AfterEllen.com Book Club discussion

Landing is the official pick for the month. Casey, a stellar lesbian reviewer, counted this as one of her favorite lesbian romances of all time, but other readers didn't feel as passionate about it. What did you think?

This particular novel didn't work for me. I had to skip entire paragraphs near the end just to finish it. The more I read the more I kept thinking why this two people would go to all the trouble when is obvious they are not right for each other. It might be that I am getting old and think that relationships should not be based only on passion but it just didn't click. They are way better romance novels out there. Also, the pace was very slow for me. I like the back and forward on the texts but it felt like nothing was really happening.

Ugh, I couldn't even finish this one. I got about half way through, and I was so bored and uninterested that I couldn't read another word. The characters have zero chemistry, and it's just too painfully contrived.

Oh ladies... so much hate in these reviews!!!

I'm on opposite end, I really liked this story. I read it last year so I may not remember every single detail but I remember some parts which means the book at least was memorable since I can forget whole plots within weeks after reading a book.

This story is not your typical lesbian romance. I think what I liked the most about it is that it's so different from every other romance I've read. I liked the long distance relationship, it must be really hard to maintain a relationship with someone who is on the other side of the world, it was painful to "watch". The age difference was also interesting, especially for the fact that Jude felt like a 50 year old woman while Sile acted so much younger than her age.

I also loved that the characters were not perfect, including the main ones, and to me they felt more real because of this. Almost all of Sile's friends were horrible people and Jude's husband, I wanted to kill that man.

It did surprise me when one of them said "I love you" the first time (don't remember which one) I just thought "Oh really? that soon?", especially these people that have nothing in common. I think the author went a little crazy on that one.

Overall I really enjoyed the story, and it's still on my favorite romance stories list.

I enjoyed it but I found the back and forth messages to be dull after a while. I think it would have been a stronger finish if they didn't end up together since they really did have bugger all in common. I mean I realise that having someone who complements your flaws is awesome but I feel like there needs to be something there.

What I did like about it though was that there was never the issue of sexuality. Like Jude could have casual bones with her ex and that's fine but she's also mainly into women which is also fine. I also liked the idea of the age difference but I didn't really see it when picturing the book.

All in all, not my favourite but an enjoyable read all the same :)

I don't really believe in transatlantic relationships after having tried it myself - albeit in 1994. But the way this story was told I can totally see it happen. What I don't understand is why they didn't see each other more often when Síle was on American soil, but I suppose I don't get how far it really is between Ontario and say New York or that stewardesses don't have any free time before flying right back. Or why they didn't think of moving to Toronto much earlier.
Overall I really liked the book. I started reading it a while after downloading and I didn't remember what it was about. But I was interested from the start. Donoghue managed to tell both perspectives rather convincingly and I enjoyed her style.

I had very high hopes for this book having read several works by Donoghue in the past. Unfortunately, I felt a bit let down.
I did enjoy the more or less love at first sight idea in the novel. Or love at first coffee. And in the beginning, the relationship was absolutely lovely. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded where both Jude and Sile were still thinking about each other even though they had the most minor of interactions. I enjoy the idea that someone you have just met can have such a lasting impression on you. I continued to enjoy the relationship through the first emails. I liked that Donoghue showed how a casual friendship can become more, via only words. The relationship between Sile and Jude did seem stronger when they just had the emails. Once they started talking on the phone, and eventually met in person, their attraction no longer seemed to make sense.
However, even suspending my disbelief and going with what Sile and Jude themselves claimed to be true: they were in love; I found myself no longer very interested in their happiness. Neither seemed right for the other, regardless of the long distance relationship. And I particularly had issues with how uncompromising and pig-headed Jude could be. She seemed so set in her ways that she was 75, not 25. I could understand Sile leaving the airline and moving to another continent for love, but not for Jude.
It is a compliment to the writing style and of Donoghue's prose that I continued reading. Although, there was one plot point that seriously caused me ire and had me seeing red: Jude being attacked and beaten outside a gay bar and this being the impetus for Jude and Sile reuniting.
We have seen this same sad plot twist in a previous book club selection (Playing the Role of Herself), and to me, it seems very lazy as well as insulting. One of them is in great danger or suffers bodily harm so the other forgives all and runs back to her. However, with the specific bodily harm inflicted due to a hate crime, once again homophobia, I feel as if there is a deeper message. A reminder that this type of life style, and by association this relationship, is morally and socially wrong. Unfortunately, in real life, queer people are often attacked only for being queer. But I think in a rather light story about a relationship, particularly this one, it has no place. And I am doubly upset that Donoghue would write such a moment. I would have rather enjoyed the complications of a long distance relationship without being reminded that it was specifically a homosexual relationship and that some people have problems with homosexuals.
Having said all of that, it seems obvious that the story did not live up to my expectations. Aside from a few very cute, sweet, romantic moments, I found myself struggling to finish and not exactly caring whether they ended up together or not.

Folkpants, your review of this book was more interesting to read than the book itself! And though I hadn't made it to the point in the book where Jude was attacked, I read enough to share your feelings about it as a lazy and irresponsible plot device.