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There are currently 19 member reviews
for The Affairs of Others
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Annie P. (Murrells Inlet, SC)
The Affairs of Others
I have mixed feelings about this book. The writing was superb; I enjoyed Loyd's descriptive text and interactions. Many of the pages are marked where snippets jumped out at me. I wasn't so wild about the subject matter after I got into the story. Maybe I'm a little behind the times, or not that interested in the kind of relationship that drove most of the rest of the story. The characters, Celia, Hope, Mr. Coughlan, and other minor characters were well-fleshed out, varied in their make-up, and truthfully written. The settings were beautifully described.
I will definitely read Loyd's novels in the future.
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Marjorie H. (Woodstock, GA)
Depressing
The only thing that kept me going to the end of this book was the superb writing. And considering the morbid cast of characters this book needs all the help it can get.
A group of dysfunctional, barely making it misfits trying to get through life by escaping is not new news. I didn't like any of the characters, especially Celia - whose sanity is teetering on the brink. She's carrying a heavy load and should have gotten help a long time ago. I found the sex gratuitous and mildly offensive.
Everything comes together beautifully thanks to Mr. Coughlan who comes in at the end to rescue this sorry lot. A thoroughly delightful character, I wish there had been more of him. This book was basically a downer. No new news here.
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Catharine L. (Petoskey, MI)
Better Than a Beach Read
The novel is about two women recovering from the loss of a husband - one by death and one by betrayal.
Celia is a young widow who becomes the owner of a small apartment building, and her tenants are chosen because they respect privacy. The book is well written. Each chapter is a mini story within the novel. Both Celia and Hope are well developed as characters, but personally, I couldn't relate to their choices. I wanted them to move on. I did enjoy Celia's thought and opinions about her tenants and those who visited the apartment. It is a thoughtful book not one for those looking for a page turner.
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Eve A. (Henderson, NV)
The Affairs of Others
This is the first novel of Amy Grace Loyd. I found her voice unique. I can't compare her writing style to any other "popular" novelists. A widow buys a small apartment building in NY. She respects the privacy of her tenants and expects them to do them same for her. Slowly but surely she is drawn into their lives. The story moves along although I found it slow going at times. I did finish the book and I will be interested to see what she writes next.
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Laura M. (Roswell, NM)
The Affairs of Others by Amy Grace Loyd
The lackluster plot in this book was really disappointing. Several promising threads were brought up, but nothing ever developed, or things inexplicably resolved themselves. The end just kind of glided by while I was still waiting for something to happen. While it had the makings of a promising story, it was not at all a satisfying read.
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Barbara G. (Lisle, IL)
Coming out of Her Shell
When a person experiences the severe illness of a beloved spouse, learning to administer drugs to alleviate the pain but still loses the partner, one normal tendency is to withdraw from social interaction. This is the scenario in which the reader encounters Cassie Cassill. But instead of withdrawing completely, she purchases a small Brooklyn brownstone apartment building, carefully interviewing prospective tenants to establish clear boundaries of privacy. But when one tenant accepts a job in Paris and sublets his apartment to an older woman artist, Cassie is introduced to the sounds of that woman's rough sex with a lover. Gradually, in learning about all her tenants and their peccadillos, she learns not only about them, but about herself and her own emotions.
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Yvette T. (Boca Raton, FL)
Well written, but . . .
The very flowing and sometimes quite expansive writing style in The Affairs of Others gave me early concern. I was reminded of Elegance of the Hedgehog, which was also set in an apartment building and whose concierge gave rambling diatribes about her superior intelligence and discourses on Foucault and postmodernism. I did not like that book at all, but I soon realized that at least The Affairs had a plot! My real problem is that I did not care about the characters and thought that some of the evolving relationships were contrived. I was not compelled to pick up the book and continue reading, though I did finish it. I will not recommend this book to others
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