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Z
After years living of living in Los Angeles, novelist Nix Carter returns home to Connecticut to care for her ailing father. As she reconnects with childhood friends, she encounters a window washer who also happens to live in a mansion, throw lavish parties and go by the name of Zorro. Yes, Zorro. But is he really the caped man of legend? Or just an eccentric who drives a horse-drawn cart and wears a cape while washing windows? And what will happen when the townspeople who once flocked to his parties and drank his champagne become suspicious of him?
A contemporary re-visioning of The Great Gatsby, Z is a smart, quirky novel that has it all: comedy, drama, romance, adventure, even swordplay. Lauren Baratz-Logsted at her best.
A contemporary re-visioning of The Great Gatsby, Z is a smart, quirky novel that has it all: comedy, drama, romance, adventure, even swordplay. Lauren Baratz-Logsted at her best.
212 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
16 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Baratz-Logsted
53 books471 followersLauren grew up in Monroe, CT, where her father owned a drugstore at which her mother was the pharmacist. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where she majored in psychology. She also has what she calls her “half-Masters” in English from Western Connecticut State University (five courses down, another five to go…someday!).
Throughout college, she worked semester breaks as a doughnut salesperson, a job that she swears gave her white lung disease from all the powdered sugar she breathed.
Upon graduation, she began work at the venerable independent spacebookseller, now sadly defunct as such, Klein’s of Westport. There, she bought and sold for the better part of 11 years.
In November 1994, Lauren left the bookstore to finally take a chance on herself as a writer. Success did not happen over night. Between 1994 and May 2002 – when Red Dress Ink called with an offer to buy THE THIN PINK LINE – Lauren worked as a book reviewer, a freelance editor and writer, and a window washer, making her arguably the only woman in the world who has ever both hosted a book signing party and washed the windows of the late best-selling novelist Robert Ludlum.
Since Red Dress Ink’s call in 2002, Lauren has been kept very busy with writing more novels and checking her Amazon ranking on a daily basis. She still lives in Danbury, with her husband and daughter, where she has lived since 1991.
In addition to writing, Lauren’s daughter keeps her busy, accounting for the rest of her time.
Lauren’s favorite color is green.
Lauren’s favorite non-cat animals are penguins.
Lauren wants you to know that, however you are pronouncing her last name, you are probably pronouncing it wrong.
Throughout college, she worked semester breaks as a doughnut salesperson, a job that she swears gave her white lung disease from all the powdered sugar she breathed.
Upon graduation, she began work at the venerable independent spacebookseller, now sadly defunct as such, Klein’s of Westport. There, she bought and sold for the better part of 11 years.
In November 1994, Lauren left the bookstore to finally take a chance on herself as a writer. Success did not happen over night. Between 1994 and May 2002 – when Red Dress Ink called with an offer to buy THE THIN PINK LINE – Lauren worked as a book reviewer, a freelance editor and writer, and a window washer, making her arguably the only woman in the world who has ever both hosted a book signing party and washed the windows of the late best-selling novelist Robert Ludlum.
Since Red Dress Ink’s call in 2002, Lauren has been kept very busy with writing more novels and checking her Amazon ranking on a daily basis. She still lives in Danbury, with her husband and daughter, where she has lived since 1991.
In addition to writing, Lauren’s daughter keeps her busy, accounting for the rest of her time.
Lauren’s favorite color is green.
Lauren’s favorite non-cat animals are penguins.
Lauren wants you to know that, however you are pronouncing her last name, you are probably pronouncing it wrong.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 22, 2012
When I heard Lauren Baratz-Logsted had a new book out, I was intrigued. After recently reading and adoring The Bro-Magnet, I was very interested to try this author again.
Z is – different. It’s quirky and I honestly don’t think I liked the ending. I actually went through a whole range of emotions while I read this book. From being obsessed with Zorro, to frowning at the weird events towards the end, to frowning even hard when I read “the end.” But let me back up to the beginning.
Nix Carter returns home to Connecticut to help her ailing a father. As a novelist, she can pretty much work anywhere. At the mall with her cousin Dahlia and her husband Tim, Nix sees a man in a full-out Zorro costume.
The black hat was what you saw first, the flat top of the brimmed bolero, and then that amazing face – short black hair with a slight wave to it, nearly black eyes, the tiny black mustache, and strong white teeth that flashed when his lips parted – the tie of the bolero under his chin. You could see that he was tall, well over six feet, even before he’d reached the top stair of the escalator, his long lean body clad in black pants, black belt, black blouse-like shirt open at the neck, back scarf and black boots like he was ready to hop up on a mighty horse, the piece de resistance being the black cape flying in the air behind him, kept in motion by his man-of-action stride.
Nix, immediately finds him beautiful and can’t help but secretly follow him around the mall to see where this costumed man is going. After stalking him for a few minutes, Zorro stops outside of Macy’s and….washes their windows.
To baffle her even more, when he leaves, he gets on a horse that pulls an old fashioned wooden cart. As she follows him home, she realizes he lives very close to her grandfather’s house, she had just never noticed his house because of all the trees.
Zorro is known in the neighborhood for well…being a kook. But for also throwing extravagant parties. Nix crashes one of these parties one night, and gets to know this mysterious Zorro a little better. She learns he doesn’t understand electricity, not having that nor indoor plumbing at his house. He speaks more formal and doesn’t understand current events. He says his real name is Don Diego de la Vega (which is Zorro’s real name) and he never commits to where he is from or what he does. But Nix is intrigued by this man, and as they spend time together, a relationship develops.
I’m not sure what to say about this book. The first 1/4 or 1/3 I really enjoyed. I felt compelled to keep reading to find out who exactly this Zorro guy is. I had no idea what to expect. There are cute details – Nix’s grandfather was a hat maker, so he approves of people who still wear hats. And Zorro is all crazy washing windows and riding a horse. And I kept thinking, okay – who is this Zorro guy really? There must be a good explanation.
But there really isn’t one. And before the end, the story takes an odd turn involving jealous neighbors which I didn’t really enjoy. Also I must note – Zorro often takes justice into his own hands – breaking into houses and making people admit their crimes etc. He even saves the President of the United State’s life. It is very – over the top. And while it is mentioned the media attention becomes intense – it just felt too….insane. At one point, Zorro goes to get his picture taken (with his arm around Nix) and he doesn’t appear in the picture. If you were Nix, wouldn’t this freak you out? Wouldn’t you have 100 questions for him? But she doesn’t.
At the end, I have to say there is more of a magical explanation for everything and that disappointed me. Maybe if I had known of the magical element going into the story things would have been different. But again, I don’t like paranormal explanations in my otherwise contemporary books. It frustrates me.
If you want super quirky, somewhat magical realism, somewhat romance book – you might like this one. Not quite for me.
Z is – different. It’s quirky and I honestly don’t think I liked the ending. I actually went through a whole range of emotions while I read this book. From being obsessed with Zorro, to frowning at the weird events towards the end, to frowning even hard when I read “the end.” But let me back up to the beginning.
Nix Carter returns home to Connecticut to help her ailing a father. As a novelist, she can pretty much work anywhere. At the mall with her cousin Dahlia and her husband Tim, Nix sees a man in a full-out Zorro costume.
The black hat was what you saw first, the flat top of the brimmed bolero, and then that amazing face – short black hair with a slight wave to it, nearly black eyes, the tiny black mustache, and strong white teeth that flashed when his lips parted – the tie of the bolero under his chin. You could see that he was tall, well over six feet, even before he’d reached the top stair of the escalator, his long lean body clad in black pants, black belt, black blouse-like shirt open at the neck, back scarf and black boots like he was ready to hop up on a mighty horse, the piece de resistance being the black cape flying in the air behind him, kept in motion by his man-of-action stride.
Nix, immediately finds him beautiful and can’t help but secretly follow him around the mall to see where this costumed man is going. After stalking him for a few minutes, Zorro stops outside of Macy’s and….washes their windows.
To baffle her even more, when he leaves, he gets on a horse that pulls an old fashioned wooden cart. As she follows him home, she realizes he lives very close to her grandfather’s house, she had just never noticed his house because of all the trees.
Zorro is known in the neighborhood for well…being a kook. But for also throwing extravagant parties. Nix crashes one of these parties one night, and gets to know this mysterious Zorro a little better. She learns he doesn’t understand electricity, not having that nor indoor plumbing at his house. He speaks more formal and doesn’t understand current events. He says his real name is Don Diego de la Vega (which is Zorro’s real name) and he never commits to where he is from or what he does. But Nix is intrigued by this man, and as they spend time together, a relationship develops.
I’m not sure what to say about this book. The first 1/4 or 1/3 I really enjoyed. I felt compelled to keep reading to find out who exactly this Zorro guy is. I had no idea what to expect. There are cute details – Nix’s grandfather was a hat maker, so he approves of people who still wear hats. And Zorro is all crazy washing windows and riding a horse. And I kept thinking, okay – who is this Zorro guy really? There must be a good explanation.
But there really isn’t one. And before the end, the story takes an odd turn involving jealous neighbors which I didn’t really enjoy. Also I must note – Zorro often takes justice into his own hands – breaking into houses and making people admit their crimes etc. He even saves the President of the United State’s life. It is very – over the top. And while it is mentioned the media attention becomes intense – it just felt too….insane. At one point, Zorro goes to get his picture taken (with his arm around Nix) and he doesn’t appear in the picture. If you were Nix, wouldn’t this freak you out? Wouldn’t you have 100 questions for him? But she doesn’t.
At the end, I have to say there is more of a magical explanation for everything and that disappointed me. Maybe if I had known of the magical element going into the story things would have been different. But again, I don’t like paranormal explanations in my otherwise contemporary books. It frustrates me.
If you want super quirky, somewhat magical realism, somewhat romance book – you might like this one. Not quite for me.
May 6, 2012
I started Z because I'd really enjoyed Baratz-Logsted's previous novel The Bro-Magnet, and because the cover and title were intriguing; I didn't pay much attention to the blurb. Consequently, it took me 50 pages to catch on:
"Don't forget what I said, Nix," she said.
"About… ?"
"About Tim and Dahlia. They're careless people. Like me."
That was my first clue -- though looking back, I was very struck by the reference to an eye doctor's office, with a logo of "two giant contact lenses, shimmering opalescent on the glass, but with no eyes behind them, like an eerie Mr. Magoo without the hornrims."
Yes, this quirky romantic comedy about Nix Carter, returned to a smallish town near New York, and her cousin Dahlia, and Dahlia's wealthy husband Tim, is, of all things, a rewrite of The Great Gatsby. With one major difference: the man who fascinates Nix is a mysterious, mystically out-of-time, Spanish -- maybe -- sword fighter who washes windows and fights injustice.
Recasting Gatsby as Zorro is more logical than it seems at first: the qualities that made the original character exotic and fantastical would seem pretty tame in a modern setting. Like Gatsby, the character of Zorro is unique, perplexing, romantic and "other"; being Hispanic, he's also still a target for bigotry. This Zorro doesn't have much of a personality, though; the recasting is a short-cut to making the character memorable and attractive.
Before the resemblances got obvious, I was finding Z odd and whimsical in a pretty good way; I had no idea where it was going and was curious to find out. But once I recognized the source, I grew increasingly uncomfortable with the story. Partly it was because the echoes from The Great Gatsby are so strong -- and there are far more of them than I even recognized while first reading it -- yet did not fit the tone of the rest of the book. The ugly, decadent lives of Tom and Daisy Buchanan and their associates do not translate easily into a lighthearted romantic comedy mixed with magical realism; it feels more like an unsuccessful mash-up than a rewrite, like Huckleberry Finn smushed into "American Pie." The way Z adheres too closely to the original, but then casually discards anything inconvenient so that Nix and Zorro can enjoy their romance, made the book ring false to me.
I was also taken out of the story when it got self conscious. Nick's words to Gatsby:
"You're worth the whole damn bunch put together."
are rewritten as:
"There has never been anyone else like you in the whole history of the world," I said, "not even in books. All those people, you've got more game in you than the whole damn bunch together." [italics mine]
Ultimately, I felt Z's primary function was to be a more respectable form of slash fiction -- no pun intended. It rewrites the story so that Gatsby and Nick can fall in love. Gatsby probably could be updated to comment on modern times in an interesting way, but this isn't that book.
There were some funny and romantic moments, but I still finished this feeling confused, dissatisfied and turned off.
"Don't forget what I said, Nix," she said.
"About… ?"
"About Tim and Dahlia. They're careless people. Like me."
That was my first clue -- though looking back, I was very struck by the reference to an eye doctor's office, with a logo of "two giant contact lenses, shimmering opalescent on the glass, but with no eyes behind them, like an eerie Mr. Magoo without the hornrims."
Yes, this quirky romantic comedy about Nix Carter, returned to a smallish town near New York, and her cousin Dahlia, and Dahlia's wealthy husband Tim, is, of all things, a rewrite of The Great Gatsby. With one major difference: the man who fascinates Nix is a mysterious, mystically out-of-time, Spanish -- maybe -- sword fighter who washes windows and fights injustice.
Recasting Gatsby as Zorro is more logical than it seems at first: the qualities that made the original character exotic and fantastical would seem pretty tame in a modern setting. Like Gatsby, the character of Zorro is unique, perplexing, romantic and "other"; being Hispanic, he's also still a target for bigotry. This Zorro doesn't have much of a personality, though; the recasting is a short-cut to making the character memorable and attractive.
Before the resemblances got obvious, I was finding Z odd and whimsical in a pretty good way; I had no idea where it was going and was curious to find out. But once I recognized the source, I grew increasingly uncomfortable with the story. Partly it was because the echoes from The Great Gatsby are so strong -- and there are far more of them than I even recognized while first reading it -- yet did not fit the tone of the rest of the book. The ugly, decadent lives of Tom and Daisy Buchanan and their associates do not translate easily into a lighthearted romantic comedy mixed with magical realism; it feels more like an unsuccessful mash-up than a rewrite, like Huckleberry Finn smushed into "American Pie." The way Z adheres too closely to the original, but then casually discards anything inconvenient so that Nix and Zorro can enjoy their romance, made the book ring false to me.
I was also taken out of the story when it got self conscious. Nick's words to Gatsby:
"You're worth the whole damn bunch put together."
are rewritten as:
"There has never been anyone else like you in the whole history of the world," I said, "not even in books. All those people, you've got more game in you than the whole damn bunch together." [italics mine]
Ultimately, I felt Z's primary function was to be a more respectable form of slash fiction -- no pun intended. It rewrites the story so that Gatsby and Nick can fall in love. Gatsby probably could be updated to comment on modern times in an interesting way, but this isn't that book.
There were some funny and romantic moments, but I still finished this feeling confused, dissatisfied and turned off.
December 21, 2013
Nix Carter comes home to Connecticut to help her grandfather care for her ailing father. As a writer she can work from anywhere. She starts to get reacquainted with her friends from high school and a few people that were not too friendly back in the day. But what really catches her eye is the window washer happens to live in a mansion, throw lavish parties, drives a horse drawn cart and he goes by the name of Zorro. He even wears a cape! Just who is this guy??
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I was totally into this story. The strange man from another time whose home had no electricity, phone or even indoor plumbing, and who didn’t show up in modern day pictures. Women would swoon whenever he was near and Nix was totally falling for him. He even righted wrongs leaving his big slash “Z” behind. Weird, crazy and unbelievable things happened when this man was around. Who was he? Was he real or a figment of Nix’s imagination or was he just a character for one of her stories? Did any of these events really take place??? The sex scenes sure read like they were really happening.
I was picking up on the Great Gatsby references but they just weren’t hitting right with me. This was the second book I have read in the past week that were based on works by great authors and I tried to put those references out of my head and just enjoy what I reading. It was working with this book. I was letting go and ready for where the author was taking us. Then it just ended abruptly. I am full of unanswered questions. Maybe that is what the author intended but it left me feeling cheated.
After reading the last line of the story and contemplated it awhile I reached my own conclusion so I didn’t feel like the time I spent reading was wasted. Now as a reviewer the problem comes in – do I recommend that you read it so we can discuss it to see if you agree with my conclusion or help me understand what you thought of the story? Or do I tell you to stay away from a crazy story that left me confused and shaking me head. The good thing was I added this book to my Kindle some time ago because it was free and I always need a “Z” book for my A-Z Reading Challenge. Let’s just go with 3 stars or o.k. by Amazon’s standards and I will let you decide :)
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I was totally into this story. The strange man from another time whose home had no electricity, phone or even indoor plumbing, and who didn’t show up in modern day pictures. Women would swoon whenever he was near and Nix was totally falling for him. He even righted wrongs leaving his big slash “Z” behind. Weird, crazy and unbelievable things happened when this man was around. Who was he? Was he real or a figment of Nix’s imagination or was he just a character for one of her stories? Did any of these events really take place??? The sex scenes sure read like they were really happening.
I was picking up on the Great Gatsby references but they just weren’t hitting right with me. This was the second book I have read in the past week that were based on works by great authors and I tried to put those references out of my head and just enjoy what I reading. It was working with this book. I was letting go and ready for where the author was taking us. Then it just ended abruptly. I am full of unanswered questions. Maybe that is what the author intended but it left me feeling cheated.
After reading the last line of the story and contemplated it awhile I reached my own conclusion so I didn’t feel like the time I spent reading was wasted. Now as a reviewer the problem comes in – do I recommend that you read it so we can discuss it to see if you agree with my conclusion or help me understand what you thought of the story? Or do I tell you to stay away from a crazy story that left me confused and shaking me head. The good thing was I added this book to my Kindle some time ago because it was free and I always need a “Z” book for my A-Z Reading Challenge. Let’s just go with 3 stars or o.k. by Amazon’s standards and I will let you decide :)
July 11, 2012
Nix Carter has come home to Danbury, Connecticut, to discover that there's a new face on her street. He wears a cape, rides a horse and carries a sword, but he works as a window washer. Can he really be Zorro? Or is he a madman who thinks he's Zorro? And, as Nix finds herself drawn more and more closely to him, does she care?
This is a romantic love story (no, they're not the same thing) which, despite a lot of artful referencing to 'The Great Gatsby', is like nothing I've read before. If I had to classify it, I guess I'd call it magical realism. Mostly, though, I'd call it enormous fun.
If you like straightforward stories which wrap up neatly with everything explained, I'd give this one a miss. But if you're happy to go with the flow, bringing a child-like wonder to a small town life, you're in for a treat. And, with a heroine who has her thirty-seventh birthday during the story, it's nice to have a love story about a grown-up.
This is a romantic love story (no, they're not the same thing) which, despite a lot of artful referencing to 'The Great Gatsby', is like nothing I've read before. If I had to classify it, I guess I'd call it magical realism. Mostly, though, I'd call it enormous fun.
If you like straightforward stories which wrap up neatly with everything explained, I'd give this one a miss. But if you're happy to go with the flow, bringing a child-like wonder to a small town life, you're in for a treat. And, with a heroine who has her thirty-seventh birthday during the story, it's nice to have a love story about a grown-up.
May 12, 2013
Nix Carter, a thirty-something novelist has come home to Connecticut after spending a number of years on the West Coast. She's in the process of re-connecting with old friends when an unusual fellow catches her eye. Unusual might be an understatement since he dresses, speaks, acts and lives like the fictional character Zorro.
Despite the implausibility of his background, Nix finds herself falling for the mysterious Don Diego De la Vega, who professes his love for her. Can she fall in love with someone, who against all logic, has appeared out of the world of fiction with no rational explanation? Can love truly prevail over all obstacles, including infidelity and attempted murder? The only way to find out is to read Z-A Novel. A whimsical and heartfelt tale about the meaning of unconditional love, it will put a smile on your face as it reminds you that, if your are willing to allow it, yes, the impossible can come true.
Despite the implausibility of his background, Nix finds herself falling for the mysterious Don Diego De la Vega, who professes his love for her. Can she fall in love with someone, who against all logic, has appeared out of the world of fiction with no rational explanation? Can love truly prevail over all obstacles, including infidelity and attempted murder? The only way to find out is to read Z-A Novel. A whimsical and heartfelt tale about the meaning of unconditional love, it will put a smile on your face as it reminds you that, if your are willing to allow it, yes, the impossible can come true.
April 26, 2012
This is my second book by this author and I think perhaps her writing style is not for me. This book, like the previous one I read Crazy Beautiful, is composed of page after page of rambling. The rambling doesn’t move the story forward but seems to be filler that just adds word count. There is no description to allow me to imagine the story and the characters seem so…cardboard. Even by adding day to day minutiae of their activities they just seem like cutouts with no real emotion. The plot itself is crazy unbelievable and the characters are given “quirks” that make them even more unbelievable than the plot. Even after reading this I can’t come up with any audience that would be a good market for this title. I think this will be the last title I attempt by this author.
ARC Galley Proof
ARC Galley Proof
August 3, 2012
This is an odd little book, a contemporary retelling of The Great Gatsby where the Gatsby character is a window washer who dresses like, acts like and might possibly really be Zorro. Yes, that Zorro. The Nick counterpart (the narrator) is a female novelist who becomes romantically involved with Zorro. I really enjoyed this book while I was reading it, although I couldn't tell where the author was going with it. I found the ending unsatisfying, though, with all my major questions still unanswered. It felt like the author herself hadn't quite made up her mind about what was really going on with Zorro. The last couple of pages brought the overall rating down, but I'm not sorry I read it. I just wish it had lived up to the promise of the rest of the book.
July 10, 2013
I thought Lauren's writing style was very unique and clever, and I loved the fact that there was an underlying Zorro theme throughout this book. All through the novel, you find yourself wondering, who exactly is this man? What is he doing? Should I like him, should I not? But, you can't help loving him, and loving him for all his quirks and faults. Nix, her main character, is flawed and connectable, and you find yourself joining this character on her quest for information, and enjoying every instant.
I loved the quirkiness of th is book, and I loved the way Lauren wrote it. I can't wait to read more of her things!
I loved the quirkiness of th is book, and I loved the way Lauren wrote it. I can't wait to read more of her things!
July 10, 2012
I don't know how I ended up with this book. It's what I think they call Chick Lit; a modern-day Zorro (complete with outfit) moves to a small town and one of his neighbors falls for him. I was doing okay with the story until we got to a sex scene. I've heard advice that cautions writers to avoid writing explicit sex scenes. I will just say that I would have preferred a more subtle hint at what was going to happen and politely cut to finding them both sleeping under the covers. To be fair, I did not finish the book so maybe it got better. I hope so.
July 1, 2012
I think I'm a little in love with Lauren Baratz-Logsted. Yes, that's right - she's made a huge fangirl out of me.
This book was totally in left field. I mean OUT there. It was so unusual I just couldn't put it down. This was one of the few romances I've read where I couldn't predict the ending. Maybe I'm a little biased because Zorro was one of my favorite heroes as a child - but I found Z wildly, eccentrically, and charmingly romantic. Just beautiful writing!
This book was totally in left field. I mean OUT there. It was so unusual I just couldn't put it down. This was one of the few romances I've read where I couldn't predict the ending. Maybe I'm a little biased because Zorro was one of my favorite heroes as a child - but I found Z wildly, eccentrically, and charmingly romantic. Just beautiful writing!
July 6, 2012
Have you ever started reading a book and saw it going in the wrong direction and you wanted to scream...stop, you're ruining it? Yeah, well, this is such a book. This could have been good...really good. Instead it sucks. The story just runs out of steam with no where to go and ends. I was pissed I wasted so much time. If she had stuck with the main characters and used her imagination instead of the one dimensional high school buddies and their issues, this could have been really good....sigh
December 23, 2012
Lauren Baratz-Logsted's style is very readable. Her characters are likeable and flawed. The story moves forward with just the right speed. I already consumed another of her novels, "The Bro-Magnet," which totally impressed me. The Zorro connection is an interesting device, somewhat silly, but she makes it work.
July 24, 2012
Such an intriguing novel. The story quickly takes an off the wall turn that left me compelled to see where it was going. I found myself rooting for the oddest couple ever and laughing at the fact that the kook turns out to be the most normal.
March 7, 2013
I picked this book during a free kindle giveaway because I like the silent Douglas Fairbanks film, Son of Zorro, and I should have chosen it because I like Gatsby, This book got a bunch of hostile reviews, which is unfair. It is a nicely written book with a lot of nice humor, and I recommend it.
July 21, 2013
The Gatsby parallels didn't really work that well for me, but the story was entertaining, and the book was well-written.
January 11, 2019
Ugh.... I love Zorro but this “reimagining of Fitzgerald “....uhh...nah no words.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews