Tom Perrotta's thirty-something parents of young children are a varied and surprising bunch. There's Todd, the handsome stay-at-home dad dubbed 'The Prom King' by the moms at the playground, and his wife, Kathy, a documentary filmmaker envious of the connection Todd has forged with their toddler son. And there's Sarah, a lapsed feminist surprised to find she's become a typical wife in a traditional marriage, and her husband, Richard, who is becoming more and more involved with an internet fantasy life than with his own ...
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Tom Perrotta's thirty-something parents of young children are a varied and surprising bunch. There's Todd, the handsome stay-at-home dad dubbed 'The Prom King' by the moms at the playground, and his wife, Kathy, a documentary filmmaker envious of the connection Todd has forged with their toddler son. And there's Sarah, a lapsed feminist surprised to find she's become a typical wife in a traditional marriage, and her husband, Richard, who is becoming more and more involved with an internet fantasy life than with his own wife and child. And then there's Mary Ann, who has her life all figured out, down to a scheduled roll in the hay with her husband every Tuesday at 9 p.m. They all raise their kids in the kind of quiet suburb where nothing ever seems to happen - until one eventful summer, when a convicted child molester moves back to town, and two parents begin an affair that goes further than either of them could ever have imagined.
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
I liked the movie. It was clever, amusing, and touching. Bought the book after I found out that the movie was made after it. I'm glad I did. As often is the case - the book is better than the movie, in all aspects - and the plot, though quite close, is not identical to that of the movie. Easy to read, clever, funny, sexy. Worth every penny of the $ 2 it costs.
Ellyb
Mar 19, 2008
Pointed absurdities
I've heard this book described in many places as a comedy, and while there are elements of the absurd at work in "Little Children," I think it would be misleading to label it this way. The comedy here is of small, human inanities. Most people's lives are a variation on a basic tragi-comedy theme, and this is what Perrotta portrays, albeit with heightened circumstances that many people will not encounter, at least not all at the same time. This novel defies "aboutness." I suppose it's "about" an affair between two married parents, and "about" a community's reaction to the presence of a pedophile in their neighborhood, but really the book is more than that. It's about the failure of many contemporary adults to actually become adults. In our "advanced" times, with our freedom to choose a spouses, academic paths, and whether or not to have kids, we've come to expect fulfillment in every area of our life. Whoops. Looks like having options or having no options has very little to do with long term happiness or fulfillment. Perrotta is gentle but absolute in highlighting the absurdity of our expectations.
Ferret
Aug 22, 2007
Satisfying
Little Children was a fun read. It was funny and sad all tied up together in one easy to read bundle. The ending seemed a little awkward to me, but with an finishing line like this book has, I'd definantly say it's worth it. The best way I can describe the book is beautiful tragedy.
greebs
May 10, 2007
We are all little children.
This book falls more into the "character-driven" category rather than "plot-driven," and folks who need a hard, tight plot might get frustrated. But it's there. The loose structure focuses on a very suburban neighborhood, and how various individuals react when a child molester moves in. To say that this is the dominant thread is incorrect, however - one mother begins an affair by jokingly kissing a strange man in a park and finding instant chemistry; another person is addicted to Internet porn, while another mother schedules sex with her husband for 9 p.m. on Tuesdays. The little children are, of course, not the three and four year olds that dominate all of their lives and thoughts (well, almost all their thoughts), but the parents themselves. They act childishly, they have hierarchies in their friendships that mimic the playground, and leave bags of burning dog poop on front porches as an act of spite.
The book is often very funny, at times acutely sad, and most importantly, it's true.
