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The Last Time I Saw You: A Novel (Random House Large Print)
 
 
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The Last Time I Saw You: A Novel (Random House Large Print) [Large Print] [Paperback]

Elizabeth Berg (Author)
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Random House Large Print April 6, 2010
From the beloved bestselling author of Home Safe and The Year of Pleasures, comes a wonderful new novel about women and men reconnecting with one another—and themselves—at their fortieth high school reunion.

To each of the men and women in The Last Time I Saw You, this reunion means something different—a last opportunity to say something long left unsaid, an escape from the bleaker realities of everyday life, a means to save a marriage on the rocks, or an opportunity to bond with a slightly estranged daughter, if only over what her mother should wear.

As the onetime classmates meet up over the course of a weekend, they discover things that will irrevocably affect the rest of their lives. For newly divorced Dorothy Shauman, the reunion brings with it the possibility of finally attracting the attention of the class heartthrob, Pete Decker. For the ever self-reliant, ever left-out Mary Alice Mayhew, it’s a chance to reexamine a painful past. For Lester Heseenpfeffer, a veterinarian and widower, it is the hope of talking shop with a fellow vet—or at least that’s what he tells himself. For Candy Armstrong, the class beauty, it’s the hope of finding friendship before it is too late.

As Dorothy, Mary Alice, Lester, Candy, and the other classmates converge for the reunion dinner, four decades melt away: Desires and personalities from their youth reemerge, and new discoveries are made. For so much has happened to them all. And so much can still happen.

In this beautiful novel, Elizabeth Berg deftly weaves together stories of roads taken and not taken, choices made and opportunities missed, and the possibilities of second chances.


From the Hardcover edition.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A high school reunion and all of its attendant dramas is the backdrop of Berg's rose-tinted latest (after Home Safe). For Dorothy Shauman, her 40th reunion is the chance to finally hook up with her high school crush. She prepares weeks in advance for the big night, strange as that may seem, preening in front of the mirror. As Berg surveys the gamut of emotions felt by Dorothy and some of her classmates, she zeroes in on an array of stereotypes—the hot girls, the jocks, the in crowd, the out crowd—and considers what makes each one tick, offering the vanilla revelation that the person on the inside doesn't always match the person on the outside. It's cleanly plotted, ably written, and sure to appeal to boomers staring down the barrel of their own 40th reunions. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

For everyone who has received an invitation to their high-school reunion and broken out in a cold, clammy sweat, Berg nails the experience: the dread that morphs into downright fear; the bouts of self-doubt that coalesce into prolonged periods of self-loathing; the internal inventory that comes up short in the bragging-rights column. Of course, there’s just as much potential for life-affirming and life-altering revelations. Glory days can be relived, damaged reputations repaired, lapsed friendships restored, lost loves rekindled. As Dorothy, Pete, Mary Alice, Candy, and Lester consider returning to Clear Springs for their fortieth high-school reunion, each contemplates the chance for redemption and revenge, renewal and retribution. Ultimately, they are then surprised to discover how much they have yet to learn about human nature and their own capacity for joy and forgiveness. Luckily, the zestfully wise Berg is the perfect teacher for such tender lessons of the heart, and her sublimely authentic and winsome characters are apt students. Book groups are clamoring for upbeat yet significant works that are entertaining as well as enlightening; Berg’s latest novel satisfies and succeeds on both counts. --Carol Haggas --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Random House Large Print; Lrg edition (April 6, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0739377418
  • ISBN-13: 978-0739377413
  • Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.7 x 9.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,492,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elizabeth Berg won the NEBA Award for fiction for her body of work, and was a finalist for the ABBY for Talk Before Steep. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, and the New York Times Magazine. She has also taught a writing workshop at Radcliffe College. She lives near Boston, Massachusetts.

 

Customer Reviews

81 Reviews
5 star:
 (24)
4 star:
 (17)
3 star:
 (23)
2 star:
 (7)
1 star:
 (10)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (81 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A book a 58 year old can relate to!, April 10, 2010
I LOVED this quick and easy read of 58 year-olds facing the 40 year high school reunion. I am 58 myself with a 40 year high school reunion this summer and, I have to tell 'ya, Ms. Berg absolutely nails the various predicaments, conditions, and thoughts of us boomers. If you are of this certain age, you'll laugh out loud at the references to Viagra, Spanx, and a face "looking like ice cream falling off a plate." It's been many, many books ago that I repeatedly laughed out loud. Her writing is soooo smooth. What a refreshing joy ~ just good lighthearted reading for an afternoon ~ a wonderful way to spend a few hours repeatedly identifying with these characters. A gem!
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32 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The House is a Mess - I Blame Elizabeth Berg!, April 8, 2010
The last two days, the dishes have piled up, the laundry in the dryer needs to be rewashed - everything is wrinkled and I don't iron, and my coffee table is littered with chocolate Easter candy wrappers and empty coffee cups.

I blame Elizabeth Berg and her new release - The Last Time I Saw You.

What a joy to read. The characters were faulty yet lovable, the writing, as ALWAYS, was so freaking smooth and flowing.

Read the synopsis for info on what the book is about - my review is to recommend it. If you want a pleasurable read, if you want to escape for a day or two (because you won't want to put it down), go out and pick up a copy.

Just make sure your house is clean and you have plenty of food to snack on as you won't be doing much other than reading!
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars "You think you'll never get old, but you will.", May 9, 2010
Why would anyone want to attend their fortieth high school reunion? We find out in Elizabeth Berg's bittersweet novel, "The Last Time I Saw You." The author introduces us to a diverse group of people in their late fifties who still remember what it was like to be an adolescent at Whitley High. Fifty-eight year old Dorothy Shauman is divorced and desperate to reconnect with the best-looking guy in the class, Pete Decker, "the football player, the prom king." As Dorothy gazes at herself in the mirror, she "raises her chin so her turkey neck disappears." Her imagination runs wild as she predicts how she and Pete will banter, flirt, and subsequently leave the others behind to spend some quality time together. Mary Alice Mayhew had been shunned by her high-school classmates because of her dowdiness and lack of social skills. Although she has never been married, she claims to be content with her quiet and solitary existence. "She has learned not to let hurt take up residence inside her." In spite of her self-reliant personality, Mary Alice admits that there is someone she used to know in high school whom she would not mind seeing again.

Widower and loner Lester Hessenpfeffer is devoted to the animals he cares for in his veterinary practice, and would rather not attend the reunion at all. His assistant, Jeanine, hounds him into going. Pete Decker left his wife, Nora, for a younger woman, and now regrets his rash behavior; his mistress is vapid and his wife has started dating someone else. He hopes to win her back at the get-together. Candy Sullivan, the most desirable female in the class, is miserable in her marriage to an aloof and controlling husband. She needs to get away from him while she makes some tough decisions about her future.

Berg has a field day with her lively and diverse cast, all of whom have a great deal to learn about life. As the former classmates ponder who they were four decades ago and how they have changed, they are forced to admit that some of their choices may have been misguided. They wonder if it is too late to seek the happiness that has eluded them. Can a loner find companionship at an age when most people are thinking of retirement? Is it possible for an unhappily married woman to start over, either alone or with someone else?

In the wrong hands, this could easily have been a maudlin, predictable, and heavy-handed work of fiction. Fortunately, Berg hits all the right notes in this crisp, succinct, sometimes profound, and often hilarious novel. She explores her characters' confusion, insecurities, and fears with compassion, subtlety, and wry humor. As people age, they may develop wrinkles, gain a few pounds, and become a bit more set in their ways. However, most individuals never lose the desire for love, acceptance, and fulfillment. "The Last Time I Saw You" is touching but never saccharine. To her credit, Berg does not resort to a clichéd resolution for each character's problems. Instead, she wraps everything up satisfyingly and intelligently, showing respect for us and for the stalwart men and women who dare to confront some hard truths. As one individual says at a session in which everyone bares his soul: "I've finally gained some perspective that lets me laugh about things that used to make me want to tear my hair out."
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