Barbara The Slut and Other People - Book Review

A Collection of Stories About Human Flaws

As the name suggests, Barbara The Slut and Other People has sexuality at the center of its plot. This novel by Lauren Holmes makes you laugh and cry at the same time. It tends to break stereotypes about certain people. It is about looking at the other person like a human and not judge them for their flaws.

Story Plot

This is not a single-story novel. It is a collection of 10 stories that take us into the lives of different flawed people. Holmes stories feature bored office goers, confused grad students, promiscuous teens and even a dog. The human characters are all on the lookout for something exciting to come their way so they can take a break from their woes and constant worries about life. The stories reveal how loneliness can be like living in hell and what it can make people do.

Characters

The book has ingeniously crafted characters that feel very real and distant at the same time. Lauren Holmes makes you picture the characters clearly with her vivid descriptions and details about their lives.

Writing Style

After reading Barbara the Slut and Other People, many readers and critics believed Lauran Holmes is a promising writer and has a long successful career ahead of her. One reason for it is her strong writing. She brilliantly mixes sad situations with humour. Her descriptions and details are fantastic. When she writes the story from the perspective of a dog, you cannot help but think God has given this dog a voice for a while so he could narrate the story. It feels so genuine.

Verdict

We give it 3.5 stars. Its story about the struggles of lonely and flawed people and the author’s writing deserves a special mention.

Barbara The Slut and Other People by Lauren Holmes