Friends and Lovers

by Eric Jerome Dickey

Book Overview

Hailed as one of "the most successful Black authors of the last quarter-century" ( The New York Times ), Eric Jerome Dickey captures the humor and heartache of modern love in this sexy, soulful tale.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451188039
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: Dutton
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.7" x 1.0" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Not his best

I’ve read many of his novels; “cheaters, milk in my coffee, the other woman” and now this one and i must say this isn’t his best work. i disliked Tyrel from the start he was giving sassy vibes the way he reacted to his fling went back to her husband. I lost all respect for him then. Him and Shelby are my least favorite characters and they’re the ones i had to read abt the most! Their interaction seemed forced. How cliché for them to hook up bc their friends are together 🙄. This book lacked creative content and depth. For Shelby & tyrel to have so unique in their interactions they spoke to each other ugly. I dislike Shelby too she’s disrespectful and bitter and immature and cold so i didn’t buy her story of getting engaged in such short notice. the author did a horrible job describing the characters besides having dimples in being bowlegged i have no idea what Tyrel looks like not his height, not his complexion nothing! I’m close to the end and the only reason why i haven’t stopped reading this mess is bc I’ve already invested so much time might as well finish. But this book is CORNY. From “shelbys cave” to the corny cliché sayings like “you’re not the 1, 2,3,4,5” like really, we get it man. i just wasn’t feeling it. Also a lot of stuff happens behind our backs and boom he reveals it later in a conversation or conversation … i mean We’re we not just with him/her? Why leave us out??! He drags this one out with info that is unnecessary it felt like he was just trying to fill up pages. Like get to the point i don’t care abt the traffic and the songs playing 🙄. I rolled my eyes so many time while reading this. And if it ends up with Shelby and tyrell being together this will be the worst book of all time and i will throw it away. Finished the book a waste of read. I hate this book way too predictable, cliché and corny 🙄

You will laugh, cry, scream, cheer, and shout!

When I read the last line of this novel and closed the cover, I cried. I cried because of the numerous emotions I experience during the reading of this book. I cried because of happiness, sadness, and lost. I cried because the story, which affected me drastically with its realistic characters, was over. Friends and Lovers will make you look at your friends and/or lovers and cherish every moment you have together. It will also allow you to see how background issues can affect a relationship as the characters in this thrilling novel deal with preconceived notions about each other, past hurts, and family problems. Recommendation: You will laugh, cry, scream, cheer, and shout! No one tells a more realistic story than Dickey! But I must warn you that prior to reading this, or any of Dickey's books you need to prep yourself. IF YOU ARE NOT READY TO GO THROUGH A WHIRLWIND OF EMOTIONS, YOU NEED TO SET THE BOOK ASIDE FOR A DAY TO GET YOURSELF TOGETHER! This warning in no way suggests that you should not read the novel because I highly recommend all of Dickey's books I have read to date. They will allow you to see things how they are and call a spade a spade. His novels really have the ability to make you more open-minded by showing a variety of viewpoints. He equally narrates from a male and female viewpoint. He does it so well it is scary. He does not sound like a man telling a woman's story but a woman telling her own story. I do not know how he does it but Dickey does it well. The man gets mad props! His novels read like a drama and make you feel like you are watching a movie as you read. His skillful use of dialog, language, etc. make for the most realistic people you have ever read about in a fiction book. Clearly Dickey has done some real life research. If nothing else, his books will leave you energized and get you to thinking. I am always riled up after reading one of his novels and need to tell someone about it. That is another warning I must give you. YOU CANNOT READ ANY DICKEY BOOK WITHOUT TELLING SOMEONE ABOUT IT! I have read all of Dickey's novels except two, and I haven't been able to do it. I am absolutely positive that the result of trying to do so would either be an explosion or implosion. You cannot read one of his novels and not be emotionally affected. So be sure to heed my warnings, grab your Eric Jerome Dickey novel and get to reading. Believe me you will not be disappointed.

EXCELLENT!

I just finished reading this book, and I was sorry to see it end. This is a hard book to put down. I found myself turning down lunch out with co-workers so I wouldn't lose my reading time. I loved Debra and Leonard. What happened with them was a total surprise. I kept trying to think what comedian he may have been based on. Shelby kind of worked my nerves a little bit. But it was obvious that she and Tyrel were meant for each other. I wanted to punch Richard out myself! It's almost hard to see why Shelby would have even considered a man like him at all. Anyway, I totally enjoyed this book, as well as Mr. Dickey's other two that I have read, Milk In My Coffee and Sister, Sister. I swear that man must have been raised by a house full of women. He writes his female characters as a woman would. I found myself checking the back cover a few times to make sure it was a MAN who had written it. I think he is going to be a SERIOUS voice in black writing. His books are fast-paced, based in reality, and as I said, excellent reads! Keep up the good work. As a frustrated writer myself, I hope he doesn't get TOO mad if I steal his style! I can see that this will be another writer that I will instinctively buy everytime a new book is published. Gettin' ready to read Cheaters next!

Dickey Has Really Outdone Himself

"Friends and Lovers" by Eric Jerome Dickey is a sensual tale of the lives of four people: Debra, Shelby, Tyrel, and Leonard. Once you pick this book up and begin reading, it's hard to put back down. This book is filled with drama and suspence from beginning to end. If you have ever been in love, you will find yourself laughing out loud and losing a few tears. The words truly jump off of the page and into your life. Erick Jerome Dickey has really outdone himself with this book. It can only be called a Literary Work of Art.

Exciting, Loving, Emotional

I love to read but I only get to read in waves because life gets busy and I don't have time. Well on this wave, I'm having a wonderful time. I have been trying to read Eric Jerome Dickey's books for some time and just got to them last month. I bought them all and I'm reading them in order of release. I started into "Friends and Lovers" as soon as I finished "Sister, Sister" last week and I finished it at 2:00 a.m. this morning. I loved the book so much I had to make myself put it down so I could get things done. I read at the Salon, at Work, at Home in bed, at my Sisters, in the Car, anywhere I could put some time in. This book was so down to earth it's unbelievable. You could relate to some of the characters and wanted to relate to others. I laughed (sometimes in public places out loud), cried (one night in bed at 1:00 a.m. when an event that I wasn't expecting at all occurred), screamed, I did it all. It's hard to describe how good it is without telling it. All I can say is, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT, READ IT! It's a very enjoyable relaxing read and you won't be sorry. You Go Eric Jerome Dickey! I'm starting Milk in My coffee today after work!

Wonderful book! I never wanted it end!

Dear Mr. Dickey,I just finished your book "Friends and Lovers" and I must say that it was absolutely fabulous! I could hardly put it down! I read it during my morning, lunch, and afternoon breaks--even when I had important things that I should have been taking care of :-)--I just loved it! I bonded with your characters almost immediately, and now that I'm finished with the book, I actually miss them. The first chapter with Lisa (who reminded me of Regina Greer on The Steve Harvey Show) sort of through me a bit, and to be honest with you, is the reason that I let the book sit on my bookshelf for a little over six months before finally picking it up and reading it. But let me tell you, once I got past that chapter, it was on, I never wanted it to end. It was great!I have to admit, I first came across you and your first novel, "Sister Sister" by accident. I was shopping in Wal-Mart one day last year and was browsing through book section and came across this really nice African American animated looking cover, with a great synopsis on the back. It wasn't too expensive for an author that I'd never heard of before, so I thought, "Well, if it isn't good, at least I didn't come off of too much change for it." Nevertheless, as you know though, it was all that. I bonded with Valerie, Inda, and Chiquita just as quickly as I did with Tyrel, Shelby, Debra, and Leonard of F & L.In F & L, I was really taken in by the true love shared between both couples. I guess that's why I had such a big problem with Shelby getting together with Richard. I sort of, in a way, expected that from Tyrel, but not Shelby. From the first scene with Richard on the plane, and the second of him in the club, regardless of the fine description that you gave the brother, he still sounded like a brother that stank, 360 degrees around. (That may have had something to do with the fact that I didn't want to see Shelby with anyone other than Tyrel though.) When Richard weaseled his way into going to the LA with Shelby, I could have reached right through the pages of my book and snatched his character completely out of the book. He was so weak, using his stank-attitude mama as a shield, what a punk! The final straw was when he pulled that stunt toward the end of the book. I was surprised, but convinced. as Shelby often said, he was definitely not the one, the two, the three, the four, or the five. (I guess you did your job well since I felt such animosity towards him :-)As you can tell, I really enjoyed both of your books, and look forward to reading "Milk In My Coffee" and also "Cheaters" in June. Are there any plans of making a movie (TV or big screen) based on "Friends and Lovers" (or any of your other books)? That would really be great but ONLY if the actors that portray your characters are chosen very carefully. A bad actor/actress can really mess up a good role. I see Taye Diggs as Tyrel (and not because of his "Stella" role,