Smart Women

I thought I would dive into this vintage find; as I am fond of Judy Blume’s writing. I found the read rather choppy and, difficult to get into the story. Smart Women is based on three divorced 40 something women and, their relationships with their immediate families set in the early 1980’s. I was irritated at the characters because I kept contemplating their behavior to the title of the book. I was disappointed in the read.

If you enjoy ludicrous melodrama, then Smart Women is for you.
Ok, I will admit that I read the older version, 1983, so maybe, just maaaybe, the updated version is better. It's just gotta' be better, after all it couldn't be worse.
The extreme whine factor in Smart Women is off the scale. Let me put it this way; say the world wide whine scale is 0 - 10, 10 being OMG whiney. Well this book is verging on 12.
A few years ago I promised myself, no matter how awful a book, never to throw it away in the middle, or anywhere else. But this one was like pulling teeth from it's roots without novacaine.
In one of the chapters there's a statement, "... what an intensely ridiculous mess ..." That pretty much sums up Judy Blume's Smart Women.

I recently finished "Smart Women", and I thought that it was a good book. However, I couldn't finish it as quickly as I did "Summer Sisters" and "Wifey"; the writing just didn't move as quickly. The book deals with the lives of two divorced acquaintances, named B.B. and Margo, who have relocated to Colorado after their divorces. Both women are trying to get on with their romantic lives, while raising their children. When B.B.'s ex-husband, Andrew, moves to town, and becomes interested in Margo, both women's lives become further intertwined. All the characters must now accept the new changes in their lives. I read the 1983 hardcover version of this book. Judy Blume's "Forever..." will be my next read.

The title "Smart Women" is a falsehood. While the women in the book may have been smart in the business sense, they displayed absolutely no intelligence in the choices they made in their personal lives. I am disheartened to find a book titled "Smart Women" depicting divorced women as dependent and self-absorbed, placing their own needs above responsibilities as role models in the raising of children. The children seemed to have more maturity and insight than the women in the book. This was the first Judy Blume book I have read, and it will be the last. Many women of divorce exhibit much more maturity and intellect than those depicted in this book.

In this book Judy Blume deals with the stresses of divorced families. Her story of single moms dealing with ex husbands, new boy friends, and raising kids is a true and realistic depiction of what divorced families are like. As somebody whose parents just went through a separation, I appreciated reading about all the emotions that come from having divorced parents. I felt like I could relate to the book and it made me feel better about my reaction to my parents separating. I liked how she wrote from all the different view points of all the characters. Although it was confusing at times, it did help see how both parents and children dealt with situations. These situations included getting along with your kids, dating, and remarrying. There were also other situations that the book dealt with that really kept the reader interested. I would recommend this book to divorced moms and teenagers of divorced parents.

Smart Women by Judy Blume is a very dramatic book dealing with real life situations. It shows how people react and take things differently by going inside the women characters heads about each situation. The three women in the book are all women with good occupations that pay well and keep them interested. They are all smart women like the title of the book but they can't figure out why they keep falling for the wrong men if they're so smart.

Thei book gives you a point of view from every person in each situation displaying different moods and characteristics. The theme of this book is about life and how one thing that a person barely thinks about can have a huge impact on others. Each of their actions affects someone close to them.

This style of writing is very different compared to other books which draws you in even more. Judy Blume does a good job at setting the tone and portraying the theme in each situation. I would recommend reading this book if you like dramatic novels about real life situations.

Interesting - not as saucy as her other two adult novels.

I enjoyed the book, for the most part. I found Blume's portrayal to be an honest one. I think women are very smart, except when it comes to men. Women stop using their brains and follow their heart, which can lead to heartbreak for others.

The book Smart Women by Judy Blume deserves three stars. It deserves three stars for many reasons. This book has a lot of good and bad qualities. One of the good qualities is that it tells you how it is on being divorced. One of the bad qualities is that it starts out to be a little dry and boring. This book is about women who are divorced and have been for many years. They try to regain their lives and to have the social lives that they once had. Clare, B.B., and Margo are struggling to get through life and finish raising their children. These women go through all of life's tragedies that happen to them after they think they have been through it all. The book deserved three stars because it is not a book for everyone. People who have been through a divorce or are going to get a divorce would best read this book. This book may also be read by teens who parents are about to go through a divorce or are going through one. It may help them cope with this situation if they are having trouble.

I grew up on Blume books like "Superfudge" and "Tales of A Fourth Grade Nothing". As a woman, I continue to grow when I read her adult books. She says what people always think but are too afraid to say. This gives you the opportunity to see what might happen if you did say exactly how you felt. (Gives you a little incentive, too!)
Thumbs up on her approach of showing each key character's point of view on the same situations. It really helps you think about how other people percieve things differently than you do.

I too grew up reading Judy Blume. Her adult books are amazing-and hard to put down! Judy Blume has a knack of being able to capture a charecter like no other author I have ever read. She pulls you into these wonderful women's lives, and lets you see things from numerous point of views. I read Smart Women for the first time in the early 90's, and now I re-read it at least once a year. Its like visiting old friends..please, Judy-write more adult books!!

Wow! This book was a great page turner. Once again Judy Blume executes an excellent story about divorced women and how they cope with divorce and raising children on their own and how they find love again. I would recommend this book highly!

After reading Summer Sisters I expected this book to be as good because I fel in love with Summer Sisters, however it wasn't as good. It was a bit long and dragged on. Although not horrible its not one of my favorites.