Metropause (Paperback)

~ Mark Evan (Author), Frank Lulias (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Thirty-six year-old Edison Archer, a San Franciscan, is in Seattle tending to his parents' house in the wake of their mysterious passing. He feels very much alone, even when in the company of old friends, Linda and Brett Gale, who he learns are facing their own problems. Linda, once part of the hip San Francisco arts scene, is now a ballooning housewife with a stalled career and a newfound passion for Bundt cakes. Brett is frustrated that his formerly vivacious and frisky wife appears permanently frigid to his advances. Enter Cherie Cahill, a pill-popping and churchgoing realtor who aggressively pressures Edison to sell his house and even more aggressively pursues Brett. In San Francisco, Adam Sirna, an executive assistant, is desperately hoping to find a way out of his rut of office servitude. Always aware of the gay math, where thirty is the new fifty, he is fearful that life is passing him by. Up the hill from Adam, Val Panos, after a streak of bad career moves in the tech sector, is nearly penniless and reduced to squatting at her successful friends' posh condo while they are out of town. Equal parts mystery and wit, Metropause is a fast-paced comedy about people navigating the murky waters of denial, and the unexpected consequences when reality intrudes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 412 pages
• Publisher: Bubble Press (January 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0982107803
• ISBN-13: 978-0982107805
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #62,561 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart, hilarious and good in bed. , April 9, 2009

By	Charis (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

My delight with this book came as a total surprise - I read it on a whim, and must recommend.
My expression while reading Metropause alternated between wry amusement to delighted surprise.
The book is smart, sexy, and riotously funny.

Evan and Lulias write with an easy, wry wit and their characters are engaging amidst their mania.
Emotion is built up at what seem to be the most unlikely moments, creating an enjoyable balance between intrigue/conflict and that sweet fulfillment that comes when bad things happen to bad people.

At moments the comic interaction between characters is so perfectly timed and visual that I felt I was reading a play. I laughed and I cried - but my real applause is how Metropause had me on my toes throughout... I am always a fan of this position.

The character of Cherie has already become a bit of an archetype in my mind. An archetype of what, you may ask? Nay, I will not tell you - read it, and find out for yourself ya lazy bastard.

The official website for Metropause has a little blurb about the Bundt cake issue - here's my two cents:

Linda's split-level Bundt cake, I believe, was indeed two levels. While some may call this blasphemy, I call it daring innovation and necessary sexual compensation. Strange things happen when a woman's sexual energy is funneled into her cooking - trust me, I know.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book As Its Cover, March 29, 2009

By	Columbia Presbyterian Tiger in Residence (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

I've read this book twice and like the cover, it is not what it appears. The first read was a race to the finish, fueled on the rich humor that is on nearly every page. I've never read a book where the double-entendre seems almost common place and wit generously graces each page. I read it the second time because the characters kept crossing my mind after I finished the book. Evans and Lulias actually wrote two books. The second book is under the comedy. The characters express the tense ties, the same ones that bind us to our friends and family, even when the motives are not immediately clear. The uneven mix of straight and gay, male and female, mature and immature blend beautifully. I was taken by the friendship between married Linda and single Edison, where intelligent banter avoids flat delivery, but the exchange of confidences on being alone in life or alone in marriage will speak to many. I am also happy to finally read a book where the clichés are swept aside when it comes to gay and straight relationships. There is much more to write about the book, plenty of suspense and woven plot lines, but I don't want to accidently spoil the read for anyone. Read it, it is an original.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant! Laugh-Out-Loud Good!, March 9, 2009

By	OzzyBoo (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

Metropause is a rarity in today's world of contemporary fiction - a funny and fast read yet chocked with fascinating, rich characters and a complex and griping storyline. Evans and Lulias, who I believe compare favorably as an updated Armistead Maupin, have done a brilliant job crafting a novel that is as poignant as it is pee-in-your-pants funny and I find myself quoting many of their smart and sassy lines in my day-to-day conversations. The story is intensely woven in such a deep, interesting fashion that it immediately creates a page turner combining mystery and intrigue with a quick, sharp humor that is ever au courant. As one of the other reviewers so brilliantly notes, what makes Metropause work so well is that the main characters in the book are all people whom you want in your "Contacts List" today (except perhaps for the psycho Cherie - and heck, we probably all already have folks like that in there to begin with!). On a side note, I thoroughly enjoy the terrific gay-positive message in the novel. It is wonderful to see gays portrayed outside of the all too familiar stereotypes in many modern day novels. The worst part of the book was finishing it - and now having to wait for the (hopefully soon?!?) sequel. While this may be the first novel from Evans and Lulias, with any luck, it will not be their last!