Ask Me Anything

By Francesca Delbanco

Book Overview

Twenty-six-year-old Rosalie Preston works by day as an advice columnist for the romantically perplexed readership of Girl Talk magazine. But her true passion is for the stage and for her fledgling theater troupe, the First Borns, a tight pack of friends and lovers who live (mostly) in the East Village. When Rosalie comes to the notice of suave Berglan Starker, a theater underwriter--and also the father of her best friend--she finds herself caught up in a very different affair from those she so jauntily untangles in her column for teens. Struggling to be savvy but sage, she is swept along by curiosity, a taste for adventure, and a penchant for those alluring complimentary toiletries in New York's ritziest hotels. Fame versus art, sex versus love, ambition versus friendship, room service versus restaurants: these are the choppy waters the First Borners must navigate--together and, perhaps ultimately, apart--in this delicious novel.

The best of what the chick-lit genre has to offer: it's wry, compelling, and keenly observed.--Library Journal What a delightful surprise....[Delbanco's] voice is fresh and wise....The angst here is warm and funny and has the true tone of excited urgency and humility that fuels youth.--Mary Ambrose, Boston Globe Absurdly entertaining....The wistful and wise-cracking Rosalie is a winning screwball heroine.--Mark Rozzo, Los Angeles Times Book Review

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393326462
• ISBN13: 9780393326468
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 348 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Lots of Fun, and Some Depth

I picked this book up on a whim at the library and enjoyed it much more than I expected. Not only is the story engrossing and the heroine endearing and thoughtful, the story as a whole deals with some significant issues with eloquent prose. A strong recommendation!

Captured the angst of life changes

I stumbled upon this book at the library, and decided to read it because it was set in New York. I was pleasantly surprised at how delightful this book was. Rosalie was a character that grew on me, the more I read , the more I understood her and what the author was trying to convey. Even though I am past my 20's ( thank fully!) the issues Rosalie was struggling with overlap into all stages of life, the basic questions of change and how to cope with them. Of how unexpected things occur in life and what do they mean or where do they lead. Some parts of the story were overlong, but I was entertained and pulled along. Francesca is a talented writer who excels at interesting dialog and witty humor. Her descriptions of Declan were priceless. She created speech patterns for each character that defined them well. I am looking forward to reading other work from her. If you want to read a sweet story with a unique female lead, if you want to follow the twists of relationships, if you want to feel like you are in New York hanging with actors, and if you want to feel you are not alone when the changes in your own life might puzzle or sadden you....this is a worthwhile and uplifting story.

A must read

This is a perfect choice for your book clubs - we read it at ours and loved the characters. It's hilarious and intelligent. A must read!

She hits the 20something mindset perfectly

I'm not a big fan of fiction, but Delbanco does manage to penetrate the achingly self-absorbed perspective of mid-twenty something New Yorkers. This book is funny, light-hearted and easy to read while maintaining a depth of characterization. Getting the age right is tough, as it's easy to stereotype the young but not too young and lose the essential humanity of their seemingly vapid but ultimately as important as anyone else's plights.Also, when I wanted to change reading pace, I could. The text was rich enough to go slow and parse the verbal dexterity and comedy, but the plot was clippy enough so I could read quickly. The characters stuck in my mind.