This is an odd little book. While I was not "blown away" or captivated by the characters, I have been thinking about LIVES OF THE SAINTS a great deal since I finished it. Perhaps I am too practical (or too northern), but I kept wishing that Claude would get professional help. The secondary characters were fascinating and the book is well-written. I felt that Louise was a good narrator but a weak character. Byron and Mary Grace, however, were personal favorites. I highly recommend this book, but don't expect a romantic tale of lost love because I don't think that that's what this gin-soaked book was really about. Rather, I see Claude as a metaphor for the lost dreams/opportunities of the "South" wrapped in the mannerisms and odd brilliance of a gentleman. A good, thought-provoking read.

This book is beautifully written. It clearly favors slice of life scenes over linear plot. She does a wonderful job of portraying the lives of the eccentric upper class in an eccentric city (New Orleans).

I loved this book (though did have to take a leap of faith and not just get irritated by her beginning words with CAPITAL letters to give them intensity...). It reminded me of the joy I felt as an adolescent reading all the Glass stories by Salinger.

Nicely written, silly book. Repetitive. Characters about whom one cares little, lolling through desolate lives, doing nothing -- extravagantly. The humor is stretched and vague. Fortunately, it is a quick read and some of the insights into the lives of Bush-like Southern families are interesting -- almost frightening to realize that our next President may come from this wasteful milieu. Makes one want to tax the rich to support the needs of the working poor.

I discovered Nancy Lemann because Tom Robbins said that he reads her. If you like Anne Tyler or Robbins, chances are you'll like this book. Dark, funny humor, with great characters and clever prose. If you're too politically correct to enjoy it, it's your loss.

When I wake during those ghastly hours of the early morning, I often think of a line from this wonderful, bubbly novel: 4 a.m. is bedtime for many people. Instead of wallowing in life's troubles, I think of a madcap cast of characters removing their tuxedoes, their high heels, and hopping into bed. I highly and happily recommend this cheerful novel!

Sportsman's Paradise is hilarious,and yes, poignant. The unforgettable characters are lovable and vividly drawn; the dialogue has great pacing and wit. The author examines the South's particular glamour and dignity with the perception of Walker Percy and the humor of James Wilcox. I enjoyed it so much I have read it a few times.

A fresh new style for southern writing... finally! A hilarious look at what it means to be from New Orleans -- the characters suffer from breakdowns and obsessions while vacationing in Long Island. Readers of Lives of the Saint will appreciate the continuation of the Collier family saga.

I loved this book. Storey's story is whimsical, sweet, and (her favorite word) poignant, an endearing picture of family love and romantic yearning among a group of oddball transplanted Southerners, all of whom are connected by either kinship or longtime friendship.

The one thing I'm really impressed about in this book is the number of worn-out, overused cliches about Southern California that can be fit into one book. And repeated so often. Truly, she is a good writer in terms of characterization and plot. Let's just hope her next book isn't about stupid Southerners, African Americans addicted to watermelon, or women who have hysteria.

Nancy Lemann's Malaise is a wonderful novel--witty, clever and delightfully snide at times. Lemann has a marvelous, unique approach to storytelling which may turn off some readers, but I really enjoyed it. Reading this novel is like spending time with an old friend with a rapier sharp sarcastic wit. In terms of plotting here, not much happens, but for a novel of about 250 pages, that is OK. Fleming Ford, the narrator, is a 40-year old Southerner living in Esperanza California who becomes a bit obsessed with an older widower she knows from New York. Her out-of-place-ness enables her to observe all around her with a deadpan aloofness that is always funny and at times hilarious. This is a terrific novel and one I highly recommend if you a looking for a brief little sarcastic interlude.

Nancy Lemann is about the most original and hilarious writer I've ever read. Her observations on people, places, and things are so nutty and funny, I find myself reading them again and again. On top of that, every sentence is full of melancholy and longing. They're actually intoxicating. Am I going overboard? I just love this writer and was so happy to have a new novel from her, I took a day off work to read it. (OK, so I hate my job, too.) Malaise is as wacky and wise as all her other books, and in its own oddball way, it's a great novel. Very mature and a little bit risky. There's no pulse pounding plot, it's true, but when I open one of Lemann's books and hear her voice, I can't put it down. I swear, this is one of those writers people are going to "rediscover" in fifty years (Dawn Powell anyone?) so hang on to your first editions.

Many people have been inspired by the magical treatment of Earl Long in the now-legendary book The Earl of Louisiana. Some authors have thrived in the tradition of the wary reporter trying to explain a larger than life Louisiana legend, such as John McGuiness sucessfully did with his mid-1980s book, The Last Hayride. Nancy Lemann, however, is no Liebling as she unsuccessfully tries to give us a personal glimpse of Edwin Edwards during his 1980s trials for racketeering. A more gifted writer, a more charitable person, might have given us a book we could care about, but Lemann's obvious hatred for the governor stains and sinks this book. Her repeatedly snide remarks concerning Cajuns are nothing les than racist as she tries to give us a world of political deal-making that she obviously recoils from. I have repeatedly seen this sad book in the bins at the Salvation Army, and it's no wonder why.

Nancy Lemann is one of the treasures of southern literature. Like many another great writer, she can be misunderstood. Her love for her native state, Louisiana, and city, New Orleans, is so deep that she speaks in a voice whose irony at times hides from the insensitive her profound affection for her imperfect, but nonetheless uniquely endearing, place of origin. She is a poet, one with great heart and abundant humor, and this book is one that will live alongside other Crescent City classics such as The Earl of Louisiana, by the great A.J. Liebling. It's a warm, profoundly witty book about "human frailty," one Liebling would have loved.