Book Review Tuesday

I generally devour books, most any type (except science fiction) and most any genre. I picked up this book in the used book store because (I must admit) I liked the cover. I've seen this book everywhere and I've always wondered if it was any good. Well, basically, it's not. The book is about Jane, and it hops around in Jane's life, first starting when she was young and then moving into adulthood. To be honest, I really couldn't figure this whole thing out. It started off well enough, with Jane meeting her brother's first "real" girlfriend and the sadness she felt when her brother broke up with her. And essentially, I think the book is a reflection of Jane trying to figure out what relationships are all about and why people have them and they work or don't work. But this book, sadly, failed at this attempt. I'm not saying I didn't like it, I just think I didn't get it. I've never read a book where it's short stories all about the same character, but not sequential. I really learned very little about the subject character and all the other characters kinda blended together. Even the story when her Dad died (which should have been heart-wrenching) was just mediocre. The relationship with the older, alcoholic guy who talks like Rodney Dangerfield? A little creepy (although we are never told the age of Jane, it's implied that her boyfriend is much older). What's the point in discussing these things if the character or the reader learns nothing from them? Where's the point? Are May-December romances any different from any other romance? Isn't she just looking for her father? Why didn't she pay attention to her father when he was alive? Did she regret this? These are all questions the character could have answered but did not. And, as far as the "chick lit" category it's in: I must ask...what is it about women authors writing about women that automatically categorizes it as something fluffy and pink? I think that women writing about women's lives, ideas, hardships is great. But this "dumbing down" of women's literature is not acceptable. Just anyone should not be able to publish a book. And authors should be held to standards, not allowed to write and publish crap for people to consume. And I think I'll get off my soapbox now.