Mail Paperback - May 1, 1998

by Mameve Medwed

Reminiscent of the novels of Nora Ephron, this brilliantly written, hilariously touching tale explores a contemporary woman's quirky love life.

Katinka O'Toole has discovered that a degree from Harvard does not always lead to fame and fortune. Divorced and struggling to make a living as a writer, the highlight of her day has become the arrival of the Mail. Or, more precisely, the mailman. Yes, she hopes for an acceptance letter, but she also has a fierce crush on Louie Capetti, her gorgeous postal carrier, who she hopes will carry her away to romantic bliss. So while she has taken to receiving her mail in "discount Dior", she also has to deal with her pretentious ex-husband (a noted Joycean scholar), her class-conscious mother, the unwanted affections of a corporate lawyer, and various other roadblocks to true love that plague smart women in today's society.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Novels, Adult Fiction, Humor

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Mameve Medwed is the author of five novels, Mail, Host Family, The End of an Error, the 2007 Massachusetts Honor Book award-winnin How Elizabeth Browning Saved My Life, and the forthcoming Of Men and Their Mothers, pub date April 22, 2008.

Reviews

[Lorellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I once sent an agent half a novel and a few stories that, I explained, I wasn't sure about. "If the author doesn't love her work", the agent wrote back, "why should an agent even want to look at it ?"


I almost gave up on this one, on more than one occasion. If a charming romance about a mailman is what you're shopping for, I'd choose something else. What we have here is a small horde of quite real, and as a result often unlikeable, people. At times, I found these interactions insightful. At others, unbearable. A good book for thinking, a horrible book for relaxing, and I don't know if the thinking was really worth it.

[Suzanna3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a little easy before bed read to go to sleep

[Elysabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this novel, much like I loved How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life , which I read first. Having lived in Cambridge for 2+ years, I think that Medwed incorporates the city as part of the character, but somehow she does it better than other authors I've read in the past (like Jennifer Haigh, for example). You get a sense that Medwed's writing actually breathes authenticity. Moreover, her characters are likeable, funny, complex and real. Her literary allusions are not meant to be showy or over-the-top, but really add to the meat of the story.

The ending might have been a little too tied together for me, but it's fine--I thought it was cute, and it definitely made me LAUGH.

[Stevie Holcomb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh.

I weave my way though this, enjoying that it was a light and easy read. It is not carefully reshearched at ALL -- as this wife of a letter carrier will attest -- as no USPS employees would ever keep their jobs after posing for Playgirl, a magazine that didn't even exist anymore at the time this book was published, and letter carriers in the book are considered "working class." Lots of mailmen have degrees and just get paid more to be mailmen (it does take a TEST to get that job, you know) but even so, I read along, it was mindless reading...but the ending was SO stupid and borderline offensive. Any parent of a deaf child would not be ashamed of them or think they are "broken" so I stopped reading around page 240...

[Eve Pines · Rating 3 out of 5]

A romance about academic snobs.

[JoAnna Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the style of writing, which is why I picked this up initially, and I thought the plot would be cute based on the synopsis. But the characters are all flawed and no one grows. It also annoyed me that it seemed Katinka felt like she was the only one allowed to judge. There were also unrealistic behaviors and red flags but I don’t want to spoil anything. Just the whole class thing was strange. Saying “class doesn’t matter” but then thinking of others as less than doesn’t make sense to me. The ending also felt…rushed? But maybe that part of the plot was true to real life because things do seem to work out that way. Idk how I feel about this book haha.

[Fiona Broderick]

Great. Romantic but not stupid.

[Isabel Llach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written super well. And not much happened but the writing was so good that I kept reading.

[Margherita Dolcevita · Rating 3 out of 5]

E' abbastanza altalenante. La trama sarebbe anche carina ma quando sembra che la storia stia per decollare si arresta e diventa noioso, per poi ricominciare ad attrarre un po' la curiosità e zac ridiventa noioso. Insomma è un po' sotto la media nel genere a cui appartiene, c'è decisamente di meglio (ma anche di peggio, se avessi letto prima che nei ringraziamenti l'autrice ringrazia la Lipman, di cui ho letto l'unico -pessimo- romanzo, forse non l'avrei proprio comprato). A sfavore del romanzo e dell'autrice ha giocato il pessimo rapporto che ho con il mio di postino, mi sa che le due stelle derivano dall'invidia, pure io voglio un bel 31enne moraccione e fisicato. In ogni caso non è banale e alla fine qualche sorpresa la regala, quindi le due stelline e mezzo che diventano tre perchè sono buona se le merita.

[D.]

This is a winner of a tale. Katinka writes in first person. Though a native of Maine, she is a writer, who resettled in Cambridge, MA. Her ex-husband is Harvard faculty, and must take a leave for back surgery- so he hands over an evening class to her (HER BIG BREAK). Katinka describes the opening nights of her evening class, a nasty ice storm, mass culture and her sweet mailman. She is my type of heroine...I'm up to p. 192 at Easter and finished it April 10.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fun! I agree that the influence of Elinor Lipman can be felt.

The story rang so true to me that I was left wondering whether the character was a friend of mine from college. Didn't everyone in a certain New England town at a certain New England college have guilty feelings about the relationship with the hunky janitor or construction worker (in this case the mailman)?

[Robin Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Radcliffe grad with a class conscious mother falls for her hunky mailman, and, when she agrees to go on a blind date she finds herself drawn to a nice (but physically unappealing) attorney. The ending wasn’t very believable; it was also too neat and tidy…

[Anika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Medwed is best friends with author Elinor Lipman and it shows -- in a good way. Like Lipman, Medwed's characters are well-developed and likeable despite their flaws. Mail has a delicious gentle love story. Great relaxing read.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alot more to it than I first thought, very engaging and enjoyable. I related to all of the characters and know their counterparts. Very enjoyable with a surprise or two and a good believeable ending.

[Diana Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started this book given to me by a friend, I didn't expect to like it. As I read further, I appreciated it more and more. It is one of those books that will impact on my view of life, and I am so glad I read it!

[Roderick Wolfson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the better romantic comedies, intelligent and with insights into class themes. It's the story of a Cambridge, Mass author who is attracted to her mail carrier while being courted by an attorney. I strongly recommend Mail.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Harvard educated divorced from her former professor falls for her, still lives with his parents, mailman. A fun read that carries an important message

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this a long time ago, when I worked at Simmons College, which features in the book. That might be why I thought it was so funny!

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 31 year old writer has to choose between her regular mailman and a lawyer. Amusing and absorbing

[Lori Moon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to finish it to find out who the main character ended up with. The first half could have been shortened a bit. Not brilliant, but readable.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had the same tone and even some of the same plotlines as "How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life". It was a bit more crude than that one, too.

[Lora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite books of 1997...

[Pamela Sikorski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice easy read, surprise ending

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book I read of Medwed's. I love them all.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet love story. Postage stamps as lovers' gifts? Oh, my!