Reviews
Praise for My Ex-Life : An Indie Next List Pick for May Amazon: Top 20 Editors' Picks for the Season " My Ex-Life is a pleasure of the deepest sort--it's a wise, ruefully funny, and ultimately touching exploration of mid-life melancholy and unexpected second chances. Stephen McCauley is a wonderful writer, and this may be his best book yet." -- Tom Perrotta , bestselling author of Mrs. Fletcher " My Ex-Life is a rich, yet delicate ragout of wonderfully vivid characters, hilarious dialogue, and spot-on cultural criticism. It satisfies on every level." -- Richard Russo , bestselling author of Everybody's Fool "Before you read My Ex-Life , make sure the person you sleep with is willing to be woken constantly by your laughter. Stephen McCauley writes sparkling, graceful, witty prose with an ease and fluency that seems like sleight-of-hand. If I were the kind of reader who highlighted brilliant passages, the whole entire book would be underlined." -- Katherine Heiny , author of Standard Deviation "From the first page of My Ex-Life , I was sending Stephen McCauley mental valentines and figurative fan notes, thanking him for this delicious, smart, funny novel, its endearing characters, and his wry, big-hearted cynicism. Oh, if all books could be like this one!" -- Elinor Lipman , author of On Turpentine Lane " My Ex-Life is Steve McCauley's best novel so far--and that's saying a lot. For those of us who devoured his previous books and eagerly awaited another, My Ex-Life is cause for celebration. McCauley's trademark wit and cultural commentary is all here, as is a cast of smart, complicated, heart-sore characters.... You're going to love My Ex-Life ." -- Anita Diamant , author of The Boston Girl and The Red Tent "This wonderful novel has its finger on the pulse of the present, but the questions it asks--about family and the ineluctable past and the strange, sustaining grace of friendship--are as timeless as the elegance and craft of its prose. Stephen McCauley is a master, one of our wisest and funniest observers of American life." -- Garth Greenwell , author of What Belongs to You "McCauley's effervescent prose is full of wit and wisdom on every topic--college application essays, Airbnb operation, weed addiction, live porn websites, and, most of all, people....A gin and tonic for the soul." -- Kirkus "A smart, fun novel...McCauley...describes the characters' evolving relationships with wit and warmth." -- AARP "You can recognize great writers in their minor characters...Stephen McCauley belongs to an elite club of authors who create such memorable supporting roles, and in his latest, My Ex-Life , he serves up a narcissistic San Francisco real estate agent, a bitter, tourist-town shopkeeper, and an exotic next-door philanderer, to name just three." -- Chronogram "Sweet-but-unsentimental paean to altruism and friendship that gets to the heart of people, be they nice or nasty.... A tender, strikingly 'true' story that is warm, clear, and nuanced." -- Library Journal Praise for Stephen McCauley's Previous Works : "Make no mistake: McCauley is a social satirist in the tradition of Evelyn Waugh and Oscar Wilde--and like them, he's a serious writer indeed." -- The Los Angeles Times on Alternatives to Sex "Delightful...nearly perfect." -- Entertainment Weekly on Alternatives to Sex "Stephen McCauley is really the secret love child of Edith Wharton and Woody Allen." -- The New York Times on The Easy Way Out, Praise for My Ex-Life : "Before you read My Ex-Life , make sure the person you sleep with is willing to be woken constantly by your laughter. Stephen McCauley writes sparkling, graceful, witty prose with an ease and fluency that seems like sleight-of-hand. If I were the kind of reader who highlighted brilliant passages, the whole entire book would be underlined." -- Katherine Heiny , author of Standard Deviation "From the first page of My Ex-Life , I was sending Stephen McCauley mental valentines and figurative fan notes, thanking him for this delicious, smart, funny novel, its endearing characters, and his wry, big-hearted cynicism. Oh, if all books could be like this one!" -- Elinor Lipman , author of On Turpentine Lane " My Ex-Life is Steve McCauley's best novel so far--and that's saying a lot. For those of us who devoured his previous books and eagerly awaited another, My Ex-Life is cause for celebration. McCauley's trademark wit and cultural commentary is all here, as is a cast of smart, complicated, heart-sore characters.... You're going to love My Ex-Life ." -- Anita Diamant , author of The Boston Girl and The Red Tent "This wonderful novel has its finger on the pulse of the present, but the questions it asks--about family and the ineluctable past and the strange, sustaining grace of friendship--are as timeless as the elegance and craft of its prose. Stephen McCauley is a master, one of our wisest and funniest observers of American life." -- Garth Greenwell , author of What Belongs to You Praise for Stephen McCauley's Previous Works : "Make no mistake: McCauley is a social satirist in the tradition of Evelyn Waugh and Oscar Wilde--and like them, he's a serious writer indeed." -- The Los Angeles Times on Alternatives to Sex "Delightful...nearly perfect." -- Entertainment Weekly on Alternatives to Sex "Stephen McCauley is really the secret love child of Edith Wharton and Woody Allen." -- The New York Times on The Easy Way Out, Praise for My Ex-Life : " My Ex-Life is a pleasure of the deepest sort--it's a wise, ruefully funny, and ultimately touching exploration of mid-life melancholy and unexpected second chances. Stephen McCauley is a wonderful writer, and this may be his best book yet." -- Tom Perrotta , bestselling author of Mrs. Fletcher " My Ex-Life is a rich, yet delicate ragout of wonderfully vivid characters, hilarious dialogue, and spot-on cultural criticism. It satisfies on every level." -- Richard Russo , bestselling author of Everybody's Fool "Before you read My Ex-Life , make sure the person you sleep with is willing to be woken constantly by your laughter. Stephen McCauley writes sparkling, graceful, witty prose with an ease and fluency that seems like sleight-of-hand. If I were the kind of reader who highlighted brilliant passages, the whole entire book would be underlined." -- Katherine Heiny , author of Standard Deviation "From the first page of My Ex-Life , I was sending Stephen McCauley mental valentines and figurative fan notes, thanking him for this delicious, smart, funny novel, its endearing characters, and his wry, big-hearted cynicism. Oh, if all books could be like this one!" -- Elinor Lipman , author of On Turpentine Lane " My Ex-Life is Steve McCauley's best novel so far--and that's saying a lot. For those of us who devoured his previous books and eagerly awaited another, My Ex-Life is cause for celebration. McCauley's trademark wit and cultural commentary is all here, as is a cast of smart, complicated, heart-sore characters.... You're going to love My Ex-Life ." -- Anita Diamant , author of The Boston Girl and The Red Tent "This wonderful novel has its finger on the pulse of the present, but the questions it asks--about family and the ineluctable past and the strange, sustaining grace of friendship--are as timeless as the elegance and craft of its prose. Stephen McCauley is a master, one of our wisest and funniest observers of American life." -- Garth Greenwell , author of What Belongs to You "McCauley's effervescent prose is full of wit and wisdom on every topic--college application essays, Airbnb operation, weed addiction, live porn websites, and, most of all, people....A gin and tonic for the soul." -- Kirkus Praise for Stephen McCauley's Previous Works : "Make no mistake: McCauley is a social satirist in the tradition of Evelyn Waugh and Oscar Wilde--and like them, he's a serious writer indeed." -- The Los Angeles Times on Alternatives to Sex "Delightful...nearly perfect." -- Entertainment Weekly on Alternatives to Sex "Stephen McCauley is really the secret love child of Edith Wharton and Woody Allen." -- The New York Times on The Easy Way Out, Praise for My Ex-Life : "Before you read My Ex-Life , make sure the person you sleep with is willing to be woken constantly by your laughter. Stephen McCauley writes sparkling, graceful, witty prose with an ease and fluency that seems like sleight-of-hand. If I were the kind of reader who highlighted brilliant passages, the whole entire book would be underlined." -- Katherine Heiny , author of Standard Deviation "From the first page of My Ex-Life , I was sending Stephen McCauley mental valentines and figurative fan notes, thanking him for this delicious, smart, funny novel, its endearing characters, and his wry, big-hearted cynicism. Oh, if all books could be like this one!" -- Elinor Lipman , author of On Turpentine Lane " My Ex-Life is Steve McCauley's best novel so far--and that's saying a lot. For those of us who devoured his previous books and eagerly awaited another, My Ex-Life is cause for celebration. McCauley's trademark wit and cultural commentary is all here, as is a cast of smart, complicated, heart-sore characters.... You're going to love My Ex-Life ." -- Anita Diamant , author of The Boston Girl and The Red Tent Praise for Stephen McCauley's Previous Works : "Make no mistake: McCauley is a social satirist in the tradition of Evelyn Waugh and Oscar Wilde--and like them, he's a serious writer indeed." -- The Los Angeles Times on Alternatives to Sex "Delightful...nearly perfect." -- Entertainment Weekly on Alternatives to Sex "Stephen McCauley is really the secret love child of Edith Wharton and Woody Allen." -- The New York Times on The Easy Way Out, Praise for My Ex-Life : " My Ex-Life is a rich, yet delicate ragout of wonderfully vivid characters, hilarious dialogue, and spot-on cultural criticism. It satisfies on every level." -- Richard Russo , bestselling author of Everybody's Fool "Before you read My Ex-Life , make sure the person you sleep with is willing to be woken constantly by your laughter. Stephen McCauley writes sparkling, graceful, witty prose with an ease and fluency that seems like sleight-of-hand. If I were the kind of reader who highlighted brilliant passages, the whole entire book would be underlined." -- Katherine Heiny , author of Standard Deviation "From the first page of My Ex-Life , I was sending Stephen McCauley mental valentines and figurative fan notes, thanking him for this delicious, smart, funny novel, its endearing characters, and his wry, big-hearted cynicism. Oh, if all books could be like this one!" -- Elinor Lipman , author of On Turpentine Lane " My Ex-Life is Steve McCauley's best novel so far--and that's saying a lot. For those of us who devoured his previous books and eagerly awaited another, My Ex-Life is cause for celebration. McCauley's trademark wit and cultural commentary is all here, as is a cast of smart, complicated, heart-sore characters.... You're going to love My Ex-Life ." -- Anita Diamant , author of The Boston Girl and The Red Tent "This wonderful novel has its finger on the pulse of the present, but the questions it asks--about family and the ineluctable past and the strange, sustaining grace of friendship--are as timeless as the elegance and craft of its prose. Stephen McCauley is a master, one of our wisest and funniest observers of American life." -- Garth Greenwell , author of What Belongs to You Praise for Stephen McCauley's Previous Works : "Make no mistake: McCauley is a social satirist in the tradition of Evelyn Waugh and Oscar Wilde--and like them, he's a serious writer indeed." -- The Los Angeles Times on Alternatives to Sex "Delightful...nearly perfect." -- Entertainment Weekly on Alternatives to Sex "Stephen McCauley is really the secret love child of Edith Wharton and Woody Allen." -- The New York Times on The Easy Way Out, "...make no mistake: McCauley is a social satirist in the tradition of Evelyn Waugh and Oscar Wilde-and like them, he's a serious writer indeed." - Darcy Cosper for The Los Angeles Times on Alternatives to Sex "Delightful... nearly perfect." - Jennifer Reese, Entertainment Weekly on Alternatives to Sex "The writing is seamless, the story never lags, and it is filled with eccentric characters and observations you'll find yourself reading aloud." - USA Today on Man of the House "A very funny, exceptionally vivid first novel... Surely on of the best books about what it is like to be young in these crazy time." - The New York Times Book Review on Object of My Affection, Praise for My Ex-Life : An Indie Next List Pick for May Amazon: Top 20 Editors'' Picks for the Season " My Ex-Life is a pleasure of the deepest sort--it''s a wise, ruefully funny, and ultimately touching exploration of mid-life melancholy and unexpected second chances. Stephen McCauley is a wonderful writer, and this may be his best book yet." -- Tom Perrotta , bestselling author of Mrs. Fletcher " My Ex-Life is a rich, yet delicate ragout of wonderfully vivid characters, hilarious dialogue, and spot-on cultural criticism. It satisfies on every level." -- Richard Russo , bestselling author of Everybody''s Fool "Before you read My Ex-Life , make sure the person you sleep with is willing to be woken constantly by your laughter. Stephen McCauley writes sparkling, graceful, witty prose with an ease and fluency that seems like sleight-of-hand. If I were the kind of reader who highlighted brilliant passages, the whole entire book would be underlined." -- Katherine Heiny , author of Standard Deviation "From the first page of My Ex-Life , I was sending Stephen McCauley mental valentines and figurative fan notes, thanking him for this delicious, smart, funny novel, its endearing characters, and his wry, big-hearted cynicism. Oh, if all books could be like this one!" -- Elinor Lipman , author of On Turpentine Lane " My Ex-Life is Steve McCauley''s best novel so far--and that''s saying a lot. For those of us who devoured his previous books and eagerly awaited another, My Ex-Life is cause for celebration. McCauley''s trademark wit and cultural commentary is all here, as is a cast of smart, complicated, heart-sore characters.... You''re going to love My Ex-Life ." -- Anita Diamant , author of The Boston Girl and The Red Tent "This wonderful novel has its finger on the pulse of the present, but the questions it asks--about family and the ineluctable past and the strange, sustaining grace of friendship--are as timeless as the elegance and craft of its prose. Stephen McCauley is a master, one of our wisest and funniest observers of American life." -- Garth Greenwell , author of What Belongs to You "McCauley delights with intimately, often hilariously observed characters and a winking wit that lets plenty of honest tenderness shine through. Readers will love spending time in these pages." -- Booklist (starred review) "Wickedly funny.... For all the idiosyncrasies of McCauley''s creations, it''s likely many readers will see aspects of their own lives reflected in these pages." -- BookPage "McCauley''s effervescent prose is full of wit and wisdom on every topic--college application essays, Airbnb operation, weed addiction, live porn websites, and, most of all, people....A gin and tonic for the soul." -- Kirkus "A smart, fun novel...McCauley...describes the characters'' evolving relationships with wit and warmth." -- AARP "You can recognize great writers in their minor characters...Stephen McCauley belongs to an elite club of authors who create such memorable supporting roles, and in his latest, My Ex-Life , he serves up a narcissistic San Francisco real estate agent, a bitter, tourist-town shopkeeper, and an exotic next-door philanderer, to name just three." -- Chronogram "Sweet-but-unsentimental paean to altruism and friendship that gets to the heart of people, be they nice or nasty.... A tender, strikingly ''true'' story that is warm, clear, and nuanced." -- Library Journal Praise for Stephen McCauley''s Previous Works : "Make no mistake: McCauley is a social satirist in the tradition of Evelyn Waugh and Oscar Wilde--and like them, he''s a serious writer indeed." -- The Los Angeles Times on Alternatives to Sex "Delightful...nearly perfect." -- Entertainment Weekly on Alternatives to Sex "Stephen McCauley is really the secret love child of Edith Wharton and Woody Allen." -- The New York Times on The Easy Way Out, Praise for My Ex-Life : " My Ex-Life is a pleasure of the deepest sort--it's a wise, ruefully funny, and ultimately touching exploration of mid-life melancholy and unexpected second chances. Stephen McCauley is a wonderful writer, and this may be his best book yet." -- Tom Perrotta , bestselling author of Mrs. Fletcher " My Ex-Life is a rich, yet delicate ragout of wonderfully vivid characters, hilarious dialogue, and spot-on cultural criticism. It satisfies on every level." -- Richard Russo , bestselling author of Everybody's Fool "Before you read My Ex-Life , make sure the person you sleep with is willing to be woken constantly by your laughter. Stephen McCauley writes sparkling, graceful, witty prose with an ease and fluency that seems like sleight-of-hand. If I were the kind of reader who highlighted brilliant passages, the whole entire book would be underlined." -- Katherine Heiny , author of Standard Deviation "From the first page of My Ex-Life , I was sending Stephen McCauley mental valentines and figurative fan notes, thanking him for this delicious, smart, funny novel, its endearing characters, and his wry, big-hearted cynicism. Oh, if all books could be like this one!" -- Elinor Lipman , author of On Turpentine Lane " My Ex-Life is Steve McCauley's best novel so far--and that's saying a lot. For those of us who devoured his previous books and eagerly awaited another, My Ex-Life is cause for celebration. McCauley's trademark wit and cultural commentary is all here, as is a cast of smart, complicated, heart-sore characters.... You're going to love My Ex-Life ." -- Anita Diamant , author of The Boston Girl and The Red Tent "This wonderful novel has its finger on the pulse of the present, but the questions it asks--about family and the ineluctable past and the strange, sustaining grace of friendship--are as timeless as the elegance and craft of its prose. Stephen McCauley is a master, one of our wisest and funniest observers of American life." -- Garth Greenwell , author of What Belongs to You Praise for Stephen McCauley's Previous Works : "Make no mistake: McCauley is a social satirist in the tradition of Evelyn Waugh and Oscar Wilde--and like them, he's a serious writer indeed." -- The Los Angeles Times on Alternatives to Sex "Delightful...nearly perfect." -- Entertainment Weekly on Alternatives to Sex "Stephen McCauley is really the secret love child of Edith Wharton and Woody Allen." -- The New York Times on The Easy Way Out, Praise for My Ex-Life : An Indie Next List Pick for May Amazon: Top 20 Editors'' Picks for the Season " My Ex-Life is a pleasure of the deepest sort--it''s a wise, ruefully funny, and ultimately touching exploration of mid-life melancholy and unexpected second chances. Stephen McCauley is a wonderful writer, and this may be his best book yet." -- Tom Perrotta , bestselling author of Mrs. Fletcher " My Ex-Life is a rich, yet delicate ragout of wonderfully vivid characters, hilarious dialogue, and spot-on cultural criticism. It satisfies on every level." -- Richard Russo , bestselling author of Everybody''s Fool "Before you read My Ex-Life , make sure the person you sleep with is willing to be woken constantly by your laughter. Stephen McCauley writes sparkling, graceful, witty prose with an ease and fluency that seems like sleight-of-hand. If I were the kind of reader who highlighted brilliant passages, the whole entire book would be underlined." -- Katherine Heiny , author of Standard Deviation "From the first page of My Ex-Life , I was sending Stephen McCauley mental valentines and figurative fan notes, thanking him for this delicious, smart, funny novel, its endearing characters, and his wry, big-hearted cynicism. Oh, if all books could be like this one!" -- Elinor Lipman , author of On Turpentine Lane " My Ex-Life is Steve McCauley''s best novel so far--and that''s saying a lot. For those of us who devoured his previous books and eagerly awaited another, My Ex-Life is cause for celebration. McCauley''s trademark wit and cultural commentary is all here, as is a cast of smart, complicated, heart-sore characters.... You''re going to love My Ex-Life ." -- Anita Diamant , author of The Boston Girl and The Red Tent "This wonderful novel has its finger on the pulse of the present, but the questions it asks--about family and the ineluctable past and the strange, sustaining grace of friendship--are as timeless as the elegance and craft of its prose. Stephen McCauley is a master, one of our wisest and funniest observers of American life." -- Garth Greenwell , author of What Belongs to You "McCauley delights with intimately, often hilariously observed characters and a winking wit that lets plenty of honest tenderness shine through. Readers will love spending time in these pages." -- Booklist (starred review) "McCauley''s effervescent prose is full of wit and wisdom on every topic--college application essays, Airbnb operation, weed addiction, live porn websites, and, most of all, people....A gin and tonic for the soul." -- Kirkus "A smart, fun novel...McCauley...describes the characters'' evolving relationships with wit and warmth." -- AARP "You can recognize great writers in their minor characters...Stephen McCauley belongs to an elite club of authors who create such memorable supporting roles, and in his latest, My Ex-Life , he serves up a narcissistic San Francisco real estate agent, a bitter, tourist-town shopkeeper, and an exotic next-door philanderer, to name just three." -- Chronogram "Sweet-but-unsentimental paean to altruism and friendship that gets to the heart of people, be they nice or nasty.... A tender, strikingly ''true'' story that is warm, clear, and nuanced." -- Library Journal Praise for Stephen McCauley''s Previous Works : "Make no mistake: McCauley is a social satirist in the tradition of Evelyn Waugh and Oscar Wilde--and like them, he''s a serious writer indeed." -- The Los Angeles Times on Alternatives to Sex "Delightful...nearly perfect." -- Entertainment Weekly on Alternatives to Sex "Stephen McCauley is really the secret love child of Edith Wharton and Woody Allen." -- The New York Times on The Easy Way Out, Praise for My Ex-Life : " My Ex-Life is a pleasure of the deepest sort--it's a wise, ruefully funny, and ultimately touching exploration of mid-life melancholy and unexpected second chances. Stephen McCauley is a wonderful writer, and this may be his best book yet." -- Tom Perrotta , bestselling author of Mrs. Fletcher " My Ex-Life is a rich, yet delicate ragout of wonderfully vivid characters, hilarious dialogue, and spot-on cultural criticism. It satisfies on every level." -- Richard Russo , bestselling author of Everybody's Fool "Before you read My Ex-Life , make sure the person you sleep with is willing to be woken constantly by your laughter. Stephen McCauley writes sparkling, graceful, witty prose with an ease and fluency that seems like sleight-of-hand. If I were the kind of reader who highlighted brilliant passages, the whole entire book would be underlined." -- Katherine Heiny , author of Standard Deviation "From the first page of My Ex-Life , I was sending Stephen McCauley mental valentines and figurative fan notes, thanking him for this delicious, smart, funny novel, its endearing characters, and his wry, big-hearted cynicism. Oh, if all books could be like this one!" -- Elinor Lipman , author of On Turpentine Lane " My Ex-Life is Steve McCauley's best novel so far--and that's saying a lot. For those of us who devoured his previous books and eagerly awaited another, My Ex-Life is cause for celebration. McCauley's trademark wit and cultural commentary is all here, as is a cast of smart, complicated, heart-sore characters.... You're going to love My Ex-Life ." -- Anita Diamant , author of The Boston Girl and The Red Tent "This wonderful novel has its finger on the pulse of the present, but the questions it asks--about family and the ineluctable past and the strange, sustaining grace of friendship--are as timeless as the elegance and craft of its prose. Stephen McCauley is a master, one of our wisest and funniest observers of American life." -- Garth Greenwell , author of What Belongs to You "McCauley's effervescent prose is full of wit and wisdom on every topic--college application essays, Airbnb operation, weed addiction, live porn websites, and, most of all, people....A gin and tonic for the soul." -- Kirkus "A smart, fun novel...McCauley...describes the characters' evolving relationships with wit and warmth." -- AARP Praise for Stephen McCauley's Previous Works : "Make no mistake: McCauley is a social satirist in the tradition of Evelyn Waugh and Oscar Wilde--and like them, he's a serious writer indeed." -- The Los Angeles Times on Alternatives to Sex "Delightful...nearly perfect." -- Entertainment Weekly on Alternatives to Sex "Stephen McCauley is really the secret love child of Edith Wharton and Woody Allen." -- The New York Times on The Easy Way Out, Praise for My Ex-Life : An Indie Next List Pick for May " My Ex-Life is a pleasure of the deepest sort--it''s a wise, ruefully funny, and ultimately touching exploration of mid-life melancholy and unexpected second chances. Stephen McCauley is a wonderful writer, and this may be his best book yet." -- Tom Perrotta , bestselling author of Mrs. Fletcher " My Ex-Life is a rich, yet delicate ragout of wonderfully vivid characters, hilarious dialogue, and spot-on cultural criticism. It satisfies on every level." -- Richard Russo , bestselling author of Everybody''s Fool "Before you read My Ex-Life , make sure the person you sleep with is willing to be woken constantly by your laughter. Stephen McCauley writes sparkling, graceful, witty prose with an ease and fluency that seems like sleight-of-hand. If I were the kind of reader who highlighted brilliant passages, the whole entire book would be underlined." -- Katherine Heiny , author of Standard Deviation "From the first page of My Ex-Life , I was sending Stephen McCauley mental valentines and figurative fan notes, thanking him for this delicious, smart, funny novel, its endearing characters, and his wry, big-hearted cynicism. Oh, if all books could be like this one!" -- Elinor Lipman , author of On Turpentine Lane " My Ex-Life is Steve McCauley''s best novel so far--and that''s saying a lot. For those of us who devoured his previous books and eagerly awaited another, My Ex-Life is cause for celebration. McCauley''s trademark wit and cultural commentary is all here, as is a cast of smart, complicated, heart-sore characters.... You''re going to love My Ex-Life ." -- Anita Diamant , author of The Boston Girl and The Red Tent "This wonderful novel has its finger on the pulse of the present, but the questions it asks--about family and the ineluctable past and the strange, sustaining grace of friendship--are as timeless as the elegance and craft of its prose. Stephen McCauley is a master, one of our wisest and funniest observers of American life." -- Garth Greenwell , author of What Belongs to You "McCauley delights with intimately, often hilariously observed characters and a winking wit that lets plenty of honest tenderness shine through. Readers will love spending time in these pages." -- Booklist (starred review) "Wickedly funny.... For all the idiosyncrasies of McCauley''s creations, it''s likely many readers will see aspects of their own lives reflected in these pages." -- BookPage "McCauley''s effervescent prose is full of wit and wisdom on every topic--college application essays, Airbnb operation, weed addiction, live porn websites, and, most of all, people....A gin and tonic for the soul." -- Kirkus "A smart, fun novel...McCauley...describes the characters'' evolving relationships with wit and warmth." -- AARP "You can recognize great writers in their minor characters...Stephen McCauley belongs to an elite club of authors who create such memorable supporting roles, and in his latest, My Ex-Life , he serves up a narcissistic San Francisco real estate agent, a bitter, tourist-town shopkeeper, and an exotic next-door philanderer, to name just three." -- Chronogram "Sweet-but-unsentimental paean to altruism and friendship that gets to the heart of people, be they nice or nasty.... A tender, strikingly ''true'' story that is warm, clear, and nuanced." -- Library Journal Praise for Stephen McCauley''s Previous Works : "Make no mistake: McCauley is a social satirist in the tradition of Evelyn Waugh and Oscar Wilde--and like them, he''s a serious writer indeed." -- The Los Angeles Times on Alternatives to Sex "Delightful...nearly perfect." -- Entertainment Weekly on Alternatives to Sex "Stephen McCauley is really the secret love child of Edith Wharton and Woody Allen." -- The New York Times on The Easy Way Out, Praise for My Ex-Life : An Indie Next List Pick for May Amazon: Top 20 Editors' Picks for the Season " My Ex-Life is a pleasure of the deepest sort--it's a wise, ruefully funny, and ultimately touching exploration of mid-life melancholy and unexpected second chances. Stephen McCauley is a wonderful writer, and this may be his best book yet." -- Tom Perrotta , bestselling author of Mrs. Fletcher " My Ex-Life is a rich, yet delicate ragout of wonderfully vivid characters, hilarious dialogue, and spot-on cultural criticism. It satisfies on every level." -- Richard Russo , bestselling author of Everybody's Fool "Before you read My Ex-Life , make sure the person you sleep with is willing to be woken constantly by your laughter. Stephen McCauley writes sparkling, graceful, witty prose with an ease and fluency that seems like sleight-of-hand. If I were the kind of reader who highlighted brilliant passages, the whole entire book would be underlined." -- Katherine Heiny , author of Standard Deviation "From the first page of My Ex-Life , I was sending Stephen McCauley mental valentines and figurative fan notes, thanking him for this delicious, smart, funny novel, its endearing characters, and his wry, big-hearted cynicism. Oh, if all books could be like this one!" -- Elinor Lipman , author of On Turpentine Lane " My Ex-Life is Steve McCauley's best novel so far--and that's saying a lot. For those of us who devoured his previous books and eagerly awaited another, My Ex-Life is cause for celebration. McCauley's trademark wit and cultural commentary is all here, as is a cast of smart, complicated, heart-sore characters.... You're going to love My Ex-Life ." -- Anita Diamant , author of The Boston Girl and The Red Tent "This wonderful novel has its finger on the pulse of the present, but the questions it asks--about family and the ineluctable past and the strange, sustaining grace of friendship--are as timeless as the elegance and craft of its prose. Stephen McCauley is a master, one of our wisest and funniest observers of American life." -- Garth Greenwell , author of What Belongs to You "McCauley's effervescent prose is full of wit and wisdom on every topic--college application essays, Airbnb operation, weed addiction, live porn websites, and, most of all, people....A gin and tonic for the soul." -- Kirkus "A smart, fun novel...McCauley...describes the characters' evolving relationships with wit and warmth." -- AARP "You can recognize great writers in their minor characters...Stephen McCauley belongs to an elite club of authors who create such memorable supporting roles, and in his latest, My Ex-Life , he serves up a narcissistic San Francisco real estate agent, a bitter, tourist-town shopkeeper, and an exotic next-door philanderer, to name just three." -- Chronogram Praise for Stephen McCauley's Previous Works : "Make no mistake: McCauley is a social satirist in the tradition of Evelyn Waugh and Oscar Wilde--and like them, he's a serious writer indeed." -- The Los Angeles Times on Alternatives to Sex "Delightful...nearly perfect." -- Entertainment Weekly on Alternatives to Sex "Stephen McCauley is really the secret love child of Edith Wharton and Woody Allen." -- The New York Times on The Easy Way Out
