H

By Barbara Dinerman

After being infected with herpes, Joan Halprin, a single woman in her mid-thirties, feels untouchable. She spent her youth enjoying worldly experiences in New York and other cities, but now it's time to start a serious career as a copywriter for a Fort Lauderdale advertising agency. Despite feeling like a pariah in her personal life, Joan is anxious to prove herself professionally.

Fort Lauderdale in the 1980s is experiencing a real estate boom. Joan's parents have moved from Boston to a retirement community in the area, and her brother and his thrifty wife have settled nearby. But even with the presence of her family, Joan feels isolated with her "H" problem, despite knowing that one in four women, and one in five men, are similarly afflicted.

Her irascible, rotund new boss certainly isn't helping her regain her self-esteem. But with her irrepressible humor, Joan concocts an extraordinary solution to most of what ails her. Will this creative project work?

"H" A Novel is an amusing and original tale of office politics, sex, and one woman's search for her true identity.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 059540930X
• ISBN13: 9780595409303
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 132 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Infectiously Charming

This book is really fun! A little bit of "The Office" a little bit "Sex in the City" and a whole lot of "Miami Vice". Barbara Dinerman has captured the flavor of corporate politics and sexual politics in this very funny saga of a contemporary woman looking for love and finding...well, you'll see.

Subliminal Humor

This quick little read will keep you entertained all the way to its somewhat abrupt conclusion, offering a few pleasant forays into black humor along the way. Barbara Dinerman has been writing short, non-fiction articles for magazines for years, and her professional style shows clearly through her first novel. The author is quite mum about the issue of exactly how autobiographical the storyline actually is, but the fact that the lead character is a thirty-something, liberated woman with herpes has been spotlighted. "H" has been promoted on at least one serious website for herpes sufferers, so maybe there is an element of serious, tongue-in-cheek humor involved. Regardless of the presence of an underlying seriousness, or not, the fictional plotline is well conceived and the characters are aptly painted with the color palette of an interior decorator. The taut editing and clean proofreading belie the careful composition of an experienced writer. As a serious book critic, the only reason I cannot give "H" five stars is its brevity. The story would have been so much better as a fully detailed morality play with much deeper descriptions of the office politics and the winners and losers involved. As it stands, Barbara Dinerman is a competent, professional writer with a sensual perception of the absurd, but the long short-story length of "H" limits the depth of its influence on the reader. The plotline is a good one, and it has been carefully packaged in a subliminal slice of dark humor.

Fast-paced, witty look at contemporary life.

"H" is light humorous book with believable characters and a good sense of place. I could see this book made into a fun movie about modern life.

H

I found Barbara Dinerman's novel "H" to be interesting and entertaining. The ending was totally unexpected. The plot is absorbing and witty. The characters are well developed.

delightfully enjoyble read

The exact visuals take you right to Fort Lauderdale in the 80"s; clearly depicting that era. The narrator keeps you interested enough (with her herpes situation ? ) to keep reading until the end. Short and sweet and delightfully funny.