- Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: Bantam (July 6 1999)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0553380400
- ISBN-13: 978-0553380408
- Product Dimensions: 13.3 x 2 x 20.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 408 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #706,323 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
The author of Rubyfruit Jungle packs an astonishing number of characters and severed loyalties into this amusing, poignant tale, set in fictional Runnymede, Md., a town divided by the Mason-Dixon line, where feuds erupt with the regularity of the weekly bingo night. The queens of contention are the octogenarian Hunsenmeir sisters (introduced in Six of One ), who slug it out with repartee and second-childhood antics when both fall in love with visiting widower Ed Tutweiler Walters. Nickel Smith, daughter and niece of the Hunsenmeir sisters, has reached her late 30s with well-defined roles in the community: as a respected journalist for the Clarion and as a tacitly accepted (read discreet) lesbian. But Nickel's history comes unraveled when she falls into an affair with her best friend's husband, and the newspaper is sold to big-money interests. Along with sketches of zany homegrown characters, Brown offers unpredictable plot resolutions that reinforce her reputation as a writer unafraid of new directions. Similar to, although not as much fun as, Six of One , this is vintage Brown nevertheless. 75,000 first printing; $75,000 ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Library Journal
The Hunsenmeir sisters, Louise and Juliafirst encountered in Six of One ( LJ 9/1/78)have been fierce rivals almost from the cradle. Now in their 80s, they're competing for the affections of the new man in town . The town of Runnymede watches gleefully as the sisters battle it out, although Julia's daughter wishes they'd pick another time. She needs all her energy to deal with two surprising new relationships and the possible loss of her job. A rowdy bingo game, an unexpected pregnancy, and the cannon in the town square combine to produce an explosive climax. Brown paints an entertaining picture of the tangled web of small-town relationships. Her cast of lovable eccentrics is the novel's real strength . A rollicking good book. Beth Ann Mills, New Rochelle
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Also a tale of a woman's love for newspapering,
By
This review is from: Bingo (Paperback)
First off, I loved Bingo and have re-read it many times. Many of my general thoughts are already well said in other reviews, so I want to add an offbeat one. Bingo also tells a story about a woman's love for her career, newspapering, and how that career is endangered by the sale of "her" paper to a big company. Brown nails that part of the story -- her descriptions of how it feels when the "big guy" arrives on the doorstep of the little paper are dead on. I lived through that same situation, with less happy results, and Nickel's reactions ring very true. In this era of mergers and buyouts, that's another reason to read Bingo. Share the book with a friend or three.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Real Can't-Put-It-Down, Laugh-Out-Loud Romp,
By
This review is from: Bingo (Paperback)
Nicole "Nickle" Smith's life is more than slightly schizoid: she lives in Runnymead, a small town that straddles the Mason-Dixon line, with all the cultural division that implies; her life is dominated by her elderly adoptive mother Julia "Juts" and Juts' equally neurotic sister Louise "Wheeze;" the tiny newspaper she loves and works for is about to be sold out from under her; and she is a self-avowed lesbian having an affair with her best friend's... husband? Needless to say, the situation is ripe for comedy--particularly when St. Rose of Lima's weekly bingo game, at which most of the townfolk meet without fail, begins a move toward a big-pot game known as "Blackout" and Juts and Wheeze, both in their eighties, begin to compete over the same man.BINGO is not one of Rita Mae Brown's most literary efforts--it is too loosely structured for that--but it is surely one of her most beloved novels, effectively juggling eccentric characters and ridiculous situations with Brown's own take on modern morality. A particular joy are the supporting characters, which are presented with tremendous appeal: Mr. Pierre, the town's effeminate hairdresser; the massively overweight Verna BonTon and her endless family; the feuding law enforcement officers; the yuppie cub reporter--all presented with considerable aplomb and charm and sharpness. Everything adds up to one of the most hilarious things you'll ever read, a real can't-put-it-down, laugh-out-loud book that will have you sitting up half the night trying to silence your hoots lest you wake the neighbors. The setting, characters, and one-liners are extremely memorable, funny, and remarkably honest, and this is one you'll return again and again. I know I have! Recommended.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A pleasing, unusual book! Other Rita Mae's I haven't liked,
By
This review is from: Bingo (Mass Market Paperback)
This was a great little read. Interesting, unusual, themes. Great characters, great plot. Held my interest all the way through. A book which reflects hope, the human spirit, and humor. Not a waste!
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