The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing

Generally I'm not a fan of short stories because, all too often, favored stories end too quickly and boring, congested ones go on too long. You strike up a relationship with a character, only to find that the last date is just a few pages away.Melissa Bank solves this problem (as have others) by writing intertwined short stories about the same character: The likeable, funny, and insecure Jane Rosenal. Her relationships with men (and other elusive goals) are the core of this humorous, easy-reading book. It's neither pre- nor post-feminist, just a recognizable woman facing the complexities of love and work.The first story is one of the best: Told from the teenage Rosenal's view, it shows her vicariously experiencing her brother's relationship and break-up with Julia, an upper class, sensitive college student. Bank tells this story with the humor and perception of a J.D. Salinger (but without the Zen undertones). Two of the seven stories deal with Rosenal's relationship with a famous, older, somewhat unconventional editor. Bank is even-handed, as Archie alternates between mentor and monster, self-centered protector and sympathetic victim. He's a concerned, loving partner, but also a publicity conscious show-off, telling stories about Jane as if she were in one of his books. Interwoven with this story is an emotional and very effective look at Jane's parents.The sixth story is a series of vignettes told in a combination of the third ("In post-op, he will tell you he is honored you threw up on him.") and second person ("You see yourself through his eyes, as THE GENERIC WOMAN, the skirted symbol on the ladies' room door"). Here, Banks writes with a faux-tough style that recalls Liz Phair: "Everywhere you go, you see women more beautiful than yourself. You imagine him being attracted to them. You're drinking gasoline to stay warm." Unlike Phair, however, Bank can't buffer her lyrical sentences with music, and the words are imaginative but awkward. It's not clear why they eventually break-up, except that his devotion is purportedly aimed at all women, not Jane specifically. I didn't quite buy it. One other minor complaint: Jane Rosenal is sometimes sitcom glib--the funny lines need a rest sometimes. (We get it, we get it, she's a witty person!). For all the excellent writing ("My devoted friend says,'I don't think you could have felt so strongly if he didn't feel the same way about you.' `I say, "How do you feel about Jeremy Irons"'") there are a few clunkers ("It occurs to me that I may not be the only butterfly whose wings flutter in the presence of his stamen." Well, maybe you like that line.)Finally, there is the excellent title story. Hearing from a friend that she's been trying to catch a man by swimming with him, rather than fishing with a hook and bait, she buys a self-help book, "How to Meet the Man You Want and Marry Him." The two female authors, "Bonnie," and "Faith," become characters in the story, and Jane follows and argues

I decided to write a review of this book last night when I finished it because everyone should be privy to such a warm laugh-out-loud book such as this one. I was surprised to see the number of bad reviews! I was sure the Girl's Guide would have received an across the board 5 stars! Then I read the bad ones. Ok, first of all - this book is actually a collection of short stories. The author never intended for it to be perceived as a single themed novel. Second - interchanging first person/third person is perfectly acceptable for a collection of short stories AND gives them texture. Third - the protagonist, Jane, is not the author. Finally - she (Jane) is absolutely hilarious! Therefore, so is the author (Melissa Bank.) This book deals with the all too familiar issues of coming of age as a woman in an increasingly complicated world. It deals with family issues, relationship issues, breast cancer, career, friends etc. The book is simultaneously thought provoking and highly readable. At first it seems like a Bridget Jones style light read. When you re-visit the stories about Jane, you realize how much deeper they go into the complexities of balancing all facets of life - family with relationships with jobs and how each facet is intertwined. I also enjoyed the fact that Jane's inner voice is part of her character -the inner voice in all of us that we either stifle or listen to. Part of growing up is learning to listen to that voice, and that's what Jane does. READ IT! You won't regret it. Hopefully when you finish it, like me you'll feel an overwhelming sadness that it's over.

A Girl's Guide... is the book you'll wish you'd written. Always funny, often heartbreaking and consistently well-wriiten, this book is gorgeous. If you only read one book this year, well, you're a pretty slow reader. But this book would almost make it enough.

Just finished the "Girl's Guide..." last night. I can honestly say it was one of the best books I've recently read. I was impressed that the seven short stories all featured the same central character (with one notable exception). I'm trying to figure out how anyone could finish the book and NOT identify with Jane. I finished it and kept hoping I would find more pages to continue with. Even despite the inserted story which does not feature Jane, (which is in no way a bad story, although I agree with complants as to it's incongruity) the rest of the book is skillfully written. From a teenager, un-sure of her self and frightened by her brother's failure in love, to a twenty-something woman in a relationship with a man twice her age, to the Jane at the end of the last story, the reader witnesses her transformation and maturation every step of the way. I would say that only the truly cynical reader would not identify or care about the central character and complaints about one incongruous story do not do justice to the other 220 pages of the book which are head and shoulders above the rest of the literary world. 5 Stars...an instant classic.