Collection
Publication
New York : Pantheon Books, c2000.
Description
From "one of our most gifted writers" (Chicago Tribune), here is a superb new novel that delicately unearths the myriad manifestations of extraordinary love between ordinary people. In vignettes both comic and sexy, men and women speak of and desire their ideal mates: The owner of a coffee shop recalls the day his first wife seemed to achieve a moment of simple perfection; a young couple spends hours at the coffee shop fueling the idea of their fierce love; a professor of philosophy, stopping by for a cup of coffee, makes a valiant attempt to explain what he knows to be the inexplicable working of the human heart. Their voices resonate with each other and come together in a tapestry that depicts the most irresistible arena of life.
ISBN
0375410198 / 9780375410192
Pages
308
Physical description
308 p.; 24 cm
Language
Original publication date
2000
Awards
National Book Award (Finalist — Fiction — 2000)
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2002)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Narshkite
Really a 2.5, rounding down for now -
I saw the movie adaptation of this at some point during covid, and it was pretty bad. Greg Kinnear was as he usually is, good enough but not very good, in one of the two lead roles. Morgan Freeman in the other lead role was visibly going through the motions. The
There is one thing that the book did better than the movie. In the film they inexplicably moved the setting from Ann Arbor, MI to Portland. OR. The Ann Arbor setting is quite important to this story, and there are aspects of A2 and of midwestern life more generally that Baxter really nails. Those things, the embrace of "normal", the prepackaged family values, worrying about what the neighbors will think, the ways people need to twist themselves to be successful shop rats and how that impacts their families and communities, the expectation that no one around you will do anything or go anywhere, make less sense when superimposed on the live-and-let-live highly transient denizens of Portland. Though the books gets credit for setting the scene, it had a big problem that totally overshadowed the deft portrait of this midwestern college town.
The characters in this book were so poorly drawn I started to wonder if Baxter had ever actually had a conversation with a live woman or any person without education at a good college. Baxter's women are tropes. The worst is Chloe (pronounced CLO-WAY because she decided to customize it. This was so annoying. I kept thinking of "cloaca" and no one wants others to think about a bird's combination of rectum and vagina every time their name is used.) She is the sex loving uneducated woowoo sh*t-spouting manic pixie dream girl. She careens between being dull-witted in a standard way and appearing to have taken large doses of thorazine spiked with LSD. She feels the need to explain how she learned certain words by seeing them once in a book or hearing them at the coffee place she works at. "Mellifluous" is one of those words. And yet, without remark, she uses other words that this character would never use. "Misogynist" comes to mind. She is the personification of every mediocre boy's dream. Always ready for a tumble, loves to define herself totally by her love for her man, demands nothing of her moronic drug addled boyfriend but that he be in love with her. She has no friends, and no family relationships, and no interests, that could muck up her total focus on her man. She is a great contrast to Diana, who is a heartless harridan (the personification of that misogynist trope, the "career woman" - think Sigourney Weaver in Working Girl) propelled forward by professional ambition and her quest for full body orgasms. Every time something happens she behaves with depraved indifference and self-interest, and it is always explained by the narrator pointing out that she is a lawyer. When one character is in extremis, near death, the only thing she thinks about is whom she might sue. There is Kathryn whom we immediately learn loves softball, so of course she is a secret lesbian. It goes on and on. The one-dimensional thing is not limited to women. No, just as trope-y is the next door neighbor, Harry. He is the Jewish intellectual, a philosophy professor whose thoughts about Kierkegaard were the only parts of the book that interested me at all. Of course he was the central casting intellectual Jew. Whenever he and his wife were featured it was like somehow Hal Linden and Lainie Kazan were dropped down into this midwestern town. These people were too intellectual to say Kaddish after the loss of a parent but believed in dybbuks. The uneducated men, Clo-WAY's and Oscar's fathers, are beer swilling slack-jawed losers. And there are a lot of nauseatingly precious elements. Our narrator is named Charles Baxter, just like the author, and so he gives our main character. Bradley a dog also also named Bradley for a kind of parallel to that. Cute!
A lot of this "cute" is the problem. I am not a huge fan of cute, but Baxter clearly is. There is a lot of cute stuff going on here. Cute is a convenient substitute for real. The book made me feel like I had been covered in syrup. I raced through this book mostly because I wanted to get it over with. When I turned the last page I immediately chucked the book into my giveaway box. I hope the next owner likes it better than I..
I saw the movie adaptation of this at some point during covid, and it was pretty bad. Greg Kinnear was as he usually is, good enough but not very good, in one of the two lead roles. Morgan Freeman in the other lead role was visibly going through the motions. The
Show More
story was cheesy in a touched-by-an-angel sort of way. I assumed it was just a bad adaptation, I had heard good things about this book and about Charles Baxter's skills in general so I decided I had to read the book and not leave my opinion tied to the film. So I read the book. The good news is that the movie adaptation really was not a bad adaptation, it was mostly bad in the way that the book was bad.There is one thing that the book did better than the movie. In the film they inexplicably moved the setting from Ann Arbor, MI to Portland. OR. The Ann Arbor setting is quite important to this story, and there are aspects of A2 and of midwestern life more generally that Baxter really nails. Those things, the embrace of "normal", the prepackaged family values, worrying about what the neighbors will think, the ways people need to twist themselves to be successful shop rats and how that impacts their families and communities, the expectation that no one around you will do anything or go anywhere, make less sense when superimposed on the live-and-let-live highly transient denizens of Portland. Though the books gets credit for setting the scene, it had a big problem that totally overshadowed the deft portrait of this midwestern college town.
The characters in this book were so poorly drawn I started to wonder if Baxter had ever actually had a conversation with a live woman or any person without education at a good college. Baxter's women are tropes. The worst is Chloe (pronounced CLO-WAY because she decided to customize it. This was so annoying. I kept thinking of "cloaca" and no one wants others to think about a bird's combination of rectum and vagina every time their name is used.) She is the sex loving uneducated woowoo sh*t-spouting manic pixie dream girl. She careens between being dull-witted in a standard way and appearing to have taken large doses of thorazine spiked with LSD. She feels the need to explain how she learned certain words by seeing them once in a book or hearing them at the coffee place she works at. "Mellifluous" is one of those words. And yet, without remark, she uses other words that this character would never use. "Misogynist" comes to mind. She is the personification of every mediocre boy's dream. Always ready for a tumble, loves to define herself totally by her love for her man, demands nothing of her moronic drug addled boyfriend but that he be in love with her. She has no friends, and no family relationships, and no interests, that could muck up her total focus on her man. She is a great contrast to Diana, who is a heartless harridan (the personification of that misogynist trope, the "career woman" - think Sigourney Weaver in Working Girl) propelled forward by professional ambition and her quest for full body orgasms. Every time something happens she behaves with depraved indifference and self-interest, and it is always explained by the narrator pointing out that she is a lawyer. When one character is in extremis, near death, the only thing she thinks about is whom she might sue. There is Kathryn whom we immediately learn loves softball, so of course she is a secret lesbian. It goes on and on. The one-dimensional thing is not limited to women. No, just as trope-y is the next door neighbor, Harry. He is the Jewish intellectual, a philosophy professor whose thoughts about Kierkegaard were the only parts of the book that interested me at all. Of course he was the central casting intellectual Jew. Whenever he and his wife were featured it was like somehow Hal Linden and Lainie Kazan were dropped down into this midwestern town. These people were too intellectual to say Kaddish after the loss of a parent but believed in dybbuks. The uneducated men, Clo-WAY's and Oscar's fathers, are beer swilling slack-jawed losers. And there are a lot of nauseatingly precious elements. Our narrator is named Charles Baxter, just like the author, and so he gives our main character. Bradley a dog also also named Bradley for a kind of parallel to that. Cute!
A lot of this "cute" is the problem. I am not a huge fan of cute, but Baxter clearly is. There is a lot of cute stuff going on here. Cute is a convenient substitute for real. The book made me feel like I had been covered in syrup. I raced through this book mostly because I wanted to get it over with. When I turned the last page I immediately chucked the book into my giveaway box. I hope the next owner likes it better than I..
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LibraryThing member LukeS
Three interweaved narratives populate Charles Baxter's "The Feast of Love." One involves Bradley Smith, something of a putz whose two unfortunate marriages (so far) ended badly: one wife leaves him for a woman, and the second leaves him for her long-time sex partner. That relationship ends badly
My favorite plot has to do with Chloe (pronounced clo-WAY). Chloe has outrageous sex with, and then marries, Oscar. A couple of months later the poor thing is widowed. Chloe has visions; she's quite young but has wisdom in worldly matters; she sees mystical things while high, but understands their import in the cold light of day. She undergoes the worst heartache in the book, but she emerges from it. She's a goddess - she even says so. You can't read this book and not fall in love with her. She's Venus with 21st century techno-patter.
"The Feast of Love" is replete with lessons: don't pick someone based solely on looks; don't blame the other person exclusively when he or she cuts and runs; don't settle; don't invest too much emotion in your partner; trust your local psychic.
This highly readable book will engage you with its characters. You will come away wiser and with an appreciative smile for the author. By all means, read "The Feast of Love."
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for the self-absorbed cheating wife.My favorite plot has to do with Chloe (pronounced clo-WAY). Chloe has outrageous sex with, and then marries, Oscar. A couple of months later the poor thing is widowed. Chloe has visions; she's quite young but has wisdom in worldly matters; she sees mystical things while high, but understands their import in the cold light of day. She undergoes the worst heartache in the book, but she emerges from it. She's a goddess - she even says so. You can't read this book and not fall in love with her. She's Venus with 21st century techno-patter.
"The Feast of Love" is replete with lessons: don't pick someone based solely on looks; don't blame the other person exclusively when he or she cuts and runs; don't settle; don't invest too much emotion in your partner; trust your local psychic.
This highly readable book will engage you with its characters. You will come away wiser and with an appreciative smile for the author. By all means, read "The Feast of Love."
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LibraryThing member kristenn
This was an insanely good book.
It's love stories, mostly. And just people's lives. Present-day Ann Arbor. It starts with the actual author going for a walk in the middle of the night due to ongoing insomnia and running into a neighbor. It comes up in conversation that the author is a bit blocked.
It's one of those books that's really enjoyable not for the plot or even the characters so much as for the actual writing. The turns of phrase. Where you just periodically stop and smile and think "Wow, he's good." Apparently Baxter is one of those writers who is well-known to other writers. And mostly does short stories.
Sometimes the writing is a little too written. The whole thing is people talking, and sometimes they sound like an essay instead. Especially when coming up with metaphors. But mostly they sound like real people. Real people that you would like to know and hang out with. (Well, some of them.) Most impressive -- considering the author -- is a total Suicide Girls type of about 20 years old who has several chapters, and is completely believable as such. She exists.
There's a nice variety of characters. 20s/30s/40s/50s. Married couples. Dating couples. Divorcing couples. Couples having affairs. Although did the lesbian couple really have to meet at a softball game?
It's love stories, mostly. And just people's lives. Present-day Ann Arbor. It starts with the actual author going for a walk in the middle of the night due to ongoing insomnia and running into a neighbor. It comes up in conversation that the author is a bit blocked.
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The neighbor, Bradley, recommends writing a love story and using the experiences of real people. He offers to both provide some of his own history, and hook the author up with people he knows with stories of their own. And that's what happens. So the book is more a collection of short stories as a novel. There are at least six people narrating different chapters, in distinctive voices. Some appear more than once. Their stories overlap, since they're all connected somehow to Bradley and sometimes directly to each other as well.It's one of those books that's really enjoyable not for the plot or even the characters so much as for the actual writing. The turns of phrase. Where you just periodically stop and smile and think "Wow, he's good." Apparently Baxter is one of those writers who is well-known to other writers. And mostly does short stories.
Sometimes the writing is a little too written. The whole thing is people talking, and sometimes they sound like an essay instead. Especially when coming up with metaphors. But mostly they sound like real people. Real people that you would like to know and hang out with. (Well, some of them.) Most impressive -- considering the author -- is a total Suicide Girls type of about 20 years old who has several chapters, and is completely believable as such. She exists.
There's a nice variety of characters. 20s/30s/40s/50s. Married couples. Dating couples. Divorcing couples. Couples having affairs. Although did the lesbian couple really have to meet at a softball game?
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LibraryThing member heikid
- The writer has a very good style,
created lively and somewhat realistic characters,
the novel reads like a movie...
it's a decent literature piece all in all.
- i'd like to know the narrator more,
especially that he had an interesting set-up
in the beginning, as the guy who remembers
everything else but himself.
created lively and somewhat realistic characters,
the novel reads like a movie...
it's a decent literature piece all in all.
- i'd like to know the narrator more,
especially that he had an interesting set-up
in the beginning, as the guy who remembers
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everyone/everything else but himself.
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LibraryThing member idyll
Charles Baxter is a gifted writer. Traveling a well worn path of New Yorker short stories and John Updike marriage sagas, the book goes down easily, yet it digs deeply into its characters and provides some very touching moments. There were a few changes I was itching to make to the curve of the
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story - I didn't see how all of the classical and Kirkegaardian references quite added up, and a great mystery remains (not a major spoiler to say so) about how the main character, schmuck that he appears to be, evidently created at least one great masterpiece. Show Less
LibraryThing member drpeff
Odd format. Lots of tangents. Hard to follow the storyline if there is one.
Good
Good
LibraryThing member stubbyfingers
The format of this book was an interesting idea: stories about love told from the points of view of various members of a community. I liked the way in the end everyone was connected. The stories were entertaining and the writing was interesting. But for some reason I didn't really enjoy this book.
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First of all, there was a bit too much sex for my taste. Secondly, I never felt any connection with any of the characters. I didn't identify personally with any of them and I never particularly liked any of them. Basically, I had no reason to care about what happened in this book. I spent my time reading it just so I could finish and get on to my next book. Show Less
LibraryThing member MiserableLibrarian
Baxter’s story-within-a-story does have its touching and comic and poignant moments, but something just didn’t come together for me. His protaganist meets Bradley on a bench during an insomniac walk, and Bradley’s story of his own loves, and the loves and lives of others with whom he crosses
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paths, makes up this tale of loss and love and plain old life. His coffee shop serves as the background for a number of vignettes, each narrated by a different character (Chloe, the young-in-love woman; Kathryn and Diana, Bradley’s two former wives; Harry Ginsburg, Bradley’s older Kierkegaard-reading philosophy professor; even one by David, Diana’s lover). Not a bad story, for a male author at any rate. Show Less
LibraryThing member katydid-it
I was very disappointed. I had gotten several recommendations for this novel and was looking forward to it. But I actually found it boring and had to force myself to finish it. There wasn't one character that I identified with and so found it just annoying. But my biggest complaint is that Baxter
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just doesn't write women well. Each of the female characters seemed like a cliche or stereotype - and they definitely weren't positive cliches. Read this for a book club and found it interesting that the rest of the readers all felt the same way - that this would be an alright vacation read rather than a Danielle Steele, but otherwise it wasn't worth the time. Show Less
LibraryThing member LaBibliophille
An interesting concept, but the characters and situations were not totally believable. Still, it was a good read.
LibraryThing member revslick
This is a sexy, savvy, yet subtle, suburban stories interweaving characters and their story into a novel filled with strong doses of reality. If your looking for escapism, look elsewhere; however, if you're looking for realistic characters with bite then proceed knowing the wrapping doesn't end in
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warm fuzzies. I gave it a 3/5 because some of the characters stories I didn't connect well with, but overall it is well crafted. Show Less
LibraryThing member WittyreaderLI
This is a book that will make you completely engrossed. Every single character has sincere importance, and they will not be forgotten anytime soon.
LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
This is a really clever story. Charlie Baxter (the character...or the author?) wakes from a bad dream and, like any real insomniac, chooses to walk it off. His 1am stroll leads him to a bench where he finds his neighbor, also wide awake. The two start a conversation about relationships and
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Charlie's neighbor urges him to write about "real" people in "real" relationships, starting with his own twice-divorced life. From there, we are introduced to a myriad of characters. The theme throughout is love, love, love. Love of all shapes, sizes, complexities, and intricacies are on display. It is though a curtain has been drawn back and we are allowed to view the more intimate ups and downs of a relationship. Show Less
LibraryThing member magst
This is a conglomeration of stories related to the author by friends, neighbors, ex’s, & acquaintances about their current situations in life. Some of the stories are very sad in a strange way. Not the crying, gut wrenching sad, but more like "how sad that their life has come to this". The
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characters are wonderfully written, easy to care about, & their stories will touch your heart, and genuinely have you wanting to help. Show Less
LibraryThing member thatotter
This book was a little too...I don't know, precious or self-referential for my taste. Too much telling instead of showing. I did appreciate that the author kept it to around 300 pages, which is all too rare.
LibraryThing member phredfrancis
I was impressed by Baxter's style and insights. This is the first thing of his I've read, but I imagine his other books are worth seeking out. I liked the interrelated characters, the multiple viewpoints, and the interesting insights on love from a variety of perspectives. In terms of plot, things
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move along well enough, but that's not the reason to read this book. Read it to enjoy the prose, the memorable anecdotes and incidents, and the especially the fully realized characters. That, to me, is always more than enough. Show Less
LibraryThing member ArleenWilliams
Interesting use of author's identity in the novel. I'm not sure it worked for me.
LibraryThing member vlcraven
An excellent story about love in its many forms told through the personal stories of group of people connected in one way or another to a coffee shop in Michigan. Baxter has a gift for creating believable voices for his characters.
LibraryThing member BookConcierge
I confess I didn't finish. I just couldn't. In my opinion, it's really boring with wooden characters and just not believable. I quit on page 66.
LibraryThing member DonnaMarieMerritt
Interesting chorus of voices.
LibraryThing member KristySP
This is a really lovely, surprisingly unsentimental and original love story. I recommend it for a quick, easy read that will make you feel okay with the universe.
LibraryThing member satyridae
I dissent. I must not be among the literary cognoscenti mentioned in the blurb about this book. I found it impossible to distinguish one character's voice from the next, even taking the annoying verbal tics into consideration. I found the narrative shallow and the writing merely workmanlike. In
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fact, it left me so unmoved that I abandoned it on the train with my bookmark on page 160. Show Less