tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post6324301908742067661..comments2024-01-03T09:11:01.150-05:00Comments on Coffee and a Book Chick: A Reliable Wife, by Robert GoolrickNatalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-61981875173231009242011-11-25T00:24:52.551-05:002011-11-25T00:24:52.551-05:00I'm not sure why but I feel like I will be in ...I'm not sure why but I feel like I will be in the camp that loves this one.Kathleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01739982274914536036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-82430221956432056102011-11-07T20:13:24.974-05:002011-11-07T20:13:24.974-05:00The reviews have really been mixed with this book....The reviews have really been mixed with this book. I have it but have not read it yet. It always makes me want to decide for myself when the readers are split.(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-996478009313150352011-11-01T15:42:44.279-04:002011-11-01T15:42:44.279-04:00I need to (finally!) make time for this one. I eve...I need to (finally!) make time for this one. I even own it. Sheesh. Thanks for the reminder to pull it from TBR purgatory.nomadreaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04795144320842413060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-20490182468984702212011-10-31T14:31:14.989-04:002011-10-31T14:31:14.989-04:00I liked this one a lot. The sex got almost annoyin...I liked this one a lot. The sex got almost annoying to a point, but I wasn't scandalized by it or anything. Like you, I think it was simply a big part of the novel! Given the circumstances they were living in, I think it had to be! <br /><br />Great review!Andihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05220718933942181809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-3430768114127371022011-10-31T13:51:40.649-04:002011-10-31T13:51:40.649-04:00Sooo I read this book almost two years ago maybe, ...Sooo I read this book almost two years ago maybe, and didn't write it up, so I'm going off memory... The choppy sentences didn't bother me a bit, but then I'm a Hemingway fan so maybe I'm immune to that. :) I don't recall the sex being especially graphic or shocking. Certainly it was a major player in the book - a character in itself, perhaps - but I don't recall it being blush-worthy. (We do all have different thresholds for these things; or maybe I just don't remember it properly.) I enjoyed the book, but don't fall into your categories of loved it or hated it, either. I appreciated the dark, bleak mood Goolrick created; I thought it was a well-made craft, and I ultimately liked it more than not, but it didn't make any all-time lists with me. All that being said, I think you wrote an excellent review! Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-24753945559396100312011-10-31T12:40:41.253-04:002011-10-31T12:40:41.253-04:00Jenny - Much too kind! Thanks. I sometimes get a b...<b>Jenny</b> - Much too kind! Thanks. I sometimes get a bit wordy in reviews :) Let me know what you think when you read the book!<br /><br /><b>picky</b> - I think I know which scene you mean, but I'll connect with you separately to make sure I'm thinking of the same one. It definitely is a book that people love or hate; there is no in-between for this story :)<br /><br /><b>Laurie@The Baking Bookworm</b> - It is definitely a bleak story. No upside to this one!<br /><br /><b>Sandy</b> - I didn't get the sense that the dialogue was hokey, but I also enjoyed the story so I might have been forgiving on some of these aspects :) I actually thought Catherine was deplorable, but I liked Ralph more. If I could like any of them much! Catherine certainly was a tad perverted as well. I'm glad I don't know any of these characters in real life!<br /><br /><b>bermudaonion</b> - I could see it being considered soap opera-ish. It definitely lends itself to that with the secrets and lies aspect. If you read it, let me know what you think!<br /><br /><b>rhapsodyinbooks</b> - Yay, someone who liked it! :) I started to get the feeling I might be the only one. I really didn't mind the choppiness of some of the dialogue, and I felt it fit the overall style of the story and the characters, and just the sad life they were all living. Made sense to me! :)<br /><br /><b>Mrs Q Book Addict</b> - Do let me know if you get a chance to read this, would love to get your thoughts on it!<br /><br /><b>dolleygurl</b> - Thanks! Definitely be prepared for all of the sex, it is very descriptive and doesn't skimp on the primal urges for all of the characters.<br /><br /><b>MMBC</b> - I agree. The sex almost seemed crucial to the overall discussion of the motivating factors for each of the characters. I'll definitely check your link out, thank you for passing my way!<br /><br /><b>Zibilee</b> - Without question, it is definitely a polarizing book. Readers are not in-between on this at all :) It is an odd story, very sad and hopeless, full of despair...but for all of this, I liked it. Asylum also has the same lack of happiness in the book. If you read them back to back, make sure you have other distractions in your day to day that are much happier! Very depressing stories! :) Let me know what you think when you get to them.<br /><br /><b>reviewsbylola</b> - It definitely can come across as tasteless with the graphic descriptions of sex. It made sense to me on why they were included, and to such detail, in comparison to the contrast of life out in the middle of nowhere. And yet it also made sense because it just seemed to be part of the regular events of this town. I liked the story, but everyone has one of two reactions to it - loved it or hated it! :)Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12369504951819517390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-44324780416777756182011-10-31T11:51:51.818-04:002011-10-31T11:51:51.818-04:00I expected to love this one but instead it just se...I expected to love this one but instead it just seemed cheap and trashy. I generally don't have a problem with sex scenes, so it wasn't that specifically but just the overall feeling of the novelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-79192641482931127392011-10-31T11:27:03.205-04:002011-10-31T11:27:03.205-04:00I bought this one such a long time ago, and have b...I bought this one such a long time ago, and have been reading a lot of reviews on it ever since. It does sound like it's a polarizing book, but I tend to like books that are very emotionally stark and strange. I also recently bought Asylum after reading your wonderful review on it, and am thinking that perhaps I need to read them back to back. This was a really great review, and I enjoyed it. I am going to have to let you know what I think of this one when I get to it. Happy Halloween!Zibileehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07443338685890187334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-59866392338440386572011-10-31T10:17:26.553-04:002011-10-31T10:17:26.553-04:00I actually liked this book and I'm surprised t...I actually liked this book and I'm surprised that I did. The sexual part might have been necessary for the story to work. I hated everyone in the book but this worked.<br /><br />We discussed this for the MMBC a few years ago. Here are the links, if you are interested in the author's answers to our questions:<br /><br />http://www.manicmommiesbookclub.com/search/label/A%20Reliable%20WifeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-72984249844773923192011-10-31T09:20:35.350-04:002011-10-31T09:20:35.350-04:00I picked up this book as soon as it came out based...I picked up this book as soon as it came out based on the cover and back cover description - but since then have not had any time to read it. I have read so many reviews - and like you said, most who disliked it said too much sex or choppy sentences. I still very much want to read this book - but going into it with this knowledge will help. Thanks for the review.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16609161113240681299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-76922895372238262232011-10-31T08:36:54.772-04:002011-10-31T08:36:54.772-04:00Great review! I want to try this book it sounds re...Great review! I want to try this book it sounds really interesting.Jennifer | Mrs Q Book Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13531081381712505056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-9363545427106530992011-10-31T08:09:02.401-04:002011-10-31T08:09:02.401-04:00I am one of the ones who loved this book, and I to...I am one of the ones who loved this book, and I too did not find it choppy; I thought it was deliberately constructed to provide cadence, as you said.rhapsodyinbookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07041412748239010264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-41863590419413021942011-10-31T07:58:23.966-04:002011-10-31T07:58:23.966-04:00So many bloggers have loved this book. I have a g...So many bloggers have loved this book. I have a good friend I've shared books with for 20 years and she told me this book reads like a soap opera. I can't decide if I should give it a try or not.bermudaonionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10726401178972099557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-21513162437933011962011-10-31T07:11:45.728-04:002011-10-31T07:11:45.728-04:00Well, I will say that the author does a great job ...Well, I will say that the author does a great job in painting a vivid picture of the times. I loved that part about the book. But I can actually be very clear about why I didn't like the book. It wasn't so much the sex, but the characters were horrible people. Ralph was a creepy perv, seriously I wouldn't want to even set eyes on the guy. The writing was choppy, but the dialogue was extremely hokey as well. I don't know, by the time I got to the end, I was so ready to get the hell away from these two! But like I said on Twitter, I am in the minority. I guess it takes all opinions!Sandyhttp://sandynawrot.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-27135213142912417152011-10-31T06:30:03.754-04:002011-10-31T06:30:03.754-04:00I really tried to get into this book about a year ...I really tried to get into this book about a year ago but ended up barely reading any of it. I found the choppy writing style very distracting. It also had an overall stark, depressing feel to it which seemed overpowering. <br /><br />Great review!Laurie@The Baking Bookwormhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17678146631438774221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-51074206747486743982011-10-30T23:59:57.252-04:002011-10-30T23:59:57.252-04:00I really disliked this book for several reasons bu...I really disliked this book for several reasons but also for a scene at the end which just felt so odd and out of place. Parts of it were pretty good, but overall, I just didn't love it. And I WANTED to! Hate that. But glad you enjoyed it.pickyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01906861942472773405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4324469465904961710.post-28618315198217288312011-10-30T23:17:30.647-04:002011-10-30T23:17:30.647-04:00I don't think any of the other reviews I'v...I don't think any of the other reviews I've read have been so thorough in explaining what it is about and what there is to like or not like about it! I feel like I have a much better feel for this book, and you're right, the choppy sentences I'm not so sure about but I might still be able to overlook them. I hope to get to reading this one someday!Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14128837662718618636noreply@blogger.com