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Jane Austen in Boca
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a nice Jewish widower must be in want of a wife.
Jane Austen centered her classic novels of manners around "three or four families in a country village." So does Paula Marantz Cohen in her novel, a witty twist on Pride and Prejudice--except this time, the "village" is Boca Raton, Florida.
Eligible men, especially ones in possession of a good fortune and country club privileges, are scarce. When goodhearted meddler Carol Newman learns that the wealthy Norman Grafstein has lost his wife, she resolves to marry
him off to her lonely mother-in-law, May.
The novel charts the progress of May's love life as well as that of her two closest the strong-minded former librarian Flo Kliman and the flamboyant Lila Katz. If there weren't confusion enough, Flo's great-niece Amy, a film student at NYU, suddenly arrives with a camera crew determined to get it all on tape.
Will May and Norman eventually find happiness? Will Flo succumb to the charms of the suavely cosmopolitan Mel Shirmer? Will Amy's movie about them win an Academy Award--or at least a prize at the NYU student film competition?
Complications and misunderstandings abound in this romantic and perceptive comedy of manners.
Jane Austen centered her classic novels of manners around "three or four families in a country village." So does Paula Marantz Cohen in her novel, a witty twist on Pride and Prejudice--except this time, the "village" is Boca Raton, Florida.
Eligible men, especially ones in possession of a good fortune and country club privileges, are scarce. When goodhearted meddler Carol Newman learns that the wealthy Norman Grafstein has lost his wife, she resolves to marry
him off to her lonely mother-in-law, May.
The novel charts the progress of May's love life as well as that of her two closest the strong-minded former librarian Flo Kliman and the flamboyant Lila Katz. If there weren't confusion enough, Flo's great-niece Amy, a film student at NYU, suddenly arrives with a camera crew determined to get it all on tape.
Will May and Norman eventually find happiness? Will Flo succumb to the charms of the suavely cosmopolitan Mel Shirmer? Will Amy's movie about them win an Academy Award--or at least a prize at the NYU student film competition?
Complications and misunderstandings abound in this romantic and perceptive comedy of manners.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 5, 2000
14 people are currently reading
426 people want to read
About the author
Paula Marantz Cohen
25 books66 followersPaula Marantz Cohen, Distinguished Professor of English, received her BA in English and French from Yale University and her Ph.D. in English from Columbia University. She is the author of seven books and numerous essays on literature, film, and culture.
Her most recent academic book, Silent Film and the Triumph of the American Myth (Oxford UP), was selected as a Choice Outstanding Book for 2003. Her first novel, Jane Austen in Boca (St. Martin's Press), was a Literary Guild/Book of the Month Club Featured Alternate and a Page-Turner of the Week in People Magazine.
She has articles and stories in many journals, including Yale Review, Boulevard, Iowa Review, Raritan, The American Scholar, and The Hudson Review. She is the Co-Editor of the Journal of Modern Literature and a regular reviewer for the Times Literary Supplement. She is the recipient of the Lindback Teaching Award.
Her most recent academic book, Silent Film and the Triumph of the American Myth (Oxford UP), was selected as a Choice Outstanding Book for 2003. Her first novel, Jane Austen in Boca (St. Martin's Press), was a Literary Guild/Book of the Month Club Featured Alternate and a Page-Turner of the Week in People Magazine.
She has articles and stories in many journals, including Yale Review, Boulevard, Iowa Review, Raritan, The American Scholar, and The Hudson Review. She is the Co-Editor of the Journal of Modern Literature and a regular reviewer for the Times Literary Supplement. She is the recipient of the Lindback Teaching Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
May 2, 2023
I remember loving this book fifteen years ago and I decided it might be time for a re-read. Big mistake - but I guess it's no big surprise that our opinions often age as we do.
If you are the right age to read it, this is a fun little rom-com, a contemporary "Jane Austen" comedy of manners. However, I am too close in age to the book's retiree characters to enjoy it as such. Instead of enjoying the lighter aspects of it, I pondered the adversities the characters faced.
Briefly, it takes place at an upscale retirement community in Boca Raton, Florida and centers on the friendship of three widows who enjoy each other's company and are pretty content with their lives - until the daughter-in-law of one plays matchmaker.
Fifteen years ago this book was delightful and funny to me. This time my enjoyment was finding a fifteen year old note inside from my friend saying she enjoyed it too. I'll keep the note and donate the book, hopefully to a younger reader.
If you are the right age to read it, this is a fun little rom-com, a contemporary "Jane Austen" comedy of manners. However, I am too close in age to the book's retiree characters to enjoy it as such. Instead of enjoying the lighter aspects of it, I pondered the adversities the characters faced.
Briefly, it takes place at an upscale retirement community in Boca Raton, Florida and centers on the friendship of three widows who enjoy each other's company and are pretty content with their lives - until the daughter-in-law of one plays matchmaker.
Fifteen years ago this book was delightful and funny to me. This time my enjoyment was finding a fifteen year old note inside from my friend saying she enjoyed it too. I'll keep the note and donate the book, hopefully to a younger reader.
May 10, 2015
Having read two of Cohen's other books (Austen in Scarsdale, Much Ado About Jessie Kaplan), I knew what to expect in terms of literary weight (or lack thereof)...and because of that, I almost didn't read this one.
As expected, this book was a (comparatively) light, quick read. The parallels to certain characters and plot points within Pride & Prejudice are highly recognizable, but not particularly heavy-handed. What does come to feel a bit heavy-handed are the stereotypes. Not being Jewish, I had to stop from time to time and look up the Yiddish terms that the author throws around, and while not a obstacle, I cannot say that the terms really added anything to the novel; it is already more than clear that all the main characters are thoroughly Jewish in culture, if not in religion. I'm not sure that the author missed a single Jewish stereotype, unfortunately revisiting and hammering on some repeatedly. It is almost as if she were making the point that this could ONLY happen in a Jewish retirement community, the critical point being the Jewishness of all the characters. I think it could have been more entertaining without quite so many stereotypes. After all, Jewish senior citizens do not have exclusive rights to attitudes of pride and prejudice.
After investing the time to read the whole book (256 pages), I felt irritated by the slow build of the storylines and then the sudden close. Realizing there were not many pages left, I wondered when things were going to be tied up, and then immediately, on the next page, they were (or weren't, as the case may be)...and not in an overly believable fashion. Even the barely-over-a-page Epilogue disappointed, as it devotes more ink to May's daughter-in-law (who opened the book, but whose actions in the Epilogue have almost nothing to do with the storylines in the book) and grandson (who never got any dialogue...all his thoughts and feelings are related third person).
Overall, it is not a bad book; I just cannot summon the conviction to call it a *good* book. While I was pleased to be spared any descriptions of sex (save for a brief incident with Viagra) and do not recall many instances of objectionable language, it takes more than that to earn my recommendation. This would suffice for a beach read if you want to choose something that can be read amidst distractions and that doesn't require mental exertion. Otherwise, I do not absolutely regret reading it; there were spells where I enjoyed it. But taken as a whole, I am not going to pass it on to my friends, either.
As expected, this book was a (comparatively) light, quick read. The parallels to certain characters and plot points within Pride & Prejudice are highly recognizable, but not particularly heavy-handed. What does come to feel a bit heavy-handed are the stereotypes. Not being Jewish, I had to stop from time to time and look up the Yiddish terms that the author throws around, and while not a obstacle, I cannot say that the terms really added anything to the novel; it is already more than clear that all the main characters are thoroughly Jewish in culture, if not in religion. I'm not sure that the author missed a single Jewish stereotype, unfortunately revisiting and hammering on some repeatedly. It is almost as if she were making the point that this could ONLY happen in a Jewish retirement community, the critical point being the Jewishness of all the characters. I think it could have been more entertaining without quite so many stereotypes. After all, Jewish senior citizens do not have exclusive rights to attitudes of pride and prejudice.
After investing the time to read the whole book (256 pages), I felt irritated by the slow build of the storylines and then the sudden close. Realizing there were not many pages left, I wondered when things were going to be tied up, and then immediately, on the next page, they were (or weren't, as the case may be)...and not in an overly believable fashion. Even the barely-over-a-page Epilogue disappointed, as it devotes more ink to May's daughter-in-law (who opened the book, but whose actions in the Epilogue have almost nothing to do with the storylines in the book) and grandson (who never got any dialogue...all his thoughts and feelings are related third person).
Overall, it is not a bad book; I just cannot summon the conviction to call it a *good* book. While I was pleased to be spared any descriptions of sex (save for a brief incident with Viagra) and do not recall many instances of objectionable language, it takes more than that to earn my recommendation. This would suffice for a beach read if you want to choose something that can be read amidst distractions and that doesn't require mental exertion. Otherwise, I do not absolutely regret reading it; there were spells where I enjoyed it. But taken as a whole, I am not going to pass it on to my friends, either.
July 27, 2008
A marvellously well written,witty and honoring book. Paula Marantz Cohen could have been devastatingly unkind to both Jane and her locale but there is such love and affection for Pride and Prejudice, as well the 'small (FL) village of three or four families. Very cleverly the author makes the Bennet sisters in Florida sisters of choice rather than birth -- and removes Lydia entirely from the family. Wickham is perfect although Cohen managed to make me feel sympathy for him as Mel. I wonder if she deliberately rejected the nickname Mal for him, more subtle author's way. Although here he reminded me more of my past than Wickham ever did. I loved the parallels between love of English society and the retirement community. So many great touches. The Daughter in Law, the film crew, email, buffets, bargains, and the best, the adult ed class parsing P&P with new insights that amazed both Darcy -- the elitiest professor Austen's landed gentry -- and me. Only quibble, if she was going to talk about Loehmann's why leave out the founder and her legend? Maybe that's Cohen's next book. So glad my daughter gave me this book.
October 21, 2018
It is a truth universally acknowledged that in addition to a trite repurposing of the opening line of Jane Austen’s most beloved novel, the success of every modern retelling of Pride & Prejudice is dependent on finding a modern scenario that provides similar cultural strictures to the ones that drove the plot of the original. The quality of the dialogue, characters and plot will still vary, but the story will never get off the ground initially without it. It’s why some of the most successful modern takes on P&P have been tied to religion or culturally conservative communities. First Impressions (Amish), Austenistan (Pakistan), Bride and Prejudice (India), all largely work because they found modern equivalents to 18th century Regency England social mores.
In that, Jane Austen in Boca is largely successful in getting off the groun, finding in the Jewish retirement communities of Boca Raton, Florida a viable widow/widower version of Jane Austen’s Meryton. And it must be said, the author possesses impressive knowledge of the world of Jewish retirees and does well in gently satirizing it.
However, despite getting off the ground the book falls short on the other point that matters most, the central Elizabeth/Darcy dynamic. Their Boca equivalents Flo and Stan never take center stage in this book and the tensions, the comedy of misunderstandings, the slow growth of their feelings, hell even their banter, all of which are the heart and soul of Austen’s original are largely sidelined or omitted entirely. This is in part because of the author’s…interesting decision to shift between perspectives, primarily the Eliza and Jane equivalents. I presume this was an intentional choice on the author’s part as the book spends considerable time with Jane’s (and in fact opens with Jane’s daughter-in-law’s) point of view, but I would be at a loss to tell you what this choice was supposed to convey. But largely, the failure of Flo/Stan recreation of Eliza/Darcy stems from the fact that their plot from surprise proposal through rejection, reappraisal and reunion all takes place in a remarkably few pages at the very end of the novel instead of existing as the throughline for all the events of the second half of the original.
I feel like this book is one reworked draft away from being a solid addition to the canon of modern Pride & Prejudice remakes.
In that, Jane Austen in Boca is largely successful in getting off the groun, finding in the Jewish retirement communities of Boca Raton, Florida a viable widow/widower version of Jane Austen’s Meryton. And it must be said, the author possesses impressive knowledge of the world of Jewish retirees and does well in gently satirizing it.
However, despite getting off the ground the book falls short on the other point that matters most, the central Elizabeth/Darcy dynamic. Their Boca equivalents Flo and Stan never take center stage in this book and the tensions, the comedy of misunderstandings, the slow growth of their feelings, hell even their banter, all of which are the heart and soul of Austen’s original are largely sidelined or omitted entirely. This is in part because of the author’s…interesting decision to shift between perspectives, primarily the Eliza and Jane equivalents. I presume this was an intentional choice on the author’s part as the book spends considerable time with Jane’s (and in fact opens with Jane’s daughter-in-law’s) point of view, but I would be at a loss to tell you what this choice was supposed to convey. But largely, the failure of Flo/Stan recreation of Eliza/Darcy stems from the fact that their plot from surprise proposal through rejection, reappraisal and reunion all takes place in a remarkably few pages at the very end of the novel instead of existing as the throughline for all the events of the second half of the original.
I feel like this book is one reworked draft away from being a solid addition to the canon of modern Pride & Prejudice remakes.
January 15, 2012
Witty and entertaining retelling of "Pride and Prejudice" in a contemporary setting in a Jewish retirement center in Florida. Instead of a mother determined to marry off her daughters, we have a daughter-in-law who is a natural-born yenta, whose bossiness is a delightful blend of officiousness and love. The details of the retirement community and its distinctive characters carry just the right tone of humor without veering into a more hard-edged mockery. P&P fans will delight in the recognition of the doppelganger version of its main characters here. The resolution of Stan and Flo's relationship felt a bit rushed at the end, but maybe that's because I was enjoying it enough that I wanted it to last a bit longer.
June 18, 2023
A heartwarming retelling of Jane Austen's beloved classic: Pride and Prejudice.
Carol Newman is a yenta above the rest. When she learns that her husband's school friend has a widower father (who maintains a comfortable living at Boca Raton's best club) she can't help but begin to work her magic in an attempt to fix up her own widowed mother-in-law, May, with the man. Pulling all the right strings she brings May and Norman, as well as their friends, into each other's circles. New relationships begin to blossom and shift between May and her friends Flo and Lila, as well as the other residents of Boca Festa and Broken Arrow.
These seniors, living out their golden years in the comfort of Boca, experience love, loss, and deep friendship in a manner befitting an Austen novel: Pride and Prejudice to be exact. Will Carol's meddling succeed in bringing May and Norman together? And as Flo and Lila also begin to experience romance again, can they too find happiness in their twilight years? Or at the very least some security!
Jane Austen in Boca was an interesting spin on the form of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Focusing on a cast of Jewish retirees living in Boca Raton, FL, we as readers cannot help but immediately begin making connections to Austen's work. I really enjoyed analyzing the various characters and equating them to Austen's as they went about their lives. I tried to note who was who and what events and locations could be equated to others and it really made this a fun and intriguing read.
The updated setting and time period made this a very relatable read as well, though I am much further from our protagonists' age group than I was from the age group of the cast of Pride and Prejudice. The mention of locations and events that I could recall from my own life's experience (be that through actual living or at the very least sitcom television) was something I'm not really used to based on the types of novels I typically read. Overall this was a very enjoyable book and I look forward to discussing this book with my book club!
Carol Newman is a yenta above the rest. When she learns that her husband's school friend has a widower father (who maintains a comfortable living at Boca Raton's best club) she can't help but begin to work her magic in an attempt to fix up her own widowed mother-in-law, May, with the man. Pulling all the right strings she brings May and Norman, as well as their friends, into each other's circles. New relationships begin to blossom and shift between May and her friends Flo and Lila, as well as the other residents of Boca Festa and Broken Arrow.
These seniors, living out their golden years in the comfort of Boca, experience love, loss, and deep friendship in a manner befitting an Austen novel: Pride and Prejudice to be exact. Will Carol's meddling succeed in bringing May and Norman together? And as Flo and Lila also begin to experience romance again, can they too find happiness in their twilight years? Or at the very least some security!
Jane Austen in Boca was an interesting spin on the form of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Focusing on a cast of Jewish retirees living in Boca Raton, FL, we as readers cannot help but immediately begin making connections to Austen's work. I really enjoyed analyzing the various characters and equating them to Austen's as they went about their lives. I tried to note who was who and what events and locations could be equated to others and it really made this a fun and intriguing read.
The updated setting and time period made this a very relatable read as well, though I am much further from our protagonists' age group than I was from the age group of the cast of Pride and Prejudice. The mention of locations and events that I could recall from my own life's experience (be that through actual living or at the very least sitcom television) was something I'm not really used to based on the types of novels I typically read. Overall this was a very enjoyable book and I look forward to discussing this book with my book club!
July 31, 2017
It took me two years to finish this 260 page book, and there's a reason for that.
dnf
October 9, 2023truly horrific
February 10, 2010
Before I start---I am a huge Jane Austen fan and I try to read everything that "borrows" from Jane.
This book is AWFUL. I only stuck with it to see how Jane Austen inspired it--and because I was stuck on a 2 hour commute with nothing to read.
1. The writing is bad, BAD....the author forces details into the book that do not need to be there. One second you are reading about the characters eating dinner---and then she starts in on details of grandchildren that are not involved in the story...
2. Every other paragraph she makes a point to mention that the characters are Jewish. I found it to be insulting and close to racist. Maybe the author thought this made the book funny---but honestly. Expect your readers to be intelligent---mention it once....and then STOP generalizing, stereotyping....making fun of one type of people. Some may find this funny, but I found it very insulting.
3. Sex. According to this book women don't enjoy sex----especially old women.....Right.
This book is AWFUL. I only stuck with it to see how Jane Austen inspired it--and because I was stuck on a 2 hour commute with nothing to read.
1. The writing is bad, BAD....the author forces details into the book that do not need to be there. One second you are reading about the characters eating dinner---and then she starts in on details of grandchildren that are not involved in the story...
2. Every other paragraph she makes a point to mention that the characters are Jewish. I found it to be insulting and close to racist. Maybe the author thought this made the book funny---but honestly. Expect your readers to be intelligent---mention it once....and then STOP generalizing, stereotyping....making fun of one type of people. Some may find this funny, but I found it very insulting.
3. Sex. According to this book women don't enjoy sex----especially old women.....Right.
March 4, 2014
Jane Austen in Boca is a testament that Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice is timeless. Using Austen's tried and true P&P formula, Cohen successfully translates the original into a witty, modern story of a little retirment community in Boca Raton. I was hesitant to pick this up, having read many P&P adaptions and assuming I wouldnt really find anything of interest-- having nothing in common with Jewish retirees. Was I ever pleasantly surprised out how quickly I become immersed in the personalities and telling of this tale?! The principal characters are charming and loveable. And quite amusing to puzzle out who plays which JA canon character. I'm sorry it took me so long to buy it. Sure, the ending is predictable but if you know P&P, would you be satisfied with any other? Happy to own! and delighted to recommend.
August 30, 2016
This is a bad book that talks about good books. It's boring and shallow and its only redeeming quality is the "Jane Austen" in the title that unfortunately made me pick it up in the first place.
The characters are Jewish and Cohen sprinkles every other paragraph with stereotypes to make this apparent (unnecessary). The last chapter is like a subpar English essay examining Pride and Prejudice from an 8th grader. Jane Austen would be mortified. The writing is BAD. What more can we say about it? Honestly, who cares!
The characters are Jewish and Cohen sprinkles every other paragraph with stereotypes to make this apparent (unnecessary). The last chapter is like a subpar English essay examining Pride and Prejudice from an 8th grader. Jane Austen would be mortified. The writing is BAD. What more can we say about it? Honestly, who cares!
July 31, 2007
This was very cleverly done, and most enjoyable. Few Jane Austen wannabes really live up to expectations. I have not had time to read her more recent titles but definitely will.
August 26, 2010
Thought it funny and fresh and thoroughly enjoyable.
February 23, 2019
2.5 stars
I was hoping for a light-hearted, cute little read about old people in FL, done Austen style. This book sort of delivered?
First, let me say this is a pretty niche book - not because it loosely follows the plot of Pride and Prejudice (that's like a golden formula for hate-to-love romances and you don't have to be a fan of the book, just a fan of rom-coms/romance to appreciate it). Because not only is it about elderly Americans in FL, it's also about elderly, Jewish, Americans in FL. I didn't know the focus would be on the Jewish community. It's by no means a negative thing, but one I couldn't connect with. Not to mention, the references seemed very stereotypical and almost comical. It was more about what people think older Jewish people are like, and less what they might be like - and there was almost no religious aspect, so I'm not sure what the point of the emphasis of every character's Jewishness was.
While it delivered on the light-hearted (there's not nearly as much drama in this as there is the source material) and the stakes were low (no five young ladies needing to be married well-off), nothing really grabbed me about the characters or the plot.
This is maybe a weird comment to make, but the characters didn't feel like genuine seniors. Yes, they're all in their 70s, but they only felt that way because they live in a senior community and sometimes do or say things that a member of an older generation says. I don't know how to explain it and I don't have any ideas on how it could have felt more authentic...but it really felt like the characters could have been in their 30s, doing most of the same activities and saying most of the same things.
It just wasn't as cute as I'd hoped and it wasn't particularly romantic or charming. It was an ok read, but not one I'll revisit. I suppose if you're looking for something about the Jewish community in FL, this might be fun for you.
It did have a couple nice quotes though:
" 'Life is a dream,' as the Spanish philosopher said."
"Oh, I think it's real, but it's a reality we get on loan, and we need to remember that."
"I get carried away when it comes to books. I buy too many."
"I'm not going to criticize you there[...]. I've always felt you could never have too many books. It's like the feeling I have about those twenty-four-hour diners. I like to know they're there, in case I get hungry at three in the morning. With books, it's the same: I like to know that I'll have something to read at three in the morning."
I was hoping for a light-hearted, cute little read about old people in FL, done Austen style. This book sort of delivered?
First, let me say this is a pretty niche book - not because it loosely follows the plot of Pride and Prejudice (that's like a golden formula for hate-to-love romances and you don't have to be a fan of the book, just a fan of rom-coms/romance to appreciate it). Because not only is it about elderly Americans in FL, it's also about elderly, Jewish, Americans in FL. I didn't know the focus would be on the Jewish community. It's by no means a negative thing, but one I couldn't connect with. Not to mention, the references seemed very stereotypical and almost comical. It was more about what people think older Jewish people are like, and less what they might be like - and there was almost no religious aspect, so I'm not sure what the point of the emphasis of every character's Jewishness was.
While it delivered on the light-hearted (there's not nearly as much drama in this as there is the source material) and the stakes were low (no five young ladies needing to be married well-off), nothing really grabbed me about the characters or the plot.
This is maybe a weird comment to make, but the characters didn't feel like genuine seniors. Yes, they're all in their 70s, but they only felt that way because they live in a senior community and sometimes do or say things that a member of an older generation says. I don't know how to explain it and I don't have any ideas on how it could have felt more authentic...but it really felt like the characters could have been in their 30s, doing most of the same activities and saying most of the same things.
It just wasn't as cute as I'd hoped and it wasn't particularly romantic or charming. It was an ok read, but not one I'll revisit. I suppose if you're looking for something about the Jewish community in FL, this might be fun for you.
It did have a couple nice quotes though:
" 'Life is a dream,' as the Spanish philosopher said."
"Oh, I think it's real, but it's a reality we get on loan, and we need to remember that."
"I get carried away when it comes to books. I buy too many."
"I'm not going to criticize you there[...]. I've always felt you could never have too many books. It's like the feeling I have about those twenty-four-hour diners. I like to know they're there, in case I get hungry at three in the morning. With books, it's the same: I like to know that I'll have something to read at three in the morning."
January 17, 2021
How did I miss this book in 2002? If I had known that it was out there waiting to tickle my funnybone and full of laugh out loud lines, I would have bought it years ago.
Okay, perhaps it's because I'm someone in the age range and part of the religious group this story is about, I found it not only true to the spirit of Jane Austen, but uproariously funny and an accurate depiction as well.
May, a seventy-ish widow is cursed (I would say blessed) with a dynamo daughter-in-law who is a super-yenta who networks like crazy and makes things happen. She decides, through a series of machinations, to fix May up with the widowed father of an old school friend of her husband Alan's.
May is part of a trio of friends, who, though very different personalities, are very important to their happiness and well-being in Boca Festa. They eat, they shop, they swim, they visit. But with the ratio of single women to men, you would think they would be single forever. You would be wrong.
May, Flo and Lila end up with partners, some better than others, and in the interim you will find interesting discussions of Pride and Prejudice, as well as some pithy insights into other authors like Saul Bellow and Philip Roth.
I can't say enough about the cleverness and philosophy about life and death that Paula Marantz Cohen brings to this story. Bless her.
Okay, perhaps it's because I'm someone in the age range and part of the religious group this story is about, I found it not only true to the spirit of Jane Austen, but uproariously funny and an accurate depiction as well.
May, a seventy-ish widow is cursed (I would say blessed) with a dynamo daughter-in-law who is a super-yenta who networks like crazy and makes things happen. She decides, through a series of machinations, to fix May up with the widowed father of an old school friend of her husband Alan's.
May is part of a trio of friends, who, though very different personalities, are very important to their happiness and well-being in Boca Festa. They eat, they shop, they swim, they visit. But with the ratio of single women to men, you would think they would be single forever. You would be wrong.
May, Flo and Lila end up with partners, some better than others, and in the interim you will find interesting discussions of Pride and Prejudice, as well as some pithy insights into other authors like Saul Bellow and Philip Roth.
I can't say enough about the cleverness and philosophy about life and death that Paula Marantz Cohen brings to this story. Bless her.
December 8, 2019
Picked up this book at a thrift store, probably because it said "Jane Austen". Not my typical genre I'm attracted to. Had a chuckle at the end of chapter 9, but honestly still could not figure out why I was continuing to read it. Perhaps the optimist in me wants to believe no one could screw up anything to do with Jane Austen. Still reading and I'm thinking this book is rating 3 stars....then 2 stars.....then 1 star nearing the end. Then out of no where, the whole, what I'm thinking " too wordy book", is redeemed with "slap you in the face" reality checks and SO many personalities, situations, life styles, and individual thoughts from both the female and male perspectives! On my! Five 🌟 performance!
Do I like the way some of these people act,
heck no.
Do I think places like this exist?
Probably.
But hey that's life and it was good to see acceptance, subtle challenging, admitting when one is wrong, that we can not possibly know or judge or be prejudice to another person not having experienced what they have, and especially how starved for love many are that they are easily fooled by the "schmucks" in the world.
Do I like the way some of these people act,
heck no.
Do I think places like this exist?
Probably.
But hey that's life and it was good to see acceptance, subtle challenging, admitting when one is wrong, that we can not possibly know or judge or be prejudice to another person not having experienced what they have, and especially how starved for love many are that they are easily fooled by the "schmucks" in the world.
December 22, 2018
I loved this retelling of Pride and Prejudice within the framework of a Florida retirement community. There are obvious connections such has how lonely women can find mates when there is a 3:1 widow to widower ratio. And like Elizabeth Bennet, Flo makes hasty judgements based on the superficial. There are many other literary references.
Marantz Cohen has an eye and ear for upper middle class eldery Jews who try to enjoy their golden years in Florida. Yes there are lot of stereotypes, but much of it rings true. I love the depiction of Loehmann's Dressing Room.
Despite the odds, it is amazing that all three of the leading women characters find matches, though not always with the most appropriate men. While the widows seek mates, it seems to be only for companionship and, sometimes, for finacial security. Certainly it is not for intimacy. There is hardly any kissing, let alone, heaven forbid, sex. Couples tend to sleep in separate bedrooms. The one instance of "consummation" led to tragic results.
Marantz Cohen has an eye and ear for upper middle class eldery Jews who try to enjoy their golden years in Florida. Yes there are lot of stereotypes, but much of it rings true. I love the depiction of Loehmann's Dressing Room.
Despite the odds, it is amazing that all three of the leading women characters find matches, though not always with the most appropriate men. While the widows seek mates, it seems to be only for companionship and, sometimes, for finacial security. Certainly it is not for intimacy. There is hardly any kissing, let alone, heaven forbid, sex. Couples tend to sleep in separate bedrooms. The one instance of "consummation" led to tragic results.
April 20, 2022
I enjoyed this light, funny novel loosely based on Pride and Prejudice. You don’t have a mother desperate to marry off her five daughters, but you do have a daughter-in-law trying to marry off her widowed mother-law. The setting is a Jewish retirement complex in Boca Raton, Florida. If you are Jewish you probably would laugh hard at the wit or you might feel insulted. I felt that the three main characters, friends living at the complex, are portrayed with love and sensitivity.
May 12, 2025
A lighthearted Beach read that hit a little too close to home at times. I make a point not to take myself or those around me too seriously. You see my husband and I reside in a Condo Community. The scenes depicted in this novel are not far off from those taking place outside my front door. If I had read this book 20 years ago, I would have been certain they were exaggerations. Alas they are not!
August 5, 2017
This was a hilarious take on Jane Austen. My favorite part was when the poor mother in "Pride and Prejudice" is defended. I have been accused of being like the poor woman and so I was delighted to hear someone explain her position with respect and understanding.
October 15, 2018
WOW!!! should have done my own homework before picking up this book.. THANK GOD it was only $1!!! BRUTAL!!! thats all I have.. could only handle 25 pages.. that was it.. don't waste you time!! That's all I have!
September 16, 2020
Cute! A retelling of Pride and Prejudice only the sisters are three elderly friends in an upscale retirement community in Boca Raton. Very Jewish so I didn’t quite catch on to all the Yiddish but still a fun book.
April 28, 2024
A very fun book, but I think the premise had more promise than the book delivered. I never really felt connected to the characters, and I had some trouble keeping their stories straight.
Overall, it was definitely a fun read.
Overall, it was definitely a fun read.
February 23, 2018
Cute, airplane-reading.
March 1, 2018
One of my favorite Austen retellings! Pride and Prejudice in a Florida retirement community
March 17, 2018
Okay; a parody of Pride and Prejudice based around a bunch of Jewish people in a retirement community in Boca Raton, FL.
June 1, 2018
Fun summer read - or anytime of year - but light and funny. Plot is Pride and Prejudice set in a Florida retirement community with humorous banter among older characters.
July 10, 2018
It was a fine book I just didn't feel any connection to it. The book also seemed to change the narrative from on character to a different one at some point during the book.
October 6, 2018
Delightful comedy of manners amongst seniors at a Florida retirement community, based on Pride & Prejudice.
February 5, 2019
Pretty entertaining- Most def want to retire to Boca Festa🤗
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