Perfect Stranger: A True Story Of Desire And Obsession
Contents:
Charlotte Dawson with Jo Thornely. Waiting to Be Heard. This House of Grief. American Chick in Saudi Arabia. Inside the Walls of Long Bay Jail. Confessions of a Hostie. I Came To Say Goodbye. The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs. Confessions of a Millionaire's Mistress. God'll Cut You Down. Because You Loved Me. The Boy No One Loved: Moth to the Flame: A Woody Creek Novel 3.
The Book of You. Closer Than You Think. A tragic story of siblings trapped in a world of abuse and suffering. Birthdays for the Dead. Love Her To Death. Definitely not my favourite Liane Moriarty book. See all 27 questions about Nine Perfect Strangers…. Lists with This Book. I said to my husband recently Like I'm surrounded by lovely, neurotic, warm, friends.
And Liane has done it again with this wonderful book about nine strangers who go to a health retreat. As always, Liane's observations about life are just so damn spot on. I sort of wanted to go to that retreat The book is funny and sad and touching, and full of wisdom.
I feel so lucky to have read an early copy. View all 45 comments. Kathy Bond Very interesting storyline which had a tendency to drag in the middle. I did like the ending because the reader saw into the future of the characters. Dec 09, Glad to know we also have a favorite author in common! Dec 13, Liane Moriarty's latest offering is a hugely enjoyable psychological thriller that is pure fun and entertainment whilst incorporating a look beneath the issues of a wide cast of characters and the moving stories that lie behind the facade of their everyday lives.
Set in Australia, Tranquillem House is a health and wellness resort that many clients claim transformed their lives for the better. The latest batch of arrivals are 9 strangers that get considerably more than they bargained for with the Liane Moriarty's latest offering is a hugely enjoyable psychological thriller that is pure fun and entertainment whilst incorporating a look beneath the issues of a wide cast of characters and the moving stories that lie behind the facade of their everyday lives. The latest batch of arrivals are 9 strangers that get considerably more than they bargained for with their 10 day cleansing programme of diet, light exercise, therapy and spa treatments.
It is run by the Russian Masha, a ruthlessly ambitious former company executive whose near death experience led to a complete change in her life direction. Masha had a dark and hidden agenda for her latest customers, driven by the best of intentions, supported by her primary staff members, Yao, and Delilah.
Twice married Frances Welty is an established writer of romances whose career has gone into freefall with her latest offering being rejected by the publishing industry and whose boyfriend, Paul Drabble, has disappeared.
Ben and Jessica are a troubled married couple who appear to be remarkably well off. Napoleon is a schoolteacher, with his wife, Heather, and daughter, Zoe, the entire family weighed down by grief and guilt. Tony is a former star footballer, who has recently lost his beloved dog, Banjo. Carmel has lost her husband to a younger woman, has four children, and has lost her self esteem and confidence. Lars is a well heeled divorce lawyer, who only represents wives in his word of mouth law practice. As the story progresses, the backstories and issues that lie behind each individual comes to be slowly revealed.
The narcissistic, remote and humourless Masha has plans for them which she is certain will truly transform their lives and which will presage a glorious and glittering future with her in the limelight, enjoying global acclaim. There is plenty of sly humour and wit in Moriarty's story of madness and mayhem at a health resort, where people with little in common with each other find themselves in circumstances where they form unexpected bonds and undergo unexpected transformations. The characters are well drawn and distinct, beautifully developed, all with such high hopes for their short stay at Tranquillem House, their interactions with each other are a joy to hehold.
There are heartbreaking stories behind some of the characters, including Masha, that become apparent by the end. I found it hard to resist Moriarty's magic and succumbed to this fabulous novel with absolutely no regrets. A fantastic read with plenty of suspense and tension that comes highly recommended. View all 52 comments.
Dec 15, Nov 10, Larry H rated it liked it. This one really fell flat for me. The idea of self-improvement is often an appealing one, but it takes so much work, so when someone offers us a quick solution, how can we not jump on it? That's what is bringing nine people to Tranquillum House, an exclusive health resort in a remote part of Australia. They're coming to lose weight, to detox a bit from the alcohol they've become fond of, to get lots of spa treatments and massages, and to get a jump on the problems that h 2.
They're coming to lose weight, to detox a bit from the alcohol they've become fond of, to get lots of spa treatments and massages, and to get a jump on the problems that have been plaguing them. In 10 days, the resort promises, they'll feel totally changed. Frances Welty, once a best-selling romance author, is one of those coming to Tranquillum House. She knows she needs to lose some weight and come to terms with menopause, the imminent decline of her career, and the hurt and humiliation she feels after a romance has gone awry.
She's been nursing a bad back, a cold, and a vicious paper cut, and she hopes the pampering and the light fasting will help solve her problems. Ben and Jessica are a young married couple whose relationship has definitely seen better days. All Ben seems to care about is his fancy new sports car well, it's a Lamborghini, so can you blame him? They're hoping some marriage counseling might make the difference.
Napoleon, Heather, and Zoe, are a family that certainly looks healthy.
But they're carrying around a lot of grief, anger, regret, fear, and guilt related to a tragedy that happened just three years ago. While it might have been a better idea to go on a cruise or some other vacation, they hope that the time to meditate and reflect might help them move past these issues. These people and others expect that their stay won't be all pampering and relaxation, but they're not prepared for all that the health resort is going to throw at them. It's going to take some work to make change happen, but they have no idea just how far the director of the resort is willing to take things.
It's going to be more than fasting, yoga, massages, and hikes in the beautiful countryside. In some sense, their very survival may be at stake—certainly their willingness to fight for themselves will be challenged. But this one never took off for me; in fact, the pacing was so slow it felt like I was reading it for 10 days, as long as these characters were planning to be at the health resort! First of all, when a book introduces 11 characters to you and provides in-depth backstories for most of them, that's a lot to wade through. There definitely were some interesting characters to follow with fascinating and sometimes sad stories, but I could have done with half of them, because the constant shifting of narration made it difficult to keep any sort of rhythm.
But honestly, the whole situation with the director of the resort and her decision to take things in a new direction I found utterly laughable. I was waiting to see just how over-the-top Moriarty would take things, and found some of it really hard to believe. I did like the way she tied things up with some of her characters, but I was really disappointed on the whole. I hate when you've been waiting for an author you like to come out with a new book and it disappoints. The good news for me is, there are still some of Moriarty's earlier books I haven't read, so I look forward to those.
You may enjoy this one more than I did. See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria. View all 64 comments. Ginny Second Moriarty book I found much too slow I finished, not this one.
Mary Totally agree with your review! Nov 04, Julie rated it really liked it Shelves: Each of them is coping with various life issues, from simple domestic uncertainties, or huge family problems, to marital woes, and weight loss goals. After the prologue, the first character the reader is introduced to is Frances. So, right away, I knew I was going have to see how Frances fared, and was all in.
Perfect Stranger: A True Story of Desire and Obsession by Kay Schubach | McLeods Booksellers
But, I must warn you. This novel has the humor, sarcasm and the suspense, but the setting is not at all domestic, as you will see. I usually dislike novels with a large cast of characters. I get confused easily trying to keep up with so many backstories and the plot is usually way too busy. However, this book is an exception.
I had no trouble keeping up the characters and the plot is straightforward, so despite the number of characters, the story has a nice, even flow. I loved all the characters. They are a zany group of people, flawed of course, some dealing with deeper issues than others, but all of them are so human and real. I rooted for and cared for them all, but Frances remained a favorite character for me from start to finish. Heather, Zoe, and Napoleon have the meatiest story in the book and evoke some serious emotions.
Overall, this one is a bit of a departure for Liane Moriarty, but her signature style is etched all through the novel. While the plot is just this side of deranged, the story is a compulsive read, perhaps a little overlong, but otherwise compelling and highly engrossing!! View all 54 comments. Debbie Wonderful review, Julie!! I agree with you on everything, lol. I really appreciated that you listed the characters and gave short descriptions. It hel Wonderful review, Julie!! It helps me remember and gives me some euphoric recall.
I really appreciated that you listed the characters and gave short descr Debbie wrote: It helps me remember and gives me some euphoric recal I thought this book was very original! I loved all the characters in this one! I adored this book right from the very start and had me laughing out loud numerous times and then at other times gasping out loud in shock for the pain that some of these characters were suffering. LIANE MORIARTY delivers quite the fascinating, intriguing, vulnerable, lifelike, and beautifully written read here with quirky and realistic characters, a brazen and dynamic premise and an extremely spellbinding and enthralling storyline.
What really stood out about this novel for me was how realistic and raw these characters were written. I could see myself and others in probably every single one of these characters in this story. I thought the inner thoughts and dialogue was absolutely spot on. I absolutely loved the way that this novel made me feel and yup in the end it gave me that warmth and satisfying afterglow that I seek in my books.
Thanks so much for the wonderful reading experience!!! Appealing, suspenseful, intriguing and a fabulous representation to storyline. The nine guests were perfectly imperfect! Well-written, engaging, captivating, witty, intelligent and smart. Intriguing, clever, thought-provoking, suspenseful, perfectly-paced, absorbing, enjoyable and highly entertaining.
Clever and totally satisfying. Loved the progressive timeline. View all 50 comments. I just added this one a few minutes ago! I hop Cheri wrote: I hope that you love it too! I was highly entertained. I hope that it is an entertaining read for you too! Deb Babydimps Suzy wrote: I agree percent on everything you said! Just loved this book! I thought the cover was kinda cool too! Looks like a luscious fudge truffle, tastes like a chocolate-dipped gherkin.
Watch out for the green stuff. I'm a Liane Moriarty fan. But this latest book is a mess. It's being marketed as a psychological thriller, but that's really not accurate since the story has only one major plot twist and very little actual suspense. The book's mission isn't really to surprise: Unfortunately, by the end you won't have found out one darned thing you didn't a Looks like a luscious fudge truffle, tastes like a chocolate-dipped gherkin. Unfortunately, by the end you won't have found out one darned thing you didn't already know. Setting all the action in an isolated and oddly un-chichi health spa cuts Moriarty off from showing everyday life and culture, which has been one of her greatest strengths.
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These characters are stranded, unable to go about their daily business of planning, worrying, drinking coffee, and bonding with other women. Or worrying about what other women think of them. There are too many characters, eleven in all. And readers really get to know only two well: The many other characters are painted in broad, overly general strokes, and their stories are only loosely connected.
Each of the spa clients has an Important and Topical Issue to fret over: Perhaps Moriarty had a list with check-off boxes to make sure she represented every demographic group. Issues basically stand in for character development. I kept getting Ms. Guilty Grieving Mother mixed up with Ms.
After a few hundred pages of characters sloooowly figuring out their many problems, all of the resolutions for even the major stories are sorted out and summed up in short, abrupt epilogue paragraphs. And there is some of that. But the novel is really more like Fantasy Island goes to view spoiler [hell, hide spoiler ] and the many unrelated characters' stories are connected very loosely by that hokey Fantasy Island plot device: The imprisonment is surprisingly dull and goes on for much too long. Stereotyping is a problem with other characters as well. At one point, the book breaks the fourth wall in a trippy, meta way that I actually liked.
But what a long way to travel for a mild joke. Finally, the last word in the novel is devoted to view spoiler [trashing book reviewers, hide spoiler ] a move that comes across as petty and weird, especially coming from a novelist who's basically become critic-proof. I received my copy of the book through a Goodreads giveaway, and I was really excited until I actually read the book.
Thanks Macmillan Flatiron and Goodreads, because the book is really pretty to look at. View all 38 comments. Jo Jo Bookworm I completely agree. I pushed through only because it was written by Moriarty and I kept thinking it was going to get better but honestly this book is I completely agree. I pushed through only because it was written by Moriarty and I kept thinking it was going to get better but honestly this book is a mess.
Get into the heads of her characters, like she has a window into the thought patterns of people. In all her characters there is always something to relate to even if intially you find nothing in common from the outer. View all 20 comments. Nov 16, Mackey rated it liked it Shelves: Seriously, I don't know if I loved this book or absolutely hated it. Half way through I was done with it There are storylines in the book all told sporadically from each of their points of view. It wasn't confusing in the least, but it did get rather boring, especially for the characters that I didn't like.
Perfect Stranger: A true story of desire and obsession
Even the epilogue went on Perhaps if it had been m Seriously, I don't know if I loved this book or absolutely hated it. Perhaps if it had been more selectively edited I would have enjoyed it more but, as it was, it is a book I will forget by next week. I expect better and more from Moriarty. View all 30 comments.
Perfect Stranger: A true story
I must have been in a really nasty mood. Onward to something much better, Mackey! I'm so glad I'm not alone with my thoughts on this one! I absolutely devoured Big Little Lies! Nine people book into a health resort, Tranquillum House, ready to be transformed into a better, thinner, healthier version of their former self. A washed up romance novelist, a family broken by tragedy, a https: A washed up romance novelist, a family broken by tragedy, a has-been football star, a young couple whose marriage is faltering, the wife who has been left for a newer model and the lawyer who has commitment issues.
Nine perfect strangers all broken in their own way looking for a make-over, a rejuvenation. Then there is Maria Masha Dmitrichenko, a Russian immigrant. Masha, the director of Tranquillum House, is a transformation zealot — enlightenment for all. These nine guests are to be the first to start her new regime.
Their destinies are in her hands. She is going to change these people, not just temporarily, but forever. She slowly dissects each character, their thoughts, fears and hopes are revealed through her writing. It was easy to see something of yourself in these everyday people. Moriarty has written a novel that delves into the human mind and the way we think and connect with each other, showing an intricate observation of human failings and frailties. You can download Apple Books from the App Store. Overview Music Video Charts.
Opening the iTunes Store. If Apple Books doesn't open, click the Books app in your Dock. Click I Have iTunes to open it now. A true story of desire and obsession A true story of desire and obsession Kay Schubach. View More by This Author. Customer Reviews Perfect stranger.