Temporary Insanity

by Leslie Carroll

A touching and hopeful look at the underworld of the office temp from hilarious author Leslie Carroll.

Meet Alice Finnegan: 30-something, single, and stuck in a cycle of horrific secretarial temp jobs. She's trying to fulfil her childhood ambitions of on-stage stardom while sharing an apartment with her 90-something grandmother, a feisty, funny, former Ziegfeld showgirl.

Along the rocky road to independence Alice encounters a colourful...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060563370
• ISBN13: 9780060563370
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Temporary Insanity

Juggling two careers - office temping and auditioning for roles in New York theatre is how Alice Finnegan spends her working life in Manhattan. True to life scenarios of both careers make TEMPORARY INSANITY A DELIGHTFUL READ.

Entertaining, serious and witty.

I first read Carroll's Play Dates and loved it. I wanted to read another one of her books and see if she was a one hit wonder or if she had some substance. She is the latter that's for sure! Very talented writed. I'm looking forward to reading her other 2 books. This books takes us through a journey with Alice and her out-spoken grandmother and Alice's so-called boyfriends. I love how Carroll also inserts summaries into the story and does not give us a day to day basis story. That helps move the story along nicely and yet takes the reader to what is really important. This book has so many twists and turns and I never saw them coming! That's what kept it interesting and I always wanted to read on and not set the book down. However, once the play that Alice wanted to audition for was mentioned, I had a funny feeling of what was to come. I wouldn't say it gave it away completely but it steered me in the direction that I thought the series of events would happen and they did. All in all, great read and fun.

touching, real, well worth reading

However much charm and wit may have been in her first two books, TEMPORARY INSANITY is easily Leslie Carroll's best work to date. Where her earlier work focused on romance, this is a persuasive tale, humorous yet at times harrowing, in which the plucky heroine copes with demeaning temp jobs, loutish bosses, and the brutal difficulties faced by someone struggling to be an actress in New York city. What helps her get through it all is her passionate belief in her dreams and her admirable unwillingness to settle for less than what she feels she can achieve. Her refusal to accept being dismissed by insensitive jerks in positions of relative power is bouyed by the support of a couple of loyal friends and by the unconditional love of her grandmother, a former Follies girl now in her nineties, to whom the endearing heroine is fiercely devoted. With her customary verbal facility and enthusiastic descriptiveness, but with an added measure of authentic, sometimes complex personal emotion, Ms. Carroll presents the reader with a life fully lived yet longing to be more fully realized. Readers may be surprised (or not) at how true and touching Alice Finnegan's struggles can be.

Brava!

I have been a fan of Ms. Carroll's since MISS MATCH & REALITY CHECK. In TEMORARY INSANITY, this talented author takes what she does best (intelligent, clever women with brains, beauty and balls) and creates a delightful novel that has universal appeal. How does one decide between art and commerce? Passion vs. paying rent? Do not dismiss this book as "chick lit" -- it is so much more! By all means, take it to the neach. But re-read it in the fall and share it with your friends in the winter and spring. Ms. Carroll is one talented author who has a voice to be reckoned with!

Heartfelt and funny chick lit debut

Thirty-something Alice Finnegan lives with her grandmother, a former Ziegfeld showgirl who now in her nineties is as spunky as ever. Alice is looking for stardom, but meanwhile earns a living any way she can. Her job with her uncle, a lawyer, ends when he calls her stupid in front of a group of clients; she won't put up with that. So stating she was "downsized," she heads to a temp agency where she is placed with another legal firm. This time her new boss seems to have it in for her, and before long she is looking for meaningful employment once again.TEMPORARY INSANITY turns the focus from Leslie Carroll's previous romances to something a little more serious, a little meatier. Alice is a struggling actress in a sea of fellow actors and actresses all looking for that big break. I have this feeling that Leslie tapped into a lot of her own personal experience for this book. Her days are filled with frustration, joy and grief as she learns the hard way that dating fellow employees is not a good idea, that some bosses just cannot be pleased, and even that there are unfair practices in many companies. I felt Alice's rage. Read the whole boss's daughter's wedding scenario, and you'll see what I mean! Yet, I have worked for a boss that I'm sure could have pulled that off given the opportunity. Sometimes it is better to walk away from a job while your dignity is intact!There are a few minor romances, but this book is certainly not only a romance. It is more the relationship between two generations and their struggles to live their lives to the fullest while dealing with obstacles that are thrown their way. It's like a part of your own life put into words. Plan for a few laughs, a few heartfelt sighs, and even some angry moments that make you glad you are not in Alice's shoes. TEMPORARY INSANITY is a great book to read with your friends in order to indulge in a few thought-provoking discussions after.