragging. It got extremely tiresome and this book plodded on.

It seems to me that because the "book club guide" questions are often intelligent, they lend to certain books more credibility than they actually deserve. This is one of those books. While I am the first to admit that I found Graham's "Future Homemakers of America" sadly lacking in both plot, essence and skilled writing, I was willing to give this book a try (because of the aforementioned "blurb"). What a letdown. In the author interview, Graham blatantly admits to having done "no research". This, above all, is abundantly evident in this book. For example, the sinking of the Titanic has been so deeply documented, I found it incredible that she managed to get her facts so screwed up. Tell me please, Ms. Graham, how it would be possible for people on land (and particularly a newspaper) to be aware of the collision BEFORE the Carpathia was? The comment from Poppy's aunt that the latest news is that there was a collision but the boat is being towed is ludicrous. THEN the same aunt says that the news now is that the Carpathia has picked up the survivors. Ummm... excuse me, Ms. Graham... it's not as though Titanic passengers had cell phones to call landside and give updates. Further, as someone who has read MANY books on the Titanic, I am simply amazed that she thought this would fly. Word of the Titanic disaster did not reach home until AFTER the Carpathia came along. Somehow I don't think the Marconi operators were spending their time wiring newsrooms rather than sending the SOS.

Additionally, I found the blase nature of the characters' salon visits to be a bit progressive for the times... "cancel my manicure!". In 1920? Puhleeze!!!!

There is also the superfluous characters whose introduction, indeed their mere mention, made no sense and who had no point to the book. Cousin Addie? What role did she play? What role did Stassy play? None whatsoever, so why bore the reader with more useless banalty?

Finally, Poppy's self-pitying whining about how her family always tried to run her life for her, etc. is nothing more than ridiculous. It seems to me (or, in Poppy's words, I'm sure) that she was the person who went out of her way to abuse her family and ruin their lives. Granted, her daughter's fixation on Gil was ridiculous, but Poppy's lies contributed to her state of mind. Of course, Poppy's perfect, so why take the blame?

As for the ending, I found it woefully uncharacteristic of Poppy. Suddenly the high-flying "I'm-so-much-younger-than-I-seem-and-I've-still-got-it" Poppy is content to live in Florida and eat early bird specials at a restaurant with a (gasp!) salad bar? This from the person who shuddered when her grandchildren didn't chose a four-star restaurant? Not likely. Then again, neither are the chances of me buying another book by Laurie Graham.

The Great Husband Hunt, while the title is seriously flawed, is a fun, quick read. The main character, Poppy is a woman that you will love to hate. Uneducated, spoiled, and self-absorbed, she is also fun, impulsive, and hedonistic. Born into an affluent family in the early 1900s, she experiences all of the highlights of the 20th century; the sinking of the Titanic, 2 World Wars, Vietnam. She bounces through life with a carefree, unconcerned attitude, and, in spite of herself, everything always seems to work out in the end. There were times when I found myself disliking Poppy so much, I wondered if I wanted to finish the book. A few pages more, though, and I'd have forgotton all about how much she ticked me off and get caught up in her next adventure. Now, don't we all know people just like that??
Don't let yourself get too caught up in the historical details of this book. After all, it is just fiction! Let go a little, and, hopefully, you'll enjoy this as much as I do.

This book keeps you entertained. But don't look for plot, meaning or messages here. Its kind of depressing. Its a story of a womans life through the early part of the 20th century. It has a catchy title, but don't let it mislead you. "The Great Husband Hunt"---is not really about a husband hunt. It talks about how Poppy has to whiten her neck and wear things to keep her ears from sticking out so she can catch a husband. Ummm, thats about it. Its really a sad kind of life story. Yes, shes an aviatrix and an arts dealer. She has two daughters, Sapphire and Emerald. They're jewish, depending on the decade.This Poppy sort of staggers through life, through one relationship after another, seeking nothing rewarding or signifcant out of any thing. Shes never happy. Its sort of like an average womans chronicle of life. However, I read fiction for escapism, because I am an average woman. So I feel like I just read---almost a biography of sorts. Did I mention this is NOT a romance? Another reviewer remarked on that, and I feel I should mention that, considering the title of the book is misleading.
But really, the style and the story are not bad. Just not what you think.

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read, and I loved how it explored Poppy's entire life. It started in the early 1900's when Poppy was only 15 and she lost her father in the Titanic and then it took us through her life up until her 70's. We learn about her 2 husbands, her 2 kids, her mother and sister, her aunt, and her stepbrother. The author gives a lot of information about all the characters in the book. Good Book!!

I truly loved this book. Couldn't put it down and wanted to keep "Poppy" going. But, it has been published under the name:
"The Undesirables" and a different cover, which I'd bought. Imagine my surprise, when I'd ordered some additional books, by Laurie Graham and received, "The Great Husband Hunt", to be one and the same. That was annoying!

I really give this book a 3 1/2. The high parts of this rating I reserve towards the beginning of the book, but as the work progressed I became disappointed with the character of Poppy and the plot.

I initially loved this book. Hearing about Poppy's ackward appearance, her mother's shallow obsession with "fixing" her daughter for the "great husband hunt", and Poppy's rebellious nature made me laugh. I thought this book was going to be all about her mother's pushing for this perfect life and Poppy pushing back with unconventional adventures. That this "great husband hunt" would not have produced any husbands or children, just adventures, affairs, and eccentricities. So I was a little disappointed when Poppy did marry (granted it wasn't to a traditional socialite and it did lead to divorce).

In the beginning, Poppy was very naive but she told it like it was even though her Aunt and mother found her comments and behavior rude. I found her honesty very refreshing.

After WWI, Poppy's character crossed the line from this naive,lovable girl to an arrogant, rude young woman. In fact she didn't even seem human anymore. She seemed to have no connection with anyone, her mom, aunt, sister, husbands, and even her children. I thought she was a terrible mother. I could not get over how nonchalance she was when it came to her children. You would have thought that Poppy's experiences with her own shallow mother would have taught her that a mother's attitude has consequences on the happiness of her children. I heard more praises of love between Poppy and her dog than between Poppy and her children.

And if I had to hear one more time, "I'm a mustard heiress," I think I would have screamed. You would think someone would have taught her not to say that b/c 1) it's rude and 2) someone will take advantage of you.

Basically, I couldn't root for Poppy during the second half of the book and that's when my opinion of the novel fell short of the promising beginning.

I would like to know where people got the idea that this book is a romance. It is in the general fiction area of any book store I've been to.
The book is a good read and I would recommend it to anyone look for an easy read.

Poppy, the main character in The Great Husband Hunt, is not always likeable, but she is certainly unforgettable. Both Poppy and the colorful quirky cast of characters, who surround her, make reading this book an entertaining adventure. The events of the last 90 years are seen through the eyes of an often self-centered but never dull figure, who goes from a young girl to a woman of a certain age while the reader laughs,sighs and rolls his/her eyes, but is never bored.

Poppy Minkel is a mustard heiress. And after spending her childhood under the thumb of strict vanity and duty by her mother Dora and Aunt Fish, she is all too prepared to spend her fortune doing whatever she wishes.

After the tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic, Poppy's feminine relatives oppress Poppy even more in their own unique ways. Her mother Dora devises a headband to flatten Poppy's ears against her head. But at least Poppy has plenty of fun colors to choose from. She's also forced to rub a whitening cream on her neck. Anything to stifle the imperfections that would certainly lead to Poppy's future as a spinster. But WWI changes the Minkel household. Frightened by the Germans, Dora schemes to change their last name from the Jewish "Minkel" to a more American "Minton" even though the family has been living in New York since 1890. But Poppy refuses to change her name and here her rebellion begins. Both Poppy and her mother volunteer in the war effort thus seeing less and less of each other. She ends up getting a job selling neckties at Macy's and there she meets Gilbert Catchings. She marries Gilbert and they move to Paris, France in 1921. Poppy begins her life there with becoming a pilot and a shop owner. She has a daughter named Sapphire who she promptly hands off to her sister Honey to raise back in New York. She continues flying airplanes and that is how she meets Reggie Merrick; an English lad who has weak ties to the Queen of England. She finds herself pregnant with Reggie's baby and goes back to New York. She leaves her second daughter, Emerald, with Honey as well. Dumping Gilbert, she moves to Reggie's estate in England and marries him. Sapphire and Emerald move to England later. After Poppy's abrupt status as "widow", she and her daughters move back to New York, barely escaping the Germans of WWII. Poppy opens an art gallery in New York and dives headlong into the business of art and fashion including clothes trés chic and facelifts.

The Great Husband Hunt is a hastily told story of the entire life events of a woman that isn't at all likable. Poppy is incredibly insensitive to all around her from her family and Jewish heritage to her children to an entire population of people during war. She exhibits an obtuseness that makes the reader wonder if she will ever grow and redeem herself. Unfortunately, the reader is left disappointed and a little miffed to find he's wasted his time on a fluff novel that's given his life no weighty value.

[...]