This is the first Alice Munroe book I have read. It came so highly recommended that, perhaps, I looked forward to it too much. The characters are so central to the stories that if you don't find them real, there is little else of interest. I felt detatched from most of them and so, was just reading about people I didn't care about. There is also some sort of cold feminism running through them- smart women are misfits and men are minamally drawn. I hope my next Munroe book strikes a better chord.