Customer Reviews

Strange Bedpersons

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The characters in this story are a bit dated: he's a Republican yuppie lawyer aiming to be made a partner in his law firm, and she's a commune-raised, out-of-work, liberal educator. The book was published in 1994 so that explains it. But even so, this is another funny and entertaining book by Ms. Cruisie, with sharply drawn characters and crisp dialogue.

I intially wasn't drawn to Tess Newhart - she's in her mid-thirties and still living in a thrift-store-furnished apartment, getting involved with protests, etc. My first reaction was "grow up already". But the more I read the more I liked her and felt in sympathy with her. Nick Jamieson is more than the standard smooth-talking lawyer he appears to be, even if it seems as though making partner is his sole goal in life. There is some classic rapid-fire dialogue between Tess and Nick, and the "conversations" Nick has with his secretary Christine are worth the price of the book alone. Secondary plots concern an unsuitable romance between Tess and Nick's best friends (a retired chorus girl and a well-heeled partner in the law firm), and a possible case of literary plagerism.

Tess and Nick's relationship is both humorous and romantic, their sexual encounters are inventive and sensual, and the secondary characters round out the story nicely. This is a book worth finding.

I'm a big fan of Jennifer Crusie's - I think Welcome to Temptation is one of the best romance novels ever - but this book really doesn't work, even allowing for the fact that it's rather dated. The plot is a mess and the characterisation is so unsubtle that after a while you want to scream: 'Okay, Jennifer, I got it! He's sexy but straightlaced, she's sexy but flaky ... you don't have to keep hammering the point home.' I was so bored with Strange Bedpersons that I found myself skipping bits of it -and I never thought I'd say that about a Crusie novel.

Having read a couple of Cruise's newer books such as `FAST WOMEN' and `FAKING IT' I decided that I wanted to read some of her earlier works so I purchased `STRANGE BEDPERSONS' and `MANHUNTING'. The writing styles of the latter are so different from those of the former it is almost hard to believe that the same person wrote them, however, while I wasn't thrilled with `MANHUNTING' I really enjoyed `STRANGE BEDPERSONS' despite the difference in style.

The relationship between Nick and Tess was endearing and it was fun watching these two completely opposite people develop a fling into something much more. I also enjoyed the relationship between the secondary characters Gina, Tess' best friend, and Park, Nick's colleague and long time friend. More over, I liked the fact that there was an actual story here, not just watching two people fall in love. I felt for Nick who was fighting to make partner in his law firm and the highly liberal Tess who was torn between the Nick she saw at home and Nick the social climber. I noticed that a lot of people gave this book poor reviews but, call me a sucker for a good "opposites attract" love story; I give it four stars!

I have really enjoyed all of Crusie's books that I have read (3 or 4, before this one), but I will readily admit that this is the first one that actually made me laugh out loud. The scene in the restaurant is absolutely hilarious. I think it is a good short read, not too sappy, and definitely a mood-lifter.

This is perhaps my favorite modern novel. Unlike Crusie's later works, it's basically just fun - no underlying explorations of the pain of divorce or the masks we wear - just fun. As always Crusie isn't afraid we won't love her imperfect characters, who learn to accept each other's imperfections, also. Nick and Tess bounce through the early pages of the book like pinballs - attracted and repelled by each other simultaneously - until they work through their problems. They are surrounded by richly realized family and friends. Few romances have as satisfying a mystery subplot. As with all Crusie novels, there are sentences that must be rolled around on the tongue and savored.

And you can make a meal off the meals in the book, from the jittery house party dinner that sets the mystery in motion to the hilarious evening at the pretentious restaurant that "reveals all," with plenty of take out Chinese in between.

Like the characters, the book has some flaws. It needs a prequel to explain how Tess and Nick kept their friendship going and provide more evidence of Nick's career obsession. And, trust me on this, no liberal, no one who lived in a low-income neighborhood and worked with semi-delinquent youth, would suggest becoming a district attorney as a first choice for a good-guy lawyer - child support enforcement, public defender or environmental law are much more likely.

Sadly, in today's polarized politics, the likelihood of two people bridging the red state-blue state divide is even smaller than in 1994 when this book was published.

Give this book a try, and then read, What the Lady Wants, which is nearly as funny and fun.

I am quickly becoming a big Jennifer Crusie fan. This, as her others, was a really fun book. Her main characters are always fun, likeable, and just a little off center. There is humor, romance and just a tad of mystery thrown in for good measure.

The scene in the resteraunt cracked me up and made me smile the whole time I read through it.

I highly recommend this book!

I read the reviews of this book before buying it. People say it's "outdated." I had to disagree. Even though this book was written 10 years ago, the characters in this story can still be found today. It is easy to relate to these people which makes the book that much more probable to sink into. This book was hilarious, captivating and full of fun surprises that kept me turning the pages. I never write reviews but I had to for this book because the previous reviews did not give this book justice.

I love the sassyness of Tess and the structured straight-forwardness of Nick. That is so common to see in many practical relationships where the two people balance each other out. This is an example of that balancing and most definitely of the COMPROMISE needed in relationships. It shows us how to stand up for what we want, that change is good although uncomfortable and difficult and that Living life can be FUN and full of energy.

I laughed while reading this book (read it in one sitting) and loved the characters. Perhaps it's because I could relate to Tess, the free spirit.

Yes this book was written in the 90's and was one of Cruise's earlier books but she has an edge to her work, with humor, problem solving and lots of heated sexual tension (fun!).

I say, DON'T LISTEN to the negative reviews. If you like Cruise's work, if you don't mind reading about far right and far left views (it's just a book people) and if you want to laugh and enjoy fun sex scenes, then this is a good book to read.

Have fun!! :D

I did not expect to enjoy Jennifer Crusie's "Strange Bedpersons" as much as I did. But I truly liked it. Several reviewers mentioned that it was a little dated as it was written in 1994. I didn't find that it was, as heck - I know women (and men) who are still living their lives as though it were the 60's (and 70's).

I read this in an afternoon and the novel totally held my attention. The writing by Cruisie was great as usual. The hardest part in reading "Strange Bedpersons" was that maybe I am too much of a realist (not enough of a "romantic")and kept thinking how these couples were going to stay married after a few years? (But I guess that's another story!)

I LOVED the character of Lenny. I thought the entire situation involving him was just so superb. I loved how Tess had played such an important role in his life.

Although "Bet Me" is (thus far) my favorite of Crusie's books - I certainly would recommend this book as well.

Jennifer Crusie's been getting a lot of press lately as a new star of romance writing, and Strange Bedpersons sounded interesting enough - and short enough - that I thought I'd give it a spin.

It's a typical opposites attract sort of plotline - Tess is a do-gooder raised on a commune, Nick is a lawyer who grew up poor and decided he wasn't going to grow old poor.

I liked Nick wholeheartedly. He's ambitious, which I think is sexy, but he's a really nice guy. His banter with his secretary is priceless, and although he can be a little clueless he's adorably soft on Tess and really appreciates her for who she is. He likes the whole package - messy, disorganized, idealistic, passionate, spontaneous.

Tess I was a little bit iffy about. This isn't the first book I've read where do-gooder translates to well-meaning but ineffectual...or where idealism is hard to separate from immaturity. And she kept wanting to just love part of Nick, the things she liked, instead of all of him - she didn't want to accept the good with the bad.

Tess dumped Nick initially, before the book began, because he wouldn't have sex with her in a parking lot. At one key scene in the book she practically throws a tantrum because he won't have sex with her in public at a work function where if he were caught he'd lose his job and his reputation. She think that it's a crime he won't be spontaneous and risky. I wondered how she could be so selfish and oblivious. Yeah, it was insensitive of Nick to throw away some of Tess' favorite old clothes and replace them with newer, more expensive versions; but that's a long ways away from trying to sabotage her career (he's actually very supportive of her career and does everything he can to help her along the way).

OK, all that being said, it was still a really enjoyable book to read. Crusie has a great ear for dialogue, and she stages a lot of group scenes where there are tons of people talking and it's hilarious and easy to follow. Her characters are distinct, vivid, very alive; the book is a real page turner, and I read it all in one sitting. Frankly, I loved it but for the political qualms I had to do with Tess' character.

Tess and Nick are as opposite as two people can get. She is a free spirit who furnishes her home and closet with thrift store bargains; he is on the partner track at his law firm. So it is no wonder why they broke off their relationship. When Nick shows up at her door with a proposition she should refuse - to pose as his fianc? so he can nail a partnership - she begrudgingly takes him up on it. Mostly because she has no other option, as her dilapidated apartment building keeps getting vandalized. Soon she is also moving into his bedroom and his heart, as these opposites realize their magnetic attraction to each other. But can attraction lead to forever after?

Penned in 1994, this light tale, while not as developed as later Crusie novels, contains the requisite snappy dialog, humor, sensuality, and engaging secondary characters we come to expect from Crusie. You won't be disappointed.