Hard Laughter: A Novel |
|
|
|
| Title: | Hard Laughter: A Novel |
| Author: | Anne Lamott |
| Publisher: | North Point Press |
| Type: | Book / Paperback |
| Publication Date: | 15 April, 1979 |
| ISBN / ISBN-13: | 0865472807 / 9780865472808 |
| List Price: | $16.00 |
| You Save: | $5.12 |
| Amazon Price: | $10.88 |
|
This book is also available, brand-new, from 3rd-party marketplace sellers at Amazon.com, from $2.35.
|
The HTML code below can be pasted onto your web-site, your MySpace page, or blog - or any number of similar places - to create a link to this page:
If, instead of a text link, you'd like to create a link to this page which will display the book cover, if it's available, then the code below will do exactly that:
Check for the same book at these other US book sites:
• [ Abebooks ]
• [ Alibris ]
• [ Barnes & Noble ]
• [ Half.com ]
• [ Powells ]
… or check UK bookstores
|
Editorial Review / Publisher's Information:
Product Description
Anne Lamott's poignant first novel, reissued in an attractive new edition.
Writer (and sometime housecleaner) Jennifer is twenty-three when her beloved father, Wallace, is diagnosed with a brain tumor. This catastrophic discovery sets off Anne Lamott's unexpectedly sweet and funny first novel, which is made dramatic not so much by Wallace's illness as by the emotional wake it sweeps under Jen and her brothers, self-contained Ben and feckless, lovable Randy. With characteristic affection and accuracy, Lamott sketches this offbeat family and their nearest and dearest as they draw ever closer in the intimacy Jen prizes "among the other estimable things: good music, good hard laughter, good sex, good industry, and good books."
|
Other Items You May Enjoy:
Browse Books From These Related Subjects:
Customer Reviews:
• Hard Laughter
24 February, 2009
I liked Anne's later books better than this one. Although I appreciate the depth of vulnerability she reveals, the lead character is a little too dark and twisty in this, which is kind of ironic given the title.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Real Life Just Is What It Is...
13 March, 2008
Ok...so Lamott's approach might be a little "random" here, but I value her candid honesty. Most of us would never get that transparent and reflective about our most important relationships and how what happens in them shapes our lives - not only because of them, but in spite of them. I appreciate how this author lets us see, through her gifted prose, how she thinks and evolves from this very first write to her very latest. She was a disaster waiting to happen, but has much to teach us (further evidenced in her subsequent books) about a God who is there, is not silent, and works with us right where we really live. Her wacky poignant out-of-the-box humor filters for us the tough stuff of real life so we too might look at it more thoughtfully - or so that we might be able to look at it at all."
- Amazon Customer Review
• Nothing To Laugh About
30 November, 2009
This story should be poignant, as it deals with the death of a loved one. Unfortunately, it is just annoying. I didn't chuckle once while reading it. The writing was lackluster and reminded me of "Joe Jones," another of Lamott's early novels. Truly forgettable. Skip this turkey.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Anne Doesn't Disappoint
24 October, 2007
I'll admit, I'm a huge Anne Lamott fan, but this was the only book of hers that I hadn't read until now (I know, I'm about 20 years late). But I wasn't let down, even though it was her first published novel.
I've had my share of family medical scares, including one of my own, and it was amazing at how dead-on Anne illustrates the emotions that people go through in times of crisis. My family is similar to the one in the book, in that we truly exercise the "laughter is the best medicine" mantra. But sometimes you just can't laugh at the face of a horrible disease like cancer ... and sometimes you have to just to survive. That's what this book is all about.
Some people might read this and think, "What was the point?" I read it and thought, "Wow. Anne just gets human emotion and writes about it superbly." This book is basically a commentary about life and death, why bad things happen to good people, etc., told through stories about the family in the book, and it's very autobiographical.
It's not my favorite Lamott book, but it's definitely at the top of the list.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Lovely, Funny, Comforting... My Favorite Book Ever.
13 August, 2008
I could not believe some of the negative reviews I read about this book. I normally never write reviews but I had to put in my two cents to counter the negativity. I do believe that this book is not for everyone, but for me, it resonates with such truth and clarity that it makes me smile every time I think of a passage. True, there is less in the way of plots than most books, but the plot that exists is very similar to real life, and the characters are like my own family. It is witty and well-timed, and gives those of us who sometimes question our sanity an answer: yes, there are others out there like you. The main character, Jen, copes with her father's illness in a very real and human way. All too often characters in books that are faced with a life altering situation such as a father's cancer face it in ways you can never imagine yourself doing: being full of grace, honorable, constantly patient. Jen faces it just the way I would: full of terror, trying to maintain a normal life in the meantime, and with as much humor as she can muster. It is a beautiful story, and I wish I could be friends with the characters. The verses are as comforting to me as a bible is to a devoutly religious person. It reminds me of the good things in life "love, laughter, sex, music and avocados", as one of the characters writes. The sweet, funny interactions between the family members remind me of my own family and give me the urge to call them. The anecdotes seem like something out of my own life, but told with a great deal more humor and perfect timing. I cannot recommend this book enough. It was moving and fun and I re-read it at least once every couple of months. Definitely the best of Anne Lamott's so far. I encourage everyone to read it!
- Amazon Customer Review
|
