The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing - Melissa Bank

...at home.

The first word that comes to mind when describing this book is "enchanting", especially with the images of the fireflies scattered throughout. The book is an amazing insight into the mind of a girl who isn't as socially inept and awkward as Bridget Jones or as honed and alien as the Manhattan Call Girl. I find the protagonist a problem in many chick-lit novels; for the most part, they are either portrayed as a loser ...
...insecurities) that she carries throughout the narrative.

The book is from Jane's P.O.V., and her relationships with men. She begins by observing her brother's relationship and eventually enters her own, with the aid of a self-help book in the end. The story is entertaining; Banks intertwines the characters' thoughts and actions along with observation about people and relationships in general, and the effect is great, some of the imagery ... more

I can't remember how I first picked up this book; I think it was when I was bored at work in a shop that sold books among other things. Having read parts of it at work, I was so intrigued that I bought it there and then and finished reading it at home.

The first word that comes to mind when describing this book is "enchanting", especially with the images of the fireflies scattered throughout. The book is an amazing insight into the mind of a girl who isn't as socially inept and awkward as Bridget Jones or as honed and alien as the Manhattan Call Girl. I find the protagonist a problem in many chick-lit novels; for the most part, they are either portrayed as a loser or Miss Perfect, and Girls Guide's Jane isn't like that. She is perfectly normal. Although she is not a superstar, she has a quiet confidence about her (along with insecurities) that she carries throughout the narrative.

The book is from Jane's P.O.V., and her relationships with men. She begins by observing her brother's relationship and eventually enters her own, with the aid of a self-help book in the end. The story is entertaining; Banks intertwines the characters' thoughts and actions along with observation about people and relationships in general, and the effect is great, some of the imagery in the book is beautiful. As well as Jane's, there are some extracts from the point of view of a neighbour living below her. Although nowhere near as developed, they also offer insight into the complicated lives of fellow human beings.

Each character has his or her own personality, which is fully developed along the way. You get the impression of being able to predict what they are going to say and how they are going to act in a given situation. They are 100% realistic and easily become flesh and blood in your imagination. With some books, you get the impression that the character and the storyline are not part of the same puzzle and the author tries to fit them along a little too awkwardly; in this book it's not like that. The characters snugly hug the twists and bends of the story.

Sometimes I find it difficult to relate to American books simply because of 1. the jargon and 2. the nuances of their lives that we the British cannot grasp, just as they cannot grasp some of the technicalities of ours. This isn't the case in Girls' Guide; although there are some moments that are fully understandable to American women only, they do not detract from the overal quality of the novel.

The various relationships are all in the story: the boyfriend with the stunning ex, the older man, the bad boy and finally The One. By the time Jane meets The One, she is despairing to find someone who will let her be herself and uses the help of two authors of a self-help book to help ensnare someone, anyone. Will she realise in time that this time she doesn't need to? Read it and find out.  

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