Venus Envy

by rita Mae Brown

Hardcover, 1993

Status

Checked out

Genres

Publication

Bantam (1993), Edition: 1St Edition, Paperback

Description

At thirty-five, Mary Frazier Armstrong, called "Frazier" by friends and enemies alike, is a sophisticated woman with a thriving art gallery, a healthy bank balance, and an enviable social position.nbsp;nbsp;In fact, she has everything to live for, but she's lying in a hospital bed with a morphine drip in her arm and a life expectancy measured in hours.nbsp;nbsp;"Don't die a stranger," her assistant says on her last hospital visit.nbsp;nbsp;"Tell the people you love who you are."nbsp;nbsp;And so, as her last act on earth, Frazier writes letters to her closest family and friends, telling them exactly what she thinks of them and, since she will be dead by the time they receive the letters, the truth about herself: she's gay. The letters are sent.nbsp;nbsp;Then the manure hits the fan in Charlottesville, Virginia, because the funny thing is, Frazier Armstrong isn't going to die after all.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member Darrol

This is a satisfying book. Much more than a lesbian coming out story. More like an exhortation to grab at life. I am not quite sure about the ending chapters featuring a conversation with the Roman/Greek gods, but the more I read, the less uncomfortable I became.

5 more

LibraryThing member mckait

I love a good ending to a book. The best book can be spoiled by a poor ending. Brown always gives me that..
First I get a good read, in this case a wonderful one with strong, interesting characters, and a wrap up you will love!

LibraryThing member drsyko

What happens when you think you're dying so you come out to everyone you know . . . and then you don't die?? That's the premise of this book, and it is incredibly funny. I loved this book. It's funny, warm, provocative, sexy and just about all around perfect. It's been years since I read this book,

but I still remember how much I loved it.

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LibraryThing member tealover

Hilariously funny! How would you feel, if your Doc told you that you've only got a couple of days left to live?
How would you spend this precious time?
Well, one way could be - writing letters to all the people you like and dislike and tell them all the things you always thought about them, but

somehow never got around to telling them before! The real problems of Mary Frazier Armstrong begins right after she's written all those letters - because Mary Frazier Armstrong isn't going to die after all...
I could have done rather well without the 'mythological' part of the book, that's why I voted only 4 stars!

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LibraryThing member Citizenjoyce

I've decided that even though Rita Mae Brown is a lesbian she also seems to be a misogynist and a really annoying proponent of southern democratic politics. The women in this book that she doesn't depict as sexually alluring are just plain evil. The men, poor ducks, are well meaning but unable to

resist the feminine onslaught. The chapter on Greco-Roman gods and goddesses was pretty interesting, aside from the fact that she doubles down on her misogyny in regards to Juno. Not recommended.

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LibraryThing member 2wonderY

Sorry I spent the time. Ick.

Fewer