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La vida empieza hoy
Laura y Richard
Dos desconocidos en un momento vital lleno de interrogantes
Dos seres encerrados en sus matrimonios
Un hombre, una mujer
Un encuentro, y una esperanza que renace
Pero, ¿somos libres para elegir la felicidad?
Dos desconocidos en un momento vital lleno de interrogantes
Dos seres encerrados en sus matrimonios
Un hombre, una mujer
Un encuentro, y una esperanza que renace
Pero, ¿somos libres para elegir la felicidad?
432 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 2012
140 people are currently reading
1590 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Kennedy
132 books1,195 followersDouglas Kennedy was born in Manhattan in 1955. He studied at Bowdoin College, Maine and Trinity College, Dublin, returning to Dublin in 1977 with just a trenchcoat, backpack and $300. He co-founded a theatre company and sold his first play, Shakespeare on Five Dollars a Day, to Radio 4 in 1980. In 1988 he moved to London and published a travel book, Beyond the Pyramids. His debut novel The Dead Heart was published in 1994.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
October 11, 2019
I have read this authors books many many times. And each time I say, what a man! He writes with such emotional depth with such insight to women that I have to applaud him.
It’s so well done.
Who hasn’t been in a humdrum life, doing the same things over and over?
Work, family life, partner duties, and everything else that goes along with it.
When the grown kids leave home, just what was the state of their marriage?
Attending a conference she gets to meet Richard and her life for five days spirals in a totally different direction.
A very easy relaxed read that won’t take much time at all to read but full of thought provoking material.
It’s so well done.
Who hasn’t been in a humdrum life, doing the same things over and over?
Work, family life, partner duties, and everything else that goes along with it.
When the grown kids leave home, just what was the state of their marriage?
Attending a conference she gets to meet Richard and her life for five days spirals in a totally different direction.
A very easy relaxed read that won’t take much time at all to read but full of thought provoking material.
April 17, 2013
Really not good. Overwritten, massive overuse of words like "wildly" and "madly", the effect of which is to take all effectiveness out of the emotional journey. Stilted dialogue and some very unconvincing scenes - the happy, accepting reaction of the heroine's two teenage children to news of their parents' marriage problems is wholly unbelievable. The author does not trust the reader to get even the simplest point and beats you over the head with ideas which he believes to be profound but which in fact are pretty trite. Badly in need of a good editor. What a shame, as some of Kennedy's earlier books are good - I loved "A Special Relationship".
One and a half stars for a moderately convincing main character, and at least an attempt to write about depression.
One and a half stars for a moderately convincing main character, and at least an attempt to write about depression.
January 26, 2013
I am a huge fan of Douglas Kennedy. I don't think he is capable of writing a bad book. FIVE DAYS may be one of my favorites.
I have never read a male author would could so flawlessly write in a woman's voice. I literally had to stop and remind myself that a man was telling the story in FIVE Days in a woman's first person voice. I am not a big fan of the romance genre. In fact, I don't even like a lot of romance in the novels I read because some of it is so 'sappy' and unrealistic. Yet Douglas Kennedy writes it so beautifully that he leaves me craving more.
The underlying theme of FIVE DAYS is that timing is everything in life, particularly in love. The story is told by Laura, a radiology tech who lives in small town Maine, who has been in an unsatisfactory marriage which she has never really wanted to admit to herself. She happily grasps the opportunity to attend a radiography conference in Boston. While in Boston, she meets Richard, a nondescript looking insurance salesman who becomes the love of her life in less than 24 hours.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves really good fiction writing. Douglas Kennedy is simply amazing.
I have never read a male author would could so flawlessly write in a woman's voice. I literally had to stop and remind myself that a man was telling the story in FIVE Days in a woman's first person voice. I am not a big fan of the romance genre. In fact, I don't even like a lot of romance in the novels I read because some of it is so 'sappy' and unrealistic. Yet Douglas Kennedy writes it so beautifully that he leaves me craving more.
The underlying theme of FIVE DAYS is that timing is everything in life, particularly in love. The story is told by Laura, a radiology tech who lives in small town Maine, who has been in an unsatisfactory marriage which she has never really wanted to admit to herself. She happily grasps the opportunity to attend a radiography conference in Boston. While in Boston, she meets Richard, a nondescript looking insurance salesman who becomes the love of her life in less than 24 hours.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves really good fiction writing. Douglas Kennedy is simply amazing.
July 27, 2013
Douglas Kennedy has written some of my all-time favourite books, particularly The Pursuit of Happiness and The Moment. Perhaps the fact that I loved these books has made me an overly harsh critic of this one, but I really didn't enjoy Five Days.
The plot is as old as time itself, a forty-ish unhappily married woman with two almost grown up children goes to a conference and connects with a man there. Over the weekend, many truths about both of their lives emerge, and we are brought on their journey over that weekend.
I liked the ending. Without giving too much away, I liked the fact that it didn't wrap things up too neatly, while at the same time leaving the reader with a sense of hope and something to think about.
I also enjoyed the settings of Maine and Boston, which were beautifully captured by the author.
I didn't like the self-conscious wordiness of the book. The two main characters connect over their love of words and synonyms, and it is completely overdone, and at times quite smug, as they try to outdo each other verbally. Not only did I dislike this aspect of the book, but it was actually painful to read as I was so aware that I was reading a book, instead of drifting into the lives of these characters as I should have been.
Kennedy is an extremely talented writer, but this novel smacks of someone who is spending too much time alone on the coast of Maine, philosophising about love, life and mental illness, and not coming to too many happy conclusions about any of these topics.
The plot is as old as time itself, a forty-ish unhappily married woman with two almost grown up children goes to a conference and connects with a man there. Over the weekend, many truths about both of their lives emerge, and we are brought on their journey over that weekend.
I liked the ending. Without giving too much away, I liked the fact that it didn't wrap things up too neatly, while at the same time leaving the reader with a sense of hope and something to think about.
I also enjoyed the settings of Maine and Boston, which were beautifully captured by the author.
I didn't like the self-conscious wordiness of the book. The two main characters connect over their love of words and synonyms, and it is completely overdone, and at times quite smug, as they try to outdo each other verbally. Not only did I dislike this aspect of the book, but it was actually painful to read as I was so aware that I was reading a book, instead of drifting into the lives of these characters as I should have been.
Kennedy is an extremely talented writer, but this novel smacks of someone who is spending too much time alone on the coast of Maine, philosophising about love, life and mental illness, and not coming to too many happy conclusions about any of these topics.
August 5, 2013
The only word I can think of to describe this book is: drivel. To be fair - my review is only of the first 200 pages or so, I read this far waiting for something to, you know, actually happen, but gave up when nothing was forthcoming. I felt the story was overwritten, and there was far too much unnecessary dialog between the main characters (that read along the lines of: thankyou for saying that, no thankyou for saying what you said / you really are extraordinary, no you are the extraordinary one / I am impressed, no I am impressed by you....blurgh, reminded me of teenagers arguing about who was going to hang up the phone first). I also didn't connect at all with the characters, and found that I really didn't care what happened to them. Laura was far too 'woe is me' for my liking, especially since she had apparently only been having these types of feelings for a short time - it seemed to escalate from her being mildly discontent to regretting her entire life's choices fairly quickly.
It is not often that I abandon a book halfway through but I just couldn't persevere with this one, I just didn't care what happened in the end.
It is not often that I abandon a book halfway through but I just couldn't persevere with this one, I just didn't care what happened in the end.
January 11, 2014
Having been a big fan of Mr Kennedy I could not believe the drivel in this book. It seems that Kennedy used the characters in the book as a platform to show off his knowledge of big words and English literature in general. And that's apart from the weak story line and the annoyingly flowery language between the lovers that made me cringe with embarrassment ( "I love you so completely/ No I love you more completely" Seriously? Remember these are adults in their forties and not teenagers talking.
We find out that Laura (the main character) is a radiographer at a local hospital - she runs scans and x-rays and we have to read her laboriously dull description of how she has to get the timing just right - clever girl that she is, she can also tell when a tumour is malignant just by looking at it.
She is not so clever at marriage though being the long suffering wife of dull and bitter Dan who has just lost his job and who accuses Laura of using big words (like indigenous!)Besides she is still mourning the loss of her first love of 20 years ago whose name nobody is allowed to mention.
At a medical conference in Boston Laura meets Richard a married insurance salesman cum frustrated writer and they fall in love.On the second day of meeting each other , she is out buying him new clothes to transform his look - who does that? They have the intellectual discussions that she so sorely misses with Dan and have a competition about who knows the biggest words.They have what is known in the romantic world as a "connection"
On their third day together Richard buys a house so that they can move in together. And so on......................
If you like unrealistic romantic fiction this is the book for you , otherwise avoid.
We find out that Laura (the main character) is a radiographer at a local hospital - she runs scans and x-rays and we have to read her laboriously dull description of how she has to get the timing just right - clever girl that she is, she can also tell when a tumour is malignant just by looking at it.
She is not so clever at marriage though being the long suffering wife of dull and bitter Dan who has just lost his job and who accuses Laura of using big words (like indigenous!)Besides she is still mourning the loss of her first love of 20 years ago whose name nobody is allowed to mention.
At a medical conference in Boston Laura meets Richard a married insurance salesman cum frustrated writer and they fall in love.On the second day of meeting each other , she is out buying him new clothes to transform his look - who does that? They have the intellectual discussions that she so sorely misses with Dan and have a competition about who knows the biggest words.They have what is known in the romantic world as a "connection"
On their third day together Richard buys a house so that they can move in together. And so on......................
If you like unrealistic romantic fiction this is the book for you , otherwise avoid.
April 1, 2013
Любимият ми Дъглас Кенеди! И поредната му уникална история!
Една история за това как често, ако не и постоянно, сами си налагаме граници с ясното съзнание, че пропускаме възможности, които случайността понякога ни предлага. За мечтите, които не сме се осмелили да преследваме, защото сме си намерили спъващите ни причини, убеждавайки се сякаш подсъзнателно, че не можем да се изправим срещу тях. От страх?
Да имаш късмета случването да те сполети веднъж и ти доброволно да се откажеш от него. Времето не прощава. Но понякога случайността поднася втори шансове. И дали цялата сложнотия на живота, в който години наред си се вкопал - от навик, от липса на вяра, от загубването на надеждата, от наличието на редица отговорности, ще те спре да грабнеш този шанс? Може ли човек да си позволи да бъде щастлив, след като години наред се е убеждавал, че поради една или друга причина не го заслужава... И накрая успешно се е убедил... И тук всичко пак опира да страха... Можем ли да си позволим поне веднъж да захвърлим страховете си и да се променим? Можем ли да си позволим отново да обичаме, без да усещаме, че всичко е обречено?
Кога е прекалено късно? И "прекалено късно" има ли смисъл като понятие, когато става дума за откриване на себе си.... Дали наистина "love is the answer"? Можем ли да се променим? А искаме ли?
Силна, много силна история!
Една история за това как често, ако не и постоянно, сами си налагаме граници с ясното съзнание, че пропускаме възможности, които случайността понякога ни предлага. За мечтите, които не сме се осмелили да преследваме, защото сме си намерили спъващите ни причини, убеждавайки се сякаш подсъзнателно, че не можем да се изправим срещу тях. От страх?
Да имаш късмета случването да те сполети веднъж и ти доброволно да се откажеш от него. Времето не прощава. Но понякога случайността поднася втори шансове. И дали цялата сложнотия на живота, в който години наред си се вкопал - от навик, от липса на вяра, от загубването на надеждата, от наличието на редица отговорности, ще те спре да грабнеш този шанс? Може ли човек да си позволи да бъде щастлив, след като години наред се е убеждавал, че поради една или друга причина не го заслужава... И накрая успешно се е убедил... И тук всичко пак опира да страха... Можем ли да си позволим поне веднъж да захвърлим страховете си и да се променим? Можем ли да си позволим отново да обичаме, без да усещаме, че всичко е обречено?
Кога е прекалено късно? И "прекалено късно" има ли смисъл като понятие, когато става дума за откриване на себе си.... Дали наистина "love is the answer"? Можем ли да се променим? А искаме ли?
Силна, много силна история!
September 19, 2021
Laura es una técnica radióloga que reside en una pequeña ciudad de Maine. Su familia representa el modelo contemporáneo de la clase media que navega desesperadamente entre los gastos de la hipoteca de la casa, el pago de la colegiatura de los dos hijos y la esperanza de ahorrar para tener vacaciones una vez cada año. Su matrimonio vive una calma tensa, producto del desinterés creciente de él y de la cada vez mayor decepción e insatisfacción de ella. Luego entra en escena otro personaje que sacude la vida de la protagonista.
Me gustó la novela, se deja leer muy rápido, aunque sigue siendo más de lo mismo que siempre entrega Douglas Kennedy. Lo cual está bien, hay escritores que se convierten en viejos conocidos y ya sabes qué esperar de sus libros.
Me gustó la novela, se deja leer muy rápido, aunque sigue siendo más de lo mismo que siempre entrega Douglas Kennedy. Lo cual está bien, hay escritores que se convierten en viejos conocidos y ya sabes qué esperar de sus libros.
April 14, 2013
Мъжът, който най-добре пише от името на жена. Не знам как успява, но го прави наистина доста сериозно и отговорно.
Поредната книга на Кенеди, която освен, че е ужасно интересна и прекрасна като стил, който не те оставя да оставиш книгата за миг, третира проблемите на личността и тези на общуването в нашия свят. Задава въпроси, дава някои отговори или по-скоро навежда на такива.
каквото и да напише Дъглас Кенеди, винаги последното нещо, което си казвам след като затворя последната страница, е - кога ще имам следващата му книга?!
Поредната книга на Кенеди, която освен, че е ужасно интересна и прекрасна като стил, който не те оставя да оставиш книгата за миг, третира проблемите на личността и тези на общуването в нашия свят. Задава въпроси, дава някои отговори или по-скоро навежда на такива.
каквото и да напише Дъглас Кенеди, винаги последното нещо, което си казвам след като затворя последната страница, е - кога ще имам следващата му книга?!
April 18, 2013
Utterly disappointed with this book. Not up to Douglas Kennedy's normal standard. Loved every other book he has ever written. There were parts of this book I enjoyed - character history etc - that's why I've given it 2 stars. However the story itself was unbelievable, and poorly written. As for the twist, which in other DK books keeps me up reading all night, was disappointing and expected.
So if you're expecting another " Pursuit of happiness" and the like, then save your money and re- read them again!
So if you're expecting another " Pursuit of happiness" and the like, then save your money and re- read them again!
April 29, 2013
Laura is an x-ray technician. She runs the machine when the doctor is looking for something. Usually it is for possible oncology patients. Ones that might have cancer. This does not make Laura’s job easy. Her patients range from children to adults. For those few minutes life is suspended until Laura sees the “all clear”.
Laura has a family with a husband, son and daughter. Her husband is unemployed, her daughter doesn’t listen and her son is going through some things. Laura gets a chance to go away for five days to a conference. It is at the conference that she meets Richard. Richard is a salesman. Soon Laura and Richard are spending time together. What happens when their time together is up?
I had some trouble reading this book. I did finish it but I found it depressing. Laura was sad and weak. She did grow up through this whole process as most people should in the end but it was too late for me. I never fully committed to her. Also, while Richard was nice. He also was sad. He had a sad story and so when he and Laura got together it was nothing but sadness. It went on like this for about half of the book. The other half I was skimming it to get it to speed up. This was after I had put the book down for a while and walked away from it.
Some of Mr. Kennedy’s other books sound interesting. I might check them out some day. This book does make you think however about every choice you make and how it affects you as a person.
Laura has a family with a husband, son and daughter. Her husband is unemployed, her daughter doesn’t listen and her son is going through some things. Laura gets a chance to go away for five days to a conference. It is at the conference that she meets Richard. Richard is a salesman. Soon Laura and Richard are spending time together. What happens when their time together is up?
I had some trouble reading this book. I did finish it but I found it depressing. Laura was sad and weak. She did grow up through this whole process as most people should in the end but it was too late for me. I never fully committed to her. Also, while Richard was nice. He also was sad. He had a sad story and so when he and Laura got together it was nothing but sadness. It went on like this for about half of the book. The other half I was skimming it to get it to speed up. This was after I had put the book down for a while and walked away from it.
Some of Mr. Kennedy’s other books sound interesting. I might check them out some day. This book does make you think however about every choice you make and how it affects you as a person.
May 2, 2013
Five Days is my introduction to author Douglas Kennedy and has left a lasting impression on me I will not soon shake. Five Days is the story of Laura, a radiographic technologist, employed at a small hospital on the coast of Maine. She is mother to a college son and a soon-to-be graduating from high school daughter. She is also the wife to a very unemployed husband who seems to blame her for his lack of employment. The idea that the empty nest she's approaching soon with the graduation of her daughter scares her into realizing this isn't the marraige she wants. A work related trip to Boston gives Laura the break she desperately needs from her life. During this trip, Laura meets and finds refuge in an intelligent salesman named Richard Copeland.
Kennedy writes his chacters with such dimensionality and truth that I can easily see the worn down wife who's only goal has been pleasing others. The unemployed husband who's subject to working a job he is overly qualified for just to help ends meet. And the teenaged daughter who sees the amount of crap their mother is going through and actually cares that they find release. The tension that Laura feels at any time in this novel is spot on for a woman who's at the end of her ropes and is wondering how she got here. Where does she go from here?
This novel also includes a love story that will have readers wonder can someone really, truly fall in love over the course of a weekend. The excitement in meeting someone who compliments you in every way and is your equal is one of the most envious feelings that translates well through Five Days. There's a strong case for the possibility that love can happen honestly and wholly when you least expect it. I felt the relationship that blossoms between Richard and Laura was definitely organic. I will note that at times I felt that they reminded me of an episode of Dawson's Creek where the need for a dictionary or thesaurus is necessary to translate whatever they were saying to make sense of it.
Overall, I really adored Five Days. It's the story of so many comtemporary women and families. This novel about the risks we take and the ones we don't that ultimately dictate the course of our lives is refreshing read that I would recommend to anyone looking for a smart romance to indulge in. Five Days also explores hope, loneliness, and true love. This novel makes me hope I am not a person who has talked themselves into a life they don't want because of lack of courage.
Kennedy writes his chacters with such dimensionality and truth that I can easily see the worn down wife who's only goal has been pleasing others. The unemployed husband who's subject to working a job he is overly qualified for just to help ends meet. And the teenaged daughter who sees the amount of crap their mother is going through and actually cares that they find release. The tension that Laura feels at any time in this novel is spot on for a woman who's at the end of her ropes and is wondering how she got here. Where does she go from here?
This novel also includes a love story that will have readers wonder can someone really, truly fall in love over the course of a weekend. The excitement in meeting someone who compliments you in every way and is your equal is one of the most envious feelings that translates well through Five Days. There's a strong case for the possibility that love can happen honestly and wholly when you least expect it. I felt the relationship that blossoms between Richard and Laura was definitely organic. I will note that at times I felt that they reminded me of an episode of Dawson's Creek where the need for a dictionary or thesaurus is necessary to translate whatever they were saying to make sense of it.
Overall, I really adored Five Days. It's the story of so many comtemporary women and families. This novel about the risks we take and the ones we don't that ultimately dictate the course of our lives is refreshing read that I would recommend to anyone looking for a smart romance to indulge in. Five Days also explores hope, loneliness, and true love. This novel makes me hope I am not a person who has talked themselves into a life they don't want because of lack of courage.
January 3, 2017
Този роман, въпреки че не е толкова завладяващ, както останалите на автора, които прочетох досега, е най-близо до всичко онова , което съм преживяла в моя живот. Напълно се доближава до нещата , които ме вълнуват и са ме вълнували въобще. За съжаление, не съм добра с думите и не бих могла да опиша толкова добре, всички онези неща , които ме вълнуват , както вълнуват и героинята.
За пореден път се изумявам , че е писана от мъж. В този човек явно съжителстват в хармония мъжка и женска душа :)
Толкова интелигентно и ерудирано написана, с диалози , на които само можеш да завиждаш благородно.
Направи ми впечатление, че отново са вплетени мисли , които намерих и забелязах и в другите му творби.
".......нерядко проектираме върху някого онова, от което има нужда сърцето ни. В резултат изобщо не виждаме другия какъвто е. "
"......да си жив човек означава постоянно да съжаляваш за нещо."
"..никой друг освен теб самият не е отговорен за твоето щастие. Също така, че не си отговорен за щастието на никой друг."
".... стига да му позволиш, животът може да избегне присъщите си баналности и да те изненада, да ти напомни, че страстта не те е напуснала. Работата е там, че трябва да си позволиш да прегърнеш това вероятно чудо."
"...истината е, че човек трябва истински да изживее живота си.Няма нищо незначително в историите на всеки един от нас дори ако самите ние ги приемаме за твърде делнични."
"Такъв е животът. Онова, което ни обвързва, неизменно бива разкъсано - било по силата на биологията, на промяна, на угасване на чувствата, на неумолимата инерция за движение напред, валидна за всички нас."
"Ала ако в крайна сметка не успееш да трансформираш шанса в промяна, има още една голяма утеха.....стига да пожелаеш да я видиш: Ще живееш."
За пореден път се изумявам , че е писана от мъж. В този човек явно съжителстват в хармония мъжка и женска душа :)
Толкова интелигентно и ерудирано написана, с диалози , на които само можеш да завиждаш благородно.
Направи ми впечатление, че отново са вплетени мисли , които намерих и забелязах и в другите му творби.
".......нерядко проектираме върху някого онова, от което има нужда сърцето ни. В резултат изобщо не виждаме другия какъвто е. "
"......да си жив човек означава постоянно да съжаляваш за нещо."
"..никой друг освен теб самият не е отговорен за твоето щастие. Също така, че не си отговорен за щастието на никой друг."
".... стига да му позволиш, животът може да избегне присъщите си баналности и да те изненада, да ти напомни, че страстта не те е напуснала. Работата е там, че трябва да си позволиш да прегърнеш това вероятно чудо."
"...истината е, че човек трябва истински да изживее живота си.Няма нищо незначително в историите на всеки един от нас дори ако самите ние ги приемаме за твърде делнични."
"Такъв е животът. Онова, което ни обвързва, неизменно бива разкъсано - било по силата на биологията, на промяна, на угасване на чувствата, на неумолимата инерция за движение напред, валидна за всички нас."
"Ала ако в крайна сметка не успееш да трансформираш шанса в промяна, има още една голяма утеха.....стига да пожелаеш да я видиш: Ще живееш."
July 1, 2013
Although Five Days by Douglas Kennedy started off well, it progressed into a silly, unrealistic, ridiculous story about "true love" discovered over the course of a three day radiography conference. Within two days, this newly found couple was planning to divorce their respective spouses, quit their jobs, and move from Maine to Boston to live together in a newly purchased apartment. They stared into each other's eyes, proclaimed their love for one another, recited poetry by candlelight, and had an "intense" sexual liaison that surpassed any sexual experience that they had ever experienced in the past, and apparently would never encounter again. Additionally, I did not care for any of the characters. This reader looked forward to the novel ending because this over-the-top fairy tale insulted my intelligence.
May 26, 2013
Treacly love story. Just like his last book which I couldn't finish. So predictable and such cringe-worthy dialogue. And to think I used to like this writer. Not sure what happened to him....
April 30, 2013
Life for Laura Warren is punctuated by the methodical: a radiographic technician, her work at a prestigious hospital on the Maine coast requires her to look at cancer every day, unearthing the answers to patients’ most fearsome question and yet not being in a station to share what she knows. Keeping her thoughts to herself is something she’s familiar with at home, too. Her husband, Dan, has become increasingly embittered by the loss of his job, effectively driving a wedge further into their already fractured relationship. The bright lights in Laura’s life, her children, are living full lives of their own – creative, talented Ben away at college and savvy Sally in her final year of high school. Laura never really entertains escape, but when she finds herself at a weekend conference in Boston her world is turned upside down when she chances into conversation with another guest at the hotel. Richard has all the looks of a stuffy insurance salesman in his fifties, but no sooner have they engaged in a passing conversation when they realize they’ve both stumbled upon something profound, maybe even life-changing.
Douglas Kennedy’s eleventh novel, Five Days, is a luxurious work that spins several unpleasant topics into a rich literary experience. It’s a love story that explores both the rampant ecstasy and wrenching sadness with a scope so broad it will leave the reader rather breathless. As the title suggests, the story is divided into five days amid Laura’s life, documenting the unhappiness of her every day, the tentative thrill of discovering something new, and the frightening elation at the prospect of changing her life for the better. Perhaps what I connected most with in the book was the difficulty – and triumph – in Laura’s plight to recreate her life; Kennedy focuses the novel on her first-person narration, which allows the reader to become fully acquainted with this remarkable character. Initially, I felt that I couldn’t quite relate with Laura, that her tone was rather depressing, but the beauty of Kennedy’s work is in the power he maintains over his own writing. His timing is excellent. As Laura frees herself from the confines of her depressing life and embarks on a life-changing relationship with another man, she allows herself to open up to the reader, to drop her guard. But it was after what happened later – when changes she had never expected began to take shape – that I found her at her most empowering.
Kennedy’s use of language is superb, and his detailing creates a beautiful, almost dreamlike literary world that’s tinged ever slightly with melancholy. Richard and Laura are both pragmatic and romantic, two fascinatingly smart, well-read, engaged people. Their connect is so that Kennedy manages to set them more or less above every other character in the book – which, as they together share in their delight of obscure artistic references and an all-too-encompassing interest in synonyms – could make the reader feel either connected or slightly detached. Their intellect being the chief source of their chemistry, I found it fascinating to follow along and see the sparks ignite on the page. Overall, I found Five Days to be a thought-provoking look at the power of love to build up, destroy, and change our lives as we know it, and how we as humans deal with the magnitude of it.
(Review © Casee Marie, originally published on April 30, 2013 at LiteraryInklings.com. I received a copy of the book for the purpose of review.)
Douglas Kennedy’s eleventh novel, Five Days, is a luxurious work that spins several unpleasant topics into a rich literary experience. It’s a love story that explores both the rampant ecstasy and wrenching sadness with a scope so broad it will leave the reader rather breathless. As the title suggests, the story is divided into five days amid Laura’s life, documenting the unhappiness of her every day, the tentative thrill of discovering something new, and the frightening elation at the prospect of changing her life for the better. Perhaps what I connected most with in the book was the difficulty – and triumph – in Laura’s plight to recreate her life; Kennedy focuses the novel on her first-person narration, which allows the reader to become fully acquainted with this remarkable character. Initially, I felt that I couldn’t quite relate with Laura, that her tone was rather depressing, but the beauty of Kennedy’s work is in the power he maintains over his own writing. His timing is excellent. As Laura frees herself from the confines of her depressing life and embarks on a life-changing relationship with another man, she allows herself to open up to the reader, to drop her guard. But it was after what happened later – when changes she had never expected began to take shape – that I found her at her most empowering.
Kennedy’s use of language is superb, and his detailing creates a beautiful, almost dreamlike literary world that’s tinged ever slightly with melancholy. Richard and Laura are both pragmatic and romantic, two fascinatingly smart, well-read, engaged people. Their connect is so that Kennedy manages to set them more or less above every other character in the book – which, as they together share in their delight of obscure artistic references and an all-too-encompassing interest in synonyms – could make the reader feel either connected or slightly detached. Their intellect being the chief source of their chemistry, I found it fascinating to follow along and see the sparks ignite on the page. Overall, I found Five Days to be a thought-provoking look at the power of love to build up, destroy, and change our lives as we know it, and how we as humans deal with the magnitude of it.
(Review © Casee Marie, originally published on April 30, 2013 at LiteraryInklings.com. I received a copy of the book for the purpose of review.)
April 26, 2015
Първа книга, която чета от този автор. Не съм запозната с творчеството му, но впечатление ми направи колко бързо се чете, как отгръщам страниците без усилие.
Започна с твърде тежка тема, която ме накара да продължа да чета, стана ми интересно как ще се развие историята около баналния сюжет, който се предлагаше на пръв поглед.
И не съжалих - обратът беше налице, дори преди да бъде написано черно на бяло. Усещанията, които спохождат читателя докато чете, изпреварват събитията и това не е лошо - не четем кримка все пак. Нищо, че Кенеди пише точно такива книги.
Това си е драма за човешкия живот, взаимоотношения, изгубеното време и надеждата.
Преди всичко надеждата за по-добро, за промяна. Промяна в съзнанието и в душата ти, която ще ти позволи да изсле��ваш себе си, лимитите, които сам си поставяш. Не задължително най-добрата или лесна промяна на света, но тази, която ще те спаси. Спасение от самия себе си.
Изпълнена с мъдри прозрения за света и хората, тази книга показва как трябва да живеем всеки ден така, сякаш е последен.Да грабим от живота с пълни шепи, защото иначе той минава покрай нас и не ни остава нищо. И никой.
Приятно ми беше да прочета тази книга, но имам критики към превода. Не може да прозира оригиналът под текста. Не може диалозите да са така изкуствени, че да съзирам каква е била английската им версия. Издатели от Колибри,колкото и бързо да сте се старали да издадете тази книга, трябваше да оставите време на преводача да се представи по-добре. Смятам, че има накъде, смятам че оригиналния текст и самия автор не заслужават подобно нещо.
Съжалявам, че не съм прочела книгата в оригинал, може би тогава оценката ми щеше да е по-висока, но тъй като не съм запозната с него, тя е само 3 звездички.
Ето колко е важно човек да си върши работата както трябва ;)
Започна с твърде тежка тема, която ме накара да продължа да чета, стана ми интересно как ще се развие историята около баналния сюжет, който се предлагаше на пръв поглед.
И не съжалих - обратът беше налице, дори преди да бъде написано черно на бяло. Усещанията, които спохождат читателя докато чете, изпреварват събитията и това не е лошо - не четем кримка все пак. Нищо, че Кенеди пише точно такива книги.
Това си е драма за човешкия живот, взаимоотношения, изгубеното време и надеждата.
Преди всичко надеждата за по-добро, за промяна. Промяна в съзнанието и в душата ти, която ще ти позволи да изсле��ваш себе си, лимитите, които сам си поставяш. Не задължително най-добрата или лесна промяна на света, но тази, която ще те спаси. Спасение от самия себе си.
Изпълнена с мъдри прозрения за света и хората, тази книга показва как трябва да живеем всеки ден така, сякаш е последен.Да грабим от живота с пълни шепи, защото иначе той минава покрай нас и не ни остава нищо. И никой.
Приятно ми беше да прочета тази книга, но имам критики към превода. Не може да прозира оригиналът под текста. Не може диалозите да са така изкуствени, че да съзирам каква е била английската им версия. Издатели от Колибри,колкото и бързо да сте се старали да издадете тази книга, трябваше да оставите време на преводача да се представи по-добре. Смятам, че има накъде, смятам че оригиналния текст и самия автор не заслужават подобно нещо.
Съжалявам, че не съм прочела книгата в оригинал, може би тогава оценката ми щеше да е по-висока, но тъй като не съм запозната с него, тя е само 3 звездички.
Ето колко е важно човек да си върши работата както трябва ;)
December 11, 2015
Ако бях като Мазен Пешо и другите литературни блогери, щях да напиша един преразказ с елементи на разсъждение. Но всъщност сюжета на книгата е прост - след загубени 20 години в скучни бракове и професии, наложени от родителите им, двама души се срещат. Следват пет върховни дни на истинска любов, разговори за големи промени, но в края на периода напред продължава само единия. Другият се уплашва и се връща към познатото.
В книгата се говори за Промяната. Оная с главното П, която ни трясва по главата и показва, че само сме си губили времето досега. Но и показва добре, че промяната може да дойде само отвътре. Ако човек не е готов, колкото и външни причини да го натискат... Или както е казано - насила не може да се даде, може само да се вземе.
Ако наближавате 40-те и работата и семейството ви се струват скучни - това е вашата книга. Ще ви накара да си зададете много въпроси. Няма отговори. Всъщност книгата няма хепиенд, в края на книгата главните герои не са по-щастливи, просто са по-свободни... На дълъг път се тръгва с малка крачка... Всъщност книгата е за тази първа крачка...
Авторът пише разкошно, но тук действието е бавно, има много излишни подробности, няма го оня задъхан ритъм на "The Job".
Но много приятна книга, отне ми две почти пълни нощи да я дочета...
В книгата се говори за Промяната. Оная с главното П, която ни трясва по главата и показва, че само сме си губили времето досега. Но и показва добре, че промяната може да дойде само отвътре. Ако човек не е готов, колкото и външни причини да го натискат... Или както е казано - насила не може да се даде, може само да се вземе.
Ако наближавате 40-те и работата и семейството ви се струват скучни - това е вашата книга. Ще ви накара да си зададете много въпроси. Няма отговори. Всъщност книгата няма хепиенд, в края на книгата главните герои не са по-щастливи, просто са по-свободни... На дълъг път се тръгва с малка крачка... Всъщност книгата е за тази първа крачка...
Авторът пише разкошно, но тук действието е бавно, има много излишни подробности, няма го оня задъхан ритъм на "The Job".
Но много приятна книга, отне ми две почти пълни нощи да я дочета...
January 3, 2016
Two marriages. One just chuggin' along in Maine mundanity; the other brim full of New England chill. And then there was Boston.
In some quarters 'Five Days' has been seen as a defence of marital infidelity. In doing the rounds, spruiking this 2013 novel, Kennedy himself offered up the following - that if '...you are no longer responsible for the day-to-day welfare of your children and you accept that your marriage has flat-lined - what then? I fully believe that the only person responsible for your happiness (or lack thereof) is yourself.' The author cites the French and their less strictured views on adultery, compared to those of his country of birth. He should know, he's lived in that European nation off and on for fifteen years. The French, he muses, live with the idea that '...you can manifold different rooms within for your own intimate life.' But that notion is not the path taken by Kennedy's protagonists in this readable tome. For them, it's all or nothing
Radiologist Laura (RL) is in town to attend a professional conference. Mr Insurance Man (MIM) is there on business. The two first encounter each other and exchange a few pleasantries in lining up to be processed into the nondescript rooms of a nondescript Boston hotel. Initially, to RL, MIM is the epitome of nondescript as well, so initially she thinks little of this chance meeting. It is only after, when she finds herself randomly sharing a revivalist cinema room with him and they again chat, that she feels there may be some substance to this fellow. To the pair's delight, over a drink, they discover they have oh so much in common. Both share a love of, obviously, old movies, but there's much, much more. Both have been thwarted in life when it comes to achieving their great ambitions; both have a love for pushing the envelope when it comes to peppering their conversation with literary devices and both have rebounded from a great wasn't-to-be love affair into direly unrewarding wedlock. And, would you believe, both can quote to each other from the great works of American literature. The two, just to add an extra cause for comparing notes, both have male offspring with distressing mental health issues. Of course, with so much commonality, RL decides that MIM is quite a lively and attractive guy, despite his beige tones. MIM comes quickly to the opinion that he may well be in the presence of the second great love of his life. What the reader discovers, as they open up to each other about their back stories, is that, whereas RL has a modicum of spine, MIM has zilch.
What is undeniable is that there's mutual attraction - but will they act on it? They don't dally around these two. They are soon planning a life together once they also discover how super-charged their lovemaking is. So what if RL has a hubby back up in Maine struggling through his own mid-life crisis and a daughter engaging with all the vicissitudes of emerging into womanhood. MIM has his family business to run, albeit not much else going in his life to rave about. His wife is an icicle. Are they going to totally throw their present flawed lives away so readily.? You betcha they are. Their love, after a couple of days knowing each other, is just so right it has to be. The sparks in the bedroom, as well as their complete and utter in-synch-ness in all of life's important stuff, soon have them looking at Boston apartments to co-habit. And then there are romantic trips to Paris to plan. In the process RL is transforming MIM into a funky and hot-to-trot bohemian, in terms of his attire. If you think it's all too good to be true and that there is a fall coming once reality and common sense intervene, well then, you don't know these two. But they'll need spine to achieve it.
Now really I should have disliked this novel intensely. Both RL and MIM are, to put it bluntly, gits. And their conversations, as a twosome, are simply way too clever and nuanced for besotted lovers so caught up in infatuation and lust. The whole scenario is not in any way believable to this reader. Are there two people, anywhere, so pompously stupid? So it must be a rare talent that can turn what Kennedy has chosen to work with into a narrative that is almost unputdownable. I just had to find out if these two self-absorbed and woe-is-me beings would defy the odds and find true one hundred percent happiness in each other's arms. Or would RL see through MIM's complete sappiness? Such an unlikely pairing, it sure couldn't come up all smelling of roses, could it?
I like Douglas Kennedy's work. Not all his product, it must be said, has caught me in the same way as this one. 'Five Days' really appealed against the odds, but I can see, for some, it may be just too preposterous for words; the love-struck beings so totally annoying. Admittedly there have been a couple of lemons in the fair number of this wordsmith's back product that I have read. But he is definitely an author I'd recommend. even if perhaps not with this tome as a starting point. Kennedy isn't someone I rush out to buy as soon as a book bearing his moniker is published, but I dare-say his new offering, 'The Blue Hour', will eventually end up on my shelves.
In some quarters 'Five Days' has been seen as a defence of marital infidelity. In doing the rounds, spruiking this 2013 novel, Kennedy himself offered up the following - that if '...you are no longer responsible for the day-to-day welfare of your children and you accept that your marriage has flat-lined - what then? I fully believe that the only person responsible for your happiness (or lack thereof) is yourself.' The author cites the French and their less strictured views on adultery, compared to those of his country of birth. He should know, he's lived in that European nation off and on for fifteen years. The French, he muses, live with the idea that '...you can manifold different rooms within for your own intimate life.' But that notion is not the path taken by Kennedy's protagonists in this readable tome. For them, it's all or nothing
Radiologist Laura (RL) is in town to attend a professional conference. Mr Insurance Man (MIM) is there on business. The two first encounter each other and exchange a few pleasantries in lining up to be processed into the nondescript rooms of a nondescript Boston hotel. Initially, to RL, MIM is the epitome of nondescript as well, so initially she thinks little of this chance meeting. It is only after, when she finds herself randomly sharing a revivalist cinema room with him and they again chat, that she feels there may be some substance to this fellow. To the pair's delight, over a drink, they discover they have oh so much in common. Both share a love of, obviously, old movies, but there's much, much more. Both have been thwarted in life when it comes to achieving their great ambitions; both have a love for pushing the envelope when it comes to peppering their conversation with literary devices and both have rebounded from a great wasn't-to-be love affair into direly unrewarding wedlock. And, would you believe, both can quote to each other from the great works of American literature. The two, just to add an extra cause for comparing notes, both have male offspring with distressing mental health issues. Of course, with so much commonality, RL decides that MIM is quite a lively and attractive guy, despite his beige tones. MIM comes quickly to the opinion that he may well be in the presence of the second great love of his life. What the reader discovers, as they open up to each other about their back stories, is that, whereas RL has a modicum of spine, MIM has zilch.
What is undeniable is that there's mutual attraction - but will they act on it? They don't dally around these two. They are soon planning a life together once they also discover how super-charged their lovemaking is. So what if RL has a hubby back up in Maine struggling through his own mid-life crisis and a daughter engaging with all the vicissitudes of emerging into womanhood. MIM has his family business to run, albeit not much else going in his life to rave about. His wife is an icicle. Are they going to totally throw their present flawed lives away so readily.? You betcha they are. Their love, after a couple of days knowing each other, is just so right it has to be. The sparks in the bedroom, as well as their complete and utter in-synch-ness in all of life's important stuff, soon have them looking at Boston apartments to co-habit. And then there are romantic trips to Paris to plan. In the process RL is transforming MIM into a funky and hot-to-trot bohemian, in terms of his attire. If you think it's all too good to be true and that there is a fall coming once reality and common sense intervene, well then, you don't know these two. But they'll need spine to achieve it.
Now really I should have disliked this novel intensely. Both RL and MIM are, to put it bluntly, gits. And their conversations, as a twosome, are simply way too clever and nuanced for besotted lovers so caught up in infatuation and lust. The whole scenario is not in any way believable to this reader. Are there two people, anywhere, so pompously stupid? So it must be a rare talent that can turn what Kennedy has chosen to work with into a narrative that is almost unputdownable. I just had to find out if these two self-absorbed and woe-is-me beings would defy the odds and find true one hundred percent happiness in each other's arms. Or would RL see through MIM's complete sappiness? Such an unlikely pairing, it sure couldn't come up all smelling of roses, could it?
I like Douglas Kennedy's work. Not all his product, it must be said, has caught me in the same way as this one. 'Five Days' really appealed against the odds, but I can see, for some, it may be just too preposterous for words; the love-struck beings so totally annoying. Admittedly there have been a couple of lemons in the fair number of this wordsmith's back product that I have read. But he is definitely an author I'd recommend. even if perhaps not with this tome as a starting point. Kennedy isn't someone I rush out to buy as soon as a book bearing his moniker is published, but I dare-say his new offering, 'The Blue Hour', will eventually end up on my shelves.
August 20, 2013
Five Days
By Douglas Kennedy
Summery courtesy of goodreads.com
From the #1 internationally bestselling author of The Moment comes a remarkable new novel that explores how and why we fall in love.Laura works in a small hospital on the Maine coast, scanning and x-raying many a scared patient. In a job where finding nothing is always the best result, she is well versed in the random unfairness of life, a truism that has started to affect her personally. Her husband Dan has become a stranger since losing his job. With a son in college and a daughter set to leave home, she wonders how the upcoming empty nest will affect the disconnected state of her marriage.
Still, Laura jumps at the opportunity to attend a conference in Boston where she meets a man as grey and uninspired as her drab hotel. His name is Richard. He’s a fifty-something salesman, also from Maine, also in Boston for the weekend. When a chance meeting brings them together again, Laura begins to discover a far more complex and thoughtful man behind the flat facade. Like herself, Richard ponders his own life and wonders if the time has come to choose desire over obligation.
Five Days is a moving love story that will have readers reflecting about the choices made that so shape all our destinies. Featuring Kennedy’s trademark evocative prose and his brilliant ability to delineate life the way it is truly lived today, it is a novel that speaks directly to the many contradictions of the human heart.
Review
I am a huge fan of Douglas Kennedy and once again hes delivered an amazing book and fact FIVE DAYS is my new all time favorite book by Douglas Kennedy.
I sometimes forget that Douglas Kennedy is a man simply because of how poignant his writing is, somehow he writes in a woman's voice with such emotion.
The underlying theme of FIVE DAYS is that timing is everything in life, particularly in love. The story is told by Laura, a radiology tech who lives in small town Maine, who has been in an unsatisfactory marriage which she has never really wanted to admit to herself. She happily grasps the opportunity to attend a radiography conference in Boston. While in Boston, she meets Richard, a nondescript looking insurance salesman who becomes the love of her life in less than 24 hours.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves a really good book, Douglas Kennedy is simply an amazing writer. I've read all his books and never been disappointing by his remarkable story telling, the pace and flow of Kennedy's stories take readers on a literary journey that never fail to impress me.
4.5 Stars
By Douglas Kennedy
Summery courtesy of goodreads.com
From the #1 internationally bestselling author of The Moment comes a remarkable new novel that explores how and why we fall in love.Laura works in a small hospital on the Maine coast, scanning and x-raying many a scared patient. In a job where finding nothing is always the best result, she is well versed in the random unfairness of life, a truism that has started to affect her personally. Her husband Dan has become a stranger since losing his job. With a son in college and a daughter set to leave home, she wonders how the upcoming empty nest will affect the disconnected state of her marriage.
Still, Laura jumps at the opportunity to attend a conference in Boston where she meets a man as grey and uninspired as her drab hotel. His name is Richard. He’s a fifty-something salesman, also from Maine, also in Boston for the weekend. When a chance meeting brings them together again, Laura begins to discover a far more complex and thoughtful man behind the flat facade. Like herself, Richard ponders his own life and wonders if the time has come to choose desire over obligation.
Five Days is a moving love story that will have readers reflecting about the choices made that so shape all our destinies. Featuring Kennedy’s trademark evocative prose and his brilliant ability to delineate life the way it is truly lived today, it is a novel that speaks directly to the many contradictions of the human heart.
Review
I am a huge fan of Douglas Kennedy and once again hes delivered an amazing book and fact FIVE DAYS is my new all time favorite book by Douglas Kennedy.
I sometimes forget that Douglas Kennedy is a man simply because of how poignant his writing is, somehow he writes in a woman's voice with such emotion.
The underlying theme of FIVE DAYS is that timing is everything in life, particularly in love. The story is told by Laura, a radiology tech who lives in small town Maine, who has been in an unsatisfactory marriage which she has never really wanted to admit to herself. She happily grasps the opportunity to attend a radiography conference in Boston. While in Boston, she meets Richard, a nondescript looking insurance salesman who becomes the love of her life in less than 24 hours.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves a really good book, Douglas Kennedy is simply an amazing writer. I've read all his books and never been disappointing by his remarkable story telling, the pace and flow of Kennedy's stories take readers on a literary journey that never fail to impress me.
4.5 Stars
January 31, 2016
Phew! (Wipes brow) That took a loooonnnng time to read, the first 75 % was so boring, if it hadn't been a book club read I would have dnf'd early on. The editing was good but five days felt like 5 centuries. It was only when that 5 days was over that the story got mildly interesting. Laura was lucky she didn't hitch up with Richard as I feel his father would have wrecked their relationship in some way. They weren't really thinking things through, just acting in lust, two people trapped in dead marriages clinging to a sinking life ring. Thankfully it gave Laura the impetus to move on but Richard drowned.
I only give it 2 stars as it was not my type of book.
I only give it 2 stars as it was not my type of book.
November 14, 2021
Bien, l'écriture est maitrisée comme d'habitude et Doug nous confirme son acuité quand il s'agit de se mettre à la place des gens (ici une femme, la naratrice) et de les mettre psychologiquement et émotionnellement à nu. Cela mériterait cinq étoiles ; mais il y a quelque chose dans cette tranche de vie qui m'a un peu dérangé (plutôt mal remué interieurement), d'où une note entre trois et demi et quatre.
October 11, 2025
Дъглас Кенеди - Пет дни
Това е книга,която бих могъл да сравня с буря от емоции,в която неусетно потъваш ,може би за няколко дни,а може би завинаги . Това е книга,която ще ви докосне , възможно е да се припознаете в някого от героите,да помечтаете да сте на тяхно място,но със сигурност ще страдате заедно с тях. Това не е книга за любовта,а за това какво става след нея ,когато тя е изчезнала,а надеждата за втори шанс вече е мъртва . Това е книга за двете важни цели,които понякога не преследваме,а толкова много искаме - Бягство и Промяна . Нима никога не сте копнели да избягате за малко от черупката,в която живеете ? Или просто сте страдали от неразбиране и самота,особено когато не сте сами.
Книгата засяга и две много важни теми . Първата е за любовта на интелектуално ниво - когато срещаш човек ,с когото до такава степен сте си паснали,че едва ли не той е сродната ви душа,която цял живот сте чакали , довършвате изреченията си,имате сходни интереси,има какво да си кажете,има чуваемост и просто се влюбвате,но не в тялото,а в неговия ум, а след това идва логичната консумация,която може да обърка всичко . Можете да наречете това "енергиен обмен" или просто късмет,но то понякога се случва ,но в грешното време . Няма какво да се лъжем - има много семейни хора,които биха искали да напуснат своята половинка и да изживеят своята мечтана любов,която са видели в книгите ,с които заспиват . И всичко това,защото техния партньор не е на тяхното ниво ...Но изневяра ли е това - ако се влюбиш в ума,а не в тялото ? Друга важна тема е страхът,с който много хора живеят - страх как да продължат напред,как да изградят новия си живот сред останките от предишния,как да променят себе си и да избягат от себе си .
Отговор на всички тези въпроси търси Лора - клиничен лаборант в болница в малък град в Мейн , омъжена,майка на две деца ,която не пътува никъде,не може да говори с безработния си съпруг за нещата,които я вълнуват ,дори за нищо не може да говори с него,защото каквото и да каже,той ще се ядоса,тя ще се затвори и следва чувството за вина . Познато,нали ?
И когато в сивото ѝ ежедневие се появява възможност да посети конференция в Бостън,тя приема тази възможност, където се запознава с Ричард ..
А Ричард е застрахователен агент,женен,с голям син, затворен в лудница и студена жена,с която работи и е по-възрастна от него. Той е затворен тип,макар и да притежава чар и харизма ,като всеки изпечен търговец . Стоката,която обаче му предстои да продаде е втори шанс за нов живот .
Това се случва,когато двамата се срещат ,произвеждат искра и след два дни на коктейли и споделяне на лични драми и интимни болки,те просто решават,че са един за друг и трябва да избягат ,за да се случи промяната,от която имат нужда . Но дали ще успеят или цялата ситуация е твърде лековата и двамата са долни същества,достойни за презиране,че мамят своите партньори ?
Ще разберете,ако се потопите в това изживяване за пет дни...
Това е книга,която бих могъл да сравня с буря от емоции,в която неусетно потъваш ,може би за няколко дни,а може би завинаги . Това е книга,която ще ви докосне , възможно е да се припознаете в някого от героите,да помечтаете да сте на тяхно място,но със сигурност ще страдате заедно с тях. Това не е книга за любовта,а за това какво става след нея ,когато тя е изчезнала,а надеждата за втори шанс вече е мъртва . Това е книга за двете важни цели,които понякога не преследваме,а толкова много искаме - Бягство и Промяна . Нима никога не сте копнели да избягате за малко от черупката,в която живеете ? Или просто сте страдали от неразбиране и самота,особено когато не сте сами.
Книгата засяга и две много важни теми . Първата е за любовта на интелектуално ниво - когато срещаш човек ,с когото до такава степен сте си паснали,че едва ли не той е сродната ви душа,която цял живот сте чакали , довършвате изреченията си,имате сходни интереси,има какво да си кажете,има чуваемост и просто се влюбвате,но не в тялото,а в неговия ум, а след това идва логичната консумация,която може да обърка всичко . Можете да наречете това "енергиен обмен" или просто късмет,но то понякога се случва ,но в грешното време . Няма какво да се лъжем - има много семейни хора,които биха искали да напуснат своята половинка и да изживеят своята мечтана любов,която са видели в книгите ,с които заспиват . И всичко това,защото техния партньор не е на тяхното ниво ...Но изневяра ли е това - ако се влюбиш в ума,а не в тялото ? Друга важна тема е страхът,с който много хора живеят - страх как да продължат напред,как да изградят новия си живот сред останките от предишния,как да променят себе си и да избягат от себе си .
Отговор на всички тези въпроси търси Лора - клиничен лаборант в болница в малък град в Мейн , омъжена,майка на две деца ,която не пътува никъде,не може да говори с безработния си съпруг за нещата,които я вълнуват ,дори за нищо не може да говори с него,защото каквото и да каже,той ще се ядоса,тя ще се затвори и следва чувството за вина . Познато,нали ?
И когато в сивото ѝ ежедневие се появява възможност да посети конференция в Бостън,тя приема тази възможност, където се запознава с Ричард ..
А Ричард е застрахователен агент,женен,с голям син, затворен в лудница и студена жена,с която работи и е по-възрастна от него. Той е затворен тип,макар и да притежава чар и харизма ,като всеки изпечен търговец . Стоката,която обаче му предстои да продаде е втори шанс за нов живот .
Това се случва,когато двамата се срещат ,произвеждат искра и след два дни на коктейли и споделяне на лични драми и интимни болки,те просто решават,че са един за друг и трябва да избягат ,за да се случи промяната,от която имат нужда . Но дали ще успеят или цялата ситуация е твърде лековата и двамата са долни същества,достойни за презиране,че мамят своите партньори ?
Ще разберете,ако се потопите в това изживяване за пет дни...
April 17, 2013
On the day before I began reading Five Days, an article appeared in the weekend paper supplement titled the Silver Years Itch. This article examined the growing trend of mid life divorce, most commonly instigated by wives who, after twenty years or so of marriage and child-rearing, are leaving to rediscover who they are, or were, as individuals, as distinct from wives and mothers.
Five Days explores this phenomena by introducing 42 year old Laura who finds that contentment with her life's path is becoming increasingly elusive. Her marriage is crumbling, her children are moving into adulthood and her work as an X-ray technician is no longer satisfying. She looks forward to temporarily escaping home and work to attend a weekend medical conference in Boston and that is where she meets Richard, an insurance salesman, and is stunned to rediscover joy, passion and hope for the future.
"...we all know these women because they are, more or less, reflections of ourselves." comments Laura while discussing The Easter Parade by Richard Yates with her best friend Lucy, and I think this is what Kennedy hopes the audience of Five Days will find. That readers will empathise with Laura's restlessness, with her rediscovery of happiness and the choices she makes. I do think that Kennedy displays real insight into the complicated nature of personal sacrifice made by women to nurture marriages and children. Laura has spent years putting her family's needs before her own and being both emotionally and financially responsible for them has taken it's toll.
Aside from generally finding adultery contemptible, I was less taken by the whirlwind relationship that develops between Laura and Richard which I thought shifted between wildly romantic and farcial. I had no problem figuring how it was all going to end though ultimately I appreciated it's contribution to Laura's growth.
Five Days is a contemporary story of life, love and second chances. I did enjoy the novel, which I found a reasonably quick and thought provoking read, though my cynical side prevented me from being swept away completely. Still, I am tempted by the premises of a number of the author's backlist titles and may find time to read more from Douglas Kennedy.
August 5, 2013
This book was OK. I found it sad and depressing for the most part and I do not understand the need to leave your life to find yourself. I think finding yourself is important I am 43 and changing my career, back to school, kids are leaving for college one at a time from now and for the next 7 years....I do need to find who I am now....I have 5 kids and stayed home for 11 years...now I want my life again, but I don't need to leave my husband or have an affair for a weekend away from home. Who falls in love over a weekend unless they are looking before they leave in the first place.
I believe we all change in our lives and need to keep changing things to live and be happy, but leaving(having an affair to me is leaving at least emotionally) is not the answer....the answer is to fall in love with your spouse again..you did it once you can do it again.
I think this author did a good job with the writing, but I did not like the subject. Leaving a family after 20 years is devastating to so many. Choice were made and you need to honor those even in your head. We cause ripples in the lives around us and when we choose to do something we know we should not we ripple...the more we do the larger the ripples and those ripples can destroy others...especially children...happiness in life is a choice you make not something someone gives you...happiness has no zip code and no price...it is a choice...ultimately only up to you...you choose to be happy or not... no one else can make you happy or not.
Maybe I would enjoy one of this authors other works.
I believe we all change in our lives and need to keep changing things to live and be happy, but leaving(having an affair to me is leaving at least emotionally) is not the answer....the answer is to fall in love with your spouse again..you did it once you can do it again.
I think this author did a good job with the writing, but I did not like the subject. Leaving a family after 20 years is devastating to so many. Choice were made and you need to honor those even in your head. We cause ripples in the lives around us and when we choose to do something we know we should not we ripple...the more we do the larger the ripples and those ripples can destroy others...especially children...happiness in life is a choice you make not something someone gives you...happiness has no zip code and no price...it is a choice...ultimately only up to you...you choose to be happy or not... no one else can make you happy or not.
Maybe I would enjoy one of this authors other works.
April 21, 2013
You'd never guess from the title, but this is a story set over five days. Four of the days are sequential - the fifth day is a year later. It's about a woman called Laura, somewhat unhappily married to Dan. From the outset she knew he was not going to be the love of her life. Nevertheless, they have been together for twenty largely happy years and they have two children. She works as a radiographer in a small Maine town and feels somewhat rueful that she has let her early passions for travel and learning slowly dissipate.
Laura travels to Boston to attend a weekend conference for work and by chance meets Richard, with whom she has an almost instant connection. They are drawn together by their love of language - they both know what a misanthrope is! It must be love! Over the next few days as they talk incessantly, both will re-examine their lives and what they want to change. Laura will need to make some decisions about what she values and what she is prepared to let go.
I have read most of Douglas Kennedy's books and there are many things that I like about his writing. He's a natural storyteller and he has a real gift for capturing female characters. He is also very good at depicting depression without getting mired in it. The way that he writes reminds me very much of Anita Shreve. Having said that, this isn't his best work. It moves very slowly - there's a lot of dialogue, a lot of text messages. I bought the romance, but I didn't FEEL it. I read the book in two sittings, and I enjoyed it, but only in a lukewarm way.
Laura travels to Boston to attend a weekend conference for work and by chance meets Richard, with whom she has an almost instant connection. They are drawn together by their love of language - they both know what a misanthrope is! It must be love! Over the next few days as they talk incessantly, both will re-examine their lives and what they want to change. Laura will need to make some decisions about what she values and what she is prepared to let go.
I have read most of Douglas Kennedy's books and there are many things that I like about his writing. He's a natural storyteller and he has a real gift for capturing female characters. He is also very good at depicting depression without getting mired in it. The way that he writes reminds me very much of Anita Shreve. Having said that, this isn't his best work. It moves very slowly - there's a lot of dialogue, a lot of text messages. I bought the romance, but I didn't FEEL it. I read the book in two sittings, and I enjoyed it, but only in a lukewarm way.
October 25, 2013
Laura feels trapped in her marriage to Dan who has been withdrawn and negative since losing his job almost two years ago. They live in Maine with a daughter who is approaching her senior year of high school, and a son off at college. Laura feels a sense of relief when she has the opportunity to go away for a weekend to attend a radiology conference in Boston.
At the hotel, she meets a salesman, Richard. They feel a connection due to a mutual love of words and literature. Soon, they are letting each other know the secrets of their lives including unhappy marriages, loneliness, and regrets for paths not taken. Is it possible to fall in love in 24 hours? Are they courageous enough to make changes in their lives? How will their decisions impact their families?
The book did not end the way I expected, but it was an ending with hope for Laura's future. Although there were a few parts that could have been edited down a bit, it was an interesting contemporary read about characters who had to make some difficult decisions.
At the hotel, she meets a salesman, Richard. They feel a connection due to a mutual love of words and literature. Soon, they are letting each other know the secrets of their lives including unhappy marriages, loneliness, and regrets for paths not taken. Is it possible to fall in love in 24 hours? Are they courageous enough to make changes in their lives? How will their decisions impact their families?
The book did not end the way I expected, but it was an ending with hope for Laura's future. Although there were a few parts that could have been edited down a bit, it was an interesting contemporary read about characters who had to make some difficult decisions.
March 13, 2013
Five Days is a beautifully told contemporary story of an ordinary woman who changes her life in the wake of personal heartbreak, reminiscent of Body Surfing by Anita Shreve, set in coastal Maine. Gentle of spirit and generous of heart, Laura is a practicing X-Ray technologist, dealing daily with the heartbreaking discovery of tumors. She is unhappily married to Dan, who was recently laid off by LL Bean, and is relieved to be on her own for a Boston weekend conference. When she meets unhappily married Richard Copeland while there, she begins the long-overdue process of detangling herself from her stifling domestic routine. Over the course of five days, Laura and Richard are swept up in a passionate love affair. With lyrical writing, Kennedy moves the reader through the landscape of the disintegration of a long-married couple's partnership and carefully captures the hard won, blossoming happiness that Laura achieves once on her own.
June 29, 2013
I've read several of Douglas Kennedy's books over the years and the standard of writing seems to be diminishing every time - and yet - I still always want to finish the book to find out what happens. This book follows a middle aged woman, an underachiever, a people pleaser who never fully recovers from the loss of her young love. She does marry, has children, enjoys her important and sometimes challenging job in radiology and recognises, but is not motivated to change, her rather humdrum life which has recently been put under pressure due to her husband's redundancy. THEN - she goes to a conference - meets someone who recognises and values her literary skills - and the rest you could probably write yourself. So I did finish it - but I won't be recommending it unless you want something easy to read on a long flight and then pass to the person sitting next to you to reduce the weight of your luggage.
April 16, 2013
Sent to me to review/chat online with other readers, this book was not only a good read, but also one I really enjoyed. This was my first encounter with Douglas Kennedy’s writing. It is amazing how well he was able to write this story from a woman’s (Laura) perspective – expressing all of her pain, frustration, hopes, and dreams. This novel depicts not only the difficulty of making choices, but also how certain choices can narrow one’s life rather than broaden it. The ending contained many surprises as the characters took paths I did not expect. Have we not all been there, stopping to ask ourselves. . . what if? How long does it take to fall desperately in love? Can a weekend away provide the answer? For those answers and more. . . read “5 Days.”
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