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    The List: A Novel
    The List: A Novel
    The List: A Novel
    Ebook297 pages4 hours

    The List: A Novel

    By Tara Ison

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    The List is an irreverent, sophisticated take on the classic breakup story. In fierce and exquisite prose, Tara Ison has written an astonishing story of love and hate.

    Isabel is finishing medical school and destined to become a brilliant heart surgeon. Al is a video store clerk, a one-hit-wonder director whose first and only film became a cult classic. Their electric, passionate, and deeply maddening relationship can't possibly work. Tired of endlessly coming together and breaking up, they make a list of ten things to do before they finally say good-bye. But after a few perfect dates the list takes a dark turn, and their plan spirals out of control as they realize they would rather destroy each other than let go.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherScribner
    Release dateMar 6, 2007
    ISBN9781416539179
    The List: A Novel

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    • 4/5
      The story is compelling. Good job writer! If you have some great stories like this one, you can publish it on Novel Star, just submit your story to hardy@novelstar.top or joye@novelstar.top
    • 2/5
      When it comes to matters of the heart, there's always a story to tell. And when it comes to ambivalent relationships, the mysterious element that keeps bringing together two individuals who obviously weren't made for each other makes for an intriguing read. In The List, Tara Ison attempts to analyse such a relationship.The novel is about hearts, both literally and figuratively. Isabel is a promising medical student, just about to graduate and become a heart surgeon. While she deals with her life in a very practical way (as is befitting a med student), her on-and-off again boyfriend, Al, prefers to let life pass by with as little effort as possible. Al used to be a promising film director, and even made a movie that went on to achieve cult status. But then he loses confidence and ends up working as a clerk in a video rental store. In short, he becomes a slacker and somewhat of a loser.So with both of them at extremely opposite poles, it's obvious that they're often at each other's necks. And so they break up. Yet, something always pulls them together again. And the cycle continues. The repeated breakups strain each other and their friends, so Isabel suggests they do a list. Each will chose 5 items they have always wanted to do together but never had the chance. After completing these 10 items, they will break up amicably and remain friends. Isabel hopes that this will provide closure for both of them so they won't repeat the ridiculous cycle again. As is usual with such things, things don't go as planned, and spiral out of control.While I find Tara Ison a good writer, I wonder if she would be more at home at script writing. There's a scene in the book, told from Al's "director" point-of-view, and it is written in script format. I particularly enjoyed that scene more than the rest of the book. I have to admit, it took me a while to get into the "spirit" of the book. The List starts out slow, and from the perspective of Isabel. Her character did little to make me like her but she did grow on me later on. Al's a little more lovable, but he's a typical jerk-slacker type, so he's not much better. The book starts to shine when they reach near the end of the list and Al starts to find ways to make Isabel stay around him longer.

    Book preview

    The List - Tara Ison

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