Book of the Week

13 years ago

Seating arrangements by Maggie Shipstead

I discovered this novel via a list of book suggestions in one of OprahÃ¢ÂÂs newsletters. The characters in the book come alive as real, complex people, and are mostly likeable and well-intentioned. The story is seen mainly through the eyes of Winn Van Meter who lives in Connecticut and who takes a ferry to the familyÃ¢ÂÂs island home where his daughterÃ¢ÂÂs wedding is to be held. He sees the island home as the great refuge of his life, where his family was most sturdy and harmonious. But he has to find his way when everything sturdy and harmonious is turned upside down mainly because of the upcoming wedding. The house is disordered now that members of the wedding party and relatives are staying; the groomÃ¢ÂÂs family, virtual strangers, need to be entertained along with other guests; and inappropriate relationships occur. In addition, there are unexpected pregnancies, there is a revival of controversies over community disputes and social standing, and a whale that has become beached on the shore causes consternation. Winn becomes unsturdy himself during the course of the book, particularly in one very humorous segment when he unthinkingly consumes both painkillers and alcohol. The book is sometimes poignant, at times hilariously funny, and is interesting on every page. A very satisfying read about flawed but basically decent characters.

A review: Ã¢ÂÂSeating Arrangements is bursting with perfectly absorbed characters and unforgettable scenes. This gorgeous, wise, funny, sprawling novel about family, fidelity, and social class, is the best book IÃ¢ÂÂve read in agesÃ¢ÂÂ - J. Courtney Sullivan.

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Comments (6)

lydia1959
13 years ago
That sounded interesting enough that I went over to Amazon to see what other people thought... the reviews are quite varied. 46 Five star reviews, 26 One star reviews. It seems you either love this book or you hate it. lol
stacey_mb
Original Author
13 years ago
Lydia, Thank you for the Amazon information. There are so many different reading tastes out there, mine included, which is why I call it eclectic. I'm very appreciative of the public library, because it gives me the opportunity to read books that are highly thought of, but that I'm not sure I will like. One book I read recently but didn't understand all the hoopla over is The Sense of an Ending, by Julian Barnes. This is where a book club is helpful; I'm sure other people would have pointed out its positives.

I hadn't thought to check Amazon reviews for the books that I featured, and probably won't check for future posts either. I would be afraid of finding out that the book is only read by me and maybe three other people!! lol

Have you recently read a book that was highly recommended but you thought, meh? I'm always looking for new reading material, please share some of your favorites.
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Comments (5)
I am so glad you are back! I'm ordering the book as soon as I finish writing this! Thanks, and I don't think you have to write a review every week. Heck, I'd settle for once a month. :-)))) Guess I'll have to check the library. It's $47.95. Just ordered Collared instead
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When breath becomes air / Paul Kalanithi ; foreword by Abraham Verghese NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST • THE NEW YORK TIMES • NPR We have all heard of or experienced a situation where a doctor has ignored the concerns of a patient and refused thorough testing. That is what happened to 35 year old Paul Kalanithi despite the fact that he was a physician himself, in training to be a neurosurgeon and possessing several other degrees as well. He saw a doctor because with his weight loss and severe back pain, he suspected that he had cancer. An x-ray would not show abnormalities as well as an MRI, but an x-ray is what the doctor insisted upon. This test was normal. Continuing to be in discomfort, Kalanithi took painkillers in order to function and a few weeks later he developed extreme chest pain. Tests now showed that his lungs were riddled with tumors and these had spread to other areas of his body. He now became a patient. This book is very, very good and is intelligently written. It’s remarkable in the way it shows the journey of a physician through education, training and treatment of patients, and a patient’s journey through diagnosis, receiving treatment and finally having to make decisions for end-of-life care. The most poignant sections of the book are when the author had to re-assess the goals he had in life and realize his life objectives have changed. He was fortunate throughout to have the support of his wife, also a physician, and his family. For a smaller book, it has lots to think about. Booklist review: “Can life remain full and rewarding even while one is living under a death sentence? This is the question now-deceased neurosurgeon Kalanithi asked himself after receiving a late-stage lung cancer diagnosis. Newly married and almost ready to complete his residency, at 34 Kalanithi was faced with a momentous decision: Should he continue with a promising medical career, or fall back on his first love of writing while taking care of his health? Fortunately for the readers of this moving memoir, he decided to do both. Kalanithi describes his life-changing decision to set aside the pursuit of a doctorate in literature in favor of attending medical school and then recounts the discovery and progress of his illness, along with the inevitable upheaval in his personal life. A precious highlight here is the heartrending epilogue penned by his wife, Lucy, following Kalanithi's passing shortly after she became pregnant. This eloquent, heartfelt meditation on the choices that make life worth living, even as death looms, will prompt readers to contemplate their own values and mortality.”
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This is one of the best books I've ever read. "Rules of Civility" is also very good. Settle in. This is a long, satisfying read with a lot to consider. I recommended it here after reading it while we were on Maui this winter.
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When my daughter was about ten, she stopped reading. Said she didn't have any books she liked. I tried my favorites on her -- Little Women, Anne of Green Gables. No interest at all. I asked a much younger colleague where I worked for suggestions. She told me about Harriet the Spy and Judy Blume. My daughter loved them. I took her to the library a lot -- they had a great librarian there who picked out books that she would probably like. I started a Book of the Month club for her -- once a month we went to a bookstore and she could pick out a book and I paid for it. She's in her 40s now, and reads magazines once in a while, but has no interest in going back to reading books. I tried...
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maxmom96
13 years ago
Stacy, I really appreciate your weeky book reviews. I love to read and I'm always looking for recommendations of things I normally might not have heard about.

Interestingly, I picked up The Sense of an Ending at the local FOL a few weeks ago, but haven't gotten to it. I knew it had won or been short listed for the Man Booker Prize, so I thought I'd get it. After all, $2 for the book isn't that much of an investment. I have read two of Barnes' other books and one I liked and one I couldn't understand. Another friend working in the library at the time said she and her husband had read The Sense of an Ending and couldn't understand it at all. I did hear part of an interivew with Barnes on NPR and thought the book sounding interesting. We'll see when I get to that book while working through my pile of TBRs.

Do you ever wander over to the Reading Forum? I've learned of some interesting books through them, although I must say that they seem to all like 'series' books, which I don't, and mysteries, which I also don't (unless they offer someting unique in the plot).

Keep up the reviews!
stacey_mb
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you for your encouragement, Maxmom, I really appreciate it. Please let me know what you think of The Sense of an Ending after you've read it.

Yes, I like the Reading Forum too for new reading ideas. I followed that forum for quite a while (lurking, not posting) before I joined the Kitchen Table. I've been mulling over if I want to post Book of the Week there too. I like the Kitchen Table for its variety of topics and views, and Reading Forum for the book discussions. So I could double my enjoyment of online book appreciation by posting to both sites. Something to think about.
alisande
13 years ago
Have you recently read a book that was highly recommended but you thought, meh?

Not all that recently, but The Life of Pi was highly recommended. I abandoned it early. It was a gift, which made it hard to give up. But it did absolutely nothing for me. Maybe I didn't give it enough of a chance, but life is too short.
stacey_mb
Original Author
13 years ago
Alisande - One of the Rights on the Reader's Bill of Rights is the right not to finish. I have abandoned numerous books that I wasn't enjoying because, as you say, life's too short.

I enjoyed The Life of Pi, but I saw it as a psychological journey rather than physical. Years ago, I was fortunate to have had an instructor in English Lit class who explained that the voyage in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad could be seen as a psychological journey as well as a physical journey. (Heart of Darkness was the inspiration for the movie Apocalypse Now.) The Life of Pi had the same sort of psychological feeling to me when I read it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Reader's Bill of Rights

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lydia1959

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lydia1959

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maxmom96

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