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There are currently 24 member reviews
for Lookaway, Lookaway
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Kathrin C. (Corona, CA)
Maybe I Will Lookaway
I had to press myself to keep reading beyond the first 50 pages at which point it seemed we might never leave the stale frat humor stage. And so far, none of the members of the Johnston family of the Old South, young and old, with their fine old Charlotte manners and illusions of self-importance, had had enough time to endear themselves to me in any way. But I did keep reading and finish the book. Probably what saved Lookaway, Lookaway: Wilton Barnhardt is a good writer and there were enough scenes of interest and conflicts to keep one to want to keep reading. But in the end, I felt I would rather reread Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell which is filled with characters that one could love, hate, fear for and care about.
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Sylvia G. (Scottsdale, AZ)
you might want to look away
I wanted to like this book. At times I did. But ultimately, I felt it wasn't worth the time and effort. I love satire and sometimes Barnhardt delivered, but mostly the satire was on the mean side and very heavy-handed. There was more gay sex talk than there needed to be and Civil War history that would be interesting only to a true aficionado. Not my favorite. I debated over two or three stars...decided to be kind.
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Sue Z. (Mooresville, NC)
Lookaway,Lookaway
My land. The question is can a lady of a certain age, who lives at that mud-wallow of a lake (Lake Norman,that is) write an unbiased review of "Lookaway,Lookaway"? Well she can try. Of course, Wilton Bernhardt, bless his heart, has written a satire. But we have to ask ourselves, should satire be subtle and light-hearted or heavy handed and just plain old mean. Perhaps the reader should decide for his or her self. Maybe a trip to Charlotte will help make up the mind.
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Eileen F. (Drexel Hill, PA)
Crazy Family in Dixie
This is a sprawling family saga of secrets and grudges told by members of the Jarvis Johnston clan. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different member of the family. The story went in many directions and reminded me of Tom Wolfe. I felt is was longwinded in some spots, especially concerning Southern Civil War history.
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Kristine I. (Marion, IL)
Wanted to like it...
This isn't a book that I can recommend. While there were some great moments that had me chuckling, it wasn't enough to make it a good read for me. The humor did not match the general dark tone of the book. I didn't find any of the characters likeable and the end left me feeling flat. I did, however, enjoy the writing and I think the author could have redeemed the book with a more positive spin on the storyline.
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Nancy F. (Carmel, IN)
NancyF
"Lookaway, Lookaway" was not a good choice based on my preference of content and writer's style. I tried to finish on numerous occasions however felt the plot was forced. As a former sorority member in a "southern house" I could not relate. Sorry.
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Jennifer F. (Los Gatos, CA)
Disappointment
I was looking forward to reading this book after seeing the review "Move over, Tom Wolfe". Unfortunately, this book has very little in common with Tom Wolfe. I found the characters and their problems in this southern family fiction to be less than compelling. The first scenes in the book were troubling and I had a hard time continuing. Luckily, the plot picked up a bit, but never truly lived up to the hype on the cover reviews.
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