The Reading Group

Chick lit, for sure, but pretty well-written, and British which makes it a little more charming and less trite. Plus, a unique structure: Centered around a year in the book club, each month is paired with a book and while the members' lives and activities don't fit exactly, they often relate to the book that is being read and discussed. Book list is included -- made me want to try some of them! and sections of their fictional book discussion are also included, which I thought was rather well-done and reflected good knowledge and understanding of said book (examples: Atonement, My Antonia, Girl with a Peal Earring). The Reading Group consists of 5 members -- a little sparse for reality! 2 "older" women (Polly and Susan) with mostly show more grown/teen kids and 2 younger women (Nicole and Harriet) with young, school-age kids, and 1 wild card, Clare, who is a friend of a friend, has no kids, but desperately wanted them. This dynamic among the women is interesting, and spouses and family members also come into play which is where the more typical chick lit. figures in. Nicole's husband is a cheater, Harriet is feeling bored in her marriage, Susan has an aging mother to care for, Polly has a daughter who is unwed and unexpectedly pregnant, and Clare has infertility issues. There is one more interesting issue/surprise that moves the book above predictability. The author has also included a handy character reference at the very beginning including relationships and the characters' favorite books. Clever touches like this make it a worthwhile vacation read. She begins with an epigraph by Margaret Atwood: "The real, hidden subject of a book group discussion is the book members themselves." So true! show less

The group consists of five women, three, all married, in their early 30s and two, one divorced, in their mid-40s. We follow them for a year as their lives change and they become mutually supportive. Their different circumstances make for a fascinating, at times funny, but ultimately, a moving story. Events unfold and problems, both expected and unanticipated arise which means for some of them, their marriages are strained and tested. Each of the women are individually drawn by Elizabeth Noble, as are their families and their worries and concerns seem only too real. For all five, by the end of the year, their lives and their families have changed, mostly for the better, but in ways that they could not have imagined at the start.

The Reading Group: A Novel (P.S.) by Elizabeth Noble tells the story of a book club which consists of a collection of middle-aged women facing a variety of challenges in their lives and how the friendships they develop support them through these crises. Although it deals with heavier topics, such as infidelity, abortion and the death of one's parents, it is a decidedly light-hearted novel which celebrates female friendship.

The book is told from the perspectives of each of the book club members (and sometimes others in each of their lives) - at first, it was difficult to follow each story but I quickly became familiar with the characters and looked forward to the next chapter which would focus on their story. I do think, however, the show more story could have done without the perspectives of those outside the book club (such as the significant others of each of the reading group members). The story would have been tighter without the distractions of these other character perspectives - since these characters were not well developed, their points of view didn't seem as relevant to the reader. Other than this criticism, I have positive things to say about the book - I really enjoyed it and it felt like a familiar, comfortable read to me. Was it predictable at times? Yes - but that was Ok as I was quite caught up in the characters and their friendships and that was more important to me than a riveting plot with unexpected turns. I have read other Elizabeth Noble novels (Alphabet Weekend) and will certainly read more.

The reading group in this novel is really just a device to bring together these women, have them tell their stories and develop relationships with each other. The book opens with a quote by Margaret Atwood which I think is pretty apt for the book clubs I have been fortunate to be part of: "The real, hidden subject of a book group discussion is the book members themselves". Like the women in the novel's reading group, the lives of my fellow book club members have unfolded during many a book club meeting and we have looked to the group, at times, to provide emotional sustenance in difficult times. The women in this novel do the same and, as the novel progresses, they look forward more and more to their monthly meetings. My book clubs have mostly talked about the books (I have left book clubs in which the book never came up at a meeting) but the discussion would weave through the book but also the lives of each member or our opinions on issues in the book. The books in the novel are given are very light touch by the reading group - there is no real literary criticism going on at these meetings - but I like how the books are always a backdrop to scenes in the novel and to each of their lives.

There is some interesting content at the back of the book - in addition to a brief bio and interview with the author, there is a list of tips for setting up a book club and a piece written by a member of the author's book club which describes each member and how they approach their book club meetings. For a book club lover like me, this content was a great added bonus! show less

Five British women -- all with a host of individual problems, lifestyles and family dynamics -- meet once a month for a reading group, where they discuss books ranging from Nora Ephron's Heartburn to Paulo Coehlo's The Alchemist. Though each friend begins the novel in one particular place in her life, by the end of The Reading Group, it seems as if absolutely no one ended up where they began. And that's probably a good thing.

This is a long book -- a long and complicated book. Harriet, Nicole, Polly, Clare and Susan are five women dealing with difficult issues -- infidelity, an aging parent, divorce, pregnancy, etc. -- but they turn to each other for guidance and support. Though it took me an easy 200 pages to be able to get everyone's show more storylines straight and to have a keen grasp on everything that was unraveling, once I did, I was very absorbed in this one!

What I loved about a book called The Reading Group was that it actually discussed the reading group. The characters talked about the books they were reading -- one chapter for each month of the reading club -- and talked about the plot, the themes and the "morals" of the story, if you will. Unlike Karen Joy Fowler's The Jane Austen Book Club, which I found very disappointing, we actually get a glimpse of the books the characters are perusing each month. Yes, this novel is less about the books and more about the individuals reading them, but I needed to know what they were reading! I wasn't disappointed about that.

And I did feel quite a bit for the characters . . . whether it was annoyance (Cressida), sympathy (Susan), anger (Harriet), and so on, I didn't feel cold and indifferent to everyone's plights. That's the immediate making of a three or four star book for me! But I have to admit that by the end of The Reading Group, I felt a sense of relief -- my own problems could never compare to the trials of these ladies! Overall, a swift and enjoyable read -- though a bit emotionally draining. Make sure you have some time to sit with this one. show less

NEW BEGINNINGS A glass of wine, a gossip and a good book - the reading group is born.

When I first picked up this book and read the above on the back I expected a light hearted chick lit probably funny kind of book but to be honest the very opposite was true. Overall I was left empty and the whole feel of the book was an incredible sadness. I felt for each and every one of the female main characters in the book and it certainly worked for me.

I would recommend reading this book although not a favourite it was good to read.

I liked Harriet and her lesson about the grass not always being greener and seeing/having what is under your nose. I liked the contrast of her story with that of her close friend Nicole who has a jerk of a husband.

With show more Susan's character this made me think about my own relationship with my mother and mortality issues.

Cressida's story and her involvement with Caroline and Elliot was very well thought out and I admired Polly her mother for being there for Cressida. I think I liked Polly the most as this is how I would and hope to be with my young daughter.

I thought the way a book was read each month and discussed by the group was very original of the writer. The way each book's themes interweaved with the story of each person's lives was very clever.

Overall a good read. show less

Chick lit with an edge. Harriet, Nicole, Susan, Polly, and Clare start a book group, and the book follows the dramatic turns their lives take in the next year and the books that they read. Some of the plot turns are a little far-fetched, and the ending is too pat, but it was a nice, light read.

Excellent "group of women" genre. Unlike so many others, there was no terminal disease; just a group of women coping with life and hand dealt to them.
Posted to Amazon 4/9/2005:
Same Theme…New Perspective
The dim prospect of reading yet another in the group of close women friends genre kept me from reading Elizabeth Noble’s The Reading Group a lot longer than it should have. Although it took some time to become acquainted with all of the characters (there is a character listing at the front of the book, thankfully), once I became familiar with these women, their friends and families, I was hooked. Perhaps it was the absence of a dramatic illness that drew me to these women, each of them just trying to get through the day and cope as show more best they could with the challenges life was presenting each of them. The introduction of the reading group’s choices during the year’s span of the novel prompted many thoughts to try to compare titles I have read and piqued my interest to search out those I have not. (Reader beware—the group’s discussions to reveal significant plot details of the books discussed!) I am happy I finally plucked this gem from the pile! show less