Review: Interesting and enjoyable! I recommend it.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 4, 2014
I know very little about the subject of this novel. Well, once I thought that I'd like to become a psychotherapist, but then I thought harder about it and decided that I didn't want to spend my life listening to other people telling me about their problems. I certainly know nothing about the lives of anorexics, bulimics, and compulsive overeaters, although my first wife (now deceased) was on the road to anorexia after she delivered our son, and I do know a few compulsive overeaters. But I figure that's their business, not mine, so I never ask them about it.I'm interested in Maggie's reactions to the problem eaters that she provides therapy to. I can see that she feels much the same way that I do about being a therapist. I learned from experience that I had to solve my own problems myself. I managed to do that, and I empathize with Maggie.I'm also interested in Maggie's clients. They're more hostile and argumentative than the students in my English as a foreign language classes these past 40 years, but I chuckle whenever they're revealed as primarily a group of self-indulgent and entitled egotists.Finally, I'm interested in reading about how she feels about working for a company. I used to work for high schools, universities, and businesses. Then I retired from teaching and began to work for myself and by myself at home as a technical editor. Life is so much more pleasant now than when I had to put up with other people telling me what to do and what not to do with my time.The story is well written, it's entertaining, it's fun to read, and it's educational. I'm enjoying it. It took me a few pages to get into the plot and characters, but now I definitely want to finish it. I want to know what happens when Maggie goes to conference in Chicago. (So I'm only about 20% into the book, but that's always an endorsement from me, because I usually dismiss books based on the first sentence, the first paragraph, or the first page. If it doesn't have a fast sharp hook, or if the writing is anywhere near ho-hum, I'd rather not waste my time.) And after reading the other reviews here, I want to see what kinds of insights the author has about self-awareness and denial. These are problems for almost everyone I know: my wife, my son, myself, and the rest of my family and friends.And I'm so happy that there aren't any vampires, werewolves, superheroes, martial arts vigilantes, cannibals (Hannibal Lecter), etc., just normal everyday people (even the people with eating disorders are normal everyday people in my book).Eltwin's a good writer. (Disclaimer: "What I like is good; what I dislike is bad". This is the way the world works when people give opinions: "De gustibus non est disputandum".) Just one old man's opinion.