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  by dtopping

• Current

Type: fiction

Status: now reading

Author: Tom Perrota

Description: "Little Children" is an onion. The characters have many layers to them, from lapsed"Little Children" is an onion. The characters have many layers to them, from lapsed feminist Sarah to perfectionist Mary Ann. But first off, let's start with some plot, shall we?
"Little Children" tells the story of people living in the suburbs that live illicit lives. Sarah, a lapsed feminist, is married to Richard, a man who is becoming addicted to an internet fantasy. Todd is a stay at home dad who finds an escape from his unhappy marriage with Sarah. His wife, filmmaker Kathy, simply wants to have a happy marriage along with the white picket fence. Mary Ann is a perfectionist mother, who wants to make her children become successful through a strict regimen, even delegating a certain day for sex with her husband in the search for the perfect schedule. Larry Moon is an ex-cop who was suspended after shooting a black boy who he assumed had a gun, and is now living on retirement in his own unhappy marriage. All of their lives are thrown into turmoil when Ronald James McGorvey, a convicted child molester, moves back home to live with his mother May McGorvey. Ronnie's return sets off a firestorm of events within the community.
The characters are three dimensional, and Perrotta forces you on an emotional roller coaster with each character. One chapter you want to throttle Sarah because of her blind obedience to Todd, the next chapter you want to be able to sit down and talk about classic literature with her.
All in all, the book is a perfect example of Perrotta's talent for creating emotionally diverse characters and crafting a bit of comedy in with the drama of adultery. While Todd and Sarah are the main focus of the book, the point of view shifts between the various characters, giving the reader deep insight into the mind of each character. Perrotta gives us a look at the often illicit lives of suburbanites through their own eyes....

2006-12-30