Maslin Watch: Oh Boy, Suburban Angst, That's New

In general, I think the "Dear Penthouse" gag is a bit played out, so I have to admit that the first of many quotes in Maslin's review of Tom Perrotta's "poignantly funny new novel about love and marriage," Little Children, doesn't exactly endear me to the book, as much as I loved Election long before it was a movie. But the uninspired way she builds off that quote thrills me even less:

"I'm a 31-year-old stay-at-home dad, and you'll never believe what just happened to me at the playground." Or maybe you would, since Mr. Perrotta tells his story so knowingly.

After that, we get a lot of plot synopsis without much critical intervention, and thank God for that, because when the critical voice does kick in, it tries desperately to be sassy: "So they kiss. And the earth moves. And, Houston, we have a problem." But after that, she does start to identify and grapple with the book's themes and Perrotta's particular assets, so things aren't a total wash.