Book Doctor: A Novel

Publishers Weekly

A nutty Queens tax lawyer-cum-fledging author puts himself in the hands of an emotionally conflicted book doctor in this talky, wistful novel by Cohen (No Charge for Looking). For Harbinger Singh, still in love with his ex-wife, Carla, writing a novel about his recent divorce is delicious revenge. For Arlette Rosen, ensconced in a chilly three-year relationship, doctoring other people's stories is a welcome distraction. Arlette's boyfriend, Jake, is "in film," wears only black and prefers to observe life rather than get too involved with it. Harbinger, in contrast, is playful, childlike and passionate. As Arlette tries to shape his unwieldy, sexy, autobiographical material into readable form, she finds herself being sucked into his novel as a fictional persona. At the same time, she recognizes that she wants to be in love with Jake, not merely find him adequate. Harbinger, too, is transformed by his work with Arlette, and Carla is shocked to discover that he is no longer the "dull, brown-suited fool [she] married and divorced." Cohen's novel is a gentle treatment of fragile relationships, humorously punctuated by the weird queries Arlette receives from struggling writers ("Dear Arlette, I'm writing to ask you for inspiration. Is it possible to send?"). Fluent, funny and true, it will particularly appeal to writers and those who must suffer them. Agent, Betsy Lerner at the Gernert Company. (Feb.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Arlette Rosen, the book doctor in Cohen's (No Charge for Looking) witty and urbane novel, is not exactly a ghost writer or an editor but more of a therapist who helps would-be authors get beyond their writer's block. Having built up a word-of-mouth business, she is able to select clients whose quirky personalities or projects pique her interest. Of course, Arlette has a novel percolating in her mind that she's never gotten around to writing. She has settled into a comfortable relationship with boyfriend Jake, a film aficionado who's settled for running a movie theater rather than making movies. Arlette becomes attracted to client Harbinger Singh, an exuberant Indian American tax lawyer who is writing a novel about his ex-wife in a kind of good-natured revenge. Cohen's novel, with its flighty storyline interspersed with query letters from Arlette's prospective clients, never quite coalesces. The book resembles a pleasant Woody Allen movie, with its New York backdrop and amusing dialog, except here Allen seems to have a case of adult ADD. Recommended for larger fiction collections.-Reba Leiding, James Madison Univ. Libs., Harrisonburg, VA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Book doctor Arlette seeks to create a book-and a life-of her own. Years ago, Arlette fell backwards into the fixer business when an editor friend asked her to take a look at an unwieldy manuscript. Now, at 35, she has a career she never quite meant to have. In addition, she's in a relationship that doesn't seem to be going anywhere. In some ways, Jake is perfect for her. Another artistic type, he organizes movie festivals for Film Focus, a New York City art-movie house. He wears only black, and he special-orders black pencils from Europe. Enter Harbinger Singh, an accountant who needs Arlette to help him write a novel in order to win back his estranged wife, Carla. In Singh's novel-to-be, the hero is devastatingly attractive to a woman named Marla. Something about Singh-his willingness to try new things, his tendency to sing songs as he walks down the street-shakes Arlette's complacency, and she begins a campaign to fix her relationship with Jake and to write a book of her own. Cohen has assembled a collection of lovely moments and pithy observations, including the charming monologues of Arlette's grandmother and the description of Jake's taste in film. She has set herself a particular challenge, however, in making her protagonist a book doctor who tightens the work of others. Her plot herks and jerks; characters speechify in long paragraphs; and Singh, her catalyst for change, at times gets dangerously close to being a collection of amusing tics. The author has been unable to resist throwing in countless letters from readers seeking Arlette's help. They're entertaining, but they stop the action in its tracks. Arlette herself observes that it's "easier to criticize people who were tryingthan to write herself," but doesn't save Cohen's novel from failing to become more than the sum of its parts. Author tour; Agent: Betsy Lerner/Gernert Company