Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Penguin Books (2000), Edition: Reissue, 289 pages
Description
Generous hearted and wickedly insightful, The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing maps the progress of Jane Rosenal as she sets out on a personal spirited through the perilous terrain of sex, love, and relationships, and the treacherous waters of the workplace. With an unfatigued comic touch, Bank skillfully teases out issues of the heart, puts a new spin on the mating dance, and captures in perfect pitch what it's like to be a young woman coming of age in America today.
User reviews
LibraryThing member r.j.nichols
This is the novel chick lit should aspire to. The humor transcends all those tired Bridget Jones-must-wed-now books. Maybe I shouldn't sully it with the "chick lit" label. It was funny and centered on relationships, but it was also true, real, sad, poignant, and didn't once feel forced to me. The
What matters is this is one of a few books I've been able to consistently recommend to friends that has never disappointed.
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characters felt like not only like someone you'd know, but like people you'd be glad to know.What matters is this is one of a few books I've been able to consistently recommend to friends that has never disappointed.
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LibraryThing member brainella
This is an odd assortment of short stories all centered on Jane, a single girl trying to define herself and how she feels about love. As a teen, Jane watches the relationship her brother has with a nice young woman in college and how hard love can be. Her relationships are a odd mixture of bad
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decisions and too much friendly advice. Eventually Jane has to figure things out on her own and decide what is best for her. It's a witty, humorous book filled with the mistakes and choices all young women must face to become who they are. I enjoyed the book quite a lot. Show Less
LibraryThing member deadgirl
(This review is after a re-read). I liked this book, not in a mind-blown kind of way, but it was easy to read and had a lot of funny bits. The dialogue was clever and witty. This feels like a "summer reading" kind of book. I'm a bit unsure about the chapter with the neighbors. Is there some
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connection with the Julie mentioned? Is she the Julia from the first part of the book? I kept waiting for a connection to be revealed but it never came. Other than that baffling section, the rest of the story was lovely and made me laugh (and even cry a little). Show Less
LibraryThing member Alirambles
This book read like it was written for 20-something women (or older, but still-looking-for-marriage women), which is unfortunate because really there were themes that relate to everyone in all stages of life. A story in the middle that doesn't connect (except tangentially) to the other stories
What didn't work for me in this book was the way it skimmed the surface much of the time. The defining moments were either missing or treated superficially. In the first story, for example, Jane is leery of her big brother's girlfriend at first, but eventually decides she likes her. You see this happening, but there isn't a moment where you feel it happen. In a later story, you can tell from the tone that a relationship is doomed, so you're waiting for the Big Moment to happen when she comes to her senses . . . but when the moment happens, it's, "After a week, I packed my stuff." You've seen it coming for pages, but when it comes, it doesn't hold you there.
So, we have a book with too much depth to be chick-lit (one poor reviewer complained about the "open" ending, as if they'd mistaken it for a romance novel and been waiting the entire time for someone to rip off Jane's bodice and press his manhood into her creamy white thigh) but not quite enough to move beyond.
That said, if you're looking for something to read on the beach on a summer afternoon, or curl up with on the couch when you have your period but you don't much care for fluff reads, this one's worth picking up.
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contained the same themes (the evolution of family relationships and how they relate to young adults finding their bearings outside that family). This story is written from the point of view of the mother of a different family, so some readers were baffled. Too bad for them.What didn't work for me in this book was the way it skimmed the surface much of the time. The defining moments were either missing or treated superficially. In the first story, for example, Jane is leery of her big brother's girlfriend at first, but eventually decides she likes her. You see this happening, but there isn't a moment where you feel it happen. In a later story, you can tell from the tone that a relationship is doomed, so you're waiting for the Big Moment to happen when she comes to her senses . . . but when the moment happens, it's, "After a week, I packed my stuff." You've seen it coming for pages, but when it comes, it doesn't hold you there.
So, we have a book with too much depth to be chick-lit (one poor reviewer complained about the "open" ending, as if they'd mistaken it for a romance novel and been waiting the entire time for someone to rip off Jane's bodice and press his manhood into her creamy white thigh) but not quite enough to move beyond.
That said, if you're looking for something to read on the beach on a summer afternoon, or curl up with on the couch when you have your period but you don't much care for fluff reads, this one's worth picking up.
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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
The book's blurbs compare it to Bridget Jones' Diary, which was published the same year, and Girl's Guide is supposedly one of the progenitors of chicklit, but I don't see the resemblance to Bridget Jones, at all, other than it's from the point of view of a contemporary urban female dealing with
It's not really a novel, but rather seven linked short stories. They're not even consistent in style--some are past tense, some present tense, and though almost all are first person, one is second person. ("You Can Be Anyone"--very short, and one of my least favorite stories in the book.) Almost all revolved around Jane Rosenal, Jersey Girl and New York City career girl. (Although one story, "The Best Possible Light," Jane only gets one short mention, and it makes me wonder if the line was thrown in the story to put it in the book.)
We meet Jane at fourteen, in the first story, "Advanced Beginners." She's sassy and smart, and that might have made a solid enough chapter in a more strongly structured novel following her, but standing alone, neither that story nor the next about her first boyfriend, "The Floating House" are standouts. The stories "My Old Man" and "The Worst Thing a Suburban Girl Could Imagine" are primarily about Jane's affair with an alcoholic 28 years older than her--and the stories run pretty much how you'd expect.
What saves this book from a two star rating (besides it being well-written and paced enough to make this so quick a read I wasn't really tempted to put it down) was the last story. "The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing." This was the one story fairly close to Bridget Jones Diary in spirit, and was smile-worthy, as it takes on those books like The Rules that tell women they have to be manipulative and repress all personality to attract a man. I don't know I'd call even that story outstanding, but it was funny and sweeter than the rest.
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love and career--it's no where near as fun, and is at no point laugh-out-loud funny as that other book.It's not really a novel, but rather seven linked short stories. They're not even consistent in style--some are past tense, some present tense, and though almost all are first person, one is second person. ("You Can Be Anyone"--very short, and one of my least favorite stories in the book.) Almost all revolved around Jane Rosenal, Jersey Girl and New York City career girl. (Although one story, "The Best Possible Light," Jane only gets one short mention, and it makes me wonder if the line was thrown in the story to put it in the book.)
We meet Jane at fourteen, in the first story, "Advanced Beginners." She's sassy and smart, and that might have made a solid enough chapter in a more strongly structured novel following her, but standing alone, neither that story nor the next about her first boyfriend, "The Floating House" are standouts. The stories "My Old Man" and "The Worst Thing a Suburban Girl Could Imagine" are primarily about Jane's affair with an alcoholic 28 years older than her--and the stories run pretty much how you'd expect.
What saves this book from a two star rating (besides it being well-written and paced enough to make this so quick a read I wasn't really tempted to put it down) was the last story. "The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing." This was the one story fairly close to Bridget Jones Diary in spirit, and was smile-worthy, as it takes on those books like The Rules that tell women they have to be manipulative and repress all personality to attract a man. I don't know I'd call even that story outstanding, but it was funny and sweeter than the rest.
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LibraryThing member msjoanna
Listening to the author read this book made the book much better than it would have been reading it in print. The book is a series of short stories -- almost like journal entries -- from a woman's life. The author has a great voice and it really comes through in the audio version. There were no
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earth-shattering insights here, but a perfectly interesting reflection on relationships. I think most people who were interested in this read it a few years ago, but it'd be a good choice for a long drive if you like audiobooks. The unabridged audio is approximately 6 hours. Show Less
LibraryThing member kikianika
Lots of people give it cult status. I couldn't get past chapter 2. This is saying a lot. I can't remember the last time I didn't finish a book. Oh wait, I can. But comparing the Girls' Guide to Satanic verses is unfair to both books. GGHF is trivial in the extreme, and I found the language plodding
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along painfully. There were no clear images I could get drawn in by, no compelling cast of characters, and certainly no page-turning action. I probably wouldn't have been as disappointed if it wasn't hailed as one of the mothers of chick lit. I'm still undecided whether to force myself through it a bit further... Show Less
LibraryThing member kattepusen
Misleading title, but it is witty, silly, and sometimes poignant chick lit.
Melissa Bank's Hunting Guide is the perfect book to read while taking a foamy bath with scenty candles - I enjoyed the different female musings after a long day and in between more serious readings. The chapters are all
I am not sure why the title of the book is what it is - it does not reflect the specter of the content - even though all the chapters deal with various ways of forming, developing, chasing, and ending relationships.
The language is often quite clever; however, after a while I became somewhat fatigued by all the witty one-liners. Moreover, the sheer density of "funnies" delute the really solid ones, and several become just plain corny (ex page 235 where the narrator says "It occurs to me that I may not be the only butterfly whose wings flutter in the presence of his stamen"). Along the same lines is this quote: "It occured to me that the quiet in the suburbs had nothing to do with peace". The author's fixation on ending every segment with a "profound" or funny sentence quickly gets stale...
That said, the book flatters the chick lit. genre more than most, and just as I am likely to shop for other good-smelling bath oils, I am likely to pick up another of Banks' novels to go with it.
Melissa Bank's Hunting Guide is the perfect book to read while taking a foamy bath with scenty candles - I enjoyed the different female musings after a long day and in between more serious readings. The chapters are all
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somewhat connected - not chronologically - and after a while I found myself quite fond of the various characters that kept reappearing (especially the brother, Henry, as well as the editor/lover Archie). I am not sure why the title of the book is what it is - it does not reflect the specter of the content - even though all the chapters deal with various ways of forming, developing, chasing, and ending relationships.
The language is often quite clever; however, after a while I became somewhat fatigued by all the witty one-liners. Moreover, the sheer density of "funnies" delute the really solid ones, and several become just plain corny (ex page 235 where the narrator says "It occurs to me that I may not be the only butterfly whose wings flutter in the presence of his stamen"). Along the same lines is this quote: "It occured to me that the quiet in the suburbs had nothing to do with peace". The author's fixation on ending every segment with a "profound" or funny sentence quickly gets stale...
That said, the book flatters the chick lit. genre more than most, and just as I am likely to shop for other good-smelling bath oils, I am likely to pick up another of Banks' novels to go with it.
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LibraryThing member Bookmarque
A lot of this book reminded me of a grown-up Judy Blume story. There is the normal process of growing up/maturing put under such close focus that it seems a farce. Her attraction to the older man because she feels he will lend her credibility and sophistication. And her subsequent disillusion; not
The section that was written in the ‘he will open the door and smile’ method, was a bit confusing. The woman in the piece ends up with breast cancer and alone. Was that Jane or was that someone else? Hard to figure because of that other story that was thrown in about her dead aunt’s downstairs neighbor.
Overall the writing was good and the long chapters that formed individual short stories were an interesting way to structure the novel. Since each one dealt with a very different time in her life with vast periods of no-news in between, the flow didn’t seem too broken up because she dealt with each period so deeply.
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only of him but of her father, too. The section that was written in the ‘he will open the door and smile’ method, was a bit confusing. The woman in the piece ends up with breast cancer and alone. Was that Jane or was that someone else? Hard to figure because of that other story that was thrown in about her dead aunt’s downstairs neighbor.
Overall the writing was good and the long chapters that formed individual short stories were an interesting way to structure the novel. Since each one dealt with a very different time in her life with vast periods of no-news in between, the flow didn’t seem too broken up because she dealt with each period so deeply.
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LibraryThing member RoseByAnyName
A coming of age story about a girl and her blunders as she tries to figure out how relationships are supposed to fit into her life. Random unrelated stories threw me off for a while, but all together it was an interesting and fun book about the search for love, life, and prosperity
LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
I agree with a lot of the reviews already posted. The story about the neighbor was the only one that threw me (I took all the others to be about Jane, even the one about cancer). I especially liked the maturity of the narrative voice as Jane got older.
LibraryThing member MsBeautiful
Lack of resolution for the main character made finishing the book unsatifying
LibraryThing member ktptcruisin
A must read for any 20 something young woman! Its one of those books you read and wish it never ended.
LibraryThing member fruitnoggin
A series of Vignettes about a girl growing up in and around NYC, life and love and all of that. Delicately done, well drawn and also overall awesome.
LibraryThing member nefernika
Thoroughly enjoyable and emotionally compelling novel, funny dialog, likable main character. I admit I picked it up thinking it would be light and quick chick lit, but found the writing exceptional. smoothly minimal prose.
LibraryThing member carmarie
This easy read was delightful, fun, and refreshing! There was only one chapter that I thought made no sense, and the book would have done just fine without it. But overall, a nice chick-lit book.
LibraryThing member bastet
A fairly good compilation of stories that all merge together to form a whole.
LibraryThing member busymombookclub
This book was a very quick read and enjoyable
LibraryThing member justine
Very compelling series of inter-related stories from the life of a girl coming of age. A quick and wonderful read.
LibraryThing member megrockstar
Very cute story. This book has gotten a good amount of fame for being fabulous. I picked it up and it is quite a story. It does grab you and, although it isn't *sad*, there is an undertone of sadness in the characters that is pretty evident. Cute story, hard to rate.
LibraryThing member selfcallednowhere
There are mixed reviews of this book here, but I enjoyed it more than I expected to, and I don't think it deserves the (usually) pejorative "chick lit" designation. The characters are on the whole sympathetic, and the plots move along quickly. The one thing I had a problem with was the excessive
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glibness of the characters, but overall, a fun and poignant read. Show Less
LibraryThing member seane
I really enjoyed the beginning and middle, but not so much the end.
LibraryThing member k_eliza_b
This book has occupied a place on my shelf for many years now and remains there, despite the pejorative "chick-lit" grouping, due to its strong writing and lasting poignancy. I loved this book when I read it in my early twenties and I find myself turning to it still, nearly ten years later. I give
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it to friends and recommend it to strangers. Show Less
LibraryThing member jtho
First, I was surprised at the beginning of the second chapter to realize this was a book of short stories, not a novel - nowhere was that mentioned on the back cover or in the introduction. However, the stories are all about the same protagonist at different parts of her life, so they are linked. I
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ended up really liking her, and was happy to meet her again (and her unique sense of humour) as she got older. This book is funny in a true-to-life way, especially about romantic relationships (and singledom) and family. It's a quick read, too. Show Less
LibraryThing member butterflybaby
This book was not as entertaining as I expected it to be. Jane's character was boring as was all the other characters. I honestly can't remember anything that stood out in this book. It was pointless. I would not recommend it to anyone.
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1999