[.ca] Object of My Affection (ISBN 0671743503)

From Amazon.com:
It's no mistake that Stephen McCauley's The Object of My Affection ends at a carnival, for the book is, shockingly enough, not about ballroom dancing or Jennifer Aniston's hair, but rather a funny, bittersweet rumination on the thrill rides we endure and the trick mirrors through which we peer, all in the name of relationships. George is a gay kindergarten teacher, holding a torch of the inextinguishable variety for his not-worth-it ex-boyfriend. Nina is a pregnant "almost-psychologist" feminist with a nail-polish obsession and an overbearing boyfriend. The focus of the novel is certainly on the relationship between these two, but McCauley also brings an entire fictional ensemble to life, richly nuanced with quirky humor. After a night utterly devoid of sleep, romance, or even physical comfort on a stranger's futon, George decides to cut his losses and leave in the middle of the night, silently wondering about his generation's aversion to mattresses: "I've never trusted people who feel compelled to replace them with uncomfortable, expensive substitutes." As he leaves, his blind date caps off the evening with some unsolicited dietary advice, advising him that he should really cut down on dairy. "Thanks," George deadpans. "I've been meaning to eliminate it from my diet. This should give me the extra push." The Object of My Affection gets you to care about this screwed-up lot of characters as they attempt to force the square peg of life-as-it-is-wished into the round hole of life-as-it-is. It offers no pat resolutions but rather an overall sense of hope, made all the more believable by the fact that the author has not frantically tried to tie up every single loose end. Instead, George, Nina, and those who touch them manage to push off from their unreasonably idealistic visions of the future and anchor, albeit tenuously, to the blessings of the present, resolved to remain standing amidst the forces that move them, as McCauley writes, "as inevitable as death and much stronger than love." --Bob Michaels

Wonderful and Interesting:
This book really taught me a lot about two different types of people being able to love each other. George is a person that seems to have low self-esteem and Nina is a treasure in her own way. The book flows from one sceen to the next with both George and Nina looking for love, but being unable to find it. Nina's boyfriend is so overbearing that it is to the point of becoming ill. George's boyfriend is just a player, and treats him very bad. How can someone kick you out without telling you first? I laughed and almost cried in the book. It really pulled me into the characters and I could almost imagine the apartment and how it was decorated. I was a little dissapointed with the ending, but then not every ending is happy!

When standard tactics no longer work:
George is gay. He lives with Nina, a beautiful soulmate who sentimentally saves photos and cards and clothes, but resists real intimacy. He teaches kindergarten with Melissa, who has a radical haircut but chooses boyfriends based on whether she can teach them to dress correctly. His obsessively neat friend Timothy advises him on love while scrupulously avoiding love himself. But George is comfortable because his standard strategy for dealing with life -- changing the subject when confronted with the unexpected -- seems to work. Then, when Nina announces that she is pregnant and that she wants George to co-parent with her, the flaws in George's approach to life become achingly apparent. Torn between his real affection for Nina and his wish for a truly intimate relationship, George appealingly changes the subject, agrees without agreement, and deflects complements and commitment. This book is tender and funny and deserves a read.

One of my favorite books:
If I was to be stranded on a desert Island, I'd want this book with me. I read it every year. The characters are so well writtne they have become friends. I fell in love with George and Nina instantly. The movie is NOTHING like the book, and that's a shame. Jennifer Aniston was a perfect fit as Nina, but the screenplay fell short. Anyway, George is so wonderfully drawn. I love his insecurities, and his dishevelment. The chapters when you meet his outrageously disfunctional, yet lovable family, is too funny. And when he meets Paul and gabe, they are great characters also. Nina is brilliant. Strong, funny, sassy and bullheaded. This is "Will and Grace" before the show was even thought of. And done much better. Do yourself a favor and READ this wonderful book.

Exceptional:
This is certainly not the most important book I've ever read, nor is it a staggering work of resounding proportions, but it's exteremly well-written and has a wonderful story, great characters (flawed and wandering) and wonderful, wonderful prose. I finished reading this book and then gave it to my own Nina as a gift. Believe me, you'll like this book.

Confusing Snore-fest:
I saw this book at a friend's shortly after seeing the movie. I asked her if I could borrow it. She said I wouldn't want to. She'd been trying to read it for awhile, and didn't like it. I decided to try anyway. Unfortunately, my friend was right. This is a definite case of a movie being much better than a book. I really liked the movie. However, the book is too long and boring. There are so many tangents in it that have nothing to do with the central story. I can't believe I even finished it. Rent the movie-don't waste your time on the book.