Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Publisher: TimeWarner Audio Books
Release Date: March 2004
ISBN: 1586215892
Awards:  
Format Reviewed: Audiobook (unabridged cassette) 5 Cassettes / 7-1/2 Hours
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Genre: Fiction/General
Reviewed: 2004
Reviewer: Brenda Weeaks

Reviewer Notes:  Explicit sex, drugs, and language

Hardcover Review

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On a Night Like This
By Ellen Sussman


      Luke and his dog, Sweet Pea, have been holed up in the woods since his wife left them. To get back in the mix, Luke goes to a school reunion. Afterward, he agrees to look up a classmate who is missing in action. Little does he know a kind effort for a lost soul would demand so much from him emotionally.

      With Sweet Pea, Luke gets to know Blair once again. Blair is dying of cancer. Luke continues to visit her. Is he driven by sympathy for Blair’s condition or is it guilt for the fame and money he made writing about her high school tragedy? As with all the men Blair meets, she takes Luke to bed. Blair is casual with the sex, alcohol and drugs -- no limits, no attachments -- yet she is offended when Luke’s wife returns. Luke confronts his feelings for Blair and his wife, while Blair continues her self-indulgent lifestyle. Needless to say the lives of four people will be affected by the actions of two.

       At one point in the story, Blair’s boss tells her Luke lives in the center of the world, while she lives on the fringe. That’s the outlook of the story. Luke looks inward while he helps Blair, and her daughter, Amanda. And Blair is finally serious about a man. She is the kind of character you want to shake some sense into, while Luke is the kind of man a woman would be lucky to have. Amanda is, surprisingly, wise and grounded. And Blair’s landlord is someone most people try to avoid….

      I imagine Sussman, like all writers, wants to affect the reader through her story and characters. Readers’ reactions will range from judgmental, to compassionate, to actual grief. On a Night Like This is a dark, salacious story hidden under a romantic title and sentimental-looking cover. It’s very contemporary and very explicit. You’ll cringe, cry, and maybe even care for these characters. Be sure to keep a lighthearted read nearby when you finish; you’re going to need it.

      Known for their voices in animated works, Barbara Goodson and Michael Gough take turns narrating On a Night Like This. Some readers can’t handle both male and female voices on an audio book, but sometimes, like for this particular story, it’s nice to have both.