The Opposite of Love

by Julie Buxbaum

Book Overview

With perfect pitch for the humor and heartbreak of everyday life, debut author Julie Buxbaum has fashioned a heroine who will be instantly recognizable to anyone who has loved and lost and loved... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385341229
• ISBN13: 9780385341226
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Dial Press
• Length: 306 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

From S. Krishna's Books

When I first heard about The Opposite of Love back when it was released, I thought it sounded good and added it to my ever-increasing list of books to be read. I pretty much forgot about it until I recently heard that it was being made into a movie with Anne Hathaway in the leading role. (My post about it). So I made it a point to read it, and I only have one question: Why did I wait so long to read this amazing book? The Opposite of Love is charming, funny, sweet, and heart wrenching. It deals with love, loss, and the difficulty of life - sometimes it can be so hard to remember to live each day, rather than just exist. I can't believe this is Julie Buxbaum's first novel; she writes with the confidence and grace of someone who has been at it their entire life. It is beautifully written, but simple; the words don't get in the way of the emotions she is trying to convey. I loved the character of Emily. She is so damaged without even realizing it; she goes through life in denial, afraid of losing those she loves. While I was reading, her emotions were my emotions. I laughed when she laughed, was heartbroken when she was, and yes, I even cried when Emily cried. I was amazed at the way I was drawn into the character and into the book. I think The Opposite of Love has something for everyone; Emily's life basically comes crashing down as she has to deal with trouble in the workplace, her breakup with her boyfriend, and the deterioration of her beloved grandfather. It's not your typical chick lit book; it is about love, but not the search for a boyfriend. Instead, the love described in the title is more general; it is the love of a father, a mother, a grandfather, a friend, and a boyfriend. It is about the fear of losing those close to you. I adored this novel and I can't wait for Buxbaum's next book.

A great read:0)

I won this autographed book from a blog (Manic Mommy) that I read everyday. She always has great contests. The book was AWESOME and I am anxiously waiting for her next novel to come out!

A universal tale told with a unique & clever voice.

An intimate portrait of a thirty year-old woman's reclamation of self, Julie Buxbaum's novel "The Opposite of Love," is as moving as it is fun to read. The book is an unabashed tale of an everyday girl, protagonist Emily Haxby who tackles self-doubt, abandonment and the cobwebbed skeletons that are in all of our closets that we rarely let out for people to see. Emily works hard to reconstruct her identity and it is her earnest inner voice which all along charters her progress that lies at the core of this book's narrative. What really makes this story worthwhile is that the author strikes a perfect balance between wit and poignancy. No small feat... At times I found myself laughing out loud. Often actually! And other times I found my eyes welling with tears cause the author was able to so deftly capture a moment or a relationship with the perfect word choice or descriptive feeling. Thank you Ms. Buxbaum, for sharing your unique and fresh voice, I look forward to reading more of your work in days to come.

Delightful Read

At the beginning of this appealing novel the main character, Emily Haxby, is floating through her life, never really making conscious decisions about her career or relationships - a problem facing many 20 and 30 something year olds in America today. The main character confronts this apathy head on, although probably not in the most constructive manner possible, and takes control over her life. The story of Emily regaining direction is at times funny, at times heartbreaking, but all the while remaining a captivating read. While reading Julie Buxbaum's debut novel, I realized this is one of those books where you relish each page, for fear of the book ending too early. At the end of the book I was sad when there were no more pages to read and I look forward to Julie Buxbaum's next book with baited breath!

This Book is the TOTAL OPPOSITE OF HORRENDOUS!

AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING novel! I first learned about it through Redbook magazine. The excerpt in Redbook blew me away, and I could tell Buxbaum's writing is the style that I love to read. Buxbaum's debut novel had me laughing and crying. One of those books where I go through my day as a mom to three kids and I keep thinking, "I can't wait till I can get into bed and get back to the story at the end of the day!" It's one of those novels where when you close the book, you actually miss the people you've just read about, and you want to know what has happened to them, what will happen to them next. With some books, there is a feeling where I must suspend belief in order to enjoy some of the plot. To say, "Oh, I guess I can go along with this." There was nothing contrived in Opposite. I felt the confusion in Emily's life. I felt her depression, her sadness over her mother's death, and the fact that she never really came to terms with it. Each and every relationship in the story felt real to me, and that is what made this book such a great read--it's realness. These were real people. People I wanted to be happy. This book will stay with me for a long time. I will remember these characters, and that is a sure sign of an amazing book, and I already cannot wait for Julie's next novel! Kudos on an incredible debut!!!