Dating Big Bird: A Novel

Once I read past the fluffy first pages, the meat of the story - the authors deeply honest probing of profession women caught in singledom - fed my own hungry, questioning heart.

Laura Zigman is a good writer, but this book was disappointing, the latest entry in the capable single woman with dilemmas genre that began so well with Bridget Jones. Its plot so closely follows a pattern of wish fulfillment that the ending (where evrything works out) feels like a fairy tale. Im sure that would be frustrating for women hoping to identify with wanting a child - it would have been interesting to read more about what happens after Ellen gets her wish and the baby arrives. Is it everything she hoped for? Well never know...

I love Animal Husbandry. It may be my favorite recent read, and I wanted to love this book. I didnt. I kept wondering why. I thought perhaps I couldnt relate to the pain of delayed motherhood. I like to think that Im a good enough reader that a book doesnt have to speak directly to my personal life experience in order to engage me. Even if that were the case, this character actually does what I do for a living and Ive never found this in a book before. Wouldnt that engage me at least a bit? It didnt. I enjoyed the side characters more than the main character. Her work friend was wonderful. Same with the impoholic writer, he rang very true, though the situation was bizarre--and I liked how bizarre that situation was. At least it was interesting. Her descriptions of her nieces very specific behaviors rang true, but did not particularly entertain me. I guess what was missing, for me, was a sense of the real emotional core of this main character. She was flat, bleached out, kind of lost. I wondered if having a child to fill up this blankness was going to work for her, but sadly, did not particularly care.

What could be better than reuniting with one of the most successful girls from high school only to discover that most of what you see is an illusion--and that youre kindred spirits after all! The scenes between aunt and niece (The Pickle) are tender and true, and the whole book is much nicer than Animal Husbandry because theres no call for revenge. (But check that book out, too.) A happy read!

Only read this book if you are single and consider having babies to be the meaning of life. The books protagonist is completely obsessed with having a baby, with or without a man, and the entire book focuses on her baby obsession. Her view is that nothing else in life is more important than having a baby and that its not worth waiting for the right man to have a baby with. To enjoy this book you would have to buy into the philosophy that a baby is panacea for a disappointing career and bad relationships with men. This fueled an anti-baby obsession in me, the whole time I was reading the book I was thinking, there is so much more to life than having babies... Laura Zigmans first book, Animal Husbandry, was excellent and remains a favorite for its dry humor and applicability to single life.

Dating Big Bird is a delightful read about a womans quest for a child. Ellen Franck is in a loving but frozen relationship with Malcolm, a divorced father who lost his only child to leukemia. At 35, Ellen wonders if she will ever be able to have a baby. It certainly doesnt help that every woman she knows is a mother or mother-to-be. That is, except for Amy, an old high school acquaintance Ellen runs into on the streets of New York. The two begin a friendship and wade through intracacies of their own lacking relationships and desires for more. Ellen is supported by a wonderful cast of characters who are both hysterical and endearing. You will want to pick up this quick, funny and heartwarming read to discover Ellens fate. By the end of the book Ellen learns, and we are reminded, that life happens when you begin living it.

Easy Read...Im not Ellens age, yet, But Many women are 35 ready to have kids, but no suitable partners...A very real story for the 21 st century..In the end you feel good about Ellens decision

As a commuter, I was looking for something fun to enliven the hours of highway bumper tag. At the suggestion of a friend, I purchased the Audio Tape of Dating Big Bird. I loved it so much, I have to actually read it while my much listened to Audio CD is being passed around from one friend to another. Ellen Franck is a real, vivid and immensely funny character. Ellen is not overly bitter or pitying. Ms. Zigman keeps Ellen out of the pity pool and in turn, makes Ellens exploration of the life of a single, thirty something mommy wannabe very real, funny and endearing. I could totally relate to Ellens own inner struggle and her relationships with family and friends. Basically, I loved this book and the fact that it makes you laugh at a subject that very easily could make one cry. My only disappointment is the ending, but then again there is always hope for a sequel.

This book gives one of the most realistic views into the mind and heart of a thirtysomething professional woman Ive read in a long time. Ellen faces the sometimes harsh, sometimes bittersweet situations that a single woman whose friends are mostly married and have or are going to have children in a way that I find very realistic. Sometimes youre jealous because your life hasnt seemed to work out in the same way, sometimes youre happy for your friends because theyve achieved what makes them happy, and theres everything in between. This book did a good job of capturing the whole spectrum of emotions that can arise. In the end, this book was a good reminder to me that life takes equal parts of pursuing what you want and being patient for things to come out as they are meant to.

What a wierd book! Even before opening the cover you know its going to be... interesting... just by looking at the title. Its not what I expected at all. I figured it would be some really off the wall thing that wouldnt be good at all, but I was wrong. I wouldnt call it a piece of litterary genius or anything, but it was an amusing quick read. Ellens comedic trials with her Pickle, were funny and touching. The eccentric characters that she meets are indeed a little out there, but Im sure everyone could relate someone they knew in real life to these uncoventional friends. Although I took this book as a light comedy, it does touch on some serious issues. The whole subject of invetro fertilization itself is contriversial, and the acceptance from parents, family, and friends is a very real side effect when dealing with this issue. I thought that besides a good laugh, this book provided a glimpse into human behavior in situations that most of us wont ever have to face.