Love Junkie.

by Robert Plunket | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0060922265 Global Overview for this book
Registered by tobysrus of Cambridge, Massachusetts USA on 8/18/2005
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9 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by tobysrus from Cambridge, Massachusetts USA on Thursday, August 18, 2005
From Amazon:

Mimi Smithers knew right from childhood in Lubbock, Texas, that she was destined for an extraordinary life--and she gets just what she's always wanted in this uneven, often sexually explicit, comedy of manners by Plunket (My Search for Warren Harding, 1983). Ambitious Mimi, a Bronxville matron who loves to shop, tells her own story, beginning with a disastrous party for an arts group at which Mrs. John D. Rockefeller III is the honored guest. Bored with suburban life and husband Boyce (who, for the necessary plot resolution, works for Union Carbide), Mimi tries analysis, but a chance encounter with debonair Tom Potts while shopping is more what's needed. Tom has his own firm and asks Mimi to be his assistant. Mimi, smitten by Tom, is thrilled, but Tom is gay, which takes Mimi a while to figure out (she tends to be a little slow), though that doesn't stop her from having fun as she accompanies him and his friends around 1980's gay New York. At a picnic she meets gay-porn star Joel, an ambitious hunk, who employs her to run his profitable mail-order business. Besotted, she funds the great porn film that Joel writes and directs, and gets to know a lot of lowlife people--but then the film flops, Joel dumps her, and Mimi's left with the bills. Rescue is at hand, however: husband Boyce, who's been working in India, conveniently dies in the Bhopal disaster. With the money Union Carbide pays out to her, Mimi can pay her debts, buy an apartment on Sutton Place, and, with Tom now dead from AIDS, set out to take over his job. ``It was going to be fabulous,'' she trills. An absurd plot, obvious satire, and humor more sleazy than black
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Picked up at Goodwill specifically for release.

Released 18 yrs ago (8/18/2005 UTC) at Beacon Hill - Starbucks/Charles and Beacon Streets in Boston, Massachusetts USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Released at Mini Meet-up!

Journal Entry 3 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Thursday, August 18, 2005
I picked this up at the (relocated) mini-meet tonight - it's got a really marvelous cover, which I shall try to scan in later on if I can't find a copy online, and the jacket comments made it sound very entertaining. (I see that the Amazon editorial says it's "uneven" and has "humor more sleazy than black," and an "absurd plot" - OK, those can all still be good {grin}...)

Journal Entry 4 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, February 28, 2006
[Yet another of my backlogged entries, I actually read this some time last fall. Gotta keep up!]

OK, I spent a couple of hours composing a review of this book, and then happened to notice BCer yellowmouse's comments on this copy - these two lines sum up the book far better than all my blathering: "What happens when a slightly bored Westchester matron comes into contact (or I should say, collides) with gay NYC of the early 1980s? A story that will put a lift in your loafers :)"

But since I went to all the trouble, here's the blather. {grin}

Somewhat to my surprise, I really enjoyed this book! There's something to be said for trying a book without knowing anything about it - no expectations and all that - though I think I'd have liked this one even if it had been praised to the skies. It's sometimes dark and often sarcastic, and very, very funny. I read it as my "carrying-around" book, which meant I often dipped into it while waiting for a meal at a restaurant, and its tendency to make me laugh out loud earned me a lot of strange looks. [Or maybe it was the cover - which is one reason why I chose it for reading in public {wry grin}.]

It's true that main character Mimi is not always very sympathetic, and she's surprisingly slow on the uptake about some things. Describing her home's decor just prior to a big party, she notes:
The most beautiful frame on display was the one I had found at the Bargain Box over at Lawrence Hospital for eighteen dollars. It was gilt and malachite and had a photo of a very distinguished-looking older couple sitting in a New England garden circa 1935. For the life of me I couldn't figure out how to get it out of the frame, so I just left it in.
Having established her as a clueless social-climber-wannabe with questionable taste, it's no surprise to find that she adores her therapy sessions ("Talking about myself was enjoyable from the beginning, but soon it became positively addictive"), or that once she's developed a crush on Tom Potts she doesn't hesitate to search his office to see if he has a girlfriend. [When she stumbles across the vials of amyl nitrate and the Long Island railroad schedule for Sayville - the jump-off point to Fire Island - one might think she'd get a hint that there's no girlfriend in the picture, but it's going to take her a while longer to figure that out!]

Eventually Mimi gets to Fire Island herself, but remains clueless; hilarity ensues. Especially for those of us who've read enough about the place to realize what's going on! When the people she's with ever-so-casually point out a little "shortcut through the woods" she happily takes it, only to be increasingly astonished at what she finds going on there. I've read descriptions of such goings on by everyone from Larry Kramer to Ethan Mordden, but to hear Mimi describe it - well, I was howling.

Part of it was her bafflement that anybody would be interested in such things. As she explains in the following chapter, "A frank word about sex; I don't care for it. Call me old-fashioned, but it's just not my cup of tea.... And those positions - they're so undignified, both of them." [How she can say "both of them" after what she witnessed at the Meatrack I don't know!]

Things get wackier as the book goes on; Mimi falls out with Tom but takes up a new protege, one Joel, a hunky porn star, and decides to help him produce a movie of his own. As you will have guessed by now, this gets completely out of hand, in predictable as well as a few surprising ways (all of them hilarious). Mimi faces it all with the same blend of hopeful, self-centered obliviousness as she's faced everything so far, and does learn a few things, which she presents to the reader: "On the off chance you ever have a pornographic movie filmed in your home, here is a list of tips you might want to clip and save. I certainly wish I had had such a list." Some of the suggestions might apply to any type of filming, such as the one that warns "A film crew's word means nothing. Your house will age five years. Get used to it. There is nothing you can do about it." Others are more specific:
Cover your windows.... You may think that no actor would be so stupid as to stand in front of a window with no clothes on, but believe me, they are that stupid. And speaking of the neighbors, be sure and have a cover story prepared. They'll be curious about the comings and goings, about all the strange cars parked in the driveway.(I told them I was remodeling the kitchen.)
While the overall tone of the book is thoroughly wacky, there are some dark undercurrents. By the end of the book AIDS has made an appearance, although Plunket manages to handle this without pathos or de facto heroism, so even though it's seen from Mimi's peculiar viewpoint it's more believable than many of the literary representations. But for the most part the book's a riot, with Mimi reminding me (more and more, come to think of it) as a kindred spirit to Edwina Monsoon of "Absolutely Fabulous"...

Anyway, it's a hoot. Check it out. (Thanks for sharing this one, tobysrus!)

[Side note: I'd been thinking that this was a fairly obscure title - since I'd never heard of it before - so I was surprised and pleased to find it mentioned in So Many Books, So Little Time!]

Journal Entry 5 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Saturday, July 15, 2006
I'm offering this for a bookring; see forum post here.

Bookray/ring instructions:

When you receive the book, please journal it, and PM the next person in line for their address so you'll have it ready when you've finished the book.
Note: even if you've sent books to that person before, please PM them before mailing this one, to confirm that the address is correct and that they're able to take on a bookring book at this time.
Try and read the book promptly - ideally, within a month of receiving it. (If you expect to take longer, you can request to be put at the end of the list. If you find you're swamped with other books when the person before you contacts you about the bookring, you can ask to be skipped, and then let me know whether you'd like to be moved down the list or dropped entirely. If you receive the book and find it's taking longer than you'd planned to get through it, I'd appreciate an update in its journal entries or on your profile, just to let me and the other participants know you haven't forgotten it.)

When you're ready to pass the book along, please make another journal entry containing your comments about the book and stating where you've sent it, and set the book's status code to "traveling". [If you find that you're having problems contacting the next person in line, or don't think you can manage to mail the book as originally agreed, please let me know; I'll be glad to try to work something out.]

***

Participants, in mailing order:

susanmrz [New Jersey]
geniedances [Texas]
suefitz [California]
valerief [New York]
ilovethehutch [Michigan] [skipped on request]
macewoman [North Carolina]
rebeccaljames [Ohio] [skipped on request]
...and back to me in New Hampshire.

Journal Entry 6 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, August 1, 2006
Controlled release:

Love Junkie is on its way to BCer susanmrz in New Jersey, to kick off the bookring. Hope you enjoy it!

Journal Entry 7 by susanmrz from not specified, not specified not specified on Monday, August 21, 2006
Received from Gory Details as part of Book Ring. This was a fast vacation read but I also found it to be a hoot. It was very different from what I ususally read which is one of the reasons I love book crossing so much. I thank you for the oppportunity to read this and it should leae tomorrow to travel to geniedances in Texas.

Journal Entry 8 by geniedances from Houston, Texas USA on Monday, September 18, 2006
Very different from books I usually decide to read, I found myself wondering what was going to happen next. Mimi stumbles into New York's gay community via business owner and boss,Tom. Bored with her life as a suburban housewife, she begins to socialize with Tom and his friends. Through these new friends she meets a hunky looking bi-sexual porn star, Joel. Mimi winds up working as a marketing specialist for Joel eventually becoming the financial backer for his porn film. Mimi goes completely middle age crazy over Joel,his mail order business and his film. Allowing the film crew to take over her house as the movie set and her life. For the duration of the filming she sells her antiques to raise money to fund the film production, has her dog put down because his barking interfered with the film audio system and begins to plan to divorce her husband. All of this effort goes for nothing when Joel dumps her for another woman who buys him a gym to manage and the movie is left in the can. Although the plot is absurd, it is interesting enough to keep the attention of the reader. I have contacted the next person on the list and hope to get it in the mail soon.

Journal Entry 9 by Suefitz from Saratoga, California USA on Thursday, September 28, 2006
Adding to Mt.TBR. Only ready Rings/Rays right now to get them going.

Journal Entry 10 by Suefitz from Saratoga, California USA on Thursday, September 28, 2006
Adding to Mt.TBR. Only ready Rings/Rays right now to get them going.

Journal Entry 11 by Suefitz at BookRing in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, April 21, 2007

Released 16 yrs ago (4/21/2007 UTC) at BookRing in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Releasing to valerief in NY who is next in the ring.

Enjoy - slow read for me.

Journal Entry 12 by valerief from Queens, New York USA on Monday, May 28, 2007
Just catching up on my unopened mail. Real life has been getting in the way of my reading!

This looks like a good beach read. Should finish in a month. Thanks!

Journal Entry 13 by valerief from Queens, New York USA on Monday, July 9, 2007
Frankly, I've found this book slow and tough to really get into. Seems that I'm not the only one. It's taken me longer than I expected. I think the most frustrating aspect is Mimi's lack of "gaydar", but I guess it is to be expected given the point of view of a suburban housewife in the early 80's whose prejudices seem very shocking now but (I assume) were shrugged off over 20 years ago.

It will be posted to macewoman by mid-week (ilovethehutch asked to be skipped).

Journal Entry 14 by macewoman from Winston Salem, North Carolina USA on Saturday, July 14, 2007
Arrived in today's mail. I have another ring ahead of this one, but it shouldn't take me too long to get to it.
Looks like I'm the last in the list, so, Gory, if you'll PM with your address, I'll mail it back home as soon as I finish reading it. Thanks for including me in your ring.

Journal Entry 15 by macewoman from Winston Salem, North Carolina USA on Saturday, November 3, 2007
My apologies for hanging on to this book for so long. I've been picking it up and putting it down for the last couple of months. I'm not sure if it is my mood or the book, but I just can't seem to get into it. Thanks Gory for sharing and your patience awaiting its return. :D

Journal Entry 16 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Monday, November 5, 2007
The book made it home safely today; many thanks!

Journal Entry 17 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Controlled release: I'm including this in a box of books that I'm sending to BCer Jare in New Mexico, for the BookCrossing table at the Albuquerque Pridefest (see the forum post about it here). [If there are any that you'd like to read yourself, by all means, enjoy!]

Just for fun, here's a list of the books that are going in the box:

Adagio by Chris Owen
Always My Child by Kevin Jennings
Barrel Fever by David Sedaris
The Boy Who Followed Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
Dagger: On Butch Women by Lily Burana et al
Eye Contact by Michael Craft
Flight of Aquavit by Anthony Bidulka
How's Your Romance? by Ethan Mordden
Love Junkie by Robert Plunket
Scared Stiff by Josh Lanyon et al
Spare Parts by Scott & Scott
The Vesuvius Club by Mark Gatiss
The Vesuvius Club (graphic-novel edition) by Mark Gatiss

And for the kids:

Sir Toby Jingle's Beastly Journey by Wallace Tripp
Tintin in Tibet by Herge

Journal Entry 18 by wingjarewing from New Port Richey, Florida USA on Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Received today for Pridefest. Thanks for sharing!

Journal Entry 19 by ZiaBookCrossers from Albuquerque, New Mexico USA on Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Reserved for a Bookcrossing table at Albuquerque Pridefest on June 14, 2008!

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