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The Singles
Take an instantly recognizable social dilemma—attending a wedding alone—add a good laugh (and maybe a cry), and meet The Singles, the warm and witty debut by Boston Globe “Love Letters” columnist Meredith Goldstein.
Beth “Bee” Evans’s first vow as a bride is that everyone on her list be invited to bring a guest to her lavish, Chesapeake Bay nuptials. When Hannah, Vicki, Rob, Joe, and Nancy one by one decline Bee’s generous offer, the frustrated bride dubs them the “Singles,” adrift on her seating chart as well as in life.
241 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
11 people are currently reading
1093 people want to read
About the author
Meredith Goldstein
6 books146 followersMeredith Goldstein is an advice columnist and entertainment reporter for The Boston Globe. She's written two YA books, a memoir, and a novel about a bunch of single guests at a wedding. She also hosts the Love Letters podcast, which explores all types of relationships.
Meredith's latest release is the YA book "Things That Grow," a fictional take on her real-life experience bringing her mother's ashes to beautiful gardens. The book is a love story featuring Lori Seltzer, a character who learns how to accept what's temporary, and how to care for the adults in her life who don't always know best.
Meredith's memoir is 2018's "Can't Help Myself." If you're a fan of rom-coms, vampires, advice columns, breakup tales, and stories about mothers and sisters, it's for you.
Meredith lives in Boston and can be found watching "Alias" and "What We Do in the Shadows" during quarantine.
Meredith's latest release is the YA book "Things That Grow," a fictional take on her real-life experience bringing her mother's ashes to beautiful gardens. The book is a love story featuring Lori Seltzer, a character who learns how to accept what's temporary, and how to care for the adults in her life who don't always know best.
Meredith's memoir is 2018's "Can't Help Myself." If you're a fan of rom-coms, vampires, advice columns, breakup tales, and stories about mothers and sisters, it's for you.
Meredith lives in Boston and can be found watching "Alias" and "What We Do in the Shadows" during quarantine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
April 20, 2012
As one of the perpetually single, I knew that I had to read this book. I've barely been in a relationship, and certainly not in a long-term, plus-one to events type one. Without a doubt, I am approaching the age where I will be grouped into the socially awkward, not paired off group known as the singles. Of course, I'm only 24, so most of my best friends are still unattached as well. But, I know the time is coming - we all do - when people will start dropping like flies into marriage and babies. Being one of the ones left behind can be awkward.
My usual book fare (teen books) actually prompts thoughts about this too. So many fictional works, especially 'girl' books, but a lot of 'boy' books too, focus on relationships, on romance, on true love. Even in high school, there's this conception of the couples and the people stuck going solo, and an idea that the single people are lesser, are messed up in some way. Unsurprisingly, as a single person, I do not approve of this, which is not to say that I think that couples are bad either. I just think relationship status should not be such a big deal.
What drove me crazy is that there are two single ladies at the wedding, all of whom are absurd in different ways. Why do they have to be weird to be single? One is still obsessed with a former boyfriend, even though they broke up freaking ages ago. The other suffers depression, which she treats with a special lamp. Gah! The single men at the wedding are clearly not married by choice, rather than because their significant other left them or because of being crazy.
As I read on, I did get a bit more swept up into the story, and I was certainly alarmed/disappointed to find that it just ended. Although the opening scenes were somewhat as expected, the story definitely developed some depth as it went along, focusing less on who fell in love with whom at the wedding, which is what would happen if this were just chick lit, and on the group's development as people.
All told, this was a pretty fun read, but it wasn't precisely my cup of tea either. The only character I really bonded with was Rob, since all of the others were going crazy over the weekend. Not sure who exactly I recommend this too, but I guess if you find the premise interesting, go for it!
My usual book fare (teen books) actually prompts thoughts about this too. So many fictional works, especially 'girl' books, but a lot of 'boy' books too, focus on relationships, on romance, on true love. Even in high school, there's this conception of the couples and the people stuck going solo, and an idea that the single people are lesser, are messed up in some way. Unsurprisingly, as a single person, I do not approve of this, which is not to say that I think that couples are bad either. I just think relationship status should not be such a big deal.
What drove me crazy is that there are two single ladies at the wedding, all of whom are absurd in different ways. Why do they have to be weird to be single? One is still obsessed with a former boyfriend, even though they broke up freaking ages ago. The other suffers depression, which she treats with a special lamp. Gah! The single men at the wedding are clearly not married by choice, rather than because their significant other left them or because of being crazy.
As I read on, I did get a bit more swept up into the story, and I was certainly alarmed/disappointed to find that it just ended. Although the opening scenes were somewhat as expected, the story definitely developed some depth as it went along, focusing less on who fell in love with whom at the wedding, which is what would happen if this were just chick lit, and on the group's development as people.
All told, this was a pretty fun read, but it wasn't precisely my cup of tea either. The only character I really bonded with was Rob, since all of the others were going crazy over the weekend. Not sure who exactly I recommend this too, but I guess if you find the premise interesting, go for it!
August 3, 2012
Meredith Goldstein's The Singles, a humorous and often dry look at love and its endless pursuit, is a quick read that anyone forced to attend a friend's nuptials alone will appreciate. When it seems our friends are all coupling up, settling down and leaving us behind, Bee's buddies band into an unlikely group to recall their college friendships, career misdirections and several other catastrophes along the way.
When I started the book, I was initially nervous that Goldstein's debut would suffer from the dreaded Too Many Characters-itis. I mean, on the surface, it seems like it completely would. We're talking a real motley crew of people here, folks, and that listing above doesn't include many other peripheral characters or Phil, Nancy's son, who actually winds up attending the wedding in her stead. That's a ton of people.
It's a testament to Goldstein, then, that I could actively recall every person in this book without referring to any notes. I can recall their colorful back stories, too, and the circumstances that brought them to Annapolis, Md., to see Bee marry Matt, her nondescript husband. Strangely, though, the couple exchanging vows are the ones I felt I knew the least. The groom is nothing more than a prop. And that's fine; I mean, I get it. The book is really about friendship and the links between the singles, not the happy couple. Still.
Casting director Hannah was probably my favorite character. If anyone out there watches the fabulously hilarious and underrated "Happy Endings" on ABC, she completely reminded me of Penny. She's that friend who just can't get her act together and has too many quirks to mention, yet you can't help but love her -- and want to protect her. She arrives at Bee's wedding frightened of seeing her ex-boyfriend, the one who just about broke her; he's coming with his new girlfriend, of course, leaving Hannah/Penny to stave off her anxiety in a way that makes her unintentionally crazy. While I really felt for her and hoped she would abandon the Crazy Train, I couldn't help but be amused. Who hasn't faced an ex with a sense of dread and excitement?
Being a Maryland girl myself, the Annapolis setting piqued my interest. References to the Naval Academy, local bed and breakfasts and Maryland's famous seafood made my local heart jump for joy. I definitely got a feel for the coastal, breezy wedding Bee was going for, and liked that Maryland featured so prominently in the book. It seems like much of what I read favors the bright lights of Manhattan or glitzy London, so reading about our capital was great for this crab lover.
Fast-paced and fun, The Singles takes place over the course of one weekend. Everyone arrives with a hefty amount of emotional baggage, and most carry a sense of uncertainty about where life will take them next. I like that the novel didn't offer easy answers, and things weren't sealed and clean by the end. Goldstein didn't pair off her bumbling characters, having each magically find love or redemption. What was messy did, for the most part, stay messy.
Still, there was a hopeful chord struck by the end that I really appreciated -- and I think fans of women's fiction and novels on friendship, love and starting over will appreciate The Singles. It's a light, quick read that resonated with me, and readers who enjoy short character studies and vignettes will appreciate Goldstein's storytelling and attention to detail.
When I started the book, I was initially nervous that Goldstein's debut would suffer from the dreaded Too Many Characters-itis. I mean, on the surface, it seems like it completely would. We're talking a real motley crew of people here, folks, and that listing above doesn't include many other peripheral characters or Phil, Nancy's son, who actually winds up attending the wedding in her stead. That's a ton of people.
It's a testament to Goldstein, then, that I could actively recall every person in this book without referring to any notes. I can recall their colorful back stories, too, and the circumstances that brought them to Annapolis, Md., to see Bee marry Matt, her nondescript husband. Strangely, though, the couple exchanging vows are the ones I felt I knew the least. The groom is nothing more than a prop. And that's fine; I mean, I get it. The book is really about friendship and the links between the singles, not the happy couple. Still.
Casting director Hannah was probably my favorite character. If anyone out there watches the fabulously hilarious and underrated "Happy Endings" on ABC, she completely reminded me of Penny. She's that friend who just can't get her act together and has too many quirks to mention, yet you can't help but love her -- and want to protect her. She arrives at Bee's wedding frightened of seeing her ex-boyfriend, the one who just about broke her; he's coming with his new girlfriend, of course, leaving Hannah/Penny to stave off her anxiety in a way that makes her unintentionally crazy. While I really felt for her and hoped she would abandon the Crazy Train, I couldn't help but be amused. Who hasn't faced an ex with a sense of dread and excitement?
Being a Maryland girl myself, the Annapolis setting piqued my interest. References to the Naval Academy, local bed and breakfasts and Maryland's famous seafood made my local heart jump for joy. I definitely got a feel for the coastal, breezy wedding Bee was going for, and liked that Maryland featured so prominently in the book. It seems like much of what I read favors the bright lights of Manhattan or glitzy London, so reading about our capital was great for this crab lover.
Fast-paced and fun, The Singles takes place over the course of one weekend. Everyone arrives with a hefty amount of emotional baggage, and most carry a sense of uncertainty about where life will take them next. I like that the novel didn't offer easy answers, and things weren't sealed and clean by the end. Goldstein didn't pair off her bumbling characters, having each magically find love or redemption. What was messy did, for the most part, stay messy.
Still, there was a hopeful chord struck by the end that I really appreciated -- and I think fans of women's fiction and novels on friendship, love and starting over will appreciate The Singles. It's a light, quick read that resonated with me, and readers who enjoy short character studies and vignettes will appreciate Goldstein's storytelling and attention to detail.
November 12, 2012
I liked and identified with this story. I've always gone stag at weddings -- even the Maryland-wedding-after-graduation scenario (twice)! And the Syracuse flashbacks took me right there: house parties with earnestly bad college rock bands, takeout from Alto Cinco and huddling up with your dorm friends for days on end, never seeing the sunlight.
Things that stuck out:
-The way buffalo wing sauce smell clings to clothing, as a device that really gave you a feel for that character, resurfacing at just the right times
-The description of a character's nails chipping the paint from a windowsill, and the character's wish for the lead in the paint to kill her. One of my favorite paragraphs. Moves from vivid description to over-dramatic self pity that makes you laugh. Really fine writing.
-The mindset only a pet owner can experience, when they're doing what they can to ease their friend through the home stretch, and the questions and feelings that follow
-What an Old Bay-seasoned Crab tastes like when a sea breeze is blowing through a tent
-The saddest Springsteen reference I've ever read
Goldstein goes pretty easy on her characters, quickly forgiving or conveniently preventing some of their bad behavior. Even if you've never been in their shoes, she does a good job helping you understand what brought them there.
This book had excellent flow, and was a lot of fun to read.
Things that stuck out:
-The way buffalo wing sauce smell clings to clothing, as a device that really gave you a feel for that character, resurfacing at just the right times
-The description of a character's nails chipping the paint from a windowsill, and the character's wish for the lead in the paint to kill her. One of my favorite paragraphs. Moves from vivid description to over-dramatic self pity that makes you laugh. Really fine writing.
-The mindset only a pet owner can experience, when they're doing what they can to ease their friend through the home stretch, and the questions and feelings that follow
-What an Old Bay-seasoned Crab tastes like when a sea breeze is blowing through a tent
-The saddest Springsteen reference I've ever read
Goldstein goes pretty easy on her characters, quickly forgiving or conveniently preventing some of their bad behavior. Even if you've never been in their shoes, she does a good job helping you understand what brought them there.
This book had excellent flow, and was a lot of fun to read.
January 19, 2013
I love Meredith Goldstein! I read Love Letters religiously and she gives some of the best advice around. Smart, rational, balanced advice - I wish we could be BFFs. But I think she's a better writer than this! I enjoyed the premise - single people at a wedding, story of my life - but her characters were selfish, hollow, and sort of boring. I got a little tired of the pop cultural references. A few are great - as I think they form a common bond with author and reader - but too many is oppressive. I felt like I was reading an OK Magazine after while, nevermind it will entirely date this book in years to come. Also, everyone felt like big cliches - hot uncle, pageant Southern friend who wears too much eyeliner and smokes, winy college girl who can't get over a bad boyfriend. And the one guy with the dog? I felt like that was way out of left field, it just didn't fit. I think if you enjoy chic lit you'll like this book, but this genre is just not for me, there's just not enough meat to them. I still love you Mere!
August 1, 2012
Full Review @ http://bit.ly/MT0Wmr
There were numerous things that drove me crazy about the book. First off, what could have been a pretty hilarious almost a Bridezilla story simply fell flat to me. I just thought that the book didn't have any bite whatsoever and was read and finished as part of a challenge. I will often read "chick lit" to break up heavier reading and that is why this book was sought out, but it didn't even accomplish that goal for me. Second, it was told in multiple person perspective which further drives me crazy. Often one has to keep notes to keep the story straight. When the book was somewhat enjoyable to begin with...multiple person perspective just makes it more difficult to follow. Third, I thought the book to be extremely predictable and that it is a dime a dozen book to other books out there.
There were numerous things that drove me crazy about the book. First off, what could have been a pretty hilarious almost a Bridezilla story simply fell flat to me. I just thought that the book didn't have any bite whatsoever and was read and finished as part of a challenge. I will often read "chick lit" to break up heavier reading and that is why this book was sought out, but it didn't even accomplish that goal for me. Second, it was told in multiple person perspective which further drives me crazy. Often one has to keep notes to keep the story straight. When the book was somewhat enjoyable to begin with...multiple person perspective just makes it more difficult to follow. Third, I thought the book to be extremely predictable and that it is a dime a dozen book to other books out there.
July 25, 2012
Quick read about five single guests at a lavish wedding in Annapolis. I wanted to like the characters but found them all horrible. Their behavior was crude and ridiculous and got worse and worse as the wedding wore on.
The two male characters that were not completely awful were pathetic in that they ruined relationships with women in favor of their Mom and a dog. What was up with that??
All the women, except for the bride, were horrible.
I should have known this would be bad because one of the blurbs on this book is from the author of "Girls in White Dresses" the other book I gave one star to this year!
The two male characters that were not completely awful were pathetic in that they ruined relationships with women in favor of their Mom and a dog. What was up with that??
All the women, except for the bride, were horrible.
I should have known this would be bad because one of the blurbs on this book is from the author of "Girls in White Dresses" the other book I gave one star to this year!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2012
I'm going to be hard on Meredith Goldstein, whose 'Love Letters' column is thoroughly enjoyable and for whom I had high hopes with this first novel. C'mon, Meredith, you're a better writer than this! Great concept, single folks caught up in the shallow couple-dom of an overly lavish wedding, but too many stereotypes get in the way of decent character development. I am reminded much too much of the world of Emily Giffin, and for that I am sorry. Better luck next time for Goldstein!
May 23, 2012
This seemed like it could be a light, fun summer read. But, overall, it was just meh.
It's not a bad book - the writing is fair, but the characters seemed a bit underdeveloped
and the story wasn't something particularly new.
It's an OK book, not great but not awful. It just seems to lack something to set it
apart from the crowd.
It's not a bad book - the writing is fair, but the characters seemed a bit underdeveloped
and the story wasn't something particularly new.
It's an OK book, not great but not awful. It just seems to lack something to set it
apart from the crowd.
May 15, 2012
Interesting concept, with each chapter focusing on a different character. However, I think it could have been executed better. Nothing super exciting or memorable.
May 13, 2018
Ce livre est à la fois une sympathique petite romance sans prétention et une rétrospective de la vie de chacun des personnages. Sont-ils parvenus au bout de leur rêve ou ont -ils cédés aux dures réalités de la vie ?
Un groupe d'étudiants se retrouvent à l'occasion du mariage de l'une d'entre eux et les langues se délient ... Des chemins se sont séparés, d'autres se sont rapprochés... et quand en plus s'y mêlent des sentiments amoureux, le moins que l'on puisse dire, c'est que l'unité du groupe se retrouve quelque peu chamboulée !
Le rythme n'y est pas des plus étourdissants, il est même presque nonchalant. Alors oubliez les multiples rebondissements et autres péripéties habituelles, dans ce style de romance, vous ne les trouverez pas ici. Mais rassurez-vous l'ensemble est bien écrit et les personnages principaux sont la plus grande force de ce roman !
Parlons en justement de ces fameux célibataires. Nous les découvrons les uns après les autres, avec leurs passés parfois tumultueux.
J'ai été étonnée par la finesse de la psychologie des personnages qui est tellement soignée qu'elle nous empêche clairement de nous ennuyer. Je les ait trouvés tous très attachants, mais j'ai adorée en particulier le personnage d'Hannah.
J'ai eu peur pendant une nanoseconde lorsque leurs chemins se sont recroisés d'avoir une fin trop facile et naïve où tout le monde vivrait heureux dans le meilleur des mondes.
Mais je trouve que les relations au sein de cette bande d'amis sont restées parfaitement réalistes et que la conclusion s'est dénouée de la meilleur des façons.
Je conseille ce livre à tous ceux qui n'ont pas peur d'une romance un peu différente de celle qu'on à l'habitude de lire non pas par les personnages eu-mêmes mais par la façon dont ils ont été traités !
Un groupe d'étudiants se retrouvent à l'occasion du mariage de l'une d'entre eux et les langues se délient ... Des chemins se sont séparés, d'autres se sont rapprochés... et quand en plus s'y mêlent des sentiments amoureux, le moins que l'on puisse dire, c'est que l'unité du groupe se retrouve quelque peu chamboulée !
Le rythme n'y est pas des plus étourdissants, il est même presque nonchalant. Alors oubliez les multiples rebondissements et autres péripéties habituelles, dans ce style de romance, vous ne les trouverez pas ici. Mais rassurez-vous l'ensemble est bien écrit et les personnages principaux sont la plus grande force de ce roman !
Parlons en justement de ces fameux célibataires. Nous les découvrons les uns après les autres, avec leurs passés parfois tumultueux.
J'ai été étonnée par la finesse de la psychologie des personnages qui est tellement soignée qu'elle nous empêche clairement de nous ennuyer. Je les ait trouvés tous très attachants, mais j'ai adorée en particulier le personnage d'Hannah.
J'ai eu peur pendant une nanoseconde lorsque leurs chemins se sont recroisés d'avoir une fin trop facile et naïve où tout le monde vivrait heureux dans le meilleur des mondes.
Mais je trouve que les relations au sein de cette bande d'amis sont restées parfaitement réalistes et que la conclusion s'est dénouée de la meilleur des façons.
Je conseille ce livre à tous ceux qui n'ont pas peur d'une romance un peu différente de celle qu'on à l'habitude de lire non pas par les personnages eu-mêmes mais par la façon dont ils ont été traités !
April 20, 2018
I noticed this book doesn't have the best ratings, which makes me sad. I enjoyed this book VERY much. If you like books like Bridget Jones i think you would really enjoy it. It is a fun and at times outrageous tale about group of college friends and a few new individuals that are going to a wedding. I love how chapters are from each characters prospective. The author really goes into each individuals life so you can understand who they really are and their backstory. Which made me wanna root for the characters and keep flipping pages to see what would happen next. Quick read that kept my interest and kept me up way too late!
July 18, 2019
This was a quick and easy read. Although I did find that the story jumped between charcters quite a bit so it was hard to keep the names of people straight. All in all though a quick and easy summer read.
January 22, 2021
This book was ridiculous. Every character in this book needs to see a doctor. No real plot other than someone getting married, but that wasn't even the focus. And then No wrap up, just everything ended. What the heck?
March 19, 2022
Fun light read that was better than expected. Told from different 5 perspectives. I’m so glad that it didn’t end super cleanly with everyone paired off, but instead some nice open endings and one pairing. It kept it somewhat superficial in the details but I’m ok with that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2018
Relatable characters who (mostly) change for the better.
March 23, 2019
I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this. Well-written with interesting characters. Read it in an evening.
December 21, 2019
Although the writing was fluid, the book still stalled out. A book where not much happens and what does happen always seems far fetched. Ends tie up a bit too nicely.
June 4, 2020
Questo è un libro che si dimentica nell'istante stesso in cui si finisce.
Non mi viene altro da aggiungere.
Non é buono nemmeno come lettura leggera da spiaggia.
Non mi viene altro da aggiungere.
Non é buono nemmeno come lettura leggera da spiaggia.
January 2, 2022
Singles Goldstien, Meredith 3 F college friends at wedding, singles lots of drama & bad decisions then find themselves & move forward - permiscuous explicit sex 2018 8/19/2018 8/18/2018
April 5, 2012
Won from Firstreads
Review first posted at www.apprentice-writer.blogspot.com
Premise: A wedding causes five single invitees to evaluate their lives.
Cover: Title - Simple, direct, effective. Art - Very pretty and reflective of content, with the gold metallic lettering cleverly calling to mind the rings (i.e., life partners) that the novel protagonists don't have. The theme of social pressure for people to couple up literally forms the centre of attention.
Overall, well done and attractive.
First Sentence Test: "Twenty-nine-year-old bride-to-be Beth Eleanor Evans, a slender, freckled, strawberry blonde whom people called Bee because of her initials, stood in front of the whiteboard she'd purchased that day at the Target off Route 103."
Did this make AW want to read on? No
What Works: Weddings seem like a hot topic right now, fascinating to far more people than just those intending to tie the knot in the near future if the multitude of wedding reality shows and are any indication. This novel, and the earlier "Girls in White Dresses", seems to ride the wave.
Why? Why are weddings intriguing for people not directly participating? As a person who was, yes, sucked into regular viewing of one or two of those shows, please allow Apprentice Writer to voice her theory: it's the expanding effect weddings have on the psychology of onlookers. No one (at least, not in this novel) remains within their regular emotional parameters prior and during the wedding. Their highs get higher and their lows lower, and it can be tremendously addictive entertainment to have a window on what happens under those circumstances. As such, AW was sold on the premise of this book.
She enjoyed the ensemble approach, with events looked at through the eyes of multiple characters rather than just one point of view. AW also liked how each POV character had clear strengths and weaknesses; there were none who skewed heavily to the "good" or "evil" side. AW would like to think that this realistic and balanced approach has something to do with the author's background as a newspaper etiquette and advice giver, a perspective that would tend to encourage the view that a) we all have our personal issues to work through, and b) one need not ever given up on anyone completely. This is how the characters come across, and AW appreciated it.
What Doesn't: AW received an Advance Readers Copy, and therefore has no way of knowing how much of the manuscript that finally went to print may have changed and improved. That being said, the authorial style and voice didn't always entirely flow for her. Run-on sentences (as from first page, above) were not uncommon, as was a tendency to repetition: "She was blinded just a few seconds later by a vicious, almost blinding fluorescent light."
AW disliked the biological reality descriptions included in some scenes for two reasons; it seemed to her that the point could have been gotten across without going into as much detail, and also, it seemed to underline how the choices of some characters kept them at what seemed like a high school/college level rather than people moving on and establishing themselves in their professional lives. It is true that often, individuals may be moving forward in some parts of their lives while feeling as though they are stuck in others. This is a common and relatable phenomenon for many if not most readers. But characters such as the woman who accepts and swallows an unknown pill from a near stranger and then (against advice) drinks steadily without eating gets no sympathy when things start going wrong.
Overall: A slice-of-life novel about people trying to find their post-college groove and figure out the age old question of how or even whether to find a partner that manages to make the reader, whether single or partnered, feel their status is valid.
Review first posted at www.apprentice-writer.blogspot.com
Premise: A wedding causes five single invitees to evaluate their lives.
Cover: Title - Simple, direct, effective. Art - Very pretty and reflective of content, with the gold metallic lettering cleverly calling to mind the rings (i.e., life partners) that the novel protagonists don't have. The theme of social pressure for people to couple up literally forms the centre of attention.
Overall, well done and attractive.
First Sentence Test: "Twenty-nine-year-old bride-to-be Beth Eleanor Evans, a slender, freckled, strawberry blonde whom people called Bee because of her initials, stood in front of the whiteboard she'd purchased that day at the Target off Route 103."
Did this make AW want to read on? No
What Works: Weddings seem like a hot topic right now, fascinating to far more people than just those intending to tie the knot in the near future if the multitude of wedding reality shows and are any indication. This novel, and the earlier "Girls in White Dresses", seems to ride the wave.
Why? Why are weddings intriguing for people not directly participating? As a person who was, yes, sucked into regular viewing of one or two of those shows, please allow Apprentice Writer to voice her theory: it's the expanding effect weddings have on the psychology of onlookers. No one (at least, not in this novel) remains within their regular emotional parameters prior and during the wedding. Their highs get higher and their lows lower, and it can be tremendously addictive entertainment to have a window on what happens under those circumstances. As such, AW was sold on the premise of this book.
She enjoyed the ensemble approach, with events looked at through the eyes of multiple characters rather than just one point of view. AW also liked how each POV character had clear strengths and weaknesses; there were none who skewed heavily to the "good" or "evil" side. AW would like to think that this realistic and balanced approach has something to do with the author's background as a newspaper etiquette and advice giver, a perspective that would tend to encourage the view that a) we all have our personal issues to work through, and b) one need not ever given up on anyone completely. This is how the characters come across, and AW appreciated it.
What Doesn't: AW received an Advance Readers Copy, and therefore has no way of knowing how much of the manuscript that finally went to print may have changed and improved. That being said, the authorial style and voice didn't always entirely flow for her. Run-on sentences (as from first page, above) were not uncommon, as was a tendency to repetition: "She was blinded just a few seconds later by a vicious, almost blinding fluorescent light."
AW disliked the biological reality descriptions included in some scenes for two reasons; it seemed to her that the point could have been gotten across without going into as much detail, and also, it seemed to underline how the choices of some characters kept them at what seemed like a high school/college level rather than people moving on and establishing themselves in their professional lives. It is true that often, individuals may be moving forward in some parts of their lives while feeling as though they are stuck in others. This is a common and relatable phenomenon for many if not most readers. But characters such as the woman who accepts and swallows an unknown pill from a near stranger and then (against advice) drinks steadily without eating gets no sympathy when things start going wrong.
Overall: A slice-of-life novel about people trying to find their post-college groove and figure out the age old question of how or even whether to find a partner that manages to make the reader, whether single or partnered, feel their status is valid.
October 10, 2016
quick read, pleasant distraction
April 24, 2012
This is the story of the Annapolis wedding of Bee Evans and Matt Fee (yes she will become Bee Fee) and the five guests who despite receiving a plus one invite come solo to the wedding. Hannah, a college classmate of Beth’s is a bridesmaid. She dreads the wedding as she will need to confront ex boyfriend Tom who dumped her. She is hoping that Rob a college friend and old boyfriend will attend the wedding with her, but Rob the flakiest of the five solo wedding guests stays in Texas to support his dog Liz a rescue mutt with epilepsy. Rob stays current with the wedding events through texts sent by Hannah. Hannah’s roommate at the wedding is Vickie another college friend. Vicki, a romance novel addict, works at an unexciting but well paying job; she is constantly depressed and travels with a social affective disorder sun lamp in a guitar case. These three college friends are supplemented by two additional solo guests. The bride’s uncle Joe, a divorced father is attending even though the bride’s mother would prefer he not be in attendance. Joe is attracted to Vicki and has big plans for their relationship, plans that are not shared by Vickie. The final character in this farce is Phil. Phil is only attending the wedding as a favor to his mom who is ill and unable to attend. Phil is perhaps the saddest of these characters, unable to grow up he continues to linger in a prolonged adolescence that includes sports and failed commitments and not much else.
The adventures of these five characters through the wedding weekend are enjoyable to follow. The story is told from alternating perspectives. Some of the scenes are quite funny. Hannah, on the advice of a controlling maid of honor, takes some pills to settle her nerves. Followed by a couple of drinks Hannah’s confrontation with her ex is painfully funny. All five of the solo guests experience character growth through this wedding weekend. The back and forth between Hannah and Rob is very well done. Rob, still in love with Hannah, but unable to act decisively on it, shows the most growth of all of the characters. All of these solo guests are changed by their attendance at this wedding. I loved the ending; it provided hope but was not an unrealistic take on life.
This is a debut novel for Meredith Goldstein, the popular LoveLetters advice columnist from the Boston Globe and it is a good one. You’ll love the characters and if you’ve ever gone single to a wedding you'll relate to the events in this story. The Singles, I think will be a popular beach read this summer. The book has been optioned for film so read it now before the movie is cast and you can compare your casting choices with the actual ones.
The adventures of these five characters through the wedding weekend are enjoyable to follow. The story is told from alternating perspectives. Some of the scenes are quite funny. Hannah, on the advice of a controlling maid of honor, takes some pills to settle her nerves. Followed by a couple of drinks Hannah’s confrontation with her ex is painfully funny. All five of the solo guests experience character growth through this wedding weekend. The back and forth between Hannah and Rob is very well done. Rob, still in love with Hannah, but unable to act decisively on it, shows the most growth of all of the characters. All of these solo guests are changed by their attendance at this wedding. I loved the ending; it provided hope but was not an unrealistic take on life.
This is a debut novel for Meredith Goldstein, the popular LoveLetters advice columnist from the Boston Globe and it is a good one. You’ll love the characters and if you’ve ever gone single to a wedding you'll relate to the events in this story. The Singles, I think will be a popular beach read this summer. The book has been optioned for film so read it now before the movie is cast and you can compare your casting choices with the actual ones.
July 17, 2014
I loved it. Particularly the story of Rob and Hannah. I feel the best way to describe to you the plot of this novel is just to give each character's background since, let's face it, there's a lot of them.
Hannah
She was probably my favorite character. Hannah is a casting director in New York with an ex, Tom, who she desperately wants to impress and have Tom fall madly back in love with her at her best friend's wedding. Hannah was Bee's best friend from college where she sort of had a secret thing with Rob. However, when Rob left college, their relationship fell away too. Then, Hannah dated Rob's old best friend, and finally reconnected once again with Rob. Usually it was just a couple emails and phone calls a year, but it was all they could really do with her in New York and him in Texas. Now at the wedding, Hannah is desperate to have her ex fall back in love her, and is disappointed in Rob flaking out since he would have been a great distraction from the ex she never forgot.
Vicki
Vicki has been friends with Bee and Hannah since college. She knew about Hannah and Rob's 'sort of' affair. However, she is now struggling with depression and interior design. She is desperate to do just about anything to break this depression that suffocates her, and maybe seeing some old friends, reliving some old friends is the perfect way to do just that.
Joe
Joe is a man in his 40s who works in Las Vegas. His ex wife and daughter moved to the East Coast, and so Joe hardly ever sees them. It's not really as though her has a choice though, he has a good job in Vegas and he sends money and tries to see them when he can. Joe has a girlfriend back home, but with everything weighing on him, he feels a quick fling after the wedding might be just what he needs to release the stress.
Rob
Rob didn't even go to the wedding. He isn't as flaky as he was back in college, but old habits die hard. Plus he has a sick dog, Liz, he feels an unwavering responsibility for. Anyways, who wants to go see the woman they never forgot vie for another man's attention?
Nancy Phil
Phil is a mama's boy as he feels a sense of duty to keeping her company and helping her out ever since his father passes away. However that is the exact reason his last girlfriend, the only girl he was ever serious about, left him. It wasn't he crazy schedule from baseball or his gambling problem, but the fact that he put his mother before her.
Overview
I know that some of these characters may seem seriously messed up, but in a way we all are. I liked the reality of that. I also loved the way almost all these characters were somehow intertwined. It was a fantastic book for a novella. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Hannah
She was probably my favorite character. Hannah is a casting director in New York with an ex, Tom, who she desperately wants to impress and have Tom fall madly back in love with her at her best friend's wedding. Hannah was Bee's best friend from college where she sort of had a secret thing with Rob. However, when Rob left college, their relationship fell away too. Then, Hannah dated Rob's old best friend, and finally reconnected once again with Rob. Usually it was just a couple emails and phone calls a year, but it was all they could really do with her in New York and him in Texas. Now at the wedding, Hannah is desperate to have her ex fall back in love her, and is disappointed in Rob flaking out since he would have been a great distraction from the ex she never forgot.
Vicki
Vicki has been friends with Bee and Hannah since college. She knew about Hannah and Rob's 'sort of' affair. However, she is now struggling with depression and interior design. She is desperate to do just about anything to break this depression that suffocates her, and maybe seeing some old friends, reliving some old friends is the perfect way to do just that.
Joe
Joe is a man in his 40s who works in Las Vegas. His ex wife and daughter moved to the East Coast, and so Joe hardly ever sees them. It's not really as though her has a choice though, he has a good job in Vegas and he sends money and tries to see them when he can. Joe has a girlfriend back home, but with everything weighing on him, he feels a quick fling after the wedding might be just what he needs to release the stress.
Rob
Rob didn't even go to the wedding. He isn't as flaky as he was back in college, but old habits die hard. Plus he has a sick dog, Liz, he feels an unwavering responsibility for. Anyways, who wants to go see the woman they never forgot vie for another man's attention?
Phil is a mama's boy as he feels a sense of duty to keeping her company and helping her out ever since his father passes away. However that is the exact reason his last girlfriend, the only girl he was ever serious about, left him. It wasn't he crazy schedule from baseball or his gambling problem, but the fact that he put his mother before her.
Overview
I know that some of these characters may seem seriously messed up, but in a way we all are. I liked the reality of that. I also loved the way almost all these characters were somehow intertwined. It was a fantastic book for a novella. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
April 19, 2013
http://www.blue-moon.fr/ecrire/?exec=...
Avis de Callixta
On peut légitimement se demander ce qu’a voulu faire Meredith Goldstein avec son premier roman et quelle idée a piqué Milady de le publier dans une collection de romance car d’amour, il n’est guère question dans ce livre.
Meredith Goldstein s’occupe d’une célèbre chronique du cœur dans un quotidien de Boston et a donc produit ce roman qui présente tout de même quelques failles et qui est peut-être nourri de quelques anecdotes provenant de son travail mais rien n’est moins sûr. L’idée, le résumé, la couverture donne l’idée d’une comédie sentimentale. Bee ba se marier et est très ennuyée par le placement à table des célibataires, cauchemars de tout organisation de mariage tout comme le plan de table est un vrai casse-tête. En fait, le sujet n’est pas là du tout, les cinq célibataires vont venir, se croiser dans un mariage que l’on devine en toile de fond. Ce mariage et l’amour supposé entre Matt et Bee sont les seules concessions sentimentales dans ce roman qui se veut peut-être drôle.
Meredith Goldstein va consacrer, alternativement, un chapitre aux cinq personnes dont une ne viendra finalement pas et sera remplacée par son fils et un autre arrivera bien après. Ce procédé, très linéaire, répétitif, va nous conduire à avoir systématiquement la présentation du célibataire, la raison de sa présence ( ses liens avec les mariés), son rôle dans la cérémonie et son parcours professionnel. Puis dans un autre chapitre qui lui est consacré, nous aurons droit à ses expériences sentimentales passées, récentes ou pas. Le tout est un peu trop systématique et linéaire pour retenir l’attention. Quant à ces personnages, ils sont au mieux sympathiques, le plus souvent, ils ne le sont pas du tout. Mention spéciale à une certaine demoiselle d’honneur égocentrique tout à fait déplaisante. Leur histoire à tous est souvent douce-amère, assez tristounette et la fin de chacune pourrait être le début ou le milieu.
Il aurait fallu un dynamisme dans le texte des personnages bien plus accrocheurs, charismatiques pour retenir l’intérêt du lecteur dans ce roman. Quelques bonnes idées jaillissent ça et là comme l’hallucinante mais assez triste histoire de la chienne de l’un des personnages qui connaît une fin étonnante. Mais tout cela ne fait pas un livre et certainement pas une romance. Il n’en est finalement question qu’à travers les lectures d’une des célibataires passionnées des ouvrages de V.C. Andrews et de scènes de sexe brûlantes.
Ce n’est donc ni drôle, ni très profond, souvent ennuyeux et jamais sentimental... A éviter donc.
Avis de Callixta
On peut légitimement se demander ce qu’a voulu faire Meredith Goldstein avec son premier roman et quelle idée a piqué Milady de le publier dans une collection de romance car d’amour, il n’est guère question dans ce livre.
Meredith Goldstein s’occupe d’une célèbre chronique du cœur dans un quotidien de Boston et a donc produit ce roman qui présente tout de même quelques failles et qui est peut-être nourri de quelques anecdotes provenant de son travail mais rien n’est moins sûr. L’idée, le résumé, la couverture donne l’idée d’une comédie sentimentale. Bee ba se marier et est très ennuyée par le placement à table des célibataires, cauchemars de tout organisation de mariage tout comme le plan de table est un vrai casse-tête. En fait, le sujet n’est pas là du tout, les cinq célibataires vont venir, se croiser dans un mariage que l’on devine en toile de fond. Ce mariage et l’amour supposé entre Matt et Bee sont les seules concessions sentimentales dans ce roman qui se veut peut-être drôle.
Meredith Goldstein va consacrer, alternativement, un chapitre aux cinq personnes dont une ne viendra finalement pas et sera remplacée par son fils et un autre arrivera bien après. Ce procédé, très linéaire, répétitif, va nous conduire à avoir systématiquement la présentation du célibataire, la raison de sa présence ( ses liens avec les mariés), son rôle dans la cérémonie et son parcours professionnel. Puis dans un autre chapitre qui lui est consacré, nous aurons droit à ses expériences sentimentales passées, récentes ou pas. Le tout est un peu trop systématique et linéaire pour retenir l’attention. Quant à ces personnages, ils sont au mieux sympathiques, le plus souvent, ils ne le sont pas du tout. Mention spéciale à une certaine demoiselle d’honneur égocentrique tout à fait déplaisante. Leur histoire à tous est souvent douce-amère, assez tristounette et la fin de chacune pourrait être le début ou le milieu.
Il aurait fallu un dynamisme dans le texte des personnages bien plus accrocheurs, charismatiques pour retenir l’intérêt du lecteur dans ce roman. Quelques bonnes idées jaillissent ça et là comme l’hallucinante mais assez triste histoire de la chienne de l’un des personnages qui connaît une fin étonnante. Mais tout cela ne fait pas un livre et certainement pas une romance. Il n’en est finalement question qu’à travers les lectures d’une des célibataires passionnées des ouvrages de V.C. Andrews et de scènes de sexe brûlantes.
Ce n’est donc ni drôle, ni très profond, souvent ennuyeux et jamais sentimental... A éviter donc.
July 17, 2012
Originally reviewed at Novel Escapes
I enjoyed this lighthearted tale of singles converging at a mutual friend’s wedding. Having been in this position more than once during my lifetime, I could relate to how difficult the position can be. In the promotional material received with this novel, The Singles was likened to the movie Bridesmaids, but I couldn’t see that much of a connection really. It wasn’t nearly as funny, so I might have been a bit disappointed in that respect after reading this comparison. Overall, though, I really liked all the complicated and confused characters but unfortunately I felt we didn’t get to see enough of them.
I really wished this novel was longer. It took over 100 pages to be introduced to each character as it was told from their individual perspectives and much of that was back story about how they all met or knew each other or grew apart before they actually arrived at the wedding. I knew as soon as I hit this point that The Singles would be too short as there were only 140 pages left for something monumental to actually happen. Because there were so many people and so few pages devoted to each that I didn’t feel like the novel captured enough of each character and I found myself wanting more from each of them. I wanted to get to know them better and see more interactions and events to occur between them than actually did.
I loved that the singles were a variety of ages which gave different perspectives and stories. The characters weren’t caricatures either. They were each unique with unusual, quirky issues and interactions and I liked how the wedding gave them all perspective about their lives and the impetus to move on or in a new direction.
Regardless of its short and sweet nature, The Singles is still a fun read and is a novel that everyone who has ever sat solo at a wedding should be able to relate to. And even those who haven’t. There are coupledom antics and those wedding clichéd folks we all know and loathe – the overzealous bridesmaid, the overbearing mother of the bride, the drunken dancers, the long winded speech maker – I could go on, but dancing around the quirky cast of main characters, there are enough amusing wedding antics and characters that anyone who has ever attended a wedding can relate to.
If you’re looking for a light-hearted read with a wedding theme, pick up The Singles.
I enjoyed this lighthearted tale of singles converging at a mutual friend’s wedding. Having been in this position more than once during my lifetime, I could relate to how difficult the position can be. In the promotional material received with this novel, The Singles was likened to the movie Bridesmaids, but I couldn’t see that much of a connection really. It wasn’t nearly as funny, so I might have been a bit disappointed in that respect after reading this comparison. Overall, though, I really liked all the complicated and confused characters but unfortunately I felt we didn’t get to see enough of them.
I really wished this novel was longer. It took over 100 pages to be introduced to each character as it was told from their individual perspectives and much of that was back story about how they all met or knew each other or grew apart before they actually arrived at the wedding. I knew as soon as I hit this point that The Singles would be too short as there were only 140 pages left for something monumental to actually happen. Because there were so many people and so few pages devoted to each that I didn’t feel like the novel captured enough of each character and I found myself wanting more from each of them. I wanted to get to know them better and see more interactions and events to occur between them than actually did.
I loved that the singles were a variety of ages which gave different perspectives and stories. The characters weren’t caricatures either. They were each unique with unusual, quirky issues and interactions and I liked how the wedding gave them all perspective about their lives and the impetus to move on or in a new direction.
Regardless of its short and sweet nature, The Singles is still a fun read and is a novel that everyone who has ever sat solo at a wedding should be able to relate to. And even those who haven’t. There are coupledom antics and those wedding clichéd folks we all know and loathe – the overzealous bridesmaid, the overbearing mother of the bride, the drunken dancers, the long winded speech maker – I could go on, but dancing around the quirky cast of main characters, there are enough amusing wedding antics and characters that anyone who has ever attended a wedding can relate to.
If you’re looking for a light-hearted read with a wedding theme, pick up The Singles.
May 23, 2012
Bee Evans is determined to invite everyone to her wedding with a plus one. But when five people–Hannah, Vicki, Rob, Joe, and Nancy all decline the option to bring a date–Bee is completely flummoxed (not to mention frustrated). She ends up calling them the “singles” and allows them to drift into the rest of her perfectly planned seating chart.
Told in alternating perspectives of the five characters who chose to attend Bee’s wedding solo, Meredith Goldstein’s novel The Singles is a funny, charming look at the shenanigans that go on at one swanky wedding. A surprising amount of depth is present in this novel, and readers looking for quirky characters with hidden layers won’t be disappointed by this one.
Although Goldstein is definitely not reinventing the wheel with this story, she provides plenty of moments that are both funny and sad. The novel is guaranteed to resonate with readers of all ages. Readers will be surprised at who they end up rooting for. Everyone loves a good wedding meltdown, and there’s a pretty great one present in this novel’s pages.
The thing is, the novel presents itself as another women’s fiction title. That could not be further from the truth. Goldstein’s prose is frequently witty, and her keen observations about guests at the wedding are often uncomfortably accurate. As each chapter allows another character to narrate the events, readers start to get a sense of each person’s motivations and why they chose to go to the wedding alone. This novel doesn’t have a predictable, happy ending for each of the characters, but it’s still quite satisfying in and of itself.
Overall a very fun, smart read about a topic that’s been well-covered. Goldstein has a fresh voice that will resonate with readers–especially those looking for good “new adult” titles.
The Singles by Meredith Goldstein. Plume: 2012. Electronic galley accepted for review via Edelweiss.
Told in alternating perspectives of the five characters who chose to attend Bee’s wedding solo, Meredith Goldstein’s novel The Singles is a funny, charming look at the shenanigans that go on at one swanky wedding. A surprising amount of depth is present in this novel, and readers looking for quirky characters with hidden layers won’t be disappointed by this one.
Although Goldstein is definitely not reinventing the wheel with this story, she provides plenty of moments that are both funny and sad. The novel is guaranteed to resonate with readers of all ages. Readers will be surprised at who they end up rooting for. Everyone loves a good wedding meltdown, and there’s a pretty great one present in this novel’s pages.
The thing is, the novel presents itself as another women’s fiction title. That could not be further from the truth. Goldstein’s prose is frequently witty, and her keen observations about guests at the wedding are often uncomfortably accurate. As each chapter allows another character to narrate the events, readers start to get a sense of each person’s motivations and why they chose to go to the wedding alone. This novel doesn’t have a predictable, happy ending for each of the characters, but it’s still quite satisfying in and of itself.
Overall a very fun, smart read about a topic that’s been well-covered. Goldstein has a fresh voice that will resonate with readers–especially those looking for good “new adult” titles.
The Singles by Meredith Goldstein. Plume: 2012. Electronic galley accepted for review via Edelweiss.
July 24, 2012
I love chick lit books that are centred around weddings but don't necessarily focus on the wedding itself. These (usually lavish) events provide such excellent self-made drama, which is probably why I like them so much. Weddings are one of the most emotional events that the general public attends regularly. In this book we don't really learn a whole lot about Bee, the bride, other than what's revealed in flashbacks. We know even less about the groom. I'm not even sure I could tell you his name! But that's what made this book interesting. The drama came from the guests and their relationships with each other instead of what's happening between Bee and her fiancé.
The only little teeny negative I have is that there were so many characters that I didn't feel like I learned enough about them. Joe and "Nancy" (who was actually her son Phil - she was unable to attend the wedding so he was filling in for her) weren't entirely necessary. I enjoyed learning about their back story and they each played a role in helping Vicki and Hannah, but when we flipped to their stories it took away from learning more about those ladies.
This novel was funny without being a comedy, and emotional without being too drama-filled. In the course of a weekend wedding, everyone seems to realize what has been wrong in their life and what they need to do to fix it. I liked that the characters all had their own unique quirks. It made for some interesting and amusing situations.
Overall, I highly recommend The Singles by Meredith Goldstein. It had just the right amount of humour and drama and I found it incredibly enjoyable.
The only little teeny negative I have is that there were so many characters that I didn't feel like I learned enough about them. Joe and "Nancy" (who was actually her son Phil - she was unable to attend the wedding so he was filling in for her) weren't entirely necessary. I enjoyed learning about their back story and they each played a role in helping Vicki and Hannah, but when we flipped to their stories it took away from learning more about those ladies.
This novel was funny without being a comedy, and emotional without being too drama-filled. In the course of a weekend wedding, everyone seems to realize what has been wrong in their life and what they need to do to fix it. I liked that the characters all had their own unique quirks. It made for some interesting and amusing situations.
Overall, I highly recommend The Singles by Meredith Goldstein. It had just the right amount of humour and drama and I found it incredibly enjoyable.
November 15, 2015
Es gibt Bücher, die liegen auf dem SuB und man weiß eigentlich gar nicht mehr, warum sie überhaupt da liegen. Die Motivation zum Lesen fehlt, bis man irgendwann einen Rappel bekommt, und sie doch liest, einfach nur, damit sie weg sind.
So ein Buch war Besser so als anders. Ich hab wie immer den Klappentext nicht gelesen und hatte auch sonst keinerlei Erwartungen. Ich habe es gelesen und gelesen und gelesen, auch recht schnell, aber mir immer wieder gedacht: Was bringt es mir, das Buch zu lesen? Es liest sich leicht, aber irgendwie hat es keinen Mehrwert für mich. Im Prinzip geht es darum, dass die Geschichte von verschiedenen Personen erzählt wird, die alle auf eine Hochzeit eingeladen sind. Da passiert dann ein bisschen was aufregendes und dann beruhigt sich alles wieder. Ende, aus.
Dazu sind die Charaktere noch ziemlich flach erzählt. Ich mochte Vicki, eine der Brautjungfern, ganz gerne, aber irgendwann blieb auch die Sympathie für sie auf der Strecke. Ich schließe dieses Buch und nehme für mich nichts daraus mit. Schade. Ich habe selten ein Buch gelesen, dem ich so neutral gegenüber stand.
Vielleicht hätte es mir besser gefallen, wenn der Englische Titel The Singles mehr oder weniger übernommen worden wäre. Denn irgendwie scheint es darum zu gehen, dass Singles nicht glücklich sein können, sich mit jedem rumtreiben können, ob nun vergeben oder nicht und obendrein ein Problem für jeden sind, der eine Hochzeit plant, man weiß nicht, wohin man sie setzen soll.
Fazit: ❤❤/❤❤❤❤❤
Ein Buch, das man nicht lesen muss. Dennoch liest es sich schnell weg, wenn man es von seinem SuB runter haben will.
So ein Buch war Besser so als anders. Ich hab wie immer den Klappentext nicht gelesen und hatte auch sonst keinerlei Erwartungen. Ich habe es gelesen und gelesen und gelesen, auch recht schnell, aber mir immer wieder gedacht: Was bringt es mir, das Buch zu lesen? Es liest sich leicht, aber irgendwie hat es keinen Mehrwert für mich. Im Prinzip geht es darum, dass die Geschichte von verschiedenen Personen erzählt wird, die alle auf eine Hochzeit eingeladen sind. Da passiert dann ein bisschen was aufregendes und dann beruhigt sich alles wieder. Ende, aus.
Dazu sind die Charaktere noch ziemlich flach erzählt. Ich mochte Vicki, eine der Brautjungfern, ganz gerne, aber irgendwann blieb auch die Sympathie für sie auf der Strecke. Ich schließe dieses Buch und nehme für mich nichts daraus mit. Schade. Ich habe selten ein Buch gelesen, dem ich so neutral gegenüber stand.
Vielleicht hätte es mir besser gefallen, wenn der Englische Titel The Singles mehr oder weniger übernommen worden wäre. Denn irgendwie scheint es darum zu gehen, dass Singles nicht glücklich sein können, sich mit jedem rumtreiben können, ob nun vergeben oder nicht und obendrein ein Problem für jeden sind, der eine Hochzeit plant, man weiß nicht, wohin man sie setzen soll.
Fazit: ❤❤/❤❤❤❤❤
Ein Buch, das man nicht lesen muss. Dennoch liest es sich schnell weg, wenn man es von seinem SuB runter haben will.
September 16, 2012
Wedding-weekend ensemble piece The Singles suffers from having precisely the wrong level of detail. Meredith Goldstein can't help but force as many song titles, brand names, restaurant addresses as she can. She tries to enrich her world and her characters' interests with all this, but it mostly distracts from the story and dialog. At times I wondered if she wrote entire scenes strictly to include particular minutiae. On top of this, the novel was filled with lines that were supposed to be witty, but just fell short.
It could be that I'm too new to the chick literature genre, and I should expect this, but The Singles feels like one chapter after another of people longingly recounting their experiences when they weren't single. If only more attention had been given to the intrigue of characters interacting at the wedding and less to the background necessary to appreciate those interactions. For these reasons, I might argue that the book was actually too short. There were many characters, and while I continued reading to find out what would befall them, I didn't have a much of an idea who any of them were until close to the end. And all the events of the wedding seemed to happen too fast for how grand the occasion seems to have bee.
Goldstein writes Love Letters, boston.com's love advice column. I reveal myself as a follower of it. While The Singles provides quick entertainment, it seems like a lazily fictionalization of Meredith's letters and own college and post-college experiences.
It could be that I'm too new to the chick literature genre, and I should expect this, but The Singles feels like one chapter after another of people longingly recounting their experiences when they weren't single. If only more attention had been given to the intrigue of characters interacting at the wedding and less to the background necessary to appreciate those interactions. For these reasons, I might argue that the book was actually too short. There were many characters, and while I continued reading to find out what would befall them, I didn't have a much of an idea who any of them were until close to the end. And all the events of the wedding seemed to happen too fast for how grand the occasion seems to have bee.
Goldstein writes Love Letters, boston.com's love advice column. I reveal myself as a follower of it. While The Singles provides quick entertainment, it seems like a lazily fictionalization of Meredith's letters and own college and post-college experiences.
October 24, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and devoured it in one day. Granted, the motivation to read it quickly was partially due to the fact that I'd be meeting the author a few days later, but reading it was a treat, not a chore.
The Singles offers glimpses into five peoples' lives who have all RSVP'd as single to a wedding. There's three old college friends of the bride, all in their late-twenties, each of whom has followed a different life path. Then there's the "creepy" uncle of the bride and a fellow who's been sent in his mother's place. Goldstein cleverly introduces us to each character in a genuine way that gave me the sense that I immediately knew them. Each character is likable and I found myself routing for them, and yet each character is flawed and thus identifiable on a more human front.
Being a single girl in my mid-twenties I felt right at home with this crew of characters, and I'm sure most of us have been there or are there. The seemingly endless wedding circuit for friends and family highlights many of these scenarios in our lives. I did love that is was a wedding book that didn't focus on the marriage of the bride and groom but rather on the guests.
Meredith Goldstein was also fantastic to talk with. She's fun and entertaining, a perfect compliment to her book (or is it vice versa). In talking with her it was quite obvious that she holds a deep connection to each of her characters, parts of them real and parts of them fictional, but in the end, in the written form, they are all hers. She has certainly discovered a new fan in me.
The Singles offers glimpses into five peoples' lives who have all RSVP'd as single to a wedding. There's three old college friends of the bride, all in their late-twenties, each of whom has followed a different life path. Then there's the "creepy" uncle of the bride and a fellow who's been sent in his mother's place. Goldstein cleverly introduces us to each character in a genuine way that gave me the sense that I immediately knew them. Each character is likable and I found myself routing for them, and yet each character is flawed and thus identifiable on a more human front.
Being a single girl in my mid-twenties I felt right at home with this crew of characters, and I'm sure most of us have been there or are there. The seemingly endless wedding circuit for friends and family highlights many of these scenarios in our lives. I did love that is was a wedding book that didn't focus on the marriage of the bride and groom but rather on the guests.
Meredith Goldstein was also fantastic to talk with. She's fun and entertaining, a perfect compliment to her book (or is it vice versa). In talking with her it was quite obvious that she holds a deep connection to each of her characters, parts of them real and parts of them fictional, but in the end, in the written form, they are all hers. She has certainly discovered a new fan in me.
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