Imperfect And In Love (Book Review: The Not-So-Perfect Man)

Each one of us has a different perception of who is the perfect person to spend the rest of our lives with. I think that's the idea that Valerie Frankel wants to explore in her novel "The Not-So-Perfect Man."  This is a story of three sisters living in New York City, and their eternal quest for happiness, with and without partners. Ilene is married to Peter, but she is unhappy because he has gained a lot of weight since they got married. Betty works at a chain book store and is falling for the guy installing audiobook booths. Freida is recently widowed, and is dipping back in the dating pool. At first glance, they have ordinary stories and that's not bad at all - we feel like we know these characters from the beginning. But the plots get a little too unbelievable, and yes I get the idea that we shouldn't settle and we should follow our hearts, but there's also a lot to be said for logical decision making. I didn't really dislike this book. It kept on going when I wanted it to, even if I had misgivings on where it is going. It's kind of dated, a lot of situational conflicts could be more easily dissolved if those were happening today. Who would have thought 2004 would feel like so long ago?

BC-30