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Tom Perrotta
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Mrs. Fletcher: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Tom Perrotta (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.6 3.6 out of 5 stars 3,210 ratings
Editors' pick Best Literature & Fiction
See all formats and editions
Now an HBO series starring Kathryn Hahn!

“Light, zingy, and laugh-out-loud funny” (People), the New York Times bestselling novel about sex, love, and identity as seen through the eyes of a middle-aged woman and her college freshman son.

A forty-six-year-old divorcee whose beloved only child has just left for college, Eve Fletcher is struggling to adjust to her empty nest. One night she receives a text from an anonymous number that says, “U R my MILF!” Over the months that follow, that message comes to obsess Eve. While leading her all-too-placid life—serving as Executive Director of the local senior center and taking a community college course on Gender and Society—Eve can’t curtail her own interest in a porn website that features the erotic exploits of ordinary, middle-aged women like herself. Before long, Eve’s online fixations begin to spill over into real life, revealing new romantic possibilities that threaten to upend her quiet suburban existence.

Meanwhile, miles away at the state college, Eve’s son Brendan—a jock and aspiring frat boy—discovers that his new campus isn’t nearly as welcoming to his hard-partying lifestyle as he had imagined. Only a few weeks into his freshman year, Brendan is floundering in a college environment that challenges his white-dude privilege and shames him for his outmoded, chauvinistic ideas of sex. As the New England autumn turns cold, both mother and son find themselves enmeshed in morally fraught situations that come to a head on one fateful November night.

“The sweetest and most charming novel about pornography addiction and the harrowing issues of sexual consent that you will probably ever read” (The New York Times Book Review), Mrs. Fletcher is a timeless examination of sexuality, identity, parenthood, and the big clarifying mistakes people can make when they’re no longer sure of who they are or where they belong. “Tom Perrotta’s latest might just be his best” (NPR).
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  1. Print length
    338 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Scribner
  5. Publication date
    August 1, 2017
  6. File size
    1601 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An Amazon Best Book of August 2017: Tom Perrotta’s latest is about a recent empty nester, struggling with this alien status and desperate for a distraction, when a very saucy one is served-up anonymously on her phone. No, it's not a message from Anthony Weiner, but it is something that piques Mrs. Fletcher's interest to such a degree that she becomes obsessed with a certain "adult site" and suddenly her sleepy suburban existence is sleepy no more. Meanwhile her son, whose clueless moments of Neanderthalism are proving a liability with the college ladies, is trying to find his footing in life too. Right off the bat you know that Mrs. Fletcher is going to veer into awkward territory, and it does have its cringe-worthy moments (which I think Perrotta inflicts with glee). But these characters are so expertly drawn that it’s easy to relate to, and sympathize with, their bumbling attempts at working through existential crises (unintentionally hilarious, and even shocking these efforts may be). The secondary characters are just as strong, and refreshingly unexpected. When Mrs. Fletcher’s ex-husband is introduced, you find out that he left her for a younger model he courted on Craigslist, and you think...Of course! But he’s actually not what you think at all, nor is his new wife. These are ordinary people making life-changing mistakes at a time when they should be (mostly) grown up. That’s the thing, though--no matter where we are in life--we always have growing to do...Perrotta, ever the provocateur, ties up a narrative loose end by creating yet another in the end. It’s something that will needle at you, in an uncomfortably good way. Such is Mrs. Fletcher. --Erin Kodicek, Amazon Book Review

Review

""Mrs. Fletcher," Perrotta’s seventh novel and first since 2011’s "The Leftovers," operates and succeeds in ways that will be pleasingly familiar to his admirers. It uses a fecund premise, a large cast of recognizable characters, a rotating point of view, a propulsive plot, a humane vision and clean, non-ostentatious ... prose to explore a fraught cultural topic. There be dragons, yes, but decency mitigates the danger. “Mrs. Fletcher” is the sweetest and most charming novel about pornography addiction and the harrowing issues of sexual consent that you will probably ever read."
—The New York Times Book Review

"[Perrotta] explores the redefining of American sex lives by technology. . . . Mrs. Fletcher is a wry, compassionate novel about the ramifications of porn filtering so effortlessly into mainstream culture, without hysteria or accusations. Perrotta [is] well-versed in capturing the manifold follies and fetishes of human behavior. . . . One of the sharpest elements of Mrs. Fletcher is how Perrotta presents two opposing forces colliding on campus: porn culture and PC culture."
—The Atlantic

"At times morbidly funny and, at others, grim, “Mrs. Fletcher” signals a return to familiar territory for Mr. Perrotta — sex, school and suburbia ... While “Mrs. Fletcher” may sound, from a plot summary, like an R-rated comedy or the outline for a raunchy Judd Apatow movie, it is more melancholy than many of his earlier books. Sex and pornography often serve as shorthand for characters’ loneliness and their search for self-worth."
—The New York Times

"Light, zingy, and laugh-out-loud funny."
—People

"Satisfying, wise and deeply appealing, flying by in a day or two of nonstop immersion, and in Eve's character it has true insight into the strangeness of all those anonymous American suburbs — the simultaneous comfort and loneliness of a generic place, a common life."
—The Chicago Tribune

"Sublimely funny ... in this shimmeringly satisfying novel, Perrotta uses the sense of loneliness like a propeller, raising these characters into glorious flight if they can just let themselves trust they have wings."
—San Francisco Chronicle

"Raunchy, hilarious, and unexpectedly sweet ... [Perrotta's] latest might just be his best — it's a stunning and audacious book, and Perrotta never lets his characters take the easy way out. Uncompromisingly obscene but somehow still kind-hearted, Mrs. Fletcher is one for the ages."
—NPR

"The sinews of Perrotta’s fiction, rather, are the tensions within and between characters, tensions that he steadily and artfully amplifies until the reader becomes possessed by curiosity about how they’ll be resolved ... "Mrs. Fletcher" is lit up by flashes of acute observation."
—The New Yorker

"[A] fantastic tease ... [Perrotta] knows how to capture the hilarious contradictions of teenagers."
—The Washington Post

"Perrotta has been called the “Steinbeck of suburbia” and an “American Chekhov,” but with Mrs. Fletcher, he’s become the Jane Austen of 21st century sexual mores ... [Mrs. Fletcher is] a delicious, tragicomic and finally forgiving take on the mistakes we modern people can’t seem to stop making. Mrs. Fletcher is a delight."
—Newsday

"Sublimely funny ... shimmeringly satisfying ... Perrotta is astute about complex social problems, including how well a mother and grown son can understand one another, what it means to be transgender and lonely, what our sexual mores really mean, and how anyone different — whether autistic or sexually fluid — can find a comfortable place in a confusing world."
—San Antonio Express-News

"Mrs. Fletcher is an intelligent novel that weaves together all the old issues about relationships along with contemporary issues of identity ... Perrotta expertly explores sexual identity, gender, pornography, and sex. This is a novel about overcoming ignorance. It urges readers to take advantage of opportunities for self-analysis and enlightenment. We must listen to each other’s stories."
—Los Angeles Review of Books

"Perrotta’s eye for contemporary mores and social details remains razor-sharp ... More spot-on satire with heart and soul from a uniquely gifted writer."
—Kirkus Reviews

“From the thrill of learning of its existence, to the feverish turning of pages, to the contemplative afterglow that comes from having finished: there’s nothing like a new Tom Perrotta novel. Mrs. Fletcher is all you dream it will be: hilarious, provocative (a little too), relatable, and every moment a joy ride.”
—Maria Semple, bestselling author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Today Will Be Different

“Tom Perrotta has always been a smart, fearless writer, a wet-your-pants-funny satirist who will in the very next sentence ambush you with genuine emotion. Buckle your seat belt and surrender your dignity, because Mrs. Fletcher is a romp.”
—Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Empire Falls

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01NAKX8WI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner; Media Tie-In edition (August 1, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 1, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1601 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 338 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1501144030
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.6 3.6 out of 5 stars 3,210 ratings

About the author

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Tom Perrotta

Tom Perrotta

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Thomas R. Perrotta (born August 13, 1961) is an American novelist and screenwriter best known for his novels Election (1998) and Little Children (2004), both of which were made into critically acclaimed, Academy Award-nominated films. Perrotta co-wrote the screenplay for the 2006 film version of Little Children with Todd Field, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. He is also known for his novel The Leftovers (2011), which has been adapted into a TV series on HBO.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Customer reviews

3.6 out of 5 stars
3.6 out of 5
3,210 global ratings
Here we go...
4 Stars
Here we go...
So what can i say about this Mrs. Fetcher?..This book was a mix of hardcore cringe and in your face realism. A lot of the things that happened in this book are things parents go through.This book jumps right in into the explicit and doesn’t let up until the end..Eve goes back and forth wanting to be the best single parent and do everything right for her college bound son, and redefining herself and her needs. She has put her life on hold for most of her life, so what does it look like now that she is alone?..Brendan is a stubborn idiotic train wreck that you can’t look away from. Unbeknownst to Eve, he is NOT the sweet and innocent little boy she wants to believe he is. With the need to free himself and enjoy every little morsel college life has to offer, he spirals downhill pretty fast..I was hooked by page 1 and didn’t put this book down until i was done just anew short hours later. While there were plenty of parts in this book very cringeworthy, I would say give it a go!
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Top reviews from the United States

BookItForward.Blog
4.0 out of 5 stars It isn't like an NC-17 sex scene filled book Mrs
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2017
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It isn't like an NC-17 sex scene filled book

Mrs. Fletcher isn't a knock you off your seat, blow you away thriller with plot twists and deception. It is a slow burning family drama with a very sexual undertone. Don't let that deter you from reading it. It isn't like an NC-17 sex scene filled book. The story deals with sexuality in more of an exploratory tone. The main character Eve Fletcher is in her late 40's and is getting ready to drive her 18 year old son to college when she overhears him and his girlfriend engaged in a certain activity in his bedroom. The language she hears him use when speaking to his girlfriend in the heat of the moment disturbs her but she doesn't get the opportunity to address it with him. This is in part due to his bad attitude and general teenage cocky boy attitude he gives her on their way to college in between his frequent naps. Brendan is your typical 18 year old jock who peaked in high school. He thinks the world is his to rule and that life is a giant party filled with girls to sleep with. Once Eve drops Brendan off, her life as a Mom seems to be over. She is filled with an emptiness that she is unsure how to deal with until a mysterious text comes through on her phone that says "U R My MILF" and a few other words that I won't repeat here. If you are unaware of what MILF stands for, look it up. This text sends her mind off in all sorts of wild directions. It awakens her sexuality and takes her on a journey that leads her to new life experiences and gives her new found confidence. Although she has a great and fulfilling career, she re-enlists in community college. She enrolls in a very interesting class on gender and sexual identity which is taught by a transgendered woman named Margo who Eve becomes very good friends with. The quirky students in her class open her eyes to the world and she enjoys their company. All the while she is growing and thriving, Brendan is slowly failing at the life he thought he would rule in college. This isn't my typical go to book to read if I was just basing my pick on the book synopsis, but Tom Perrotta is one of my favorite authors. He takes a simple story and brings life to it with layers and layers of character development. Small moments are thrilling to read because of his intense details and descriptions. These are real people who could be your next door neighbor but their stories are compelling because of the way he brings them to life. This book won't be for everyone, but if you are a fan of any of his other books which have become movies and TV series, you will like this one.
25 people found this helpful
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PlantBirdWoman
5.0 out of 5 stars Mrs. Fletcher by Tom Perrotta: A review
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2017
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Mrs. Fletcher is Eve Fletcher, a 46-year-old divorcee whose adored son, Brendan, her only child, has just left for his freshman year in college, leaving her with the proverbial empty nest. In her loneliness, she casts about for something that will bring meaning to her life.

It's not as if "empty nest" means an empty life. Eve has a satisfying job as the executive director of a senior center. She has friends and interacts daily with her staff and with the seniors who come to the center, but she definitely feels that something is missing.

She signs up at the local community college to take a course on Gender and Society at night. The course is taught by a fascinating transgender instructor and the other students are an interesting mixed bag of personalities and life experiences at all stages of life. Eve becomes engrossed in new avenues of thought that are opened up for her by the course.

At some point, after Brendan leaves for college, she receives an anonymous text message: “U R my MILF!” Who would have sent her such a message and why?

Thinking of MILFs leads her into thinking of porn and soon she finds herself watching porn on the internet every night. She is especially obsessed with a particular lesbian MILF site. She can't stop watching! She is quickly becoming addicted to web porn and her fixation threatens to spill over into her real life in unexpected and embarrassing ways.

Meanwhile, Brendan, the jock and aspiring frat-boy, is finding that college does not live up to his sex-crazed expectations. He was expecting to pursue a hard partying lifestyle, but a few weeks into the college year, he finds himself lost at sea. He is floundering in all of his classes and he finds that his attitude of smug white-dude privilege and chauvinistic ideas about sex do not find favor with the female students with whom he comes in contact.

In short, as the autumn progresses, both mother and son must face the consequences of bad decisions and mistakes they have made.

Perrotta presents his characters' conundrums with a wry humor along with sharp social commentary. He deals with the various permutations of sexuality and identity with a provocative and always witty frankness.

This is, on one level, a very funny book, but it is much more than that. Perrotta gives us an unflinching look at some of the darker corners of modern society and how we deal with our fellow men/women/humans. And even as he presents his perspectives with humor, he leaves us with a lot to ponder in our more sober moments.

Overall, I found this to be a quick read, because once I got started, it was hard to put down. I was completely engaged by the story.
12 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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IQ
4.0 out of 5 stars A story about reality of life
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 5, 2023
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Very much enjoyed the book and appreciated how the author portrayed the messiness of life. Well worth reading. Haven’t seen the tv show so May try that too
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Roberto
3.0 out of 5 stars Muy fácil de leer y entretenido, pero no deja mucho poso
Reviewed in Spain on December 15, 2022
Verified Purchase
El libro es un "slice of life" puro y duro: presenta los eventos en la vida de varios personajes, girando alrededor de una "crisis de identidad sexual" de la protagonista principal, sin demasiado desarrollo ni argumento. De hecho, aunque el final no es tan abierto como "The Leftovers" (perdón por el pequeño spoiler), va un poco por ahí.

Aún así, es muy entrenido y no me arrepiento de haberlo leído. Pero es como la "fast food": te encanta en el momento, pero no es algo que te deje mucho poso o que vayas a recordar dentro de unos meses.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Canada on January 15, 2018
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Great book..easy reading and sometimes thought provoking
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Amazon Kunde
5.0 out of 5 stars Super!
Reviewed in Germany on October 9, 2019
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Absolut lesenswert und sehr lustig. Bin gespannt auf die angekündigte HBO-Verfilmung ;-)
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Kay Eight
4.0 out of 5 stars Some profound insights into rarely explored topics
Reviewed in Australia on December 4, 2020
Verified Purchase
Somehow this story managed to explore sexual desire without being overexplicit. I was intrigued as much by the son's story as much as I was about the mother's and would have liked a more of his POV at the end. Well worth reading anyway. It made me think hard about my relationship with my teenager.
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