Straight Talking: A Novel [Paperback]

Jane Green (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 23, 2003

Meet Tasha—single and still searching. A producer for Britain’s most popular morning show working under a nightmare boss, Tash is well-versed in the trials and tribulations of twenty-first century dating. She and her three best friends certainly haven’t lived the fairy tale they thought they would: there’s Andy, who’s hooked on passion, but too much of a tomboy to have moved much beyond the beer-drinking contest stage; Mel, stuck in a steady but loveless relationship; and Emma, endlessly waiting for her other half to propose. Their love lives are only complicated by the sort of men who seem to drift in and out: Andrew—suave, good-looking and head over heels in love . . . with himself; Simon, who is allergic to commitment but has a bad-boy nature that’s impossible to resist; and Adam—perfectly attractive, but too sweet to be sexy.

The bestselling first novel that launched Jane Green, one of the brightest stars in contemporary women’s fiction, Straight Talking sets the record straight regarding the real world of dating, and follows the adventures of Tash and her friends as they search for fulfillment and the right kind of love. Funny, flirty, and ultimately tender, Straight Talking gets at the heart of modern romance.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Native Brit Green (Jemima J; Mr. Maybe) had a hit in England with her first novel when it was published there in 1997; it follows the lives of four women (or "ladettes") through lunch dates, new mates and heartbreaks. Career-minded Tasha, who has clawed her way up the ladder of British television to be a producer for a popular a.m. chat-fest, narrates in a brisk, snappy monologue. Although she prides herself on her stylish clothes and glamorous job ("I'm generally thought of as strikingly attractive," she notes), what she really needs is the love of a good man. The problem? She's a sucker for rakes who make her pulse race, treat her horribly and break her heart. Smitten with commitment-phobic Simon, Tasha gets to know his best friend, Adam, to whom she turns for support when Simon calls it quits. Adam and Tasha become great friends-until he announces he loves her. "These are the words I've longed to hear. For years I've dreamed, of being in this situation, of sitting on a terrace, lit by candlelight, facing a man who I love, who tells me he love me too. But this is Adam," Tasha moans. "I love Adam but I don't want his tongue in my mouth, his hand on my breast, his body in my bed." Eventually, Tasha decides to give dating Adam a try, but her desire for passion continues to haunt her until she's forced to choose between warm stability with Adam and scorching hot sex with a handsome stranger. Though this volume has some of the familiar Sex in the City/Bridget Jones's Diary spark, it's neither as charismatic nor humorous as Green's later works.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Any woman who’s suffered a relationship trauma, or simply lost her way in the
confusion of modern life, will die for this book . . . Wickedly funny, it may not improve your love life, but it will make you squeal with laughter.” —Cosmopolitan

“Irritatingly accurate, Straight Talking is a hilarious and poignant look at love and sex.” —Elle

“Sharp, funny, and packed with familiar situations for all those who’ve ever embarked on the dating game.” —Tattler

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; 1 edition (September 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767915593
• ISBN-13: 978-0767915595
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #129,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jane Green is a bestselling author of popular novels. She has been featured in People, Newsweek, USA Today, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan. She lives in Connecticut with her family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What's that nasty taste in my mouth?, April 26, 2005

By 

Pimm (London, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Straight Talking: A Novel (Paperback)

Ew. This book was just...gross. I was shocked, because I really enjoyed Jemima J. Apparently, Jane Green has really only managed one genuinely likeable protagonist. The main character in Straight Talking, Tash, is really vile. I don't even mind that she's slutty, but I really dislike how stuck-up and egocentric she is. Most of the book is taken up with Tash's endless whining about how her parents screwed her up (because her father had affairs when she was a child) and her constant statements about how hot she is and how every man stares at her with lust. I actually guffawed with outrage at one point towards the end of the book where she says she "even forgives" the reader for disliking her. That's a real laugh, but perfectly in line with her irritating personality. Tash also goes on and on about how slutty one of her best friends, Andy, is, and how "even with all of her faults, she's a good storyteller," and how dumpy her best friend Mel is, and how she (Tash) didn't initially think Mel was "good enough for her" because she was frumpy. Obviously, Tash is a fictive character, but the fact that this book compels me, a normally rather level-headed reader, to actively strongly dislike the main character and essentially root against her, is a real testament to Jane Green's inability here to create an even semi-likeable, realistic, or slightly sympathetic main character.

Another major problem I had with this book was its total lack of connection to reality. At times, I actually found myself wondering if this book had been written by a man. Some of the descriptions of Tash's behavior or her "lust" felt totally out of touch with how most women behave or feel. I know I'm not "everywoman," but I have never read a book that was so totally out of touch with how I as a woman, or even just as a human being, feel and act. Every book I've read, especially those in the chick lit genre, has captured some truths that I can really relate to, but I felt that Tash seemed more like a caricature of a horny young man, rather than a 30-year old woman.

I'll give Jane Green this--she can write some pretty steamy sex scenes. But it's not enough when you spend your whole time reading the book wanting to throttle the main character.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not The Best Jane Green - But Not Bad For A Debut, October 28, 2003

By 

Caroline P. Hampton (Columbus, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Straight Talking: A Novel (Paperback)

I love Jane Green. She is probably my very favorite author in the whole world. I have had this book for years (it was published in the UK ages ago) and I think that people are going into this book thinking it's new and will be up to her current standards. That is not the case. This is her very first book and only shows moments of her talent and brilliance. Later books really express how much she had grown and how very talented she really is.

That being said --- this book is still really good and right up there with other "Chick Lit" books on the market today. It holds it's own against those currently being published - but might pale in comparison to her previous offers. If you go into this as any other chick book - you'll be fine. Just don't think this is a NEW Jane Green book. You might be disappointed.

Cheers!

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Horribly written and boring!, May 5, 2004

By 

Mark Twain "Sam" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Straight Talking: A Novel (Paperback)

After reading Jane Green's poorly written but strangely engrossing novel, Jemima J., I decided to give her other books a chance. I am extremely sorry I wasted my time. Mr. Maybe started off well, but quickly dissolved into a boring, predictable, and forgottable mess.

Straight Talking, which is probably her worst novel yet, doesn't even start off well, and unfortunately, doesn't get any better. Reading these novels makes me realize that anyone can write a book and sell it, as long as it is badly written, predictable, and blah. Mrs. Green writes like I did in the eighth grade, not even bothering to hide her lack of talent. Her descriptions, if you can even call them that, are lackluster, and her dialogue is absolutely atrocious. Plus, aside from Jemima J., she has not created one single likable heroine. In fact, Straight Talking's Tasha, has got to be one of the most pathetic, annoying, and unlikeable characters in all of literature, which, if I had my way, this book would not be a category of. She falls in love with any man who lays his eyes on her, and gives in to pleasure within minutes of speaking to him, then wonders why she can't have a decent relationship, blaming her lack of love on her parents' divorce. A television producer should be smarter than that. Honey, perhaps you can't find a man because you've slept with all of England!

Tasha's friends all seem the same to me and I was confused as to who is who. All four of these women are cardboard, going through the EXACT same cliched problems and dealing with them in the same way. I could not tell one from the other and it bothered me how similar they are. Perhaps ONE best friend would have been more convenient, and saved the confusion. These women are stuck in very harmful relationships and blame themselves for it, and can't bring themselves to just walk away. It seems they are trying to deliberately ruin their lives by doing everything they shouldn't. It's pathetic and bothersome.

I just can't get into a novel where I don't even care about the characters, especially the heroine. She is the woman you always try to avoid at parties and want your boyfriend to steer clear of at all costs. A woman everyone is friends with, but secretly hates. Now, would you want to read a book about her?

This is being compared to a British version of Sex and the City, but I assure you it is not. It's a very bad novel written about a horrible person. Steer clear, you have been warned!