Tom Perrotta

I have read a few books by Perrotta and have enjoyed them. I was aware of the plot line because the book had been made into a TV show. I read it because of Perrotta. This was not up to the level of his other books. The premise that we are in a suburban town(probably New Jersey) 3 years after a rapture like event cause 2% of the world's population to just suddenly disappear. The story deals with how various member of the community deal with the event. Perrotta does not give further explanation about the event and what it might have been. The book is about the aftermath. The writing is good and the character's have their moments but for me it never really came together. I suggest reading other work by Perrotta as an introduction(mrs. Fletcher) or perhaps watch the TV show. Magic Realism does not always work for me.… (more)

This is my 3rd Tom Perrotta novel. A few of his novels have ended up as movies or TV shows with him as the adaptor. This book which became a movie deals with a suburb near Boston and takes place in the early 2000s. Sarah is a 30 ish mom of 3 year old Lucy with a much older husband Richard. Todd is the golden boy but now a stay at home dad who has failed the bar exam twice. His wife Kathy a real beauty is a filmmaker who is the bread winner but wants Todd to step up the plate. Mix in a child molester just released from prison and living in the. town. Shake them all together and you get a good portrayal of people who are less than happy with their lives. Perrotta is a good writer with good humor but with an underlying tone of darkness that runs throughout the book. Not everything worked but it was a solid read and I will continue to read Perrotta. Not a bad intro for those who have not read him.… (more)