Review of Mrs Loud and Mrs Quiet

[Ruth Naomi]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Mrs Loud and Mrs Quiet" by John Ling.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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It is always disturbing when you have lived in a peaceful environment for years then suddenly a noisy neighbor moves in next door. Based on Mr. Ling’s experience in mediation and conflict resolution, he expertly showcases how mediators work in some of his short stories. Based on my experiences, mediation work is among the most underrated jobs. The knowledge and skills required to promote peace among conflicting communities, neighbors, or business partners are greater than the pay awarded.

Mary (Mrs Quiet) and her son, Joseph, have lived in their noiseless neighborhood for years. Tracey (Mrs Loud), her next-door neighbor, has been making loud sexual noises in the middle of the night. The noises make sleeping unbearable for Joseph. Every time he hears them, Joseph rushes to his mother’s bedroom to complain. A mediator, George, comes and has a meeting with them to resolve the dispute.

Fast forward, George is at it again with yet another neighborhood disagreement. Safia is having trouble with her neighbor, Geraldine. The dispute involves bins, parking spaces, and noise. Therefore, George has to find common ground between the two. Mrs Loud and Mrs Quiet by John Ling is a collection of tales that will enthrall readers from beginning to end.

There is a lot of diversity in this book. In one story, Jake's mother and father were married for years. The former does not realize she is unhappy in her marriage until she meets Farida. They are soon engaged and become a same-sex couple. I found it riveting when Jake's dad tells the kids of their mother's decision and that it is fine to be with someone who makes you happy.

I disliked several things in the installment. One, the author's way of displaying dialogues was unappealing. If one is not careful, one will easily get confused. This is because some reported sentences had no quotation marks and a name to express who said the words. Additionally, in the first story, Tracey's Scottish expression of words was difficult to understand sometimes since her utterances were packed with variations.

I only detected few grammatical errors; as a result, the book is well edited. Mr. Ling has made me appreciate the work of a mediator. The stories have different plots; therefore, I would get transported to a world of mediation at one time and then to another world in a different tale. The aspects I detested were not dense enough to fault the work's rating. Consequently, I rate the book four out of four stars. I recommend it to enthusiasts of short stories.

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Mrs Loud and Mrs Quiet
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[Adaeze Joan]

The book title is not only funny but captivating. Despite that I don't think I would be interested in reading this book till the end. Nice work on the review.

[Ailakhu Yusau Aizhebiomon]

The title of the book makes it very attractive. But encouraging same sex may not be too appealing to some reader who sees homosexuality as the height of immorality. Great review I must say.

[Nomalungelo N]

Thanks for the review, I'm gonna read the book.

[Edria Dayyinah]

The summary of the book you have written here makes me think this is such a fun book (really, the plot is somewhat funny). And i do agree when some books don’t flag their dialogues, makes me have a headache. Overall, amazing review!

[Ntombifuthi Londi]

While reading the review, I found myself giggling; the book appears to be intriguing, and I'd like to add it on my library. It also brought up memories of my College roommate. Thank you very much for your positive feedback.