Synopses & Reviews
andldquo;Lipman is always in top form as an essayist.andrdquo; andndash;
New York Times Book Review In her two decades of writing, Elinor Lipman has populated her fictional universe with characters so utterly real that we feel like theyandrsquo;re old friends. Now she shares an even more intimate world with usandmdash;her ownandmdash;in essays that offer a candid, charming take on modern life. Looking back and forging ahead, she considers the subjects that matter most: childhood and condiments, long marriage and solo living, career and politics.
In these stories youandrsquo;ll find the lighthearted as well as the serious and profound. Whether for Lipmanandrsquo;s longtime readers or those who love the essays of Nora Ephron or Anna Quindlen, I Canandrsquo;t Complain is a diverting delight.
andldquo;Engaging and moving . . . Whether or not one is a Lipman fan before reading this collection, he or she most certainly will be by the time the final page is turned.andrdquo; andndash; Publishers Weekly
andldquo;Full of wit and charm, along with some trenchant observations.andrdquo;andndash; Seattle Times
andldquo;A feast of bite-sized morsels of humor and wisdom.andrdquo; andndash; Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Reading Elinor Lipman is like sitting down over coffee with your favorite friend. Reliably smart and witty, but never nasty. Her good nature twinkles on virtually every page of
I Cant Complain, a collection garnered from pieces written for magazines, Web sites and newspapers (including
The Washington Post). As readers of her fiction know, Lipman is unfailingly funny, and comic flashes illuminate even her saddest essays. . . . Lipman portrays our most painful emotions coexisting with the humor that makes them bearable."
—Washington Post "Here essay celebrate an uncommon virtue: common decency "Lipman tackles the subject at hand with Dorothy Parker-esque wit and verve. The authors good-spirited openness and self-awareness shine through . . . A feast of bite-sized morsels of humor and wisdom."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Whether or not one is a Lipman fan before reading this collection, he or she most certainly will be by the time the final page is turned."
—Publishers Weekly
"Lipman speaks as an Everywoman . . . [Fans] will find much here to enjoy and reflect on."
—Booklist "My complaint? [The] book ended, and I had 8 stops left on my BART commute! But I had already drawn attention to myself by (a) laughing out loud and (b) wiping my eyes with my pashmina, so sitting in quiet reflection was not a bad thing."
—Cheryl McKeon, Book Passage
Review
"Lipman's acuity as a social observer makes her voice seem to belong to a wise and funny friend." and#8212;The Boston Globe and#160; "More addictive than that bag of peanut MandM'sand#8230; [Lipman] is always in top form as an essayistand#8230;Her essays celebrate an uncommon virtue: common decency. Lipman is eloquent and loving." and#8212;The New York Times Book Review and#160; "Endearingly personaland#8230;The essays are full of wit and charm, along with some trenchant observations." and#8212;The Seattle Times and#160; "[Lipman's] good nature twinkles on virtually every page of I Can't Complainand#8230;Lipman is unfailingly funny, and comic flashes illuminate even her saddest essays...Lipman portrays our most painful emotions coexisting with the humor that makes them bearable." and#8212;The Washington Post "Engagingand#8230;Good-natured confessions run throughout the pieces in I Can't Complain." and#8212;The Miami Herald and#160;"Funny, witty, gracious and knowing personal essays that make a reader want to have lunch with the author." and#8212;Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "The essays in I Can't Complain bring warmth and insight to topics ranging from soap operas to the death of [Lipman's] beloved husband." and#8212;Parade "In each piece, no matter how brief, Lipman tackles the subject at hand with Dorothy Parker-esque wit and verve. The author's good-spirited openness and self-awareness shine throughand#8230;A feast of bite-sized morsels of humor and wisdom." and#8212;Kirkus Reviews "As if readers are sitting down to sip a glass of wine with their best friend (if that best friend happened to be incredibly witty, intelligent, self-aware and encouraging-and also a bestselling author), this collection feels like the very best gabfest imaginableand#8230;Very highly recommended." and#8212;Book Reporter "Charmingand#8230;Whether or not one is a Lipman fan before reading this collection, he or she most certainly will be by the time the final page is turned." and#8212;Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
A winning collection of essays about home, love, cooking, politics, and the writing life from the acclaimed novelist.
Synopsis
From the beloved and acclaimed novelist, a collection of witty, moving essays.
In her two decades of writing, Elinor Lipman has populated her fictional universe with characters so utterly real that we feel like they're old friends. Now she shares an even more intimate world with us--her own--in essays that offer a candid, charming take on modern life. Looking back and forging ahead, she considers the subjects that matter most: childhood and condiments, long marriage and solo living, career and politics.
Here you'll find the lighthearted: a celebration of four decades of All My Children, a reflection on being Jewish in heavily Irish-Catholic Lowell on St. Patrick's Day, a hilariously unflinching account of her tiptoe into online dating. But she also tackles the serious and profound in eloquent stories of unexpected widowhood and caring for elderly parents that use her struggles to illuminate ours. Whether for Lipman's longtime readers or those who love the essays of Nora Ephron or Anna Quindlen, I Can't Complain is a diverting delight.
Synopsis
From theand#160;belovedand#160;and acclaimed novelist, a collection ofand#160;witty, moving essays.In her two decades of writing, Elinor Lipman has populated her fictional universe with characters so utterly real that we feel like theyand#8217;re old friends. Now she shares an even more intimate world with usand#8212;her ownand#8212;in essays that offer a candid, charming take on modern life. Looking back and forging ahead, she considers the subjects that matter most: childhood and condiments, long marriage and solo living, career and politics.
Here youand#8217;ll find the lighthearted: a celebration of four decades of All My Children, a reflection on being Jewish in heavily Irish-Catholic Lowell on St. Patrickand#8217;s Day, a hilariously unflinching account of her tiptoe into online dating. But she also tackles the serious and profound in eloquent stories of unexpected widowhood and caring for elderly parents that use her struggles to illuminate ours. Whether for Lipmanand#8217;s longtime readers or those who love the essays of Nora Ephron or Anna Quindlen, I Can't Complain is a diverting delight.
Synopsis
A moving collection of essays byand#160;the novelistand#160;Elinor Lipman whoand#160;"portrays our most painful emotions coexisting with the humor that makes them bearable." (Washington Post)
About the Author
ELINORandnbsp;LIPMAN is the author of ten novels, including The View from Penthouseandnbsp;B and The Inn at Lake Devine; one essay collection, I Canand#8217;t Complain; and Tweet Land of Liberty: Irreverent Rhymes from the Political Circus. She lives in Massachusetts and New York City.