Customer Reviews

The List: A Love Story in 781 Chapters

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A true delight to savor. More please.

You are desperate for a husband. You have given up on finding him. Or maybe you are confused. You mother is pressuring you, but you can always count on your girlfriend--and maybe a bottle of cooking wine. If all else fails, vodka. But only if there is no phone present.

You certainly don't want to call your ex's French girlfriend. But that leads you straight to the cafe where you meet Liam, or his look alike. When he says he loves cats, you don't know he is talking about the waitress. Goodbye Liam. Hello Haagen-Dazs. Blind dates and gluten don't mix. Always, always trust a pet store. Mister Right might be holding a kitten, but he won't ask for directions.

The List, A Love Story in 781 Chapters, is a laugh-out-loud funny, highly entertaining read. I even got over the fact that it is written in second person present--did you even know that was possible? It reads just like your best friend sending a love-lesson warning over Instant Message, one sentence at a time. There is no time for graphic descriptions as one sentence may encompass two weeks. Or two seconds.

I finished The List in a single sitting of about 45 minutes. It is probably perfect for a pedicure, or an hour on the beach--but don't take it on a long car ride or you will spend a lot of time surfing on the radio.

Armchair Interviews says: The List is a witty, quick read, but almost too quick.

How does an author encapsulate the entire dating experience into a mere 90 pages or so? Why, by making it into a list, of course!

THE LIST is a unique approach to a love story. The reader shares the list maker's horror at her blind-date-gone-wrong and her anxiety of preparing for her date with Mr. Right (who turns into Mr. Wrong).

The most endearing part of THE LIST is the consistency of the friendship with the best girlfriend. Every female who has ever gone on a date knows how invaluable it is to have a friend you can trust- the kind of friend you can call up after getting drunk and making a stupid call to an ex-boyfriend. THE LIST will remind readers of their own nightmare dating experiences but, even more importantly, shows the power of friendship in surviving them!

The inclusion of the cat in THE LIST is particularly clever. The cat remains calm and indifferent (as cats tend to do) throughout the list maker's emotional roller coaster. This provides the perfect contrast to the entire dating scenario and ironically it is the cat who appears to provide direction as to how each relationship will turn out.

THE LIST is a cute, surprisingly poignant, book. This reviewer had to read this book if only to see how the author would manage to actually make a book using the list concept. THE LIST succeeds in drawing the reader into the entire experience of dating, loving, and losing the one you thought you loved. If you are looking for a deep, lengthy novel, this is not the book for you. However, if you are looking for a meaningful gift book to share with a best friend, then this is precisely the book you are looking for!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

I loved this book!! It was a quick and easy read, but completly amazing. It was hilarious and charming. Any woman who has ever been on a date will love this book.

This is a love story in 781 very short chapters...

1. You will pick up this book.
2. It looks fun.
3. You'll read the first few pages and laugh.
a. One of the asides sounds SO like that last guy you dated.
4. You'll get hooked, wondering if "you" (the list is all about "your" love life, after all) will find Mr. Right.
5. You will read the entire list in less than an hour because you won't be able to stop.
6. The book will end up on a shelf in your bookcase. You can reread it when things aren't going well in your hunt for or conquest of Mr. Right.
7. You'll tell your girlfriends about it and laugh some more.
8. You and your girlfriends will agree that the book is unique and funny and cute, and it's better than a blind date.
9. You won't be surprised to hear more from the author.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
7/19/2006

Using the second person throughout the 781 chapters, this is a slick amusing chick lit tale of relationships (from the female perspective). No chapter is more than about twenty-five words and each consists of a declarative sentence though several have multiple choices. Each entry leads to the next entry so that the love story goes from dreaming of meeting Mr. Right to meeting Mr. Right who turns out to be Mr. Wrong to meeting other Mr. Wrongs and finally to meeting Mr. Right, who fails to measure anywhere near the perfection metrics. Tongue in cheek Aneva Stout satirizes romance fall in love and hate novels, chick lit excessive inanities, and contemporary relationships though at times some of the entries fall right into the sand traps of the platitudes being lampooned. Still this is a one sitting pleasant read that romance readers will laugh at while wondering how anyone can own an iguana and keep their bathroom sparkling clean (at least cleaner than yours)?

Harriet Klausner

This quick and witty read will make you laugh out loud (so watch where you are reading it!). You'll find yourself scribbling notes in the margins, wanting to remember some of the wickedly funny lines that we've all experienced through tragic and occasionally less tragic dating. Even though the book may be considered "chick lit," you don't have to be "chick" to enjoy it. Loved it!