Domestic Pleasures

by Beth Gutcheon

Book Overview

After her ex-husband dies in a plane crash, Martha Gaver is horrified to learn that the executor of Raymond's estate is Charlie, the conservative, insufferable lawyer who represented Raymond in their... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006093476X
• ISBN13: 9780060934767
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

I'm hooked!

Wow. That's all I have to say. DOMESTIC PLEASURES is one of the best books I've read this year. I'm ashamed to say it's my first by Gutcheon, but it won't be the last. I've just now ordered all the rest of her books and am looking forward to many hours of reading pleasure, although how she can top PLEASURES, I don't know. As an author myself, I know how difficult it is to handle as many story lines, characters, and relationships as Gutcheon gave us in this book. Not to mention writing from the point of view of such different ages. And Gutcheon has done both so beautifully. From page one, I was hooked by the characters and their lives. Martha and Charlie, Sophie and Connie, Phoebe and Jack, baby Fred and Gillis, Patsy and Molly and Ruth and William and Dave. I don't think I'll ever forget them. I was so caught up in their lives, I didn't want the book to end. Gutcheon is a marvelous writer. Not only did she make me cry a few times, she made me laugh over and over again. Her dialogue is so good, I wanted to smack her! Okay, that's because I am jealous. I'd love to be able to write dialogue that clever and witty and real. Bravo, Ms. Gutcheon. I am in awe of your talent.

A vivid portrait of family life!

This is one of Gutcheon's best. Phoebe and Dime are two of my all-time favorite characters. Their relationship, as it grows -- and grows apart -- is deftly and believably handled, as is the relationship between her dad and his mom. Both adults and kids are three-dimensional, complex characters, and I hated to say goodbye to them at the end of the book. Hey, Ms. Gutcheon... how about a sequel?

A masterpiece of life in the 90s

Beth Gutcheon has written a contemproary masterpiece about life and love in the 90's. I have read this book so many times I have lost count and cannot believe it is currently out-of-print - I want to send this book to every woman friend I have. Her characters are so believable and her use of dialogue - within every age group - is true to life. By far her best and most honest work.

A multi-tiered love story involving every human relationship

Love between parent and child, sisters, friends, ex-spouses, and new lovers... a web of feelings and yearnings that touched my soul. This story of the web of people surrounding one deceased, divorced dad interconnects and builds, revealing nuances of love and life in the 90's. The use of language was wonderful! "The children fell about laughing." I finished in a rush to find out how it would end, then turned to page one and read the whole book again!My favorite quote: "There are a few people who are really made for each other and a lot of people who just really don't want to be alone."