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Amazon.co.uk Review
But then King George is full of surprises. Home for the first time since high school, Sunny finds herself reassessing the place. She has ample reason to regret her teenage years (poor, no father, only girl on golf team, dead carp found in golf bag). But how far can a grudge take you in life? Can we ever really know the truth about our parents? What state of mind does it take to shoot par? Lipman addresses such questions with her customary lighthearted touch, sketching out her ensemble cast with rapid and comical strokes. (Witness, for example, anorexic congressional candidate Emily Ann Grandjean's most characteristic tic: "constant sips from a large bottle of brand-name water, then the ceremonial screwing of its cap back on once, twice, full-body twists as if volatile and poisonous gases would escape without her intervention." ) In the end, all loose ends are neatly tied up and all single characters are suitably paired--in other words, the author once again produces the kind of visceral satisfaction readers associate with her work. It's hard not to devour an Elinor Lipman novel in one sitting; put this one away for a time when you won't have to put it down. --Mary Park, Amazon.com --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
‘Elinor Lipman is that rarest of things, a charming and funny writer who is also very wise.’ Arthur Golden, author of ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’
‘Excellent…vivid characters, shrewd observations, superb dialogue and a strong plot.’ Leo McKinstry, Sunday Telegraph
‘Even though “The Dearly Departed” is shot through with divorce and infidelity, one carries away a feeling that love, intimacy and shared DNA are at the heart of a good life.’ William Sutcliffe, Independent on Sunday
‘As joyously funny as Lipman’s bestselling “The Ladies Man” but more deeply felt.’ Good Housekeeping
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Customer Reviews
In her latest novel, "The Dearly Departed," Margaret Batten and her lover Miles Finn are found dead, the victims of a defective furnace that leaked carbon monoxide. Brought together for the funeral are Sunny Batten and Fletcher Finn, two half-siblings who never knew of one another's existence. Sunny and Fletcher are both at loose ends and they are dissatisfied with their lives. When they come to the small New Hampshire town of King George to bury their parents, they also try make peace with the past and figure out where they are headed in life.
Sunny revisits the people with whom she grew up, and she finds romance with the Chief of Police, Joey Loach. Joey had a crush on Sunny in high school. Although he is now a respected peace officer, Joey is also a stifled mama's boy straining to get out from under his mother's ministrations. This book is filled with comic characters, such as Dr. Emil Ouimet, who, although married, harbored a deep (albeit unrequited) passion for Margaret Batten over the years. The doctor publicly and embarrassingly falls apart at Margaret's funeral, and he continues to cry at the drop of a hat for days afterward.
What makes Lipman's books unique is her light touch with plot and characters. Everything is played for laughs and even sudden death is fodder for the author's droll humor. The characters trade witticisms, insults and assorted bon mots on every page and their repartee is entertaining and outrageous. For a light comedy of manners with characters too funny to be true, pick up Lipman's "The Dearly Departed".
But I was so disappointed by this one that I left it on the airplane rather than drag it back home.
While it is Lipman's usual collection of eccentric characters with interwoven lives, I felt like nothing HAPPENED in this one. What did Sunny want? What was she after? She was a protagonist without a rudder. And the big revelation at the end is that her mother was slutty? So what? In the end it affected no one at all, apparently.
If you have never read Lipman I definitely would start with some of her others. In my opinion, she is usually a much better writer.
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