The Romantics: A Novel

This was an interesting book to read, but I imagine it would only appeal to a certain kind of reader. More of a character study than a story, with what story there is being very cliche and predictable, there's not much to move the reader forward. That said, I do want to give credit where credit is due. What Neiderhoffer lacks in his story, he makes up for with his love for his characters. Each character is beautifully described--their histories, motivations, fears, reactions, eccentricities are so rich that the reader feels as if she's part of the group; that she's grown up and gone to college with them. I was able to both love and despise them at the same time, the same way they all simultaneously love and despise each other. If you're show more a people watcher, the kind of person who likes the beginning "get to know you" part of movies best, or loves finding online the biographies of your favorite public figures then this might be the book for you. If not, I recommend you skip it. show less

An interesting plot, but unlikable characters along with an unsatisfying ending make for just an okay read.

This was an interesting book. Niederhoffer did a good job portraying the WASPy world of Yale alumni, born to a life of privilege but unable to achieve much after graduation. I thought she had many intriguing, punchy observations. The only problem was that parts of the book were not believable - they didn't seem real. Instead, they seemed stylized. In particular, the romance between Laura and Tom fell into this category. Their conversations seemed stilted. Yet, I was rooting for them.

I watched the movie first and was left with an empty, slightly disturbed feeling. It had potential, but didn't quite make it. I was hopeful the book would fill in gaps and increase my liking for the characters. It didn't! In fact, the movie was an amazingly accurate rendition of the book. Many of the movie conversations came straight from the book dialogue. I wanted to like this book and the movie; but ultimately wouldn't recommend it to another.

This book was very well written with strong, captivating language.
***SPOILER*** However, I'm not happy with the way the story ended.

Well written book. I didn't like the ending to this book