EXES

by Robert Miner ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 27, 1986

A dreary, derivative second novel from Miner (Mother's Day, 1978), featuring a bunch of divorced, middle-aged adults whining about relationships. Narrator Nikolas Ashford lives in Katonah, New York, with his second wife, Rachel, and their young son, Seth. But Nikolas has recently begun to sleep with his First wife, still-sexy Maryanne, mother of his two adored daughters, Gina and Caroline. Maryanne wants to send the kids to stay with Nikolas and Rachel, because she needs time alone with Bruce, her Significant Other, but a jealous, put-upon Rachel isn't buying this, and finally kicks Nikolas out of the house. In the meantime, Nikolas says things like: ""The new generation of defrocked women is blinder even than your impacted men--or maybe it's just that I feel they are denying what they know."" There's a good deal more yappery of this sort, the occasional gory car-crash (Nick is, unbelievably, a paramedic), and then the women--as in any frothy Neil Simon concoction--meet, put their heads together, and take over from the essentially passive male. After some maneuvering, Rachel woos Nikolas back again in Maryanne's generously donated Manhattan apartment. What's intended as a fairly serious dispatch from the relationships front is familiar stuff, indeed. Matters aren't helped any by Miner's dense, prolix prose style, or his tiresome fondness for dialogus interruptus: ""Jesus, Rac--."" ""Listen carefully. I won't say this again. I- -."" ""Rachel, I- -.

Pub Date: Feb. 27, 1986

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1986

Categories: FICTION