Seriously: A Novel

by Lucia Nevai

Tamara Johanssen's life has taken an unplanned turn:With help from her successful sister, she moves to the rural crossroads of Dustin in upstate New York, where she opens a modest art gallery.Dustin, population 39, is small in size but large in personality.Tamara meets Boz, a rich, married man who becomes her friend and lover; Donna and Iris of the 'womanart' factory, specializing in strawberry potholders; Detering, the snoopy postman; Shirley Girt of Girt Real Estate, who calls Dustin 'the up-and-coming arts town'; and the Doctor, whose shockingly amusing secret is uncovered, and kept, by Tamara after his death.She cautiously engages with the hamlet's oddballs and eccentrics, eventually learning important personal lessons from their determination, humor, vitality, and heartbreak.These unlikely relationships give Tamara the strength to make peace with her traumatic past-and to finally 'stay put' in her present.

208 pages, Hardcover

First published June 9, 2004

Reviews

[April West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and moody. Nice little character sketches, punctuated with rushes of story and detail, then settling back down into the sleepy narrative of a young woman starting over for the many-eth time. Good pacing, and I liked how it wasn't too tidy... just like real life, there were loose pieces hanging around that never got woven back in.

[Denise]

Never creates characters you will not easily forget--but may want to! I enjoyed, but while cringing half the time.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the genre of "tales of a single, thirty-something woman adrift in life," this one is an interesting change from the norm. The narrator moves to a tiny town to open a gallery and the book tells of both her interactions with the town residents (for whom many of the chapters are named) and bits of her past without resorting to painting her as a tragic heroine or doomed angel. Very character-centered, but the narrator grabbed me strongly enough that I blew through the slim volume in a couple of days.

[Allegra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a great deal. Nevai's descriptions of the people populating the small town were rich. Characters carry a sense of sadness that is difficult to reconcile, certainly leaves the reader feeling somewhat sympathetic for Tamara. The question seems to be for Tamara to settle for less than in love or to find her boundaries. Humorous in spite of devastating trauma at the same time. Great book!

[Suzanne Macartney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woman, 29, starts over in new city and we follow here emotional journey. I rather enjoyed this touching story & await the author's next effort. I believe this is her first.

Critic's quote: It's refreshing to see how deftly Nevai tells a good story by avoiding unnecessary words or details and revealing important emotional information gracefully and patiently, little by little.

[Erica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Each chapter is based on a different person in the town. At first this seems like a great idea, but after a while it is quite annoying. The book jumps around in time and never really gets to the point. I liked it about 1/2 of the way through, then I put it down for a few months before I picked it back up again. I'm just glad I only paid $1 for it at Dollar Tree. haha

[Antonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the way this book was written more than the story line itself. Each chapter focused on a different person in the small town. The evolving cast of characters made it seem a lot like a soap opera, with some of the characters returning many chapters later in an important role, others et up to seem important but never to return. A light, summery read.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like books where you get short, intense portraits of the characters lives and Seriously fits the bill perfectly. It's an excellent long-afternoon read as long as you have time for reflection after. I think it could make an excellent reading club book for its intruging themes of perspective, society, life, and gender wrapped into such a potent little book.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing.. Still wondering why I had to learn about totally random characters and their totally random lives..not impressed.

[Tirzah Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm SERIOUSLY annoyed with myself for having to finish this book. I found it rather uneventful and boring.