The Imperfect Enjoyment by Dewan W. Gibson - Book Review

Title: The Imperfect Enjoyment

Author: Dewan W. Gibson

Publisher:IRC Books

Publication Date: December 2008

Format: Ebook - PDF

Pages: 177

Genre:Humour/Memoire

Source: Review Copy from Publisher

When college instructor Dewan Gibson leaves the Midwest for California, he expects to find a world of breast implants, beer and beaches. Instead he enters a secret and ill-fated romance with a Middle Eastern undergraduate. In this vivid and humorous memoir, Gibson describes his attempts to overcome his forbidden love affair by jumping into an office fling gone wrong (Tijuana Mornings), traveling across the world to Denmark in hopes of meeting "Ms. Booty Mama" (Arhus Ain't for Lovers) and musing over the interracial relationships between his African-American uncles and "rural white women that wore 1980's big bangs and resembled Guns N' Roses groupies" (Too Much Tupac). Toeing the line between stable adulthood and post-college debauchery, Gibson presents a comically honest look at the frailty of modern relationships. Poignant, witty and at times downright hilarious--The Imperfect Enjoyment is a story of toxic relationships and the search for a second chance at love that enlightens and amuses as very few books do. (Goodreads Synopsis)

I finished this book a few days ago, but have been mulling over what to write in the review.

I didn't dislike the book and read it all the way through, and yet I found myself a little detached about it.

This is a memoire of sorts, detailing part of the author's life and the women he is involved with at different times. There's nothing wrong with the writing and the author seems to have been fairly honest with himself - at times I found myself cringing at some of his decisions and wished I could yell at him and tell him he was being a fool. All seems to work out in the end though, despite the rocky start.

However, I didn't really see a 'reason' for it. Did the author just write this as a way to come to terms with the past, or did he intend a message of some sort. If it is the latter then it was lost on me as I closed the book wondering what the point of it had been.

So, I give this book 3 stars. As I said, there was nothing wrong with it, but I just didn't feel a deep enough connection to rate it any higher.