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Love in Idleness
In her delightful reimagining of A Midsummer’s Night Dream , Amanda Craig slyly serves up a witty cross-cultural farce, a modern-day tale of love and lies set against the magical landscape of Tuscany.
When Theo, a workaholic lawyer, his English wife Polly, and their two children rent an idyllic Italian villa, they expect a relaxing summer holiday together. Polly, with her loved ones’ romantic interests at heart, has invited an eccentric mix of friends and family along--including three eligible bachelors, a former model, an Indian-British divorcee with a young son, and her own appalling mother-in-law. They soon discover the Casa Luna is a strange, enchanted place where people find their heart's desire—but at a price. Everyone falls in love, though not with the people they expect, and the results are surprising and hilarious.
When Theo, a workaholic lawyer, his English wife Polly, and their two children rent an idyllic Italian villa, they expect a relaxing summer holiday together. Polly, with her loved ones’ romantic interests at heart, has invited an eccentric mix of friends and family along--including three eligible bachelors, a former model, an Indian-British divorcee with a young son, and her own appalling mother-in-law. They soon discover the Casa Luna is a strange, enchanted place where people find their heart's desire—but at a price. Everyone falls in love, though not with the people they expect, and the results are surprising and hilarious.
352 pages, Paperback
First published July 22, 2003
25 people are currently reading
189 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Craig
29 books141 followersAmanda Craig (born 1959) is a British novelist. Craig studied at Bedales School and Cambridge and works as a journalist. She is married with two children and lives in London.
Craig has so far published a cycle of six novels which deal with contemporary British society, often in a concise acerbic satirical manner. Her approach to writing fiction has been compared to that of Anthony Trollope and Charles Dickens.[1] Her novel A Vicious Circle was originally contracted to be published by Hamish Hamilton, but was cancelled when its proof copy received a libel threat from David Sexton, a literary critic and former boyfriend of Craig's at Cambridge, fifteen years previously.[2] The novel was promptly bought by Fourth Estate and published three months later. Although each novel can be read separately, they are linked to each other by common characters and themes, thus constituting a novel sequence. Usually, Craig takes a minor character and makes him or her the protagonist of her next work.
Craig is particularly interested in children's fiction, and was one of the first critics to praise JK Rowling and Philip Pullman in The New Statesman. She is currently the children's critic for The Times.
Craig has so far published a cycle of six novels which deal with contemporary British society, often in a concise acerbic satirical manner. Her approach to writing fiction has been compared to that of Anthony Trollope and Charles Dickens.[1] Her novel A Vicious Circle was originally contracted to be published by Hamish Hamilton, but was cancelled when its proof copy received a libel threat from David Sexton, a literary critic and former boyfriend of Craig's at Cambridge, fifteen years previously.[2] The novel was promptly bought by Fourth Estate and published three months later. Although each novel can be read separately, they are linked to each other by common characters and themes, thus constituting a novel sequence. Usually, Craig takes a minor character and makes him or her the protagonist of her next work.
Craig is particularly interested in children's fiction, and was one of the first critics to praise JK Rowling and Philip Pullman in The New Statesman. She is currently the children's critic for The Times.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
June 17, 2009
Finished Love in Idleness by Amanda Craig. I hardly know what to say. Perhaps I could start off by saying that even if you have a fascination with Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream you don't have to work it into your novel.
When I first started Love in Idleness, so many characters were thrown at me that I was about to walk away from the book--which I hardly ever do. Finally I figured out the relationships (kind of) and the nationalities (sort of) and saw where Craig was taking me (or so I thought). I was getting into the storyline and was putting aside my thoughts on her less-than-perfect dialogue when suddenly there was magic and fairies and love potions and mists that rose up and dissipated at a moment's notice. I knew who was going to end up with who from the very beginning (except for Polly and Theo), but why did she have to incorporate a Midsummer Night's Dream moment to accomplish it? I think it was a cheap way out. I don't think I'll be reading another of her books...although maybe I should, just to see if this is a common strain in her writing.
When I first started Love in Idleness, so many characters were thrown at me that I was about to walk away from the book--which I hardly ever do. Finally I figured out the relationships (kind of) and the nationalities (sort of) and saw where Craig was taking me (or so I thought). I was getting into the storyline and was putting aside my thoughts on her less-than-perfect dialogue when suddenly there was magic and fairies and love potions and mists that rose up and dissipated at a moment's notice. I knew who was going to end up with who from the very beginning (except for Polly and Theo), but why did she have to incorporate a Midsummer Night's Dream moment to accomplish it? I think it was a cheap way out. I don't think I'll be reading another of her books...although maybe I should, just to see if this is a common strain in her writing.
May 7, 2020
On the surface, this story seems to have it all to make a highly appealing read. The setting is Italy, the cast of characters large and diverse, ranging from precocious children to rich, mean mother-in-law. The relationships shift, and love is explored. Yet it never lived up to my expectations. It took me forever to finish it; I was never fully drawn to the characters or the plot. Overall, I am sorry to say I was disappointed.
October 27, 2020
Errrrm what can I say...... Imagine a play, 7 adult characters, 3 kids single blared set. A 341 page script of idle boring chat. No plot, no believable romance, desperate man hungry women. I had to challenge myself to continue reading. 'Desperation in idleness' I feel the title should be.
August 7, 2012
This was a second reading for me and I found I enjoyed it even more than the first time as I was able to further appreciate the relationship with its Shakespearean inspiration as well as the splendid characterisation and sophisticated humour.
I had suggested it for one of my reading groups and was a little surprised that our reading group was very divided though other reader reviews on Goodreads suggest it is a Marmite book that polarizes readers. It did lead us into some interesting discussions about privileged characters and various adaptations of Shakespeare.
I had suggested it for one of my reading groups and was a little surprised that our reading group was very divided though other reader reviews on Goodreads suggest it is a Marmite book that polarizes readers. It did lead us into some interesting discussions about privileged characters and various adaptations of Shakespeare.
July 18, 2008
The conflicts of modern life. Allusions to Shakespeare effortlessly incorporated. Vivid characters. Fresh, memorable metaphors. A touch of magic. Innocence. Deviltry. All this, plus a plot that twists, turns, and makes you laugh and think at the same time. Love in Idleness is good enough to warrant a second perusal, just to catch the delicious detail missed in the first reading.
December 21, 2008
They say this is a 'reimagining' of Midsummer, but it doesn't take a turn for Shakespeare until 2/3 of the way through and then it's so ridiculously close to the plot that you know what the next word will be. Not good.
June 28, 2023
A Midsummer Dream in Italy
Theo and Polly Noble are staying in a villa in Tuscany for a fortnight with their two children Tania and Robbie. Joining them are Theo’s brother and several friends, whom Polly hopes may find romance with each other. But confusions arise and things don’t work out exactly as Polly had hoped. But perhaps even better. This is an amusing light hearted romantic comedy with some likeable characters and a luscious Tuscan setting. Very entertaining.
Theo and Polly Noble are staying in a villa in Tuscany for a fortnight with their two children Tania and Robbie. Joining them are Theo’s brother and several friends, whom Polly hopes may find romance with each other. But confusions arise and things don’t work out exactly as Polly had hoped. But perhaps even better. This is an amusing light hearted romantic comedy with some likeable characters and a luscious Tuscan setting. Very entertaining.
May 10, 2024
A picturesque and charming little read. I wish the plot could have picked up sooner— the first 200 pages felt slow and droll, whereas the final 100 felt rushed and cramped. I found the ending to be quite fitting, and I especially loved the unexpected pairing at the end (I thought this book’s couples were missing something…) And of course, the W. Shade references were well placed. I love a happy ending where everyone gets a match, and that’s exactly what Craig offers us, amidst a gorgeous backdrop of Tuscan beauty. I found the Shakespeare references to be well placed, too. Ultimately a fun beach read!
April 30, 2011
A delightful re-telling of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer's Night Dream' with a little homage to 'A Room with a View'.
I think my appreciation of this novel was helped by having read other works by Craig as while her books are 'stand-alone', she does have characters that cross-over from one to the other.
In this book Polly Noble, who was one of the main characters in 'Hearts and Minds', is seen in her earlier married life and Ivo Sponge, who featured in 'A Vicious Circle', is one of the invited friends on the Tuscan holiday.
I've come to appreciate Craig's ability as a writer and am rather surprised that she isn't as well known as other contemporary British writers.
I understand that in her capacity as reviewer of children's literature that she was an early supporter of J.K. Rowling and Philip Pullman and her appreciation of the subtle magic of nature shines through here as it did in her wonderful 'In a Dark Wood'.
This is a novel I expect I shall revisit again.
August 5, 2023
I mildly enjoyed the first half of this book, and it was fun to spot the Shakespearian allusions. Craig gives some lovely descriptions of sunlit rural Tuscany.
The author is sympathetic to all her characters apart from Betty, straight out of the mother-in-law from hell cliche box. But these holidaying friends don't ring true for me, nothing happens for ages (the most boring holiday ever) and conversations are pretentious, tedious and unconvincing. Towards the end, the plot becomes truly ridiculous and I could imagine the author writing mechanically, constantly referring to her copy of Midsummer Night's Dream. Unfortunately, she did not have a smidgin of Shakespeare's genius and I skimmed the ridiculous last third as rapidly as I could, if only to see if all my predictions were borne out (they were, except that of Polly and Theo (geddit?) which was abruptly taken into a highly contrived twist). Light reading but ultimately a bore.
The author is sympathetic to all her characters apart from Betty, straight out of the mother-in-law from hell cliche box. But these holidaying friends don't ring true for me, nothing happens for ages (the most boring holiday ever) and conversations are pretentious, tedious and unconvincing. Towards the end, the plot becomes truly ridiculous and I could imagine the author writing mechanically, constantly referring to her copy of Midsummer Night's Dream. Unfortunately, she did not have a smidgin of Shakespeare's genius and I skimmed the ridiculous last third as rapidly as I could, if only to see if all my predictions were borne out (they were, except that of Polly and Theo (geddit?) which was abruptly taken into a highly contrived twist). Light reading but ultimately a bore.
December 3, 2022
Amanda Craig is officially my new “go to” for 21st century English literary fiction. I love how her characters reappear in her novels as in Trollope (Ivo Sponge and Polly Noble are my favorites), and her references to the classics are intelligent, amusing, and - doesn’t history repeat itself in real life, too? Having lived and loved in London the past 22 years, I both recognize and identify with her people and plot lines. It’s how I learn, too, about how to be good. Extremely useful as a neurodiverse 50+ year old who is still figuring it out. I’ve just ordered the last remaining of her books and eagerly await the new one. I am so grateful to the Trollope Society for having introduced her to me.
June 1, 2021
Am on my third read of this very favorite novel from one of my favorite authors. Lyrical, farcical, magical, witty, all just like the play. The heady perfume of the transformative flower seems to seep out from the pages. And the absurdity of eros is sharply pin-pointed, just as the god himself might choose to. Brilliant.
January 20, 2020
Lovely evocation of a hot Italian summer and a great cast of characters but for me it was slow at the start. The plot picked up pace in the last 150 pages but I'm afraid I skipped through some of the involved conversations in the first half.
March 18, 2021
This is a modern twist on Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. It is a fun read and I felt transported to Italy. I could have done with less description of the same things repeatedly but otherwise, a worthy distraction from current events.
June 12, 2023
This is a great summer read. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The characters had just the right amount of detail and depth. The story moved along at a great pace, and there was a real sense of magic to it.
January 22, 2018
set in Tuscany; inspired by A Midsummer's Night Dream
October 19, 2020
Horrible. 90% of the book was three young spoiled brats arguing. Seriously awful book.
April 14, 2021
A prim jaunt through a week's vacation in Tuscany. I enjoyed it, especially the Shakespearean magic and shallow romance.
May 4, 2021
Enjoyable, if not extremely on the nose, re-telling of A Midsummer Night's Dream, complete with appropriately dreamy Tuscan villa and grounds as the stage.
March 24, 2022
2.5
Didn’t like any of the characters and didn’t really get into it until the last half
Didn’t like any of the characters and didn’t really get into it until the last half
February 24, 2023
I'd liked the Amanda Craig books if read before, but this was very light and fluffy. I didn't find it credible. Disappointing.
April 9, 2024
I felt like this book was way better than the reviews it got.
April 30, 2025
The ending was better than the whole book. It was hard to really get to know any of the characters.
June 1, 2025
Great fun to guess which character is which from A Midsummer Night’s Dream!
September 17, 2015
Despite its slow start, with seemingly an impossible number of characters, Craig pulls this story together in a surprising way. We know it's based on Shakespheare's Midsummer Night's Dream. And even still, she still manages to delight and surprise us. In a strange way, what comes out of this is a middle class critique of the wealthy. The loss of influence of the wealthy matron, and the rise of a single mother seem to be the inevitable pact that Craig makes. We admire the wealth. We want the lifestyle, and yet, this is only made possible due to the presence of the wealth and the exotic location of being somewhere (rich and idle) that this story could even happen. Despite the valorization of the middle class value of working for your own way, this story isn't possible for middle class people.
All the same, Craig manages to make this a compelling read for me, despite the sloven pace. She finds her tempo towards the end, and even though we can tell what the ending will be, it's still steam rolls forward with all the fury of a comedy. Perhaps this is due to the writer's energy more than anything else.
The only complaint I have about the story, other than its pacing, is that her attempts to speak for the daughter seem too much. She doesn't speak through the daughter's voice, but overlays onto the daughters attitude observations worded concisely as an adult would make. This is a bit detracting, for the "magic" of the People seem only possible through the eyes of a child, and those eyes may, at times, feel a bit contrived.
The burdens of modern motherhood also feel a bit overlaid. The character of Polly and Meenu both add a dimension of reflexivity that doesn't detract from the story, but adds ruffage that make the entire cast seem more real as people. In a strange way, Polly and Meenu thus "switch places" though this seemed more accidental than planned, since Polly didn't reflect on this positional twist whatsoever.
Craig's "twist" with the husband too, didn't seem terribly put on as an afterthought but it did seem a little deus ex machina. The little brother's explanation of his big brother also seemed too much like a reflexive self justification. So I thought that Theo's storyline could have been explained better. In a way, the "update" of Shakespheares work was truly an update, as it told the story through the normalcy of a sitcom cast, meant to appeal to idle upper middle class liberals, who would want a happy ending for everyone.
All the same, Craig manages to make this a compelling read for me, despite the sloven pace. She finds her tempo towards the end, and even though we can tell what the ending will be, it's still steam rolls forward with all the fury of a comedy. Perhaps this is due to the writer's energy more than anything else.
The only complaint I have about the story, other than its pacing, is that her attempts to speak for the daughter seem too much. She doesn't speak through the daughter's voice, but overlays onto the daughters attitude observations worded concisely as an adult would make. This is a bit detracting, for the "magic" of the People seem only possible through the eyes of a child, and those eyes may, at times, feel a bit contrived.
The burdens of modern motherhood also feel a bit overlaid. The character of Polly and Meenu both add a dimension of reflexivity that doesn't detract from the story, but adds ruffage that make the entire cast seem more real as people. In a strange way, Polly and Meenu thus "switch places" though this seemed more accidental than planned, since Polly didn't reflect on this positional twist whatsoever.
Craig's "twist" with the husband too, didn't seem terribly put on as an afterthought but it did seem a little deus ex machina. The little brother's explanation of his big brother also seemed too much like a reflexive self justification. So I thought that Theo's storyline could have been explained better. In a way, the "update" of Shakespheares work was truly an update, as it told the story through the normalcy of a sitcom cast, meant to appeal to idle upper middle class liberals, who would want a happy ending for everyone.
August 6, 2011
If this book was a motor vehicle, it would be a classic motorbike, perfectly tuned and polished, inexplicably coupled to a sidecar full of cack. I liked the early stages, the characterisation, and the interplay between the characters. There were some very witty and wry observations made, particularly concerning the experiences of an American ex-pat in London, and some interesting discourse on the nature of relationships and contrasting parenting styles. Polly and Theo were particularly fascinating characters, and I also liked Betty the outrageous mother-in-law, and celebrity gardener Guy who was a sort of obnoxious Alan Titchmarsh.
Around three-quarters of the way in the Shakespeare parallel stuff started to kick in, and things went seriously pear-shaped with some sexual slapstick that had one character remarking that he thought he had just walked into an Austin Powers movie. I had to check the front cover of the book to make sure I wasn't reading a Wendy Holden. Considering what had gone before, it was totally unbelievable and, well, just a bit silly.
Around three-quarters of the way in the Shakespeare parallel stuff started to kick in, and things went seriously pear-shaped with some sexual slapstick that had one character remarking that he thought he had just walked into an Austin Powers movie. I had to check the front cover of the book to make sure I wasn't reading a Wendy Holden. Considering what had gone before, it was totally unbelievable and, well, just a bit silly.
November 26, 2012
I really ought to pay attention to why I choose books. This was on some list of future reads but why on earth did I pick a re-imagining of "a midsummer nights dream", that is half summer read, half chick lit. I read muscular mens book, by men about men. And it's the bleak mid winter.
The book is light and fluffy and I like Italy, so I stuck with it. There are too many characters to take in. Just how big was this holiday villa? How do you keep tabs on so many bland characters. And they were all so frightfully middle class that you dont want to really keep tabs on them.
What happens. Not a lot. There is too much falling in love with your friends wives. The kids disappear and then there is a reveal that you couldn't give two hoots about.
Tepid.
Still, Tuscany sounds nice.
The book is light and fluffy and I like Italy, so I stuck with it. There are too many characters to take in. Just how big was this holiday villa? How do you keep tabs on so many bland characters. And they were all so frightfully middle class that you dont want to really keep tabs on them.
What happens. Not a lot. There is too much falling in love with your friends wives. The kids disappear and then there is a reveal that you couldn't give two hoots about.
Tepid.
Still, Tuscany sounds nice.
October 23, 2007
a frothy, frilly beach-read and the complete works of william shakespeare walk into a bar. they both get really drunk and leave together, and nine months later, "love in idleness" is born.
this is one of those books that you take to the park when the weather is warm, or curl up with under a blanket when you *wish* the weather was warm. it's a quick, light modern interpretation of one of shakespeares quickest, lightest plays. it's like cotton candy for the brain.
mmmmmm. brain candy.
this is one of those books that you take to the park when the weather is warm, or curl up with under a blanket when you *wish* the weather was warm. it's a quick, light modern interpretation of one of shakespeares quickest, lightest plays. it's like cotton candy for the brain.
mmmmmm. brain candy.
August 12, 2008
Reading Shakespeare's Mid-Summer Night's Dream in an enchanting 21st Century novel, post Harry Potter, is quite satisfying. I finished just at dawn well pleased with the book. The writing is well-crafted, Nan Talese as editor always a plus. Tuscany, hot, rose-scented, slightly fey fairies, believe-able children and Shakepeare's golden threads throughout.(Bron's understanding of Rama poignant - that paragraph worth the whole book). I especially loved the women, how they sorted their lives out. Lyrical, scenic, tracing the Bard's quotes great fun. Recommended: watch Kevin Kline in Michael Hoffman's 1999 movie now DVD before and after reading the book.
July 28, 2009
I listened to this book on tape, and really did not like it. It had alot of stuff in it that I do not personally agree with for one thing,along with some unnecessary crudeness. But another reason I did not like it is that it randomly copied "A Midnight Summer's Dream" towards the end of the book, so it lacked creativity and the ending felt thrown together. The characters were not really likable either, the kids were brats, half of the adults acted like children and the other half lacked personality. Bottom line is, I do not recommend this book, and really wish I would not have wasted my time on it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews