Customer Reviews

THEODORA'S DIARY

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Laughter is the best medicine and "Theodora's Diary" proves to be the tonic for whatever ails you. I came across this gem of a book two weeks ago after having a frustrating day in "stay at home wife/mommyland". It saved my sanity! The book is written in the style of "Bridget Jones Diary" with a Christian theme. You will laugh till your sides hurt or until your neighbors will think you have "gone 'round the bend" as you read about Theodora's life. The characters are memorable, the comic timing is perfect and the message is relevant for today's women. Grab a chocolate bar, curl up in your armchair and enjoy the laughter!

This is truly a five-star winner. Witty writing without being overly sarcastic, clever characterization that keeps each person rich and intriguing in the reader's mind.

Theodora is refreshingly realistic. She is not smart, beautiful or even particularly spiritual at the start of the book, but she is likable and her adventures are fun to follow. She is a colorful personality, and the people surrounding her are equally interesting--her Greek-obsessed mother, football-crazed plumber boyfriend, the Aussie Reverend "Digger" Graves, and maternal Pollyanna Mrs. Hubble. Each of them makes the plot vibrant and fast-paced. They are all consistent, and any emotional and spiritual changes are both believable and satisfying.

The faith element is handled with tongue-in-cheek, but also with a skilled painter's brush. The Christian stereotypes are all present, and somehow they are both endearing and laughable. This comical backdrop, however, only enhances the brilliance of characters like Miss Chamberlain, who radiate Christ.

The pun-ny writing is laugh-out-loud (or groan-out-loud) funny, reflecting dry British humor. I loved the way the prose rambled along, interspersed with moments of cheekiness that almost took me by surprise. I loved the lack of jaded sophistication, the absence of the kind of biting sarcasm that seems to always be putting someone down.

I can't recommend this book enough. I have to mention, however, that there are several references that are purely British in nature, and may not seem that funny to an American reader. My husband had no idea what a "bloke" was, while I found reference to a "Bible for Blokes" uproarious.

Fun reading. I can't help thinking that fans of Betty Neels would enjoy this book. I can't wait to read the sequel, "Theodora's Wedding."

I've read both of Penny Culliford's books, and I hope this will be a continuing series. The characters are fun, quirky and EXTREMELY well developed. There is a bit of Theodora in all of us and I want to know what happens after the wedding! This is a LOL, can't-put-it-down read. (I read "Theodora's Wedding" in one sitting.)
TO Penny: PLEASE KEEP WRITING! We need more writers who can capture a woman's heart and soul without compromising her virtue.

This story is totally awesome(sorry for the beach lingo!)! You could e-mail Penny if you have zondervans e-mail(back of the book), and she replies personally. Flabbergasted is also a good book though(0800718372=ISBN)! Also try "Dear Bob".

Hilarious book! Theodora is just like me...if I was British. The Bridge Jones formula works well in this book. I laughed at Theo's mom and her Greek tendencies. Imagine having a name like Agemmennon! The portrayal of very conservative and stay at home moms was accurate along with the reaction of those not comfortable with it. I was glad to read Theo's sister's response to Charity chastising her for not staying at home after she has the baby. Theodora is proud that she worked hard to have her job and people like Charity shouldn't put her down for not being like her. The Kevin "Fever Pitch" storyline was great too. I went out and rented the DVD after reading the book (I had no idea Colin Firth was in it!) This book makes me want to have a British accent.

Oh, man. I loved this book. It is laugh out loud funny from start to finish. I can't believe I'm the first to review it. This is one chick lit author to watch. I have got to get my hands on the next book now (Theodora's Wedding). I want to know more about this quirky character and her friends and neighbors.

i found this book very insightful, honest and funny. i also thought that it had a practical spiritual aspect which helped shed a lot of pretentions that we encounter in our churches.

I'm amazed people think this is laugh-out-loud funny. The writing is clever, even witty, but many of the jokes fall flat. I think this book would be funnier if it weren't being marketed as a "Christian" novel, which it barely classifies as such. The characters are quirky, the language and story-line are clean and unoffensive, but the whole book is just so-so. Read "Flabbergasted" by Ray Blackston instead.

I hate giving anything Christian chick lit two stars because I think that the genre should be encouraged but alas 2.5 doesn't seem to be available and I really don't think this is worth a three.

First up - this book does has its moments of comic brilliance - there were places that had me laughing out loud - unfortunately they were too few and far between.

There were some characters that were enjoyable but then some of them were very one dimensional. I guess what really killed it for me was how dense (or is it supposed to be naive?) Theodora is at some points. I actually wanted to shake her! Kevin's Valentine's Day card being a big case in point. I put the poem past my roommate (one of the most naive Christians that there is) and even she got it in a instant!!

What earned this it's two stars from me though was the fact that I got about two thirds of the way through and the way that she 'broke up' with Kevin almost had me not bother to finish the book. Understandable at 16 - not at 30.

And yes totally agree with comment above - how can you lose half a stone without noticing?!

This is not a good book at all. Her life is eventless all she does is go on vaction, eat chocolate,complian about her boyfriend and pray. Those are all good things to do but they are boring. She takes things to far all the time. I would not ever read this book again.