Right Before Your Eyes

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Right Before Your Eyes Pub. Date: 5/1/2007 Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

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Overview

Outspoken playwright Liza Weiler left Yale with everything she thought she needed to make her mark on the New York stage. So why, nearly a decade later, is she still waiting for her “real” life to finally begin? But like any great drama, Liza’s life only needs one good twist. And that’s what happens when she turns her ankle on the way out of a downtown nightspot and falls into the arms of a suspiciously gallant Wall Street prince and a practically perfect ER doc. Suddenly Liza not only has a couple of men in her life, but her play has fallen into the hands of a über-hip theater director. Now Liza’s about to discover how much mess she can make of a seemingly good thing…and how terrifying, slightly tragic, and utterly hilarious a little success can be.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780385340519
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Publication date: 5/1/2007
Pages: 320
Product dimensions: 5.26 (w) x 8.21 (h) x 0.72 (d)

Meet the Author

Ellen Shanman is a graduate of Northwestern University. She lives and writes in Brooklyn, New York.

Introduction

From an exciting and wholly original new voice in fiction comes this charming, irreverent debut novel—a vibrant urban comedy about life, love, and trying to find your place in the world.

Outspoken playwright Liza Weiler left Yale with everything she thought she needed to make her mark on the New York stage. So why, nearly a decade later, is she still waiting for her “real” life to finally begin? But like any great drama, Liza’s life only needs one good twist. And that’s what happens when she turns her ankle on the way out of a downtown nightspot and falls into the arms of a suspiciously gallant Wall Street prince and later that night a practically perfect ER doc. Suddenly Liza not only has a couple of men in her life, but her play has fallen into the hands of an über-hip theater director. With a famous fashionable aunt as her mentor and a loony but supportive party girl as a best friend, Liza is ready for her turn at success. But Liza is about to discover how much of a mess she can make of a seemingly good thing…and how terrifying, slightly tragic, and utterly hilarious a little success can be.

The following discussion questions are intended to enhance your reading of this novel.

Foreward

1. Who or what do you think is implied by the title Right Before Your Eyes?

2. Each chapter starts with a light-hearted and witty quote. What purpose does it serve?

3. The novel introduces three very different women in the Weiler family—Liza’s mother, her aunt, and herself. How do their differences show? What do you think the author intended by making them so different?

4. If you could sum up the lesson Liza learns in one sentence, what would it be? Who else gets taught a thing or two here?

5. All of the characters have a different impact on Liza (Dr. Tim, George, Parrot, Tabitha). Who has the most positive influence on Liza? Who hinders Liza’s success the most? If you could choose to have any of these characters in your life, who would it be, and why?

6. What role do you think Aunt Fran plays for Liza? Is she wrong to have waited so long to provide career assistance? How do Aunt Fran’s actions affect the story? Do you believe that she has an ulterior motive for bringing George and Liza together?

7. Liza spends months trying to make Dr. Tim the boyfriend of her dreams. What does she learn from spending so much time with him?

8. In the beginning of the novel Liza clearly says that Tabitha is one of the more irritating people her life, but then she chooses to work for her. Does Liza give Tabitha a fair and genuine chance at friendship?

9. In the beginning of the story Liza leaves her temp position. Does she handle the situation appropriately? Would you have left your only source of income to pursue your dream as she did?

10. Do you think Liza is honest with her friends and family, in regard to herlove life, her career, etc.? How does her honesty affect her relationships? How does her attitude create tension with the people in her life?

11. Does Liza overreact to the changes made to her play by the director? How else could Liza have handled the situation?

12. Tim is a smart, successful Emergency Room doctor, while George is a charismatic, talented businessman. Both are eligible bachelors, but how are their characters different? How does Liza’s relationship with each of them differ and at what point does she realize who she wants to be with?

Reading Group Guide

1. Who or what do you think is implied by the title Right Before Your Eyes?

2. Each chapter starts with a light-hearted and witty quote. What purpose does it serve?

4. If you could sum up the lesson Liza learns in one sentence, what would it be? Who else gets taught a thing or two here?

7. Liza spends months trying to make Dr. Tim the boyfriend of her dreams. What does she learn from spending so much time with him?

9. In the beginning of the story Liza leaves her temp position. Does she handle the situation appropriately? Would you have left your only source of income to pursue your dream as she did?

10. Do you think Liza is honest with her friends and family, in regard to her love life, her career, etc.? How does her honesty affect her relationships? How does her attitude create tension with the people in her life?

11. Does Liza overreact to the changes made to her play by the director? How else could Liza have handled the situation?

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Anonymous

Posted September 13, 2007

EXCELLENT!

I couldn't put this book down, i thought it was wonderful! the characters were fabulous, and funny. Some of the things that Liza gets into, i just had to laugh. This book also is so realistic and totally believable. I highly suggest you pick this up. I hope to see more titles by Shanman soon, because 'Right Before Your Eyes' was just so enjoyable!
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harstan

Posted December 9, 2008

more from this reviewer

A deep character study

Wannabe playwright Liza Weiler hopes to see her work performed in New York. However, so far she is a starving young artist with nothing on her résumé for that matter her personal life is just as vapid.---------------- Ironically a sprained ankle leaving the River Town Lounge gives her a big break though she also starred at the St. Vincent emergency room. However, she meets two hunks because of the incident George of Wall St. M&A fame who knows ankles from Yale Rugby and Dr. Tim of ER (the hospital not the old show). As her personal life comes alive, director Will Atherton selects her play as his next show on the Applause Channel. Floating on cloud nine, will success spoil Liza Weiler?----------------- Readers who appreciate a deep character study of a wannabe artist will enjoy the discerning look at the successes and failures of Liza Weiler. The story line has a chick lit feel that enables the audience to see inside the heroine¿s mind but that also slows the pacing down a bit. Still fans will flock to the enthusiastic Liza as she hopes to become the next great American playwright.--------------- Harriet Klausner
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Posted August 19, 2010

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Posted December 17, 2008

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