Bookends: A Novel
by Jane Green
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jane GreenEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-05-27
ISBN: 0767907817
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Broadway
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Book Reviews of Bookends: A Novel
Book Review: What a delightful twist in the end
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my second Jane Green novel and I am truly glad I gave this author another chance to win my favor. Bookends is a completely different story than what I expected it to be when I started reading it. Initially I approached this novel to be another chic lit book with a few twists and turns along the way. Green leads you on to believe that Bookends is just that until you get about midway through and the entire novel takes on a new meaning.
Bookends begins by following the rites of passage of a close knit group of college co-eds with Cath emerging as the main character. Through her eyes we see the relationships that are forged that will last a lifetime as there are those that were held in high esteem and somehow fell to the wayside as graduation ended. I would say the first quarter of the novel is dedicated to introducing the characters and allowing you to get a sense of the people they are shaping up to be.
Fast forward a bit to the late twenties in these friends lives and you see Cath who has let herself experience love, get burned and then let her whole life just go on as if she was meant to be a spinster. She really isn't finding the same joy in her job, she's never really taken an interest in personal relationships and has clung fast to her trio of friends rather than facing life on her own. She reminisces about her college days and her flings of old but never does she recapture that ease in life. Well that is until Lucy suggests going into business together.
Opening Bookends was a great start to the second half of the novel. Green expertly places the new characters that are to be pivotal to the ending of the book at the grand opening party. I also like the twist of bringing the wayward friend back into the fold as to create some tension among the core four characters. Cath seems to be one sided throughout the first part as she's reliving her life but I really feel her time to bloom comes when the novel picks up speed.
In order not to ruin what Green packed as a complete turn from the usual, I'll keep the remaining comments to style and plot progression. It was truly refreshing for an author to take a turn in the middle of a novel which changes the reader's perspective of the entire work. I enjoyed reading the further development of the main characters (Lucy, Josh, Cath and Si) but I also liked getting to really know Portia (again) and James. There are a few characters toward the end that play significant roles but I suggest you pick this book up to find out who they are. The final dinner party is what sealed my five star rating of this book. It was approached with such joy and understanding that I will continue to recommend this novel to friends for many years. Through this simple measure, Green is able to remind you the value of some of the small things we take for granted in life.
Take a chance on Bookends by Jane Green. I am glad that I did and I look forward to reading more titles by this author.
Summary of Bookends: A Novel
On the heels of her national bestsellers Jemima J and Mr. Maybe, British sensation Jane Green delivers a sparkling tale of old friends reunited and old jealousies rekindled.Catherine Warner and Simon Nelson are best friends: total opposites, always together, and both unlucky in love. Cath is scatterbrained, messy, and?since she had her heart broken a few years back?emotionally closed off. Si is impossibly tidy, bitchy, and desperate for a man of his own. They live in London?s West Hampstead along with their lifelong friends, Josh and Lucy, who are happily married with a devil-spawn child and a terrifying Swedish nanny, Ingrid.
All?s well (sort of) until the sudden arrival of a college friend?the stunningly beautiful Portia, who?s known for breaking hearts. Though they?ve grown up and grown apart from Portia, the four friends welcome her back into the fold. But does Portia have a hidden agenda or is she merely looking to reconnect with old friends? Her reappearance soon unleashes a rollicking series of events that tests the foursome?s friendships to the limit and leaves them wondering if a happy ending is in store.
Fortunately, Cath has plenty to take her mind off Portia?s schemes?like her gutsy decision to leave her job in advertising to fulfill her dream of opening a bookstore. And then there?s James, the sexy real-estate agent who keeps dropping by even after the bookstore deal is done. With his irresistible smile and boyish charm could he be the one to melt Cath?s heart?
Told with Jane Green?s captivating wit and flare, Bookends is above all a story about friendship?its twists, turns and complications?and how it weathers the challenges of love, ambition, marriage, and, most of all, growing up. Warmhearted, sophisticated, and full of delicious surprises, Bookends is Green?s most dazzling novel yet.
From the Hardcover edition.
Bookends, Jane Green's third comic novel of contemporary love and lust, proves beyond a doubt that when it comes to light reading, plot is everything. Bookends makes a great case study because it has little going for it besides plot. Dialogue? Stilted. Characters? Clichéd. Writing style? Sloppy. And yet the book is well-nigh impossible to put down. A few friends meet at university: Simon, the chirpy gay character; Portia, the glamour girl; Josh, the adorable, unpretentious catch; and Cath, the overweight, insecure narrator. Portia strays from their crowd, but the other three remain friends into their 30s. Now successful Londoners, each faces a personal crisis: singleton Cath leaves a secure job to start a bookstore; Simon looks for love; Josh's marriage goes through growing pains. And then Portia, as intimidating and elegant as ever, wanders back into their lives--with surprising results. Green is a past master of the ugly-duckling-turned-swan story. Cath's transformation--neatly echoed by the changes in the lives of her friends--is completely addictive. Plot does indeed rule. --Claire Dederer
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