Happy All The Time: Amazon.ca: Laurie Colwin: Books

Product Description

Review

"It abounds in good lines, aphorisms, advice to both the loved and the lovelorn." -- --New York Times

Book Description

This delightful comedy of manners and morals is about romantic friendship, romantic marriage, and romantic love--about four people who are good-hearted and sane, lucky and gifted, and who find one another. Knowing that happiness is an art form that requires energy, discipline, and talent, Guido, Holly, Vincnt, and Misty deal with jealousy, estrangement, and other perils involved in the search for love.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
Guido Morris and Vincent Cardworthy were third cousins. Read the first page

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Concordance

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

3.6 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)

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Most helpful customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Comedy of Mannerisms, Mar 21 2003

By

Virginia Lore "rumtussle" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Happy All The Time (Paperback)

Laurie Colwin's _Happy All the Time_ is less a comedy of manners than a comedy of the mannerisms, quirks, and idiosyncracies of four very unique friends and lovers.

Guido and Vincent (rather WASP-y, the Italian nomenclature comes from a couple of generations back) are cousins and fellow graduate students when the novel opens, perfectly situated for finding their lifemates. When Guido sees Holly in an art gallery he narrates his observations about her to Vincent. "Notice how the nose tilts," he says, and later, "Notice the arc of the arm."

"Notice the feeblemindedness that passes for wit among aging graduate students," she replies, thus setting into motion a story full of wonderful zingy dialogue as pessimists pair up with optimists and love ensues.

Published originally in 1978, _Happy All the Time_ paints both of the primary women in bold colors. Misty is a linguist, frighteningly intelligent, and determined not to let Vincent's optimism capsize her ship. Holly is self-contained and self-determined, making her own decisions without consultation with Guido, whose great passion for her leaves him in a perpetual state of befuddlement. The book is indicative of the era it's placed in, as women behave in ways which have not been modelled for them, and the men adjust their expectations accordingly. From a feminist point of view, that makes this book an interesting read.

From an escapist's point of view, this book is highly entertaining, light but not too fluffy, and thoroughly enjoyable. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys Nora Ephron movies, Bridget Jones-type books, and satisfying endings.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely beautiful story, Jan 19 2001

By

erica (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Happy All The Time (Paperback)

I have read this book about eight times. It is great for those rainy Sundays, snuggle on the couch, build a fire days. This is a delightful story about four quirky adults and their search for love.

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3.0 out of 5 stars A Pretty Little Fluff Ball, July 20 2000

By

Melinda Lucas "novel lover" (Seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Happy All The Time (Paperback)

Although I found the writing to be charming at times, I really didn't find it to be a compelling read. The characters are all self focused, rich and rather dull. There were just too many scenes of the characters drolly sitting around eating peach mousse with their pinkies extended. I never cared about any of the main players, and too many colorful non-plot-essential characters breezed through the pages. I need a bit more grit than this pretty little fluff ball gave me.

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Most recent customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars vapid and inane
I probably should have put this book down when I was halfway through it and I realized it was about the tiny problems of several self-engrossed upper class New Yorkers. Read more

Published on Jun 23 2003

1.0 out of 5 stars Ho-Hum
While I normally prefer a book with more depth and edge to it, I nonetheless also enjoy a feel-good, happy-ending story now and again too! Read more

Published on May 29 2002