Customer Reviews

Metropause

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My delight with this book came as a total surprise - I read it on a whim, and must recommend.
My expression while reading Metropause alternated between wry amusement to delighted surprise.
The book is smart, sexy, and riotously funny.

Evan and Lulias write with an easy, wry wit and their characters are engaging amidst their mania.
Emotion is built up at what seem to be the most unlikely moments, creating an enjoyable balance between intrigue/conflict and that sweet fulfillment that comes when bad things happen to bad people.

At moments the comic interaction between characters is so perfectly timed and visual that I felt I was reading a play. I laughed and I cried - but my real applause is how Metropause had me on my toes throughout... I am always a fan of this position.

The character of Cherie has already become a bit of an archetype in my mind. An archetype of what, you may ask? Nay, I will not tell you - read it, and find out for yourself ya lazy bastard.

The official website for Metropause has a little blurb about the Bundt cake issue - here's my two cents:

Linda's split-level Bundt cake, I believe, was indeed two levels. While some may call this blasphemy, I call it daring innovation and necessary sexual compensation. Strange things happen when a woman's sexual energy is funneled into her cooking - trust me, I know.

Edison Archer is a 36 year old gay man from San Francisco, who finds himself in Seattle after his parents were found dead in their home there, cause of death not apparent, but believed by locals to be the latest victims of the "Reaping Widow" legend that had claimed previous inhabitants of the house. He reconnects with close friends (and also former San Francisco residents), Linda and Brett Gale, who live just down the block and are helping Edison through the ordeal of packing up his parents' possessions and deciding when/if to sell the house. Edison remembers Linda and Brett as the perfect yuppie couple, but, although Brett seems to the thriving professionally in his new job there, Linda - who ran a trendy art gallery before the move - has become a bored housewife, clearly straining their relationship as well as resulting in Linda gaining some weight. Along comes Cherie Cahill, an aggressive realtor who pops pills constantly, sleeps around yet considers herself a devout Christian, who decides to push Edison into letting her sell the house, and eyes the sexually-frustrated Brett as another short-term goal to conquer. Also a bit frustrated is Edison, whose attempt at an online hookup there results in a waste of time meeting an egotistical slut who misrepresented himself in his profile, and having to deal with a well-intentioned but pushy neighbor, the inscrutable Mrs. Lily Ling, who uses the key his parents had given her to barge in on Edison whenever she felt like it, offering advice that is more of an edict.

This well-written, character-driven book also involves several other male and female, straight and gay/lesbian individuals - all friends or co-workers of the core characters now in Seattle - who alternate episodic passages which eventually come together into one cohesive storyline, perhaps possible, though a bit farfetched and absolutely way over-the-top. However, it is an engaging, witty read, part romantic comedy, part mystery, and a delayed coming-of-age, which I give a full five stars out of five.

Metropause is a rarity in today's world of contemporary fiction - a funny and fast read yet chocked with fascinating, rich characters and a complex and griping storyline. Evans and Lulias, who I believe compare favorably as an updated Armistead Maupin, have done a brilliant job crafting a novel that is as poignant as it is pee-in-your-pants funny and I find myself quoting many of their smart and sassy lines in my day-to-day conversations. The story is intensely woven in such a deep, interesting fashion that it immediately creates a page turner combining mystery and intrigue with a quick, sharp humor that is ever au courant. As one of the other reviewers so brilliantly notes, what makes Metropause work so well is that the main characters in the book are all people whom you want in your "Contacts List" today (except perhaps for the psycho Cherie - and heck, we probably all already have folks like that in there to begin with!). On a side note, I thoroughly enjoy the terrific gay-positive message in the novel. It is wonderful to see gays portrayed outside of the all too familiar stereotypes in many modern day novels. The worst part of the book was finishing it - and now having to wait for the (hopefully soon?!?) sequel. While this may be the first novel from Evans and Lulias, with any luck, it will not be their last!

I've read this book twice and like the cover, it is not what it appears. The first read was a race to the finish, fueled on the rich humor that is on nearly every page. I've never read a book where the double-entendre seems almost common place and wit generously graces each page. I read it the second time because the characters kept crossing my mind after I finished the book. Evans and Lulias actually wrote two books. The second book is under the comedy. The characters express the tense ties, the same ones that bind us to our friends and family, even when the motives are not immediately clear. The uneven mix of straight and gay, male and female, mature and immature blend beautifully. I was taken by the friendship between married Linda and single Edison, where intelligent banter avoids flat delivery, but the exchange of confidences on being alone in life or alone in marriage will speak to many. I am also happy to finally read a book where the clichés are swept aside when it comes to gay and straight relationships. There is much more to write about the book, plenty of suspense and woven plot lines, but I don't want to accidently spoil the read for anyone. Read it, it is an original.

Could these guys be the new David Sedaris? It's both a mystery with a plot that keeps you interested and a comedy that's laced at every turn with sardonic witticisms that make you laugh out loud and trenchant observations about people and society in general. If you know San Francisco and/or Seattle, or have ever worked in a law firm, you'll respond all the more to this winning novel (but it's certainly not necessary). Bring on the sequel!

Wonderfully fun and fast. The character interaction is so fluid that the plot has a reality of its own, and one I wished I was in as I quickly grew to think of some of the characters as friends. The plot is unusual and I did not really know where it was going for the first third of the book as the book is a very clever onion that you peel as you enjoy the wit. I don't write reviews usually, but this one seemed worth it. As this is a page turner, I am behaving myself with sharing the details. This book is a "must read" if you want some comedy in your life and a smile on your lips.