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The Monk Downstairs (Hardcover)

by Tim Farrington (Author)

4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins Canada / General (Jul 4 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062517856
ISBN-13: 978-0062517852
Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 14.2 x 3 cm
Shipping Weight: 454 g

Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #933,330 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

From Amazon.com

Tim Farrington's The Monk Downstairs follows the beguiling romance between a jaded San Francisco graphic designer and a monk who flips burgers at McDonald's. Rebecca Martin is a 38-year-old single mom who has lost her faith in men; Mike is a disillusioned monk who's lost his faith in God. The two meet just after Mike leaves his monastery of 20 years and rents the downstairs apartment of Rebecca's house. The last thing Rebecca wants is another romantic entanglement, especially since she has the emotional well-being of her 6-year-old daughter, Mary Martha, to consider. (A charming character in her own right, Mary Martha also happens to be "an infallible detector of bullshit.") And the last thing Mike wants is to agitate his already troubled soul. But after a few backyard cigarettes together at twilight and a few melted barriers, a tentative love story is underway.

Although Farrington's plot revolves around a classic story of unlikely lovers, there's no sappiness or clichés in his highly polished narrative. Indeed, his vulnerable characters and realistic dialogue will feel especially poignant for grown-up lovers. When the big night arrives and the couple must decide whether Mike will sleep over, Rebecca speaks for all single mothers.

"This is not just about us anymore," she said. "If that freaks you out, then please, please bail now. Because if you are going to stay here tonight, you're going to have to have breakfast with my daughter. You're going to have to be a decent human being. You're going to have to be a man."

In Mike we see what it means to bring spiritual strength to a relationship. When Rebecca suddenly becomes sharp and anxious, he does not retreat, nor does he paw at her for reassurance. Instead he knows how to sit with her, as if in meditation, staying present while not getting caught up in her fear. And in Rebecca we see what it means to speak honestly to a lover. This all may sound too lofty and preachy to be a juicy read, but Farrington has the quirky characters and the masterful skills to make this a highly entertaining and inspiring tale of adult love. --Gail Hudson

From Publishers Weekly

An independent, "unremarkable" single mother of one and an introverted ex-monk are the unlikely couple sharing the spotlight in this delightful, Anne Tyler-ish third novel from the author of 1998's well-received Blues for Hannah. Rebecca, a 38-year-old divorced San Francisco graphic artist, already has plenty on her plate a six-year-old daughter, Mary Martha, and a pot-smoking professional surfer ex-husband, Rory when she rents her downstairs apartment to Michael Christopher, a monk who has just abandoned monastery life after 20 years. She's sure she's not on the market for romance, but when Michael weeds her backyard, manages to befriend no-nonsense Mary Martha and joins Rebecca for intimate cigarette breaks ("little suicides") on the back steps, she finds herself wavering. Much trepidation predictably gives way to heated romance, though Michael wrestles with his crisis of faith via letters back and forth to the abbey brothers, and Rebecca, between bouts of bailing Rory out of jail, questions whether a romantic relationship with a man like Michael would be a true "fall from grace" for them both. Then Rebecca's mother has a stroke, and Rebecca and Michael are forced to make some rushed but pragmatic decisions. Fluent prose, seamless dialogue and a lovingly rendered Bay Area setting lift this novel above the pack. Farrington touches on many of the themes customary to the genre: forbidden fantasies, passionate first kisses, hovering family members and the tribulations of inconceivable relationships and all are mastered with ease and grace. The writer may have adopted a secondhand premise, but he delivers a charmingly written, gratifyingly hopeful tale. Agent, Linda Chester, Linda Chester and Associates. (May)Forecast: West Coast readers in particular will appreciate the quirky, spiritually inflected sweetness of Farrington's fiction. Farrington has been quietly building up a solid body of work, … la Stephen McCauley, and The Monk Downstairs should bump his reputation and sales up a healthy notch.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Customer Reviews

27 Reviews

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (27 customer reviews)

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Most helpful customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Wasn't too thrilled, Jun 4 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Monk Downstairs (Paperback)

This book was okay - a sweet story - but I was hoping for more. I never really felt like I cared about the characters. I didn't even like the main character that much. The monk was a little to perfect - always acting right and making her feel so comfortable - except for the one scene where he says the wrong thing. Maybe it's just me - all the other reviewers seemed to really like this - but it just didn't do much for me.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Definately a moving novel, Mar 15 2004

By A Customer

I loved this book...I read the blurb in the bookshop and thought it would be a nice sort of romance. It turned out to be much more than that...I recommend this novel to anyone!

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5.0 out of 5 stars A good read, Mar 15 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Monk Downstairs (Paperback)

Finished it in one day. Pleasant, laughable moments. Doesn't take itself too seriously on the "monk" front. A bit formulaic, but well written by this male author.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVED THIS BOOK!
"The Monk Downstairs" is my new favorite book. I bought it because my local independent bookstore's newsletter equated it with Anne Tyler's style of writing. Read more

Published on Nov 15 2003 by Karen McQuestion, Author

5.0 out of 5 stars The thinking woman's Bridget Jones...
I just read and adored Tim Farrington's "The Monk Downstairs." I found it very difficult to put down, and finished it a 48 hour period. Read more

Published on Nov 4 2003 by M. Nichols

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it, utterly charming
This could have been pure schmalz, but it wasn't. I kept having to check: did a man really write this? Read more

Published on Sep 12 2003 by Peggy Vincent

5.0 out of 5 stars Life and love
I picked this book up at a very low point in my life. As an almost 30 single woman whose never been married, I felt very much like Rebecca in that I've become very synical about... Read more

Published on Jun 24 2003