The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing

Title: The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing

Author: Melissa Bank

Original Print Date: 1999



Quick Summary: Through the years Jane had her struggles...mostly involving men and work. This book walks us through Jane'e experiences with men, work, and family with a humorous twist. It starts out at her family's summer house in New Jersey while she is still a teen. He brother is quite a few years older than her and he of course brings his latest girlfriend along for a stay. Unintentionally Jane ends up looking to her as a role model and is disapponted when they break-up. Majority of the book goes through her relationship with Archie, a man 28 years her senior, an alcoholic, and a revered editor in the publishing world. Her relationship with Archie also involves her work life and her never-ending need for approval. The journey of the book goes from there as we watch her grow and learn through all of her life experiences.

My Thoughts: The book was okay, but not great. I was pretty much annoyed with Jane the whole time for being such a girl when it came to Archie. I didn't feel like she had any self-respect and allowed him to treat her like she didn't really know anything. His tone with her was almost always condescending, plus they had trouble when it came to the bedroom...sounds like a bust of a relationship to me...the only thing he was good for was career advice. In a "shocking twist" she went back to him after being apart for a few years and she basically just repeated the same cycle over again. By the last stretch of the book she grew a pair and got Archie out of her life and she meets a new love interest who seems promising but it is so close to the end that the reader doesn't get much elaboration on this relationship. So, I say this one is not worth it!