I really like the premise of the book and like the strong female character and the interest she has in her career. There are some *really* good lines in here that kept me going even as the dialogue & plot got weaker.

Overwrought and pretentious. Almost abandoned this one a hundred pages in, but really just wanted to finish it. There are some good things about it. Strong female characters who are great friends to each other. If the reader is not well-read, however, she will not understand all the literature references. To be honest, I am well-read and I found them tiresome and continually skipped parts to finish the book. I don't think I missed anything as those parts did not really move the story along.

A memorable mind adaptation to the transformation aspect that love demands.

You almost have to be a literary associate to follow the many and varied profundity which grace this book. The author ambushes the reader with inserts of classical works that not only embellished but offers certainty of the accuracy of argument, opinion and emotional aspects of life's and love's veracity. The struggle to understand the sacrifice and surrender needed to join your life to not only someone else but also to the norms of your current society are enormous especially when change and growth are demanded. In reading this book it is necessary to be prepared for some soul searching. In other words, stilted ideas may have to be open for a poignant reconsideration.

Moments of whit and insight, but mostly at the beginning and the end with a lot of filler in between...would have preferred an essay or short story instead of her trying to make a novel without having a novel to write...

I found the premise interesting and enjoyed most of the book. However, wading through the politics of academia life (which filled many of the pages) became quite tedious. On that note, I found it reminiscent of Russo's "Straight Man."

I think this appeals to a particular crowd (twenties, women with jobs or are involved in academia, single more than coupled) but has a wonderful weaving tale.
I think it is a clever premise and appreciated the read more than most because I currently fall into all categories listed above.

Probably the best, most honest, closest-to-my-experience book about love I have ever read. She captures moments that are extremely funny in way that feels utterly real, genuine, and natural. Despite the flatness of some of the characters it feels like a clever person's memoir rather than fiction.

About six pages in, I realized I needed to keep a pen handy while reading this book. By the time I was through, I had more favorite lines circled than some of the books I read for undergrad. Fueled by her career, satiated on books, and supported by trusted friends, Tracy Farber had turned her back on the prospect of love. Haunted by the topic of happiness and Tolstoy's assertion that 'Happy families are all alike every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,' Tracy embarks on a personal and professional journey to discover if this is, indeed, the case: in literature and in life. An insightful and entertaining journey into the world of love, academia and, of course, happiness, Tolstoy Lied is recommended for skeptics of love, academics and academics at heart, and anyone who appreciates the sort of thoughtful narrative that gives necessity to a book-side pen.

Not bad.

I realize that this is subtitled "A Love Story," but the romance aspect of it kind of bothered me. I enjoyed reading about the main character's career, and I loved her interactions with her friends. In my opinion, this good novel would have been even better if the focus had been on the main character as strong and independent, rather than dragging in a romantic relationship.

I thought this book would be a romantic comedy type story. It was much deeper than I anticipated and I loved it. It is well-written with a narrative voice that sucks you in. You care about Tracey and even as she makes mistakes you find yourself rooting for her. Her premise is that Tolstoy pulled the wool over everyone's eyes and literature has followed his principle ever since he wrote in Anna Karenina(my favorite book) that "Happy families are all alike and unhappy families are unhappy in their own way." Tracey believes that American literature took this falsity to an extreme and focues on tragedy. Along her journey in the book she begins to question her thesis and she develops it as her own perceptions of love evolve. Tracey's life is changed by love and by a challenging work situation. She is up for tenure but a situation with an advisee for a dissertation puts Tracey in a spot where she has to challenge her standards of what is truly important. There is a bit of suspense in the book which I won't spoil so I will end this review of the plot. What I loved about the book is its probing of what value literature has in the contemporary world. The book is intellectual without being stuffy and the dialogue is elevated without being pretentious. I highly recommend this book! I also think it would make a great movie.

WONDERFUL. This book is an incredible love story. But not because it is about love. Because it is just as much NOT about love as anything else. It is about professions and friends taking as much of our energy and anxiety and guts as our intimate relationships do.