The Perfect Elizabeth: A Tale of Two Sisters

by Libby Schmais

This modern-day Sense and Sensibility is a witty story about two Liza, a would-be poet who spends miserable days as a legal secretary; and Bette a graduate student writing her dissertation on Toast in the English Novel. Bette has taken to eating only what the characters she is writing about would boiled eggs on toast, minemeat, nice cups of tea...Liza's a bit concerned. She's also worried about the status of her relationship with her actor boyfriend, Gregor. They're not living together, and that's a problem.
Then there's the issue of Liza's career, or lack thereof. Can dog-walking be considered a vocation? Liza's beginning to think so. Mercifully, Bette is merely a local phone call away.
Throughout this hilarious novel, the sisters deal with unemployment, infidelity, interfering parents, Hollywood, lemmings, a pregnancy, and a wedding. The Perfect Elizabeth is as indulgent and cathartic as a pint of Haagen-Dazs.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Adult, Womens Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Novels

228 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2000

Reviews

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Perfect Elizabeth is a "chick lit" novel that just didn't work for me. Liza is an aspiring poet who has a miserable day job as a legal secretary, while her sister Bette is a literature student who teaches at a university while working on her dissertation; their names are both diminutives of Elizabeth, so that Liza, the narrator, feels as though they're "the broken parts of one perfect Elizabeth".

Liza and Bette go through various trials and tribulations to do with their jobs and their love lives, described in a style which is meant to be light and witty but which I found merely shallow (and the dialogue was terrible - all of the characters sounded alike). All of the sisters' issues (most of which they created themselves) are easily wrapped up by the end, and I closed the book feeling that I'd made no emotional connection to the characters or their problems.

[Kennedy Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked it enough to keep reading and find out what was going to happen, but it was very boring.

[Allybal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liza & Bette's lovable sisterhood in The Perfect Elizabeth is a fun, easy read much likened to the folly in Jane Austen's Sense & Sensibility. I found this book in perfect condition on the shelf at a thrift store among a plethora of tattered, dusty volumes. My adoration of Miss. Austen solely influenced this purchase, which ended up being a complete joy. Took it too and from class for a day or two to read in between passing and found myself completely taken with these two girls and their highly chick-lit influenced situations(Boyfriend drama, questionable friends, moving away and coming-of-age.)

Overall, light and thoroughly enjoyable read, perfect for a summer day at the beach or an afternoon in the garden under the shade of a tree.

[Mary Pessaran · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice surprise. At first, the writing threw me off, because the author gave us dialogue and action without much internal thought process or description of emotion and reactions. In that way, it was simpler than most books I've read, but I grew to like the unique structure of the writing.

It was also a surprise because it didn't follow a formula. When Eliza had boyfriend issues including his commitment phobia, it's easy to assume he'll be painted as the loser soon-to-be-ex boyfriend, so we shouldn't get attached. Surely, there will be a better new boyfriend around the corner. But I never stopped liking Gregor even though he was an actor and at time self-centered, so it allowed the plot to be open ended. Would they stay together? Guess I had to read to the end to find out.

A fun read.

[Yuliya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was surprisingly excellent (surprisingly because I randomly picked it up from the library in the 5 minutes I had before Mary got fussy). I loved Eliza's character. Bette was very recognizable to me - I know at least one person who was studying food in 19th century English literature. Though a fast and enjoyable read, this book definitely has substance.

[Lain · Rating 3 out of 5]

A more thoughtful chick lit book than most... but not nearly as entertaining as it could have been. Schmais is a talented writer, but there was a distance between her characters and the reader -- a distance that kept me from investing more emotion in them.

[Reagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ADORED this book the first time I read it, but it didn't hold up as well the 2nd time around. I'm finding that with a lot of books I initially fell in love with. Perhaps certain themes are more relevant and poignant at particular times in your life.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was recommended by my wonderful friend. Read it a while back, but I know I liked it!

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read it, but I remember it being a perfect read for a weekend at the beach when you need a laugh.

[Nia Forrester · Rating 4 out of 5]

The modern Sense and Sensibility. Loved it.

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful fun read. Full of food and literary references. Cozy.

[Michelle Nunes]

Very quirky and fun. if you have a sister you will enjoy it.

[Marsha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although Ms. Schmais’s writing about the indecisive Liza and her family is deft enough, Liza’s inability to commit to anything, her butterfly fluttering from job to job, class to class and odd blurtings, rubbed me the wrong way. She is such a changeable, moody ditz that I found it difficult to credit her with any real intelligence.

She tells people she will take a job and then finds she hates it. She succumbs to inertia when her boyfriend isn’t around or indulges herself in meaningless trivial tasks to make up for lack of work. Liza takes up and drops diets, astrology and vegetarianism. She attempts for years to force her depressed sister Bette to start dating then resents it when Bette gets pulled into a giddy, whirlwind romance.

I was wearied by her by the middle of the book. In spite of her introspection, she was about as entertaining as a pair of maracas without any peas inside them.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A contemporary Sense and Sensibility is a story of two sisters: Liza, who can't seem to settle on a vocation (Is dog-walking a career?); and Bette a graduate student writing her dissertation on Toast in the English Novel. When Bette finds her soul mate and moves to the West Coast, Liza must confront the issues she has avoided: her lukewarm relationship with a cheating actor, the desire to write and publish, weight gain/loss and more. She comes to realize that the most important relationship in her life is with her sister and the two of them together, just like their names, form a perfect whole.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had this book for years and finally read it - it was a well done, entertaining story. A nice lighter read but not too fluffy, the characters had substance and I found them interesting, and quality writing. I will read another book by this author.

[ValiaRikou · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little bit dull at the beginning only to be interesting in the middle and then dull agaib. I think the attempt to be a funny story with all the neurotic characters and all the problems was lost in the end. The whole book was kinda predictable. Even the ending too

[Dianeh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up after finishing a very long non-fiction book bc I didn’t have the next book ready. It was a fast, light read. I try to put myself in the author’s place when writing a review. This was just OK in my opinion.

[Mary Lou · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay - it took awhile to connect with the characters.

[Linda Lusby · Rating 2 out of 5]

An ok read, slightly entertaining but pretty predictable. Bought it really because of its title. Will now pass on to Elizabeth!

[Juni · Rating 1 out of 5]

Made it to page 48 before I decided that my time was worth more.

[Maria Johnson Darby · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining, easy read. Perfect for this time of year.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t really care what happened to the characters, no empathy for any of them

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two sisters - one gets married the other forgives her boyfriend.

[Sahara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like the ending was a bit rushed.
I also just felt depressed reading this entire book. I wouldn’t consider it chick lit

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick chick lit read. It’s okay, not great. The “modern Sense & Sensibility” description is utter nonsense.

[mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE PERFECT ELIZABETH (2000): a novel by Libby Schmais is well worth the time to read it. It is a quick read, not nearly as “deep” as “An Arrow’s Flight,” but at least it is, I think, an honest representation of The Human Condition. In this instance—a study of what could be called “The Wounded Well,” aka neurosis. It is a first novel, first person narrative, of a thirty-something female who struggles with the question of “Who am I” and where is my place in the world? There is insight into what it feels like to be lost in the world without due cause, in other words, what it is like to be neurotic. There is juxtaposition with the protagonist’s sister who is more “normal.” Together they form the title (Cheesy). There is no real suffering or tragedy in this story, but it’s not “Hilarious and heartwarming” as ‘Cosmopoitan’ claims. It has a staccato style that works as a representation of a neurotic worrier. It has a nice, sweet, Hollywood ending, which, in general, I don’t like … but how else could it end? My favorite insights from Liz are: “She trusts novels (see previous review above) not life. In novels, things work out according to plan; in life the plot is entirely unmanageable.” And, “I have noticed that people who succeed in life have an ability to only take credit for things, and not accept any responsibility for things going wrong. I, on the other hand, absorb blame like a sponge.” Perfect. Four stars.

[bLueRLyN · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got the book from a book sale and there had been multiple times that the book has been discounted. Initially it was tagged for P60.00, then P30.00 and then finally P20.00. And the cheapskate that I am, picked it up and thought what the heck, it's only P20.00. Alright, I got taken in by the cover photo (picture of a coffee cup) and then the overview, about the story about 2 sisters and how it is meant for anyone who has a sister or anyone who ever wanted to have a sister. And the latter refers to me, so I rightfully picked it up and purchased it. Well, okay fine it was only P20.00, but after finishing this book, I realized I could have just spent the money on a McDonald's Sundae cone and have used the time I spent reading the book in doing some crafts, would have been a whole lot wiser and more productive.

This book is sorely disappointing. Reading through it, I could not help but wonder (and strongly conclude actually), if the author has ADD. She can't seem to finish one thought, based on the fact that you get lost in thinking what exactly she wants to tell you as you go from chapter to chapter. There's also a very slow build up and lack of twists to sustain your interest as you move forward. The lives of the 2 sisters are completely boring I would say and well towards the end, it became rather too predictable.

Lesson learned: When you see a book discounted multiple times, there is a good reason for it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would - for one, I generally read fantasy, for two it deals with my biggest criticism for adult contemporary literature - it usually involves cheating, and characters who are generally unhappy and just kind of float through life doing nothing about that.

And we'll...thats this book to a tee. And yet I liked it. I think it's in part because it had an odd writing style that I'm not certain how I feel about but it was different and refreshing so I'll take it. And probably also because SPOILERS

It has a happy ending. But I think the book just surprised me into liking it. It isn't fluffy and funny like chick lit generally is, but it isn't pretentious and dreary like contemporary literature tends to be (I acknowledge my completely biased and oversimplified opinion on this genre). I think the book often didn't know which it wanted to be, which made it feel a bit unbalanced.

But you know what my real criticism is? It's not related to Sense & Sensibility at all!

[Yvonne O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liza and Bette are sisters. Bette is a professor, divorced and obsessed with her dissertation on British novels and the food in them. Liza is trapped in a dead-end relationship, with no career to speak of. She quits her job, moves in with Gregor, flounders suffers is cheating, sees Bette move first to Westchester and then CA with Lawrence, moves to CA, sells her children's book as an adult cartoon, watches Gregor beg her back, sees her sister re0marry and gets a $65k royalty check! A whole lot for 1/2 of "the perfect eLIZaBETh".

My thoughts:

1. Liza never should have taken Gregor back
2. Bette should have gone back to finish her thesis
3. Her book should have sold as a book and not a cartoon
4. I like that she walked-out of her job and got unemployment!
5. I'm glad Bette opened-up enough to find Lawrence
6. The All My Children references were great
7. I love that Lawrence didn't care that Liza was mooching for so long

[Jennifer Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I spent the entire book trying to find parallels between The Perfect Elizabeth and Sense and Sensibility, but unfortunately, there wasn't much there beyond the presence of sisters. One sister kept her feelings to herself, like Elinor, but the rest didn't really tie in to Austen's novel. And forget "hilarious." Maybe it didn't match my taste in humor, but I found the narrative to be dry and monotone.

Read more of my review at http://InspiredbyAusten.com/sense-and...