The Love Eaters

by Mary Lee Settle

The wealthy members of a small-town theatrical group find their lives being manipulated by their crippled director

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1986

About the author

Graduate of Sweet Briar College. Winner of the National Book Award in 1978 for Blood Tie.

Reviews

[David]

Some years ago, the poet and critic John Ciardi wrote “Every poem makes some demand upon the reader's sympathies. In addressing his subject, the poet takes an attitude toward it and adopts a tone he believes to be appropriate. His sense of what is appropriate, either in tone or in attitude, is of course a question of values. As such, it is obviously basic to the effect of the poem upon the reader. The reader may be right or wrong in disagreeing with the poet's values, but once such disagreement has occurred, that poem has failed for that reader. It is a question, as Robert Frost once put it, of ‘the way the poet takes himself and the way the poet takes his subject.’” The same is generally true of any art form; every work of art makes some demands on a receiver’s sympathies. Mary Lee Settle’s book pushed that demand too far for me. While there are scattered moments at which I felt sympathy for various characters in their struggles, predominantly these are gossiping, backbiting, social climbing, self-centred, unforgiving characters. Ultimately, it didn’t much matter to me who died, who was maritally betrayed, or who was drunk.

[Linda DiMeo Lowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Cheever crossed with Tennessee Williams. I read it in two days (it's only a little over 200 pages). The book is like a play within a play peopled with seemingly happy, entitled white people who have no idea how their lives will fall apart at the hands of a play director they bring to town. Gradually, the seamy underbelly of each relationship is exposed.

[Jay Cardam · Rating 2 out of 5]

A real mixed bag, took me forever to read because I just didn't want to pick it up. It was a forced read in bits and pieces and finally just finished it to get it off my list.

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

a peculiar, oddly engaging yarn about life in small town WV. i alternately was entranced and bored by the story. wanted to read early fiction by author of Turkish Reflections, which i really liked. recent memoir also peculiar and left me wanting to know more of Settle's story. at least this novel gives a glimpse of her growing-up experiences of friends, neighbors, family.....