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There are currently 19 member reviews
for The Affairs of Others
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Janet P. (Spokane, WA)
disappointed in the affair
I am a huge Jess Walter fan so when I read his comments regarding this book I was excited. However, the book was a forced read for me. I felt I owed it to the publisher to read a book that was given to me free of charge, so I did. The main character was clearly a tortured soul who was filled with sadness woven with guilt regarding her husband's death. But, she didn't earn my respect or curiosity. I read with confusion her thoughts and imaginings. The angst of the characters was real, but hard to follow. I feel like my husband's description of the University of Chicago graduate philosophy program fits this story line: obtuse and arcane. I finally got into the book enough to be interested in how it ended. I definitely enjoy a book that presents deep, real characters. These characters were deep and somewhat realistic, but the action was just too hard to follow. I'm making it sound terrible, and it wasn't that. The voyeurism of the narrator was creepy and real along with sad. But all in all, I had to work too hard to follow the plot. It seems to be a novel that will attract those who love to enjoy their own intellect.
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Darra W. (Walnut Creek, CA)
Disappointing "Affair"
This is a tough one! I echo the comments of many previous reviewers: the writing was the best part of this first novel. For that alone, I might have rated it 4 or 5 stars; however, the intriguing premise (youngish woman struggling with the isolation of early widowhood) was betrayed by the plot itself, which felt strained--a conscious effort to convey an edginess that bordered on the gratuitous--and the ending felt rushed and contrived. Disappointing.
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Shirley L. (Norco, LA)
Beautiful Written Not Enjoyable Experience
On page 2 the narrator, Celia, tells us that when her husband died a lot of her went with him. It is a tribute to the author's skill that this sense of "deadness" permeated the story. A beautifully written story that I did not much care to read.
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Vicki R. (York, PA)
The Affairs of Others
"The Affairs of Others" by Amy Grace Loyd is a beautifully written book. The story quickly moves along and the suspense builds as we meet each new character. However as the tension mounts, I was somewhat disappointed by the sexual resolution to the main character's conflicts. Even as the "villain" returns, she contemplates having sex with him. Even though the language and imagery is very enjoyable I can only give the book an average rating.
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Kathy S. (Danbury, CT)
Disappointing Read
While I can agree that this book is beautifully written in places, I did not connect with any of the main characters or care to know anything of their lives. Although the book description reads "… the sanctity of her building is shattered – through violence and sex …" I was not prepared for the underlying tension of sexual violence and overt sexual violence toward women that runs through the narrative. It seemed unnecessary to the story line (similar to throwing a sex scene into a movie to attract the young male audience) and eventually takes over whatever story the author had planned to tell about Celia forging new bonds with her tenants. In my mind sex does not equal intimacy, and Celia's increasingly sexual relationships with her tenants do not translate into true intimacy; she is still holding herself apart behind her walls. In the end, we really know nothing substantial about Celia or her tenants. I was very disappointed with the reality of this book versus the initial description and its promising potential.
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