Jennifer Spiegel

I LOVED this book!
I decided to look into those Early Review books that I had never received and this is the first that I found at a library.

I found myself dreaming that I was Sybil, the 30-year-old living in a basement apartment in New York City. Sybil works at temp office jobs, goes to the clubs with her best friend, Madeline, pinches pennies to get by each week, and writes a column for an alternative newspaper called New York Shock.
Her story picks up in 1995 with a "meet cute" in a laundromat. Rob is the lead singer of the local band Glass Half Empty. She knows who he is because she frequents the clubs. He knows who she is because she is always at their shows. After their flirtatious, yet serious, talk while they do their laundry, he promises to put her name on the list at the door for the next show.
What follows over the year is the development of a wonderful friendship where these two semi-broken people share their disappointments, their triumphs, and their dreams.
While I have read no other reviews, I can see that people may call it "Part Sex and The City, part When Harry Met Sally - but for the freaks of the world", but I believe it lives beyond those two scenarios. These characters are so real to me. Their thought-provoking conversations really took place in the 90's. I took part in many such discussions of the weird events, the freaky people, the stagnancy of ambition.
The dialogue sparkles with truths of the times and touches the memory heart of this reader who flirted with thoughts of writing about her favorite local band and failed to follow through.
Even though Love Slave is set in NYC, the feelings and interactions apply to my memories of following my favorite local New England suburbia band and building friendships with the musicians.
I want to own this book and am so sad that I was not able to review it as a true Early Review.… (más)

This is not the world I imagined, the world I set out for, the world I even admire. My friends used to talk about a love that makes one stagger. No one told me about disappointment. No one mentioned necessity. - from Love Slave -

Sybil Weatherfield is fast approaching thirty. She lives in New York City in a basement apartment with unreliable hot water and writes self-absorbed columns for New York Shock, an alternative newspaper. She supports herself by temping and spends her free time with her friend Madeline, a human rights activist. Together they hit New York’s coffee houses and bars, following a band ironically named “Glass Half Full.” Sybil is dating a conservative businessman named Jeff, but spends most of her time with Glass Half Full’s lead singer, Rob.

Sybil is a conflicted young woman – she longs for a life of grandeur, but lacks the motivation to give up temping; she loves the status of Jeff, but feels most drawn to the mysterious Rob; she doubts her ability as a writer, but dreams about penning a novel. Sybil also struggles with an eating disorder. Her story unfolds in her unique, self deprecating voice and through her often funny and absurd column in New York Shock. Her cohort, Madeline, chain-smokes and plans her escape from the City. Together, the two stumble through their angst-filled lives searching for the bigger meaning of life.

Jennifer Spiegel’s novel is a very funny, surprisingly poignant journey into the heart of one young woman looking for real love in the city that never sleeps. New York City is a character in this book which pulses with urban street life, trendy restaurants, and smoke-filled bars. It is against this backdrop where Sybil confronts her own fears and dreams.

New York is not wholly who I am, but it’s a part. – from Love Slave -

I have to admit, I grew quite fond of the quirky and cynical Sybil as Love Slave unfolded. When she compares her relationship with boyfriend Jeff to a tampon, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud because this is Sybil – outrageous,wholly herself, and stumbling through life with bad analogies.

This is Sybil Weatherfield at her best: analytical, quirky, sardonic, gloomy. “Think about it, Rob – it’s perfect! The tampon’s a great metaphor for our hapless, utilitarian relationship.” I pause. “You need ‘em, but don’t like ‘em. In fact, out of sight, out of mind. Downright gross. In this case, altogether unnecessary. And where was it after all that? ” I look at him victoriously. “In the garbage!” - from Love Slave -

And it is because of this very human quality that readers will find themselves rooting for Sybil to discover that thing which will make her life more beautiful and meaningful. Midway through this delightful novel, I found myself unwilling to put it aside for very long. I wanted to see what would happen to Sybil. I longed for her to make the right choices. I implored her to finally be the winner I knew she could be.

It doesn’t happen very often that I relate to a character in a book as a living, breathing person. But that is exactly the gift that Spiegel gives her readers in Love Slave. Here is a novel that will appeal to a wide range of literary fiction lovers. It has just the right amount of lightness and humor mixed with wisdom to make it memorable. Sybil Weatherfield is a character who will grab onto your heart and not let go.

Highly recommended.… (más)

I thought I was bothered and ask myslef too much questions ... I met my master in the person of Sybil Weatherfield.
She has everything to be happy but she takes a while to understand that simple fact. Like what, sometimes to find yourself alone to eat black bread help you to view life with a new perspective.

Sybil expects sparks. The little something to transform her life into a fairy tale worthy of the red carpet. In short, this is a young woman who is afraid to grow, engage and see life as it is. Personal, self-centered, she dreams of grandeur and forget to look around her.
Columnist in the Big Apple, her fun and ironic ramblings made ​​me think of Carrie Bradshaw's ton.

But even if the characters are interesting, I have not stopped being on hold for something that never happened.
I must admit: I am not a fan of novels in which you have to wait until the last minute to finally be rewarded for your wait by receiving the revelation. Then, after closing this book, a fast and fun read, I said: "All for that!"
But, I confess I still had a good time while reflecting on the colorful theories of the young woman in search of herself.
I confess also that I have had difficulty understanding the contradictory reactions of Rob. But it seems that the complexity of relationships are the main theme... So, you don't try to make sense of everything and just let go and appreciate the good words.

A touching, cynical, ironic and very well written novel .

Lucie
http://newbooksonmyselves.blogspot.fr/2012/08/love-slave-by-jennifer-spiegel.htm...… (más)