Love Warps the Mind a Little: A Novel (Hardcover)

by John Dufresne (Author) "THE DAY I FINISHED MY BEST STORY YET-ABOUT A social WORKER WHOSE CHILD gets Lyme disease, slips into a coma, suffers brain damage, becomes a..." (more)
Key Phrases: Richie Muneyhun, Father Frank, John Joe (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Lafayette Proulx is affectionately called Laf by his friends, and with good reason. As the likeable narrator of John Dufresne's terrific new book Love Warps the Mind a Little, Laf has an eye for the comic elements that can be found in the everyday events of life, and an armchair philosopher's sense of detached bemusement. Laf quits his day job and decides to pursue his dream of writing fiction, a move precipitated by the breakup of his marriage and followed by a torrent of rejection slips. He moves in with his hesitant girlfriend Judi, and for a time, the story sets into a domestic story of befuddled affection and incidental affairs. Suddenly, Judi is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and from here on out, Love Warps the Mind a Little becomes a stunning love story, sweetly moving in its description of love amid tragic circumstances. Its honesty and insight are wonderful and the comic elements are never lost. The highly acclaimed author of Louisiana Power & Light has met the high expectations of his critics and readers alike in this wonderful novel.

From Publishers Weekly
A wizard's brew of broad humor and genuine tragedy marks Dufresne's second novel, as it did his acclaimed first (Louisiana Power & Light, 1994). Narrator Lafyette (Laf) Proulx is a world-class schlemiel. Approaching 40, he knows only one thing-that he wants to write. So he quits his job as a high-school teacher, leaves his wife and moves in with his mistress, taking with him only his dog and his typewriter. Dufresne has a ball with Laf's literary follies, especially the rejection letters from journals like Pond Apple and Incomplete Flower ("We publish writing that counts, friend, that redefines and reshapes the world"). He also goes to town with Laf's manic brainstorming for story ideas-one of which, a tale of middle-aged lovers, evolves into an effective mirror of Laf's own personal development. Events turn serious when Laf's mistress, whose family is a marvel of violent and violently funny dysfunctionality, discovers she has cancer. Laf is thrust into the role of caretaker, a job for which he seems eminently unsuited. The novel never quite reaches the tragicomic heights of its predecessor, and in making Laf see the world through the lens of his literary ambition (or pretension), Dufresne has to ward off a certain parochial preciousness. But for all that, he weaves a powerful spell, proving himself once again a writer of great energy and a big, open heart. Major ad/ promo; author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.; 1st edition (January 17, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393040135
• ISBN-13: 978-0393040135
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #640,091 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book with real life situations., June 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Love Warps the Mind a Little (Paperback)

I thought this is a good book with realistic situations an everyday person may encounter. It gives you details of what a regular person is thinking when they are in a situation. Although not everyone may think the same way it gives you a good idea of what its like.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Irving does it better, but this isn't half bad., January 6, 2000

By	B. Michael Thorne "Psychprofessor" (small town in the South (USA)) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Love Warps the Mind a Little (Paperback)

I found lots of similarities with the writing of John Irving--book or books within a book, the main character a writer, quirky characters and humor. I particularly like short chapters and fast pacing, which this book had in spades. Actually, I found the first part of the book quite amusing, but then it turned deadly serious in the last half. All in all, it was a good read, and I'm planning to take a look at Louisiana Power & Light.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This Book is NOT Full of Joy, October 1, 2001

By	JD Cetola (Omaha, NE USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Love Warps the Mind a Little (Paperback)

If you're looking for a book to lift your spirits and set your heart soaring, "Love Warps the Mind A Little" is not the book you're looking for. Dufresne's novel tells the story of Laf Proulx, a man who has quit his regular job (he is an aspiring writer) and left his wife (or more accurately been thrown out for his indescretions with another woman). More accurately, perhaps, this novel tells the moving story of the other woman -- Judi Dubey. Not long after Laf moves in with Judi, she discovers she has Term IV cancer and the majority of the novel deals with the wrenching, painful reality of her disease and poignently describes how she (and to a lesser extent those around her) deals with the disease.
This is a powerful novel with some lightness early on as Laf tries to figure out what to do with his life and whether or not he loves Judi or the wife he left (the only sure thing is his love for his dog Spot). Once Judi's cancer is diagnosed the novel moves quickly and despondently toward its conclusion. Judi's suffering through chemotherapy and desire to live are documented in such a way that the reader actually feels involved (albeit miserable) with the characters in this story (most of whom are fairly quirky). There's some talk of life after death, reincarnation (Judi believes she's led several lives), hope for an afterlife and salvation, but the narrator (Laf is apparently an agnostic) offers little encouragement for these ideas thus adding to the weight of dread ensconcing the reader as this book lunges toward its end.
Overall, this is more a well told story of a woman's bout with cancer and those who surround her than a story about love and its trials. It's not uplifting, but it is thought provoking and poignent. Recommended.