I find myself tempted to rate this book only four stars because it wasn't 'easy' to read. Dubus writes about all kinds of real, flawed people almost clumsily seeking the happiness that somehow seems to elude them. And he writes about it beautifully.

As an author, he's been on my radar for some time now, but this is the first of his books that I've read. It won't be the last.

There are many things about the book to like, especially the first story that demonstrates with heartbreaking accuracy the ambivalence many people go through regarding a soon-to-be-former-partner.
However, as an overall book there are several significant flaws:
1. The stories don't have real endings. I'm not the kind of person who expects every detail to be wrapped and neatly delivered, but there needs to be some sort of apex moment, a conclusion to the narrative, that is just missing.
2. I'm guessing Dubus has experienced many people with alcoholism in his life. There don't seem to be more than two characters in the whole book of who aren't substance (primarily alcohol) abusers. This gets boring after a while.
3. With all do respect, Dubus doesn't quite understand what it means to be a young woman in our culture. His rather cavalier approach to what is clearly a sexual assault through the eyes of the assaultee is a little stomach turning. And there are small details that don't quite work (e.g. tattoos are not done where the artist holds an item with one hand and draws the tattoo with the other).

I've really liked Andre Dubus's previous books, but this one didn't do it for me. I mean, I really liked the first story, and the second one was OK, but after that, I found the characters flatter than normal. Maybe I just didn't read the book slowly enough, or something. Although I didn't find this book particularly compelling, Mr. Dubus writes extremely well and always offers a real portrait of our intimate selves.

Worst story was the last, which was also the longest and slowed me down significantly. Until then I was impressed by the economy of words Dubus used to describe the many painful realities of relationships.

A looki at the love in our lives and how lomg it tKes us to get it right

Beautiful writing about fallible characters who allegedly find/lose/kill love. I wouldn't want to hang out with any of them.

There aren't enough words to explain how much I loved this book

beautiful and hits a little close to home in places.

more than 3 stars but almost four stars.

I didn't really enjoy reading this book but I thought it was very well written and well done. It reminded me of how I feel when I read Alice Munro's stories, a little depressed, a little hopeless because of the dysfunction and missed opportunities and misunderstandings. But with Dubus' book, which was so raw and gritty, I also felt a little dirty for having read it, hence the name "Dirty Love."