The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing: Fiction (Penguin Ink)

Best book

This is the one of the best books i have read!! One of my Good friends gave me the book and i told her " you know i dont like to read" and she told me "trust me you will like it!" And she was right this book was so good that it changed my mind about reading, anyone can read ,you just need to find a book that is good for you!! <3

Melissa's A Genius

This book was great. I have to admit, i did get a bit confused. Did she end up with robert, ben or archie. The story went back and fourth, so i got lost. I hope jane comes back in a new book. (:

The mother of chick-lit?

I doubt that I would have ever picked up this book if it wasn't for my Women's Popular Genres class. According to my professor, this novel was one of the first that was labeled as "chick-lit," a term used to describe postfeminist fiction. Or in other words, modern fiction that is written by women for women. I guess I can understand why Bank's witty novel falls under this category (it traces the adult life of Jane, the female protagonist), but I definitely wouldn't call it superficial. On the contrary, Jane deals with issues that go way beyond gaining a few pounds and being dumped by a boyfriend. She is also delightfully humorous, easy to relate to, and worth reading about, if you ask me. But one must take into consideration that I am, in fact, a chick-lit fan. Even so, I must ask myself, was it a story worth remembering? And, unfortunately, the answer is no.

A wonderful story

I loved this book so much, that I do not know how many times I have read it. The series of stories are very touching, regarding different stages of life: from childhood memories to grown-up relationships, looking and finding love, stuggling to make relationships work and sometimes having to let them go. What makes us adults, the road that takes us into adulthood and learning from our mistakes....without a manual. I sometimes read specific chapters instead of the whole book, and always find it moving and true to feelings, hopes and dreams.... that we must never give up even if "reality bites"....

Pretty good-

I didn't like this book as much as my friends did but it was pretty good and it makes you think. A girl trying to figure out life, ends up dating an older man, going through life, men, etc.

....

I must admit that this was light and forgettable.

A guide to life

I found this book lying in the back of my shelf. My mother had given it to me a long time ago and told me to read it. I never did and completely forgot about it. I guess I was waiting for the perfect rainy day. This book is well written and it keeps you turning page after page. It feels real and there's a lot of love and discovery in the story. It's easy to identify with the protagonist, if you are a girl. The relationships are complicated and sometimes dysfunctional but always loving and caring. I recommend watching the movie adaptation after you've read the book.

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Bonjour.

So, my sister handed me this book when I was twelve, she thought thatif I ever wanted to be a writer [in which I have wanted to become since I was seven] that I should read this book. The first time I read this, it was confusing, and rigid. But after the fifth or sixth time it began to click. This book has twist and turns and through out the story, those knicks that seem out of place overlap other knicks so it's like putting a puzzle together. I'll admit the breast cancer part threw me and left question marks hanging above my head, but then I thought that maybe Banks decided to say in a sad way that sometimes people overthink that they need someone as a crutch through hard times, but all you need is yourself and near death experience to realize that you don't. I absolutely love this book. I'm on my 56th time reading this book. And I don't plan on stopping.

Boring. Mediocre. Poorly written. Should I say more?

Seriously, don't bother. We loved it at my book club because it gave us plenty of time to have drinks and talk about EVERYTHING else but the book. It is awful.

Ehh

The book was decent, but not one of the best I have read. There are random chapters that seem out of place throughout the book. It is more a collection of short stories than a novel. I was a pretty disappointed in the book. You are left wondering how many things turned out, or why things happened the way they did. I don't like to leave bad reviews, but I would warn against buying the book. Perhaps rent it, but I wouldn't spend the money on it.

Cute. Quirky. Witty.

A friend of mine was getting rid of some old books and not knowing anything about it, I picked up the novel and asked her if I could take it. She said sure. I read the book in less than a day and loved it. The book is very differnt in it's style and I loved that the book is written in a series of vignettes. It's cute, it's quirky, and very witty. What's not to like?

Pointless & Confusing

The cover of this book went on and on about how funny it was and that it was about dating. This book started out slightly interesting and went downhill from there. It was less about the main character's experiences in dating and more about one long boring relationship that didn't involve sex. The book was also jumpy from one chapter to the next so it was hard to tell who was narrating or at what point in time that chapter took place. And finally the book was sad at several points. I don't find disease and death to be 'hilarious.'

Why??

I'm not sure why this book was recommended to me. The plot was disappointing and the story poorly written (why is there one chapter on some neighbors--never referred to before or after?). If this is a generalization of single American women...we need to change our image and gain some morals.

Very good read

I thought the book was great however, I'm still confused about several parts. I didn't understand why we needed the chapter where the story revolved around the neighbors' lives. I also didn't get the entire chapter where she developed breast cancer. Maybe I needed the book 'dumbed down' for me.

Marvelous!

One of the best books I've ever read. If you're looking for something that has everything, this is the book for you. There's comedy, tragedy, and romance, all neatly intertwined in a wonderful story about life and all it entails. This book got me philosophizing about life myself, and that's always a sign that it's thoughtful and well written.

Not Great But Readable

I won't lie I was not a huge fan of this book, but at a 100 pages in I refused to give up--I shuffled through the rest. The main reason I did not give this book only one star is through the relationship stuggles Jane suffers through I was found I was forced to reflect on my own relationships both good and bad, romantic and friend. I am impressed in the aspect how I was forced to look on my own experiences, but over all this book is not impressive and seems to just follow the norm of modern chick fic.

Amazing

Few books compare to Melissa Banks' startling and incredible novel about love and loss. This is a humorous, touching, must-read for every woman out there!

Disappointment

I am over 75 pages in and have no idea what is going on. This is a major disappointment. Plus you have no idea what is going on in the heads of any of the characters, it's all dialogue.

Written differently, and very relatable

This book is written differently then most books. I thought it was really interesting that we get to see the lead characters change in life and perspective in her relationships. She makes many mistakes and has many ups and downs. I have read this book probably five or six times. Anyone can relate to Jane's struggles. All of my girlfriends have also read this book and really liked it.

Where has this book been all my life?!

This is only the second time I have ever bothered to write a book review. This is a fantastic coming of age story, and I wish it had been around when I was 16, 18, or 20, but at 23, it's still a Godsend. Banks's style is very similar to that of J.D. Salinger, except Banks's protagonist is female. Definitely pick up this book; it's a fast read, funny at times but also gets right to the heart of what it means to grow up and realize that your life isn't what you always thought it might be.