The Tennis Party

by Madeleine Wickham

It was Patrick's idea that they should have the tennis party. After all, he has the perfect setting -- the White House, bought out of his bonuses as an investment banker. He hasn't actually told Caroline, his brash and beautiful wife, what the real reason for the party is. She is glad to welcome Stephen and Annie, their impoverished former neighbours, less glad to see newly wealthy Charles and his aristocratic wife Cressida, and barely able to tolerate the deadly competitive Don and Valerie.

But as the first ball is served over the net it signals the start of two days of tempers, shocks, revelations, the arrival of an uninvited guest, and the realization that the weekend is about anything but tennis.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, Humor, British Literature

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Madeleine Wickham (born 12 December 1969) was a bestselling British author under her pseudonym, Sophie Kinsella. Educated at New College, Oxford, she worked as a financial journalist before turning to fiction. She is best known for writing a popular series of chick-lit novels. The Shopaholic novels series focuses on the misadventures of Becky Bloomwood, a financial journalist who cannot manage her own finances. The books follows her life from when her credit card debt first become overwhelming ("The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic") to the latest book on being married and having a child ("Shopaholic & Baby"). Throughout the entire series, her obsession with shopping and the complications that imparts on her life are central themes.

Gemma Townley is her sister.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/madele...

Reviews

[Lorelei · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Sophie Kinsella, but have yet to find a Madeleine Wickham book that I've enjoyed. Odd, since they're one in the same. This book had empty and confusing characters gathering together around a match of Tennis, which felt more like an afterthought by the time the book was done. The arguments and conflicts in the book made no sense. The children appeared and disappeared as though they were hardly there at all. The pages kept turning, but I'm still not sure what I read.

[Mallory · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based on reading/enjoying Sophie Kinsella books I think I was expecting this to be as funny and enjoyable as those. This was less rom-com and more snarky rich people drama and I did not really enjoy it. To make it worse I hated every adult character and the children were rarely in the book (although they were likable when they were there). The book centered around 3 sets of friends who have drifted apart and are way more focused on money and status than their friendships. This book was snarky, which can be fun, but it was more mean than fun to me. I didn’t find it funny at all. As I kept reading I was frustrated by the lack of plot/progress. I think I will stick to Sophie Kinsella and leave her true name books on the shelves.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh Madeleine Wickham, how you continue to disappoint me, even as your pseudonym generally leaves me happy. While "Sophie Kinsella" epitomizes all that is right with chick lit--the frothy story lines, the witty one-liners, the pratfalls, the likable naivete of the main characters--in her books, Madeleine Wickham does the opposite. The word that always rises to the forefront of my consciousness when I read Wickham is "SPITE." Characters are so SPITEFUL. Also, as opposed to naivete, characters are short-sighted and ignorant, which doesn't make for enjoyable reading. HOWEVER, I have to give the author props for the continued relevance of her subject matter, despite this novel's having been published originally 15 years ago. On the backburner of the plot is a couple who face financial ruin after discovering they are Lloyds of London investors the early 1990's, a startling cautionary tale about corporate oversight that, had people been paying attention to this mildly successful (in its time in the UK) chick lit publication, might have prevented our current recession. It's less surprising when you consider that Madeleine Wickham was a financial journalist prior to the publication of this book.

[Celia T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the problem with the Madeleine Wickham books is that they're very different from the Sophie Kinsella books (even tho they are, obviously, written by the same person) - but they're pitched to the Sophie Kinsella audience, and so people who go in expecting happy frothy rom-com times end up very taken aback by a book that is, at its heart, very bleak and very cynical (and ends on a fairly grim note). I'm writing this review because I feel sorry for poor 40 Love. Is is brilliant social satire? No, but it's pretty good social satire! and it doesn't deserve to be dunked on as hard as everyone is dunking on it on his website.

also @ everyone who gave this book one star because you've never heard of Lloyd's of London....y'all know google is free, right

[Adriana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really enjoy Wickham’s writing as Sophie Kinsella, so I was looking forward to reading this. However, most of the characters are unlikeable and their obsession with money and each other’s financial situation, while the heart of the story, is beyond unpleasant.

With a title like “40 love”, I came in expecting at least a bit of romance. There is nothing like it in this book. There is a bit of ‘we’ve been married forever and we’ll make it work’ love but nothing particularly romantic.

One thing I disliked is that the introduction of the one character that seemed interesting didn’t really go anywhere. She was the only one that was truly interesting but she ended up just being a plot point that’s only there to create tension at the end. It’s possible that the book may have ended in exactly the same way if this character were not introduced. That annoyed me.

The one thing that works for the book is the actual writing. While Wickham’s characters weren’t particularly appealing, they were well developed. The flow of the story is also pretty steady, so you go from one situation into another feeling like you’re really following along someone’s day. That and one character’s development towards the end are pretty much the only things this book has going for it.

Not a total waste of time, but definitely not something I would recommend.

[Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

terrible! I normally enjoy her books, but this was utter crap!

[Elle G. Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too confusing and hard to follow. Normally I LOVE Sophie Kinsella's novels, but this one just did not work for me.

[•Anna• · Rating 1 out of 5]

Il successo di questo libro la ha portata a scriverne altri nove, di cui ben cinque con protagonista la celeberrima Becky Bloomwood.

Ma menomale che hai cambiato stile, cara mia!
E "libro" d'esordio 'sta grandissima cippa! Chiamalo libro.
Ma che è? Un manuale su come farsi venire la depressione.
Quel brio, quell'atmosfera divertente e rilassata nonostante tutto vada a rotoli, tipico dei romanzi firmati Kinsella, è ancora lontano anni luce.
E' proprio vero, i libri firmati Madeline Wickham non hanno nè capo nè coda. Sono orrendi, tristi, patetici e NOIOSI.
Avevo già avute le prime avvisaglie con quello sulle due famiglie che condividevano la villa, ma questo qui non lo supera nessuno!

In meno di 48 ore è scoppiato il finimondo: quello da riccone assoluto s'è visto crollare il mondo addosso, quella s'è ritrovata cornuta, quell'altro voleva fare soldi e si stava rovinando la vita con un contratto super-spaccamaroni. L'amicone stava per rovinargli l'esistenza ma lui non serba rancore, anzi è tutto come prima. Boh. E mi parlate di successo?

[Luanne Ollivier · Rating 3 out of 5]

The name Sophie Kinsella is immediately recognizable as the author of the hugely successful Shopaholic chick lit series. How about the name Madeleine Wickham? No? Well, they're one and the same.

The Tennis Party, originally published in 1995, was Wickham's first book. It has been re-released in North America as 40 Love.

Four couples gather for a weekend tennis party. - but the host believes it should be a tournament instead. And although tennis is ostensibly the reason for being there, each of the couples have their own reasons and agendas for the weekend. With a little too much sun and a lot of too much drink, the social facade begins to slip. Quite a bit.

I chose to listen to 40 Love rather than read it. I don't think I would have enjoyed the book near as much in written form. The reader was award winner Katherine Kellgren - one of the best around. Her accents are spot on, reflecting every character's personality and nuances. Each character sprang to life and immediately formed a picture in my mind. Her intonation and inflection give the story life and verve. It is such a treat to listen to her narrate.

Having read all of the Shopaholic series, I was expecting more of the same. And yes, in a way it's there - it is chick lit for sure. There are the 'lighter' characters such as the 'innocent' couple Annie and Stephen. And I found the children delightful. But it is the darker characters that really gave me pause. I enjoyed the tale up until the last few chapters. It is a bit of a farce, poking fun at the 'noveau riche' and the desire to have more, more, more. But, the character of Charles was just plain cruel and truly vicious. I was actually quite shocked by the words Wickham put in his mouth and the violence he displayed. Kellgren's reading intensified the effect. I was disappointed with the direction taken with this character and his wife's reaction and subsequent (non) action. It rather spoiled what had been a good listen up to that point. I guess I just associate chick lit with a feel good read.

Wickham/Kinsella has definitely improved since this original effort.

[James Henry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Paper-thin characters, stereotypes abound (The good, poor mother! The shady salesman! The rich bitch!) and a banal plot. Thank God this was a quick, easy read, otherwise it would have been pure torture to sit through.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always wait for Ms. Wickham's latest novel with baited breath, so when I saw that her book the Tennis Party was being released stateside with the title 40 Love, I was elated! Unfortunately 40 Love turned out to be one of my least favorite books by Ms. Wickham. It's obvious the book was written early on in her career and she was still working on her writer's voice. That is not to say I didn't enjoy this book, it just wasn't my favorite by this author. 40 Love is the story of several couples who once lived on the same road and became friends. Their lives go in different directions, each getting married or breaking up, having children, and enjoying different levels of professional, financial, and personal success. Until one day, one of the couples decides to have all their old neighborhood friends over for a weekend tennis party. Being thrust together once again many discoveries are made and some of the couples' lives are changed dramatically by what was supposed to be an innocent gathering of friends... I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Madeleine Wickham's, just know going into it that this is not her best work.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't get it. I gave this 4 stars instead of 3 to balance all the hate for this book. This is the first novel by Madeleine Wickham/Sophie Kinsella, and all of her skills are on display here. She writes women's fiction with always above average depth, even in some of her Shopaholic series. And no matter what, she is fun. In her Wickham books she is less funny, and maybe that's why readers are disappointed. But she is a great novelist of manners, gentle ironist, and storyteller in the British tradition. In this novel she skewers those affected by the 'make money' mantra of the 80s by comparing and contrasting 4 couples of varying wealth who come together for a tennis weekend at the big white house of a rich stock broker. If you didn't like this, read it again with these two words in mind: Jane Austen.

[Jonesy.Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love finding old gems! I'm a huge fan of her works under both names, so it's always a treat to come across one I haven't read before, and thus one did not disappoint. It's all about keeping up with the Jones' or in thie case, Patrick and Caroline, who are having a tennis weekend for three other couples at their mansion in the country. If you've ever read any of her books before, you can well imagine that things never go as planned. It's also a good reminder of why we shouldn't make assumptions. Loved it! ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

[Megan BG · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it hard to keep track of some of the characters and the POV jumped between characters a lot. I don't know anything about tennis and I had to look up what Lloyd's Names are (I imagine when this was written, people knew more about it). I'm still not sure what it is. At the end, I didn't really care what happened to anyone.

[Christie Maliyackel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up on a whim since it’s one of my favorite authors’ first book. It was a quick read, but there were too many characters and storylines that it became confusing at points. Overall, I wasn’t invested in the conflicts or characters at all. I’m so glad Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham’s writing style has evolved SO much over the years!

[Sydney Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was way more simple than what I expect from Sophie. And, I think it tried to be deep with so many different characters, but none of them really developed enough for me to like them. But, it was an easy read and a good story.

[Ilse Van den Langenbergh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dit is het eerste boek dat ik las van Madeleine Wickham en het zal waarschijnlijk ook het laatste zijn. Het boek op zich is niet slecht, maar het genre ligt me niet zo. Helaas is het redelijk cliché allemaal, wat het weinig verrassend maakt.

[Alessandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detesto la Kinsella e tutta la chick lit infatti questo libro ha poco da spartire con quel genere. Leggero sì ma in modo diverso: non ci sono storie d’amore melense e donne single sull’orlo di una crisi di nervi, bensì cattiveria e critica sociale. Approvato.

[Kathleen]

My review is with my progress comments.

[Simona Stefani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primo libro che leggo dell'autrice con il suo vero nome e non mi ha per nulla delusa. Tanti personaggi sì, ma la storia si fa leggere e ti tiene incollata alle pagine.
In questo libro scritto credo almeno 15 anni fa, un gruppo di amici che vivevano nello stesso caseggiato si ritrovano per un torneo di tennis, lungo un weekend, a casa di una delle coppie. Durante la prima sera però compare a sorpresa anche la ex di uno di loro ed i giochi iniziano a farsi più difficili. I freddi inglesi si scoprono allora più passionali e incazzosi di quanto ci si aspetti.
C'è un lieto fine? Per alcuni sì, per altri qualcosa di più amaro, per tutti un cambiamento più o meno radicale che li porterà a vedere le loro esistenze con occhi diversi.

[Elusive · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s hard to believe that ‘The Tennis Party’ is written by Sophie Kinsella (using her real name Madeleine Wickham). At best, it was boring. At worst, it was pointless, annoying and mediocre.

There really isn’t much of a plot. A bunch of characters spend a few days at the Chance couple’s house. They play tennis a few times but the matches were boring and didn’t serve any purpose. Throughout the book, they were constantly eating and talking or being mean to one another. In Patrick’s case, trying to sell investment funds to obtain a bonus. The characters were unlikeable, being either annoying or boring. There’s also cheating involved but it remains unknown until the end.

The conflicts among the characters are addressed and dismissed within the last few chapters. There’s no depth to any of it. There are no proper conversations or believable reactions. It’s like they all decided to forgive and forget – completely unrealistic.

[Sonnet Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

What in the name of suburban angst is a Lloyd's Name?

I assume this is a British term, but despite speaking BE for three years I have never encountered it. I read the US version of the book, via St. Martins, and the publisher decided to neither change this term (which is crucial to the story) nor provide an explanation. I was doing alright reading this light character study until the Lloyd's Name became impassable. I could not understand the rest of the story without it, and my frustration and confusion ruined what was left of the story.

Before that issue, I would have said this is a lighthearted read, very similar to Ms. Wickham's other books, with less plot. Like a fruity cocktail really. Nothing of substance to it but pleasant enough to pass an afternoon with. However it left me feeling nothing but frustration and confusion. Two stars is generous.

[Alisha Dunaway · Rating 1 out of 5]

So boring that I couldn't even get half way through.

[Alexandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a crap story. Totally pointless and just a bunch of unlikeable rich snobs you want to hit in the head with tennis rackets.

[Cyndi · Rating 2 out of 5]

With friends like this, who needs enemies?

[Dominique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book. Not amazing but great read.

[Apoorva Ranade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I dint like the characters very much. It does have some funny parts but overall seems like an unnecessary drama.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I started reading this I didn't realise this is a pen name for Sophie Kinsella.
Word of warning: this is nowhere near as good as her other books, which given it was her debut, that shouldn't be too surprising
The main problem I had with this is that there are too many characters and it is impossible to tell who is in a relationship with who and it is also impossible to tell them apart as none of them have anything about them that makes them stand out.
Other problem I had was that near the end, as things were coming to a head, things were revealed and all of the characters seemed to just say: 'oh, ok.' and then proceeded to just carry on as normal!

[Shweta Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m reading my way through the Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham collection of books and honestly, I was a bit obsessed with these characters.

While Kinsella’s romcoms are first person narratives from the point of view of a not-so-self-aware heroine, Wickham gets into the minds of an entire cast of characters, all of whom are caught in a metaphorical tennis match of deceit, envy, and betrayal! Overall, this is a scathing, sarcastic yet humorous commentary on a bunch of pretentious, self-obsessed friends trying to get the most out of each other in a single weekend.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Madeleine Wickham (aka Sophie Kinsella but typically with a sharper edge) takes on a modern day tennis weekend in the country. Host or guest, each main character has a public and private side, the private side usually kept well hidden. But much is revealed to both the reader and other characters in this cutting, satiric romp.