|
Publisher:
TimeWarner Audio Books |
Release
Date: March 2004 |
ISBN:
1586215892 |
Awards:
|
Format
Reviewed: Audiobook (unabridged cassette) 5 Cassettes /
7-1/2 Hours |
Buy
it at Amazon |
Read
an Excerpt |
Genre:
Fiction/General |
Reviewed:
2004 |
Reviewer:
Brenda Weeaks |
Reviewer
Notes: Explicit sex, drugs, and language
Hardcover
Review |
Copyright
MyShelf.com |
|
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. |