Babyville: A Novel
by Jane Green
List Price:
Our Price: $2.49
You Save: $11.51 (82%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Jane GreenEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-03-23
ISBN: 0767912241
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: Broadway
Book Reviews of Babyville: A Novel
Book Review: (3.5 stars) Cute and shallow - perfect vacation read.
Summary: 3 Stars
This book is about three women in their thirties, Julia, Maeve, and Sam.
Julia is a producer with a live in boyfriend who is "trapped" in a boring relationship. Like so many people I know in real life, she realizes deep down that she is not happy, but after investing 4 years in a relationship she is determined to make it work. She figures that the spark always goes out in a relationship. Julia, like so many people in real life, doesn't know how to make herself happy and when her boyfriend Mark does not make her happy, she decides that she needs a baby. Julia takes her obsession with trying to conceive way too far, bursting into tears at the sight of pregnant women and trying countless rituals to get pregnant. In the end, her resentment proves too much and she blames Mark for her inability to conceive. They have a terrible fight, she flees to New York and once she is outside of the relationship, she realizes that she was feeling stifled. Julia throws herself into single life and...CUT - the chapters on Julia end.
The story moves on to Maeve, a thirtysomething woman who replaces Julia in her producer job. Maeve is commitment phobic, as she was raised by a single mom who swung from relationship to relationship. Maeve is morally bankrupt and finds herself pregnant by Mark after a one night stand. Maeve seriously contemplates abortion but as she gets to know Mark she decides to keep the baby. This section ends with Maeve in labor.
The third section is about Sam, Julia's best friend. Sam is kind of the "glue" - through Sam we learn what happens to Julia and Maeve. Sam's section is about a woman who is probably suffering from postpartum depression but is also feeling a lot of emotions that many new mothers feel. She feels fat and unattractive, lonely and bored (but doesn't want to return to work) and the only good thing she feels that she has going on in her life is her baby. In a bid to cheer her up, her husband sets up a "date" with another couple. The husband in the other couple (Dan) is a complete sleaze and he flirts with Sam. Sam, totally vulnerable and frustrated with her husband already due to her depression, falls head over heels for Dan. She starts to lose weight, buy new clothes, and basically acts like a college girl. Her husband isn't sure what is going on, but he's thrilled that Sam isn't depressed anymore. Ultimately, Sam finds out that Dan is a sleaze and they live happily ever after.
The ending of this novel, needless to say, is feel good. All of the women end up happy. The story is a typical chick lit Hollywood movie kind of story. Jane Green is not a great writer - she writes in the present tense and her style is too repetitive for me. I seriously considered putting this book down forever during the Julia section (at least the first 100 pages). Julia is so insipid and whiny that I just couldn't bear it. Nonetheless, I know several women like Julia so it is realistic. Once I moved on to Maeve, the book improved markedly and I began to enjoy it more. By the end, I was sorry to have finished it.
Literature & Fiction Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Literature & Fiction Books
Little Womenby Louisa May Alcott
Scribner; Published: 1986-06-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.49
Price in other shops:
The Killing Groundby JACK HIGGINS
HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS LTD; Published: 2007; Hardcover; Book
Saving Fish from Drowningby Amy Tan
4th Estate; Published: 2005; Paperback; Book
Life Expectancyby Dean Koontz
Harpercollins Pb; Published: 2005-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.00
Constant Princessby Philippa Gregory
Touchstone/Simon & Schuster; Published: 2005; Hardcover; Book
Wolf of the Plains (Conqueror, Book 1)by Conn Iggulden
Harper; Published: 2007; Paperback; Book
Saharaby Clive Cussler
Harper Collins Pb; Published: 2005-03-21; Paperback; Book
Perelandra (Cosmic Trilogy)by C. S. Lewis
Voyager; Published: 2005-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.73
Price in other shops:
The Lord Of The Rings: Part 2 The Two Towersby J. R. R. Tolkien
Harper Collins Publishers; Published: 2001; Paperback; Book
Red Marsby Kim Stanley Robinson
Trafalgar Square; Published: 2001-06; Paperback; Book
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Jemima J: A Novel About Ugly Ducklings and Swansby Jane Green
Broadway; Published: 2001-06-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.25
Price in other shops:
Promises to Keep: A Novelby Jane Green
Plume; Published: 2011-05-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.81
Price in other shops:
Little Earthquakes: A Novel (Washington Square Press)by Jennifer Weiner
Washington Square Press; Published: 2005-06-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.65
Price in other shops:
Swapping Livesby Jane Green
Plume; Published: 2007-05-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.55
Price in other shops:
Second Chanceby Jane Green
Plume; Published: 2008-05-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.98
Price in other shops:
Straight Talking: A Novelby Jane Green
Broadway; Published: 2003-09-23; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.98
Price in other shops:
The Other Womanby Jane Green
Plume; Published: 2006-06-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.69
Price in other shops:
Bookends: A Novelby Jane Green
Broadway; Published: 2003-05-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.73
Price in other shops:
To Have and To Hold: A Novelby Jane Green
Broadway; Published: 2005-03-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.15
Price in other shops:
Mr. Maybe: A Novelby Jane Green
Broadway; Published: 2002-06-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.95
Price in other shops: