A lively discussion of author Stuart Woods and Fresh Disasters (Putnam, 2007)dominated June’s Afternoon Book Club meeting. A majority of the group wholeheartedly enjoyed reading about lawyer Stone Barrington and his exploits and romances. Readers new to Stuart Woods liked the book, as well as those who were already fans.
It was said that although Woods writes great stories, he is not necessarily a prize winner. He has a devoted following and his books consistently are best sellers. The books are predictable, easy to read and very entertaining and spicy. Readers pick up the books and read them to the end eager to find out what happens to the characters. Even though his fiction is a welcome escape from everyday life some members said that there was enough realism to hold their attention. The consensus was that reading anything by Stuart Woods is a guilty pleasure without the guilt.
One member did say that Stone Barrington was not like any lawyer that she had ever worked for. Perhaps this was wistful thinking on her part! Another member of the group remarked that while she was reading one of Woods' books on a plane flight another passenger approached her reading the same book in Italian.
It must be said that a few members of the group were not enthusiastic supporters but confessed to finishing the book and did appreciate the mass market appeal of the author. This anonymous quote from one of many Internet sites sums up the general feeling of the Afternoon Book Club about Stuart Woods and Fresh Disasters.
“I will confess to being a fan of Stuart Woods' novels. I know that he is literary popcorn, that’s one of the reasons I like his stuff. When I pick up one of his books, I know I’m in for a good, fast, tight read. It’s perfect beach reading. I have read almost all of his books, and I realized something: This guy writes well across a variety of genres. In all of his books the characters come alive, and I care about them. That is perhaps the hardest thing to do as a writer. Yes, I realize that it’s not Shakespeare or Salinger; still, I am always interested in what Stone Barrington, Will Lee or Holly Baker is up to now. Does anyone else share this guilty pleasure?”The answer as far as the Holmes Public Library Afternoon Readers Book Club is a resounding “Yes!”
