[.ca] Quality Of Life Report (ISBN 014200443X)

From Amazon.com:
Meghan Daum's first book, the essay collection My Misspent Youth, was written with effortless humor and excoriating insight. This was a writer who made fun of everything, most especially herself. Humor and self-knowledge infuse her debut novel, The Quality of Life Report. Fans of Daum's essays probably know that her unworkable, expensive New York lifestyle led her to move to the Midwest. Same goes for the fictional Lucinda Trout, a New York TV producer who, while on assignment, falls in love with the town of Prairie City. Daum, with typical acuity, is wise to her character's real motivations for moving to the country: she wants to be a better person, and believes the Midwest will do the trick: "This was, after all, serious country. The real heartland, the plains. It was Willa Cather-novel serious. It was Sissy Spacek-movie serious and documentary-film-about-poor-conditions-in-meat-packing-plants-serious." Lucinda soon discovers that she's not immune to the less-than-perfect aspects of Prairie City living, and acquires a boyfriend of questionable hygiene and judgement; a rambling, isolated farmhouse that looks like the set to a Sam Shepard movie but is impossible to heat; and a tanning-bed tan and a set of false nails that are the region's signature style. The plot of the novel unwinds rather messily, and Daum doesn't always seem in control of her material. But she never lets Lucinda off the hook, and that's the key to the book's success. Daum has given her heroine a voice that is prickly, a little ruthless, and lovably vulnerable all at once. We don't always respect Lucinda, but we're pretty sure we'd be friends with her. --Claire Dederer

Praise for The Quality of Life Report:
The Quality of Life Report is an interesting read that you won't want to put down until you finish it entirely. Who hasn't thought of giving up life in the fast lane of a busy, bustling city to reflect, relax and hope to find a greater meaning to life? We follow the main character, Lucinda Trout in this quest. We share in her triumphs (making her big city career work in a small town) as well as her failures (an apartment infested with fleas, her quest for a boyfriend), and are entertained all the way through.

Hard to put down, but rather doldrum:
I will admit that when I read this book I didn't want to put it down, but I think that was more in hopes that something interesting would actually happen. I found it quite doldrum and a frustrating read - as none of the characters are admirable people or anyone I could sufficiently relate too. Lucinda,the main character, is the most frustrating of all... as a small portion of this is based on actual events in the author's life, I would hope she is not so big of a twit. She is constantly pushed around by the other people in her life. Anyway - if you want to read it, you'll not want to stop once you start, but you maybe wholly disappointed at the end.

Great Book !:
Lucinda Trout is a character I can relate to! Being from the midwest it was funny to see pieces of my own life sneaking into the story line. With Crystal Meth being a major problem in the rural parts of my area, I was drawn into the story even more. I loved watching her muddle through her days trying to stay sane and in the end realizing you have to work on having a quality life not just move there! It was the perfect book for a working mom with a very hectic schedule. I was able to pick up the book over and over again and not feel like I was lost in the plot.

Good Read:
I recieved The Quality of Life Report as a gift recently, I usually don't read this type of book(mystery and horror for me), so I started this book with a not very open mind. I'm not gonna tell you what the book is about,you can read the book description for that :). But I will tell you that this book is worth reading. It's very entertaining, and will keep your attention. There are quite a few humorous points, that I snickered at, and had to explain to my boyfriend why. Like all books there were a few points that could have been omitted, and others that drag on a little to long. But all in all this was a well written book. I defintely reccommend The Quality of Life Report, and will be passing along my copy to my friends.

Good Book to read:
When I started reading this book I didn't want to put it down until I finished it. The main Character Lucinda Trout leaves Big city New York in search of a better life. The way she tells her story in pretty intersting and lot of people will relate to it. overall is a good book.