A Certain Age by Tama Janowitz (A Certain Age - Tama Janowitz)

Member Name: Hope

Product:	A Certain Age - Tama Janowitz
Date:	28/12/00 (29 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to read

Disadvantages: No depth to characters or story

Described as a tragi-comedy, this novel is in my opinion neither funny nor tragic but in fact rather boring. It is the story of a young woman making a fool of herself in various ways as she tries to snare a rich husband in fashionable New York. It treads the dividing line between trashy and tongue in cheek as it runs through a fairly humdrum plot. The "heroine" suffers a variety of mishaps ranging from not having something suitable to wear to the next party to almost drowning a friend's child.

Perhaps rather than actually being a trashy novel, the truth is that it merely describes a society which is itself trashy in the extreme. Certainly the shallowness of modern life is shown up in its worst light, with full emphasis on status, money, and above all physical appearance. To this extent it can be praised for doing a good job, but nevertheless I did not particularly enjoy this novel, and see little to recommend it.

Summary: