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Open House
Open House
Author: Elizabeth Berg
"You are bending over the dryer, pulling out the still-warm sheets, and the knowledge walks up your backbone. You stare at the man you love and you are staring at nothing; he is gone before he is gone." — When Samantha Morrow's husband leaves her and their eleven-year-old son she is faced with the terrifying prospect of having to recreate her who...  more »
ISBN-13: 9781740511162
ISBN-10: 1740511166
Publication Date: 2001
Pages: 241
Rating:
  • Currently 3/5 Stars.
 1

3 stars, based on 1 rating
Publisher: The Random House Group Limited
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

MOI avatar reviewed Open House on + 37 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 9
In less than two pages of reading, I was in love with the main character of this novel. There she was, no flaw unexposed, in all her shame and self-invalidation, and I loved her for it. Her journey from scorned wife to triumph and self-love rings with the truth of life, and her foibles will resonate with anyone who has ever had a bad hair day. If for some unfathomable reason, someone were to write my biography when I die, I want it to be Elizabeth Berg.
reviewed Open House on
Helpful Score: 7
Not like Oprah's list is the be-all, end-all...but I was surprised after finishing this that it was recommended. Another far-fetched, self-absorbed story of a divorcee. She's actually quite funny, but I thought the way it all wrapped up was ridiculous. And much less about the people that roomed there, which makes the title a misnomer.
reviewed Open House on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
Anyone who has ever thought they can't go on without the one they love will adore this story. It is all about going on in the face of rejection and winning!
reviewed Open House on + 53 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
A great novel, a nice break from your typical chic lit. This book takes you through the life of Samantha following the break up of her marriage. It takes you through the journey of separation, disappointement, mothering,being mothered, and finding love again. It makes you want to laugh, and cry. It explores with amazing honesty and insight the pain of divorce and the pain of being yourself.
CharleneY avatar reviewed Open House on + 80 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
It seems to me Elizabeth Berg's books are just pleasant pieces of fluff which i cannot remember a day after i'm through. So I don't read them anymore. I will never even get through all the AMAZING books in the world, so why bother with the pointless ones?
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reviewed Open House on + 24 more book reviews
I loved this book. I have been divided for three years so I can totally relate. I think people who have not been divorced or have not gone through a major change in their life may not appreciate it.
reviewed Open House on + 10 more book reviews
A very easy book to read that made me laugh often. Her interactions with her mother are so hilarious. I read through this book in a very short amount of time because the vocabulary and story lines are very easy to follow. While it does show that life can happen after divorce, even if you are about 40, the hope the book shares is dependent on having another person in her life. This can really leave a single person with the opposite of hope if they have no one.
reviewed Open House on + 18 more book reviews
I loved this book. It is definetly worth keeping and rereading. The main character was so honest. I feel like I would want to be her friend in real life. I also loved King. He was a bit odd, but he was so encouraging and supportive. He is one of those rare men who build up the people around them instead of tearing them down. Such an honest book.
reviewed Open House on + 10 more book reviews
Quick summary statement - Open House is a love story about what can blossom between a man and a woman and within a woman herself.
reviewed Open House on + 51 more book reviews
What a great way to pass the weekend!
reviewed Open House on + 11 more book reviews
Good and interesting read about a newly separated woman and mother.
reviewed Open House on + 46 more book reviews
This is the sweetest little book. Has a lovely ending, and (spoiler) and I really liked the hero in the end, despite his physical characteristics...
reviewed Open House on + 9 more book reviews
For me, most of Oprah's books are too depressing but this was a wonderful read. Although Sam got socked in the stomach with the news that her husband wants a divorce, I was there cheering her on with every step she took to recover and in turn find her true self.
reviewed Open House on
from the blurb...

"When Samantha Morrow's husband leaves her and their eleven-year-old she is faced with the terrifying prospect of having to recreate her whole life.

After a few faltering steps she starts to put the pieces into place. She fends off her mother, whose idea of getting over a failed marriage is to get a pedicure and get out there dating. She opens her house to a`series of lodgers, each of them, in their own eccentric ways, helps her to see herself.

And she makes a friend, King, a graduate turned handyman, who shows her that she holds the key to her own future and happiness"
reviewed Open House on
This book started out terribly depressing, and the first half made me sad. To date it is probably the most depressing book I have ever read. However, the more I read, the more I became addicted to it, and I ended up reading it in one day. I LOVED the character of King, I wanted to crawl into the book and marry him.

Book Wiki

People/Characters
Samantha (Primary Character)
King (Major Character)
Veronica (Major Character)
Lydia (Average Character)
Travis (Average Character)
(Show all 9 People/Characters)

Genres: