Jane's House

by Robert Kimmel Smith

Jane's House is a beautiful, astonishing, heartbreaking novel of love and loss - and winning. It's the sort of novel that comes along every few years and touches something very personal in us. It's the story of a man and woman falling in love - and of the children and the memories of the perfect first wife that could keep them apart.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Book Club

310 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Robert Kimmel Smith began dreaming of becoming a writer at the age of eight, when he spent three months in bed reading while recovering from rheumatic fever. He enrolled in Brooklyn College in 1947, and served in the U.S. Army, in Germany, from 1951-1953. In 1954 he married Claire Medney, his editor and literary agent. They have two children: Heidi (1962) and Roger (1967). After writing advertising copy from 1957 to 1969, Robert Kimmel Smith became a full-time writer in 1970.

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've also read this one over and over. I am at a loss to explain its appeal to me.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 1 out of 5]

The inside flap of the cover of the edition I have of this book describes it as "a poignant, wise, and often funny story that will touch the heart of every reader."

Yeah, and I'm the President of the United States!

The characters were pretty much despicable until the tacked-on ending; the profanity was excessive, even in "condensed" form; and there was a rather disturbing scene involving a dead cat, which broke my heart, since not only do I miss my feline companion of twenty years, I once lost a dog in a similar way.

Awful all around.

[Keturah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book was sort of like entering a late 1970s time warp, as much of the language and scenarios were dated and a bit stilted. However, the central story was good and has timeless appeal. It was difficult to really like or sympathize with the main characters, as they were likable at times and intensely unlikable at other times. That could have been what the author was intending, I suppose, in an effort to paint the many sides of human nature as the characters cycle through the grief of losing a mother / wife and adjusting to a new marriage.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a sad and lifelike story of a family dealing with the death of a mother. It asks how we adjust to such a tragic loss. Can we ever replace wife/mother? I learned that we will be haunted by the memories that were made, but new happiness can be created by a difference in people and surroundings.

[Mellanie C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an old favorite of mine, about a woman who gets involved with a widower, only to find herself confronted with his children who do not want her in their lives. I've cried every time I've read this.

[Flowertowngirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book and have read it probably a dozen times. The characters are so real I feel like I know them. Snippets come back to me - tearing the Brooks Brothers jacket, the scrambled egg sandwiches, the never-ending what to have for dinner dilemma. If by any chance the author reads these reviews, I'd just like to say that the way you craft a scene is astounding. You made me love each one of these characters, with all of their flaws. I could see it all, every bit of it. The house, the ad agency, the neighborhood, all of it. I highly recommend this book!

[Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a couple summers ago and when I did I couldn't put the book down. It caught my attention from the start.

[Mary Beth Keane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book about 30 years ago and re read it again today. It did not age well but I still enjoyed it.
It’s a book about blended families and starting over.

[Hilary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book should come with a disclaimer. Robert Kimmel Smith fans have come to love his light, humorous novels. This one is very sad -- a five-hanky book -- and not in his usual style at all.

[Natasha]

I just wanted a different book when I started to read this.
I'll come back to it someday.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A second wife finds she cannot take the place of the dead first wife, Jane. Couldn't put this down!

[Joy Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! The author really delves into the journey this father, son and teen daughter make while dealing with the sudden loss of the mother of the house, Jane. And also the new wife's journey. His descriptions are vivid and the story brings the reader to consider issues they may not have thought of that people in this situation deal with.

[KO · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than I expected. Read for the first time in my 20's. Children are written as believable, and the father relatable. Humorous and serious. Engaging. Hopeful.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this a few times; a great book!

[Jennifer Mathison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this book as a teen. I can’t recall specific details about it but I know that it left me feeling sad and somewhat hopeless. By the way, I like sad books, so anytime I am bereft when I have finished a novel, it’s a good thing. I think I will re-read this one.

[tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in my early 20's and thought it was so sad but also a great love story.

[Kittyfritter · Rating 3 out of 5]

sappy but sweet

[Kiri Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

An all time favourite!

[Tabatha Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A oldie but a realist look at heartbreak, grief, parenting moving on and letting go thru a man’s eyes..