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Tales of Sex & Suburban Lunacy
Tales of Sex & Suburban Lunacy picks up where the fairytale ends and the “…ever-after” begins.
In an affluent town just north of Toronto a different kind of suburbanite has emerged. Well educated successful Gen X-ers with a misguided sense of entitlement, an insatiable appetite for luxury goods and a set of lifestyle choices that includes everything from Dr. Bernstein diets and recreational drug misuse, to the bizarre antics of the sexually deviant and scandalously promiscuous.
And in the mix of dating, mating and moral dysfunction you’ll meet characters like Nina, forty-four, the divorced mother
of twins who accidentally stumbles from one mortifying encounter to another in an effort to end a two-year long sexual drought. Madeline, fifty-two, single and stuck in online dating purgatory with a collection of horror stories acquired during her quest to find true love and join the ranks of the married middle-class. Jeannie, a forty-year-old TV producer and single mom with a gifted son, a sexy sadistic lawyer for an ex-husband and a gynecologist that is convinced Jeannie is a closet lesbian.
So welcome to a place where illicit sex is plentiful, romantic love is as elusive as smoke, and where life is part comedy of communal errors and part tragic milieu of the corrosively ambitious. Welcome to the suburbs!
In an affluent town just north of Toronto a different kind of suburbanite has emerged. Well educated successful Gen X-ers with a misguided sense of entitlement, an insatiable appetite for luxury goods and a set of lifestyle choices that includes everything from Dr. Bernstein diets and recreational drug misuse, to the bizarre antics of the sexually deviant and scandalously promiscuous.
And in the mix of dating, mating and moral dysfunction you’ll meet characters like Nina, forty-four, the divorced mother
of twins who accidentally stumbles from one mortifying encounter to another in an effort to end a two-year long sexual drought. Madeline, fifty-two, single and stuck in online dating purgatory with a collection of horror stories acquired during her quest to find true love and join the ranks of the married middle-class. Jeannie, a forty-year-old TV producer and single mom with a gifted son, a sexy sadistic lawyer for an ex-husband and a gynecologist that is convinced Jeannie is a closet lesbian.
So welcome to a place where illicit sex is plentiful, romantic love is as elusive as smoke, and where life is part comedy of communal errors and part tragic milieu of the corrosively ambitious. Welcome to the suburbs!
255 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2013
3 people are currently reading
1574 people want to read
About the author
Helen Argiro
2 books28 followersAfter graduating from York University with a Double Honours BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, Helen spent seven years in the movie business as a screenwriter and feature film director. She has been writing stories since the age of four. Tales of Sex & Suburban Lunacy is her first book. Helen lives in Unionville, Ontario with her dog Capote.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 16, 2013
Sex & Suburban Lunacy is an obscure gem, guilty pleasure and farcical satire all rolled into one. As the title indicates, there is no shortage of sex in this book, however, it’s not flavour-of-the-month mommy porn strung together by bad writing and endless clichés which is what appears to be popular at the moment these days. This author can actually write. Even the sex -- which is a difficult thing for even some of the best writers -- is presented in a way that avoids the formulaic repetition of words and phrases that make so many of the sex-themed novels of this past year all sound so painfully unoriginal.
This book has no one single plot line, but rather the common thread of experience of mature (mostly) female characters stumbling through dating, sexual encounters and relationships gone off the rails. We are reading connected stories with recurring characters after all, but the book none-the-less holds our interest because of the narrator’s sharp, salacious, and occasionally shocking observations. The power of description can be charming or cruel, sympathetic or sarcastic and we never know for sure what we’re really in for until we’re a page or three into the story. The common denominator is the author’s mordant sense of humour which is usually delivered via character dialogue and had me, on several occasions, laughing out loud.
Like people in the real world, the characters in this book are flawed. They make bad decisions, often behave selfishly, several regret their actions after the fact, a couple could be categorized as borderline insane and some are not very likable, especially the men. Readers looking for lovable heroes or heroines that do the right thing and enjoy fairy-tale endings, will not find that here. What readers will find is lust, greed, envy, infidelity and imperfect characters with glimpses of underlying humanity that actually connects us to them, whether we like it or not.
The omniscient first person narrator is more often a not so objective observer. At times it sounds like a journalist reporting events in a way that is cold and to the point and sometimes it works, and other times we are being told rather than shown, and it doesn’t. There are stories inside this book that connect well with one another, and then there are shorter vignettes in between that are for the most part clever and funny, but could also easily be eliminated and no one would notice.
In the end, this is a well written satire about imperfect characters living imperfect lives, in a wealthy suburb outside of Toronto. For some reason Canadians seem to have a special talent for satire and although this author is no Stephen Leacock, she does a an excellent job engaging, amusing and enlightening us with her unconventionally skewed perspective on love, lust and relationships inside the competitive microcosm of this affluent small town suburb and the people who live there.
This book has no one single plot line, but rather the common thread of experience of mature (mostly) female characters stumbling through dating, sexual encounters and relationships gone off the rails. We are reading connected stories with recurring characters after all, but the book none-the-less holds our interest because of the narrator’s sharp, salacious, and occasionally shocking observations. The power of description can be charming or cruel, sympathetic or sarcastic and we never know for sure what we’re really in for until we’re a page or three into the story. The common denominator is the author’s mordant sense of humour which is usually delivered via character dialogue and had me, on several occasions, laughing out loud.
Like people in the real world, the characters in this book are flawed. They make bad decisions, often behave selfishly, several regret their actions after the fact, a couple could be categorized as borderline insane and some are not very likable, especially the men. Readers looking for lovable heroes or heroines that do the right thing and enjoy fairy-tale endings, will not find that here. What readers will find is lust, greed, envy, infidelity and imperfect characters with glimpses of underlying humanity that actually connects us to them, whether we like it or not.
The omniscient first person narrator is more often a not so objective observer. At times it sounds like a journalist reporting events in a way that is cold and to the point and sometimes it works, and other times we are being told rather than shown, and it doesn’t. There are stories inside this book that connect well with one another, and then there are shorter vignettes in between that are for the most part clever and funny, but could also easily be eliminated and no one would notice.
In the end, this is a well written satire about imperfect characters living imperfect lives, in a wealthy suburb outside of Toronto. For some reason Canadians seem to have a special talent for satire and although this author is no Stephen Leacock, she does a an excellent job engaging, amusing and enlightening us with her unconventionally skewed perspective on love, lust and relationships inside the competitive microcosm of this affluent small town suburb and the people who live there.
March 16, 2013
Clever and wickedly funny!
I relish a cutting satire and this book is exactly that. Well served amongst a clan of wealthy, sexually preoccupied, hugely flawed, yet very real characters. Jumping into each other’s stories (and bedrooms) throughout the book, recurring characters often finding themselves in uncomfortably embarrassing situations that you just know are more truth than fiction. As title suggests, rather sexually explicit (which these days seems to be the norm), but certainly not trash or Fifty Shades.
Author’s style is a bit jarring at times though, very minimalist, almost like she’s reporting or you’re just sitting with her having tea and a gossipy chat. (I would’ve liked to keep reading) Cannot find other books by this author, but hope she writes another soon.
Brilliantly entertaining, enjoy!
Lisbeth
I relish a cutting satire and this book is exactly that. Well served amongst a clan of wealthy, sexually preoccupied, hugely flawed, yet very real characters. Jumping into each other’s stories (and bedrooms) throughout the book, recurring characters often finding themselves in uncomfortably embarrassing situations that you just know are more truth than fiction. As title suggests, rather sexually explicit (which these days seems to be the norm), but certainly not trash or Fifty Shades.
Author’s style is a bit jarring at times though, very minimalist, almost like she’s reporting or you’re just sitting with her having tea and a gossipy chat. (I would’ve liked to keep reading) Cannot find other books by this author, but hope she writes another soon.
Brilliantly entertaining, enjoy!
Lisbeth
February 24, 2014
At times hilarious. At times poignant. Always entertaining. Short stories that chronicle the lives of the privileged and shallow denizens of a small affluent town. You will feel you know these people and will find yourself rooting for some and despising others. Mostly you want to read the sequel.
May 9, 2013
Tales of sex & suburban lunacy was with its stories like a great bag of pick a mix, so many flavours.Never knew what next chapter was gonna taste like.It wasn't difficult to relate to these stories and if it wasn't Toronto it could have been London or any other suburb with its divorcees,middle-aged men or upcoming actors.
Hilarious and thought provoking at the same time, it felt like i was there.
Hilarious and thought provoking at the same time, it felt like i was there.
June 3, 2013
*Copy provided by author in exchange for honest review*
Wow, I really didn't expect to like this book so much. You know that feeling when you start reading a debut and pray to God it won't be a waste of your time? To be honest, I feel slightly nervous each time I pick a book by an author my friends or I are not familiar with. WHY? Well,throughout the years I've learned my time is valuable and I've spent fair amount of time on books I didn't like. Mind you, I'm an "old-fashioned" reader, who continues reading a book, though my heart is telling me to DNF it, and call me crazy, but I hate using the word "hate" when it comes to books..but sometimes it seems inevitable.
But this particular book was one hell of a ride. I'm not familiar with the life in Toronto or it's suburbs, but I guess it's no different to where I come from. People are people, they love, they hate, they gossip, they have affairs, they feel sad and cheated, they have kids they love and can't control, best friends they can't count on... it could be any of us really, of course if we wanted this and under certain circumstances.
Well, people in Unionville are sure a jolly bunch. Reading their stories was like watching episodes from Desperate Housewives. They all seem to have a perfect life, but there comes a time in their lives when they realize it's all really a joke. Divorces, affairs, sex, gossiping, sex, tears and laughter, and some more sex - Welcome to Unionville!
The writing was really good and though at times it was difficult to follow some of the stories for they introduced too many characters, I really enjoyed it. The concept was interesting, but I think I would have enjoyed it even more if the the author decided to follow one story and character. Not all of the characters were likeable, but I guess that was the author's intention in the first place, to create a satire and make us laugh at one's flaws.
Speaking of laughing, there were some stories that made me laugh out loud. I really loved the author's humor, fresh and smart, great combination.
To sum it up, I really enjoyed this book. I think it's the perfect summer read, so in case you're looking for a fun book you'll devour in few hours while having some yummy cocktails on the beach - this one is for you.
Wow, I really didn't expect to like this book so much. You know that feeling when you start reading a debut and pray to God it won't be a waste of your time? To be honest, I feel slightly nervous each time I pick a book by an author my friends or I are not familiar with. WHY? Well,throughout the years I've learned my time is valuable and I've spent fair amount of time on books I didn't like. Mind you, I'm an "old-fashioned" reader, who continues reading a book, though my heart is telling me to DNF it, and call me crazy, but I hate using the word "hate" when it comes to books..but sometimes it seems inevitable.
But this particular book was one hell of a ride. I'm not familiar with the life in Toronto or it's suburbs, but I guess it's no different to where I come from. People are people, they love, they hate, they gossip, they have affairs, they feel sad and cheated, they have kids they love and can't control, best friends they can't count on... it could be any of us really, of course if we wanted this and under certain circumstances.
Well, people in Unionville are sure a jolly bunch. Reading their stories was like watching episodes from Desperate Housewives. They all seem to have a perfect life, but there comes a time in their lives when they realize it's all really a joke. Divorces, affairs, sex, gossiping, sex, tears and laughter, and some more sex - Welcome to Unionville!
The writing was really good and though at times it was difficult to follow some of the stories for they introduced too many characters, I really enjoyed it. The concept was interesting, but I think I would have enjoyed it even more if the the author decided to follow one story and character. Not all of the characters were likeable, but I guess that was the author's intention in the first place, to create a satire and make us laugh at one's flaws.
Speaking of laughing, there were some stories that made me laugh out loud. I really loved the author's humor, fresh and smart, great combination.
To sum it up, I really enjoyed this book. I think it's the perfect summer read, so in case you're looking for a fun book you'll devour in few hours while having some yummy cocktails on the beach - this one is for you.
April 26, 2013
in my opinion, this was a "sex and the city meets desperate housewives meets chasmere mafia" type of book. it had everything: sex or the lack of it, the need for a serious relationship and the lack of it, family problems and friendship between women.
I liked it, in the sense that it was fun to read, it had some really great fragments, funny and witty, but I couldn't fully relate: perhaps the mentality of Canadian women in their 40s is not something I know or am used to. However, it is a really pleasant read, a great insight into the more mature dating scene.
I liked it, in the sense that it was fun to read, it had some really great fragments, funny and witty, but I couldn't fully relate: perhaps the mentality of Canadian women in their 40s is not something I know or am used to. However, it is a really pleasant read, a great insight into the more mature dating scene.
June 2, 2013
i won this book in a goodreads giveway, i really enjoyed it, the characters were relatable and the stories were mostly funny but not too over the top
July 12, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Extremely cutting and very funny.
I've never read anything like this, it's a combination of ChickLit/Satire/Humour with a terrific bunch of connected stories and recurring characters. Nothing is sacred here. Everything including sex, marriage, divorce, neighbours, online dating, you name it and it's all up for skewering. At times the sex can be quite graphic (so not for the faint of heart), but it's always for comic effect and quite hilarious in the end. Someone please make this book into a TV series, it would be so much fun to watch these characters and their charades every week.
I've never read anything like this, it's a combination of ChickLit/Satire/Humour with a terrific bunch of connected stories and recurring characters. Nothing is sacred here. Everything including sex, marriage, divorce, neighbours, online dating, you name it and it's all up for skewering. At times the sex can be quite graphic (so not for the faint of heart), but it's always for comic effect and quite hilarious in the end. Someone please make this book into a TV series, it would be so much fun to watch these characters and their charades every week.
June 11, 2013
Full disclosure: I won this in a goodreads giveaway. Thank you to Helen Argiro for sending a Signing copy.
I Hate the spoilers so, it’s gonna be pretty hard for me to review this book.
First of all there’s isn’t a Sex scene in this book. It’s a Pretty funny book, we had multiples stories connected by some characters. Love the way that the author describe the scenes.
This is something on a Desperate Housewives way. Sometimes I felt like the book get bored. But now I can said that this histories are from my neighbors. I want a sequel of this book (:
I Hate the spoilers so, it’s gonna be pretty hard for me to review this book.
First of all there’s isn’t a Sex scene in this book. It’s a Pretty funny book, we had multiples stories connected by some characters. Love the way that the author describe the scenes.
This is something on a Desperate Housewives way. Sometimes I felt like the book get bored. But now I can said that this histories are from my neighbors. I want a sequel of this book (:
July 26, 2013
First, I wanted to thank Goodreads & Women's Free Press for the Advance Reading Copy signed by Helen Argiro. I thought this book was funny & creative. I could relate to several of the different stories. I liked how I wasn't sure where each chapter was going. I had a little trouble following the few main character's personal stories due to the jumping around of their friends stories. Other than that I really enjoyed this book. I think Helen Argiro did a wonderful job with her 1st book. I wish her nothing but the best on her next book.
July 20, 2013
I enjoyed reading this book. I liked how this book was based on divorced middle aged women who are simply looking for love but with decent men who has money. This book remind me of sex in the city. This book can relate to many ladies out there going through the same things. My favorite part if this book was Nina's story when she met her husband and why she got divorced also liked how the author added minimum of sex, when receiving this book from good reads I thought it wasn't about stories that got me reading more and more. Defiantly recommending this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2014
Tales of Sex & Suburban Lunacy by Helen Argiro is a delicious, wickedly addictive, and fun read. Well paced, well written, and positively delightful. Glass of wine, optional.July 31, 2018
I finished this book in one day. It made me laugh out loud on quite a few occasions. I have read the other reviews of this book and I can see that some people just didn't understand the short story style it has been written in. It is written just like good gossip throughout, which may be an unusual style of writing but I found it to be unique and refreshing. Maybe you have to be familiar with Unionville to understand, or maybe there are other towns that are similar. Whatever the case, this would be an extremely entertaining mini-series!
August 16, 2013
This book is a hoot! (It would make an AMAZING HBO series for those of us desperately missing Sex and the City!)Smart and clever short stories and even shorter "tales", with recurring female characters that are so real it's like reading non-fiction. If you enjoy a really good satire, this author is poking fun at everything from online dating, to single motherhood to life in upper-middle class suburbia. Loved it!
January 1, 2017
Wow, I LOVED this book! Excellent satire of bourgeoisie.
Slapstick suburban chaos with smart, witty fascinating (mostly female) characters finding themselves in unusual, often embarrassing, always hilarious situations. Would make a really great HBO series.
(P.S. This is a book of short stories with recurring characters, not a novel as some reader reviews suggest.)
For anyone who enjoys a wicked cutting satire, this is the perfect book.
Happy reading!
Slapstick suburban chaos with smart, witty fascinating (mostly female) characters finding themselves in unusual, often embarrassing, always hilarious situations. Would make a really great HBO series.
(P.S. This is a book of short stories with recurring characters, not a novel as some reader reviews suggest.)
For anyone who enjoys a wicked cutting satire, this is the perfect book.
Happy reading!
February 18, 2014
Eleven of us read this for our book club and we all LOVED it!!! Very funny stories and amusing characters in a rather dark unexpected kind of way. Short stories (some are connected) with characters (some reappearing) as real and flawed as we all are. Excellent book club selection. We had a real hoot discussing this book and its close proximity and revelations to real life.
September 19, 2015
This is something I just happened to pick up out of intrigue a couple of days ago which I will soon be done with - that's highly unusual for me! It reads like a juicy extreme gossip session and I have absolutely no idea if it's fiction or reality! It takes place here in
My city and suburbs that I've visited!
My city and suburbs that I've visited!
July 18, 2013
Thank you Goodreads for an advanced copy of this book!
This book is a great beach read! Fun, engaging, moves fast, and not too dense. I did some times find it difficult to follow the characters, as the chapters included many of the women multiple times, but overall I liked it!
This book is a great beach read! Fun, engaging, moves fast, and not too dense. I did some times find it difficult to follow the characters, as the chapters included many of the women multiple times, but overall I liked it!
February 18, 2014
Satire that cuts like a Ginsu!!! Fun/flawed characters with all kinds of mishaps with some of the same characters coming in and out of each other's stories. Read it on the subway to work and whipped through it in 2 days. Made me laugh out loud...totally love this book!
October 1, 2013
Thank you so very much for choosing me to read your book!!
June 24, 2013
The first book from this author. A novel idea. Tellings rather than short stories about the dealings women have with men. I wish that there was a star between 'It was ok' and 'Liked it'. Some parts were more than 'ok' and good for a chuckle. But I didn't enjoy it. This of course has a lot to do with my background and what I like to read. So if you enjoy fiction about (mostly) well-to-do career women and Moms and their experiences with men both young and old, then you will probably like this. If you're poor, work in a thankless minimum wage job and don't have time to 'lunch with friends' often, then maybe this is not for you. A good first effort from an emerging writer.
*Author graciously sent me an ARC for honest review*
*Author graciously sent me an ARC for honest review*
March 12, 2014
I wish Goodreads offered a "I chose to stop reading this book" button in addition to the "Im finished" button. I stopped halfway through. I thought this book would be quirky, witty, a bit sexy, funny, etc, etc. It was none of the above. It was not written in a witty or interesting way. That would have at least made the short stories a bit better. Some stories were two pages long about nothing and I was like wait, was that a story? Did that have a point? Most of the stories were flat, depressing, or about things I could never relate to. I'm most upset that I paid 9 dollars on Amazon for this book! I could have purchased any other book with that 9 dollars. Sad.
December 11, 2014
I thought this was fantastic satire. I laughed out loud a number of times. This type of book may not be everyone's 'cup of tea', but as funny as the story is, these things do happen so I can see a lot of people appreciate this kind of book for its relateable content. Very excited to read more by this author ;)
February 5, 2021
Not what I expected but in a good way. Even though it's a funny little satire, a lot of the scenarios were recognizable and so reading this felt like therapy or a good gossip with a friend.
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February 18, 2021I enjoyed reading this. It was an enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews