Synopses & Reviews
The bestselling author of
The Object of My Affection and
True Enough delivers his most compelling and richly observed novel to date with this portrait of one man's search for the holy trinity of modern life true love, good sex, and great real estate.
Stephen McCauley's new novel is a moving and hilarious chronicle of life in post-traumatic, morally ambiguous America where the desire to do good is constantly being tripped up by the need to feel good. Right now.
William Collins is a real estate agent working near Boston. Despite a boom market, his sales figures aren't what they should be, due mostly to the distractions of compulsive ironing and housecleaning binges and his penchant for nightly online cruising for hookups less impersonal than old-fashioned anonymous sex because you exchanged fake names with the person.
There's also his struggle to collect the rent from Kumiko Rothberg, his passive-aggressive tenant, and his worries about his best friend, Edward, a flight attendant he's certainly not in love with.
William has known for some time that his habits are slipping out of control. But he figures that as long as I acknowledged my behavior was a problem, it wasn't one.
When he finally decides to do something about his life, he needs a role model of calm stability. Enter Charlotte O'Malley and Samuel Thompson, wealthy suburbanites looking for the perfect city apartment. Happy couple, William writes in his notes. Maybe I can learn something from them. But what he learns challenges his own assumptions about real estate, love, and desire. And what they learn from him might unravel a budding friendship, not to mention a very promisingsale.
Full of crackling dialogue delivered by a stellar ensemble of players, Alternatives to Sex is social satire at its very best: A smart, sophisticated, and astonishingly funny look at the way we live now.
Review
"How Americans were affected by Sept. 11 provides this novel's leitmotif....McCauley uses his twin narratives, and a bevy of subplots and appealing tertiary characters, to explore this material with impressive dexterity and a refreshing lack of portent." Los Angeles Times
Review
"McCauley has delivered a witty comedy that tries to answer questions about whether love lasts and if not, whether the perfect downtown apartment can serve as a sufficient substitute." San Francisco Chronicle
Review
"McCauley is one of the most companionable novelists....His characters are complex and charismatic, his dialogue is winning, and consistently he plumbs the intersection of love and desire always with brio and good cheer." Boston Globe
Review
"The seamlessly executed plot in Alternatives to Sex unfolds like a cruisy, afternoon-long walk through post-gentrification Boston, with familiar stops in the South End, Cambridge and even a visit to that dubious-looking hotel perched atop the Mass Turnpike." Newsday
Synopsis
Pleasure and guilt make mischievous bedfellows in Stephen McCauley's witty send-up of modern love, sex, and real estate. Boston real estate agent William Collins knows that his habits are slipping out of control. Due to obsessive-compulsive daily cleaning binges and a penchant for nightly online cruising for hookups, he finds his sales figures slipping despite a booming market. There's also his ongoing struggle to collect the rent from his passive-aggressive tenant and his worries about his best friend, Edward, whom he's certainly not in love with. Just as he decides to do something about his life, he meets Charlotte and Samuel, wealthy suburbanites looking for the perfect city apartment. Happy couple, he writes in his notes. Maybe I can learn something from them. What he ultimately discovers challenges his own assumptions about real estate, love, and desire--and what they learn from him might unravel a budding friendship, not to mention a very promising sale.
Full of crackling dialogue delivered by a stellar ensemble of players, Alternatives to Sex is a smart, hilarious chronicle of life in post-traumatic, morally ambiguous America--where the desire to do good is constantly being tripped up by the need to feel good. Right now.
Synopsis
Boston real estate agent William Collins knows that his habits are slipping out of control. Due to obsessive-compulsive daily cleaning binges and a penchant for nightly online cruising for hookups, he finds his sales figures slipping despite a booming market. There's also his ongoing struggle to collect the rent from his passive-aggressive tenant and his worries about his best friend, Edward, whom he's certainly
not in love with. Just as he decides to do something about his life, he meets Charlotte and Samuel, wealthy suburbanites looking for the perfect city apartment. "Happy couple," he writes in his notes. "Maybe I can learn something from them." What he ultimately discovers challenges his own assumptions about real estate, love, and desire; and what they learn from him might unravel a budding friendship, not to mention a very promising sale.
Full of crackling dialogue delivered by a stellar ensemble of players, Alternatives to Sex is a smart, hilarious chronicle of life in post-traumatic, morally ambiguous America -- where the desire to do good is constantly being tripped up by the need to feel good. Right now.
About the Author
Stephen McCauley's novels include The Object of My Affection and The Man of the House. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.