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Title: The Goodbye Summer : A Novel by Patricia Gaffney, Maxwell Jan ISBN: 0-06-054849-5 Publisher: HarperAudio Pub. Date: 13 April, 2004 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $25.95

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Average Customer Rating: 2.33 (3 reviews)

Rating: 4
Summary: Excellent
Comment: Far from being boring, or moving too slowly, this particular novel merely moves at the proper pace of human interactions; that is, the action of the plot is contained in conversations. (Sorry! No car chases or exploding buildings in this one!) You will recognize this style of writing from Jane Austen, and it's one that we see far too little of, perhaps because it doesn't sell well. Another thing that many modern readers are bound to find "boring" or "slow" are the elderly, and this novel is peopled with them. All to the good, because they prove to be wonderful characters. If your passion is ripping suspense yarns, or watching TV, then do skip this book, because you won't like it. But if you reread Bronte and Austen, then this lovely bit of quiet, excellent writing will make your day.

Rating: 1
Summary: "The Boring Summer"
Comment: I just finished reading this story and must say that I only did so because it was sent to me for review. Overall, I'm left feeling the story droned on and on for far too long with very little character evolution to support its length and plot dynamics.

Over the six month period that Frances left home and stayed at Wake House, it seems that Caddie experiences more in her life than she ever has - at the age of thirty-two. However, by the end, she doesn't appear to be any different than when I first met her -- with the exception of having met Magill.

Having endured the humiliation of being dumped by Christopher, the loss of dear Thea, the devastating miscarriage, etc., one would expect there to be a dramatic contrast between Caddie's life before Nana's leave from home and the one she has after Nana's return. Yet, the only difference now is the presence of Magill and her newly discovered "family".

Considering the length of the story and the intimate time spent in Caddie's life, I think it would be much more satisfying to readers to see her evolve from the seemingly frumpy, oddball, recluse who needs to get out more, to an inspiring, vivacious and optimistic presence. It's implied in a few lines of dialogue with Magill in the end, but that's just not enough to cement it, given the story's length. Why should I believe Caddie won't just regress and continue to push Magill and others away?

In the end, the book would be better suited with a title of "The Boring Summer".

Rating: 2
Summary: I was bored
Comment: I was really looking forward to this book, and totally let down. I loved Saving Graces, but this was a total disappointment to me. It moved so slow, I only got through half of the book. I was bored, so I just simply stopped reading it. Maybe the ending would've made it worthwile, but I wasn't pulled in enough to get there.