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Publisher:
Plume / Penguin Putnam |
Release
Date: September 25, 2004 |
ISBN:
052594740X |
Awards:
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Format
Reviewed: Trade Paperback |
Buy
it at Amazon |
Read
an Excerpt |
Genre:
Chick Lit Fiction |
Reviewed:
2004 |
Reviewer:
Sheila Griffin |
Reviewer
Notes: |
Copyright
MyShelf.com |
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LAffaire
By Diane Johnson
Amy Hawkins
is a young dot-com multimillionaire. After selling her business,
she begins looking for something to occupy her time. Someday she
plans to start a charitable foundation, but for now she is bored
and out of sorts.
Never
having traveled, Amy decides to go to France to broaden her horizon.
While in France, Amy hopes to have a torrid affair. Her apartment
in Paris is being readied for her, so Amy travels to a ski resort
in the Alps for a few weeks, hoping to attain her goal.
On Amys
first day she is nearly swept under by an avalanche. Two of her
fellow guests, Adrian Venn and his wife, Kerry, are buried beneath
the snow. When the victims are dug out they are in extremely bad
shape. Both are in comas. Kerry is expected to recover, but her
husbands prognosis is not good. His children from several
previous relationships are summoned to his bedside.
When
they arrive, Rupert and his sister, Posy, are more concerned about
their inheritance than they are about their fathers fate.
Nor are they concerned about his young son, his wife, or her fourteen
year old brother, Kip, who is left to care for the injured couples
son. Illegitimate daughter, Victiore, never knew until now that
Adrian was her father. Yet, she alone seems to genuinely care for
the welfare of the old man.
When
Adrian dies, the fight over the money intensifies. Amy manages to
entangle herself in the affairs of the Venn family.
This
book abounds in negativity toward America. Whether the author is
illustrating the low regard the French hold towards Americans or
she is expressing her own opinion, it becomes infuriating. Everything,
including the avalanche is blamed on Americans.
This
book meanders along without much action or humor. It is filled with
French phrases which are never translated. There are no sexy bedroom
scenes to relieve the tedium. For a novel set in France, there is
a remarkable lack of details regarding the intimacy Amy shares with
several of her acquaintances. This book isnt really bad, its
just tiresome.
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