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Husbands and Other Lovers | 
| Author: Jane Elizabeth Varley
Publisher: Orion
Category: Book
List Price: £6.99
Buy New: £0.01
You Save: £6.98 (100%)
New (52) Used (136) Collectible (1) from £0.01
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 276201
Media: Paperback
Edition: New edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 448
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5 x 1.3
ISBN: 0752877895
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.92
EAN: 9780752877891
ASIN: 0752877895
Publication Date: October 18, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: UK based - buy with confidence. Brand new book. s201
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
Brothers Troubles October 21, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is an excellent page-turner but as one reviewer has said, she has already forgotten the names of some of the characters. This can happen when there are so many stories going on at the same time and I, too, have forgotten some of the characters. It is also difficult to tell whether we have a heroine in this novel, for there is certainly no hero. Indeed, the author paints a somewhat bleak picture of men in general and the ones in her novel in particular. Even Theo, a kind and thoughtful man and one you feel has been included for convenience, a foil to the rogues, is something of a cypher. He certainly doesn't rise off the page as does Robert, a villain if ever there was one, or Robert's younger brother, James, around much of which the story revolves. Ms Varley is at her very best when describing rogues and rotters.
Perhaps the heroine of the book is not just a character but women themselves, for the ones in this book, whilst being assaulted (metaphorically and actually) with a multiplicity of problems, emerge triumphant if bruised. Even with its faults - loose ends rather too neatly tied in the last 50 pages and the persistent awfulness of 98% of the male characters (only Theo and estate agent Anthony, a bit of an old buffer, could be classed as honourable) I enjoyed this novel. Even so, I'd have liked the villain Robert to have landed up behind bars for that is where someone like him should be. Perhaps Ms Varley is saving this scenario for another novel? I certainly hope so.
 oh so disappointing! October 7, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Having read Varleys first novel, and found that although not the best book I have read, it was enjoyable enough to look for her next. What a disappontment Husbands and Other Lovers turned out to be!
Firstly the numerous references to people, places and incidents that were the main focus in the previous book. This seemed to be just a lack of imagination as they were merely mentioned with no substance in this story. Why include them if not expanding on them to write a sequel?
However, the most boring aspect and biggest let down was that this whole novel seemed to be an exercise in self cleansing - I am not suggesting that the author actually suffers/suffered from any of the afflictions - but that it did feel like it was aimed for the 'self help section'. The story was weak, the characters insipid, the plot - well what plot? - all in all uninteresting.
I definitely would not recommend this to my friends or indeed anyone who had lived through any of these situations - they hardly need to be reminded!
 Husbands - and their wives/girlfriends etc. May 12, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Gripping and absorbing from Page 1. Two brothers and their very different life-styles and angst absorb the reader and the plot is original. The chapters are preceded by comments from the main characters to give a fuller insight into their backgrounds and possible reasons/justification for their unorthodox behaviour. This provides a new and compelling manner of presenting the foibles of the human condition. Excellent - I look forward to Varley's next novel which is already on my wish list.
A fast-paced enjoyable read December 20, 2006
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Although I have found it rare to find good quality new fiction from brand new authors I saw this book and was attracted by the story. When I got home I started reading and found by the end of the following day I had completely finished this lovely novel. I especially liked the ending which left me fully satisfied with the story.
Husbands and Other Lovers is a wonderful book, full of interesting and absorbing characters, plot-lines and twists that will not disappoint. I felt drawn into the story immediately and it did not let go. I would thoroughly recommend this novel to anyone looking for high-level fiction from an author who easily rivals the likes of any female writer today.
 Comfort reading - good but not challenging December 11, 2006
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
This is a great book to read snuggled up in front of the fire or on a beach. It won't challenge you but will entertain.
It was a bit too convenient that all the stories finished off neatly in the last 50 pages and, as expected, all the characters were either over played or under explored (as I'm writing this, I'm trying to think about the names of some of the characters to give examples, but I finished the book yesterday and have forgotten the names of the characters already).
The book is very similar to the Joanna Trollope books, in fact, having read this and not having read a Joanna Trollope for some time, I may go and pick some up again to see how it compares.
I would not recommend this book particularly to my friends, unless I knew that they liked this type of novel. I would probably read more from this author but wouldn't go out of my way to look for them.
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