The Good Neighbor (P.S.) [Kindle Edition]

William Kowalski (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Better living through chemistry. That's what Francie Hart, the Stepford wife–like protagonist of this melodramatic novel by Kowalski (Eddie's Bastard, etc.), thought she was getting by taking Benedor to treat her manic depression. But on a trip with her husband, Colt, from their home in Manhattan to visit their newly purchased country house, she runs out of pills. As the drug's effects wear off, Francie realizes that the chemicals had been stifling her natural creative powers as a poet, and that the life she was leading as a bored, wealthy urban housewife was unfulfilling. That shift in clarity is the linchpin of the novel, which chronicles the tense, awkward unraveling of the Harts' nearly 10-year marriage. Kowalski pumps up the plot by adding a parallel series of intense, often violent flashbacks focusing on the Musgroves, the family that built the Hart's country home 150 years earlier. Not even a whirlwind of outlandish developments—from grave desecration and fratricide to space travel and kidnapping—are enough to make up for the novel's one-dimensional characters, however. Colt is a comically arrogant stock broker, while Francie is the stereotypical tortured artiste who just wasn't made for this cruel world. Kowalski's vigorous storytelling will keep the pages turning, but it's hard to muster much sympathy for Francie and Colt's struggles and redemption.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In his fourth novel, Kowalski (Eddie's Bastard, 1999) offers a modern morality tale with a surprisingly powerful emotional wallop. High-flying Manhattan stockbroker Colt Hart and his beautiful but emotionally fragile wife, Francie, both fall in love with a 150-year-old house in rural Pennsylvania. As the two make plans to furnish the lovely old home, it becomes apparent that they have entirely different agendas, not only about the house but also about their life together. Colt sees the rural retreat as a chance to impress clients with his wealth, while Francie, a once promising poet, goes off the antidepressant medication she has been on for years and starts to observe her surroundings with renewed clarity. Suddenly, the simmering tensions in their 10-year-old marriage come to a boil, especially after Colt engages in a nasty confrontation with their new neighbor. At first, Kowalski seems to be ranging far and wide, with heavy background material on the original owners of the house and many meandering conversations, but he meticulously brings the strands of his narrative together, building toward a credible, moving conclusion. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 371 KB
• Print Length: 432 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins e-books (June 2, 2009)
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
• Language: English
• ASIN: B002BD2UTI
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #559,817 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Accomplished, masterfully constructed and inspiring!, February 23, 2005

By 

Karl "Reiner" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Good Neighbor: A Novel (Hardcover)

I've read all of William Kowalski's novels since he immediately became one of my favorite contemporary American authors with his stunning debut, "Eddie's Bastard".
"The Good Neighbor" is a surprisingly accomplished and mature work for an author of Kowalski's still young age and marks a departure point for him. While his earlier books seem written from overpowering talent and passion, "The Good Neighbor" is clearly the work of an author who has grown into conscious mastery of his craft. While his prose is as expressive and flows as effortlessly as ever, "The Good Neighbor's" plot is masterfully constructed, and every element of the story falls into place with the precision of a Swiss clockwork. The characters are alive and drawn with astounding psychological accuracy, particularly Francie, the unlikely hero of the novel. Kowalski is not preoccupied with the fleeting moments of pop-culture. Instead he is an author of substance, concerned with the humanity of his characters in which we all recognize ourselves. In the case of "the Good Neighbor" is Francie Hart's courageous and inspiring story of self-discovery that will leave no one untouched.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The good book... The Good Neighbor, December 23, 2006

By 

Stacy Koenig "BoundandPressed" (Phila Suburbs, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Good Neighbor: A Novel (P.S.) (Paperback)

The Good Neighbor by William Kowalski is a new on 'the top of the list' list. This was such a fun book, from the front jacket design to the pages inside.

The book is set in NYC and PA. You instantly are drawn into the world of Francine and Colt Hart.
They take a drive to the country, and pass a house that they both fall in love with at the same time. Francie and Colt express the wish to buy the house to each other, and they do. Francine, a stale poet, who feels drawn to the house, as if it was another person, and hopes to live her full time and write again. Colt, a stock broker, loves the feel of the house as his newest show piece at work, his country home.

This book is so well written, the writing is smooth and flawless. The plot is seamless, as you learn about Francie and Colt Hart, their new neighbors who are descendents of the houses' original owners. There is love, mystery, growth and rescue from the depth of our inner selves.

I am looking forward to reading more of William Kowalski's books!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A crumbling marriage set against a historical backdrop, January 7, 2005

By 

Beth Cholette "doctor_beth" (Upstate NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Good Neighbor: A Novel (Hardcover)

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the author effectively uses a historical backstory to add interest and to enhance the plot, but on the other, the present-day characters are unlikeable and their seem fairly stereotypical. Francie and Colt Hart have been married for 7 years, but their bickering has become commonplace. On a rare weekend drive from their home in NYC to the "country"--aka rural Pennsylvannia--they spy an old house with which they both fall in love: Francie, because it appeals to the poet within, and Colt, because it is a status symbol. They purchase the house and prepare to move in, but they soon find themselves in trouble with Francie's brother, a new neighbor, and a long-lost relative of Colt's as well.

Francie, Colt, and Francie's brother Michael are all irritating characters; it is difficult to root for any one of them in this story. Each experiences a transformation that is not quite believable given the circumstnaces. This is even more true for their neighbor, Randy, who acts in a manner which is completely out of character--although this is acknowledged within the book, it still seems unreasonable. More interesting and engaging are the house's original occupants, the Musgroves, who built Adencourt one hundred and fifty years before. The author weaves the tale of the Musgroves into that of the Harts through occasional "historical digressions" as well as hints sprinkled throughout the house. This aspect makes the novel readable, making the book worthwhile for the patient and tolerant reader.