Midsummer

by Marcelle Clements

Book Overview

A splendid Hudson River estate, complete with cook and rose garden. The landscape is inebriating; the women are in full, passionate bloom; the men are incomprehensible. Susie, chic, smart, spacey, and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0156029650
• ISBN13: 9780156029650
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 291 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

GREAT READ-- a taut, page-turning exploration of human emptiness

I love this book so much, I'm on my third time through! In a Maugham's "Rain" meets 9 1/2 Weeks cocktail, Clements uses her quirky, intense, multi-layered characters to explore the painful awareness of having achieved success, yet still feeling empty--a feeling common to all of us at one point in our lives. She tells the story in chapters, each from a different character's point of view--a writer myself, I've got to say that this is a VERY tough skill to master while simultaneously moving the story forward. She does it expertly; in addition, it's very difficult to hone a gripping tale when dealing with relationships, and she's managed to do this as well, turning a night out in the bar into a precarious situation worthy of disaster epics. Another review mentioned The Great Gatsby, and I'd have to agree. On a side note, I did not find these characters unlikable--in fact, I think they would only be "unlikable" if a person didn't want to see what is coming around the bend for nearly every single one of us at some point. In a way, part of the complexity of these people is that some of them you are NOT supposed to like--a true mirror of real life. Honestly, if all you want to do is like the characters, pick up something with a pink cover. Sometimes, the true discovery in literature is seeing something we don't like in ourselves--and that, when embraced, is what leads to enlightening and fresh, new journeys. If you want a gritty, sophisticated, intense read, this is the book for you.

Witty comedy of manners

Just read this delightful intelligent tale of relationships. I enjoyed watching the social dance of summerhouse sharing strangers approach and retreat in a story told from the many points of view of a group of New York characters.

a fun and fantastic read

I loved this book. Clements is smart, funny, and incredibly insightful. I found each character completely engaging. A wonderful and satisfying novel.

A delight.

I wanted to pack a bag, drive up the Taconic, and join those people at that house. The setting and characters inspire more appreciation for summer and for our "lost youths" than should be allowed.

Really smart and funny and true

I loved this book. Having raced through it a few weeks ago, I now can't get the characters out of my head. It is one of the few novels I've read that really gets it about being suddenly and strangely no longer young. Very rarely have I felt so inside a character's thoughts (many characters, really) and so engaged and illuminated by them. Its funny too!