Customer Reviews

Making Scenes

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3 star:		(1)
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Adrienne Eisen, Making Scenes (Alt-X, 2001/2002?)....

Making Scenes is the story of (actually, four stories about, but we'll not split that hair here) the Everywoman of the 1990s as given us by Eisen. She's bulimic but handling it, unsure about her various relationships, trying to find a steady job in a shaky market, and dreams of being a professional beach volleyball player. Unlike most, she has an actual shot at it, and spends the majority of her time outside her various stress-causing activities either playing volleyball, getting ready to play volleyball, or coming home from playing volleyball. And while that may sound monotonous, it's anything but. No one writes novels about professional beach volleyball. And what we get of it here, especially filtered through the eyes of our protagonist (and her relationship crises-- after all, volleyball is a team sport), is interesting enough to have been a novel in itself.

It should have been, and I guess I have to split that hair. The novel lacks consistency, and I get the idea that this is because it's actually four separate stories that take place at various times in the protagonist's life as she attempts to reach her dream. Marketed as a related collection of short stories, I mgiht have been more prepared for the jarring between sections. Also, it often seems like the material on what's happening outside the volleyball obsession is somewhat extraneous. The bulimia aspect is obviously tied in closely, but the outside-volleyball relationships aren't. Perhaps I'm looking at it from the wrong POV, as the book has earned high praise from erotica aficionados, but I got the feeling Eisen was focusing more on the volleyball and that the erotica aspect was less important.
The two didn't quite mesh for me. ** 1/2

Adrienne Eisen's voice is totally unique and what she writes about is rare to hear someone say but common to feel. I love the narrator and I laughed out loud throughout the book.

This book is every bit as good as classics such as Less Than Zero. Same tone, and the same brilliantly original narrator's voice. Everywoman? Maybe not. But brilliant never the less.

Adrienne Eisen's writing can strike a chord in anyone. The main character is so complex that readers are sure to identify with at least one facet, whether it's neuroticism at its finest or the enlightened discovery of a personal truth. But that's what Eisen does best: she unveils the character's faults in a most self-deprecating way that the reader can't help but like her and push for her achievements. As Everywoman, she reflects the conflicts of her generation and the ultimate responsibility of the self to resolve them. I'm definitely looking forward to her next book.

A friend of mine introduced me to Adrienne's writing by giving me her web address, since then, I've been hooked. I went as far as printing out the majority of them and leaving it on my coffee table, which is great for conversation. Now, I have a book to put on my coffee table!

If you're not sure if you want to get this book, I suggest you look at her site first, you won't be disappointed

I know this isn't much of a review, but judge for yourself with the free stuff online.

This book is really funny, intelligent, and surprisingly intimate. Adrienne Eisen writes about topics that you don't usually read about in novels --beach volleyball, commodities trading and bulimia. And she writes better than anyone else about topics you hear about a lot--like ex-boyfriends, blow jobs and lesbian sex. I could not put the book down.

This book is really funny, intelligent, and surprisingly intimate. Adrienne Eisen writes about topics that you don't usually read about in novels --beach volleyball, commodities trading and bulimia. And she writes better than anyone else about topics you hear about a lot--like ex-boyfriends, ... . I could not put the book down.