Like Mary McCarthy's classic tale of coming-of-age in New York, The Group, Joanna Smith Rakoff's richly drawn and immensely satisfying first novel details the lives of a group of Oberlin graduates whose ambitions and friendships threaten to unravel as they chase their dreams, shed their youth, and build their lives in Brooklyn during the late 1990s and the turn of the twenty-first century.
There's Lil, a would-be scholar whose marriage to an egotistical writer initially brings the group back together (and ultimately drives it apart); Beth, who struggles to let go of her old beau Dave, a onetime piano prodigy trapped by his own insecurity; Emily, an actor perpetually on the verge of success -- and starvation -- and grappling with her jealousy of Tal, whose acting career has taken off. At the center of their orbit is wry, charismatic Sadie Peregrine, who coolly observes her friends' mistakes but can't quite manage to avoid making her own. As they begin their careers, marry, and have children, they must navigate the shifting dynamics of their friendships and of the world around them.
Set against the backdrop of the vast economic and political changes of the era -- from the decadent age of dot-com millionaires to the sobering post-September 11th landscape -- Smith Rakoff's deeply affecting characters and incisive social commentary are reminiscent of the great Victorian novels. This brilliant and ambitious debut captures a generation and heralds the arrival of a bold and important new writer.
About Joanna Smith Rakoff:
Joanna Smith Rakoff has written for The New York Times, Time Out New York, The Los Angeles Times, Newsday, Vogue, O: The Oprah Magazine, and other publications. Her poetry has appeared in journals such as The Paris Review, The Kenyon Review, Western Humanities Review, and Arts & Letters, and her personal essays have appeared in such anthologies as How to Spell Chanukah and If You Really Want to Hear About It: Writers on J.D. Salinger. She has been a fellow at the MacDowell Colony. She holds a B.A. from Oberlin College, an M.A. from University College, London, and an M.F.A. from Columbia University. She lives in New York with her husband and son.
PinkBaby wrote:
i know its still early to be discussing the book. but i have finished the first chapter and it seemed verrrrrrrrrry long and tedious. im just starting the second chapter so maybe i have to read alot more before i can get into liking the book.PinkBaby, and Everyone.
I don't want to sound picky, or critical, but personal comments of any kind about this book should be held off until the discussion starts in January. These comments can put people off, and spoil the feel for the book.....
Karen will introduce these threads, in which these comments are relevant. You may post them at that time.
Thank you for your consideration.
Kathy S.
Hi PinkBaby,
Glad you got the book! But for the sake of the discussion and your fellow readers, please wait until the official start date of January 5 to post your impressions of the book. Karen will have a schedule of threads posted soon.
Many thanks!
PinkBaby wrote:
i know its still early to be discussing the book. but i have finished the first chapter and it seemed verrrrrrrrrry long and tedious. im just starting the second chapter so maybe i have to read alot more before i can get into liking the book.
