New Cardiff

by Charles Webb, Fred (Illustrator)

As a discerning reader of nineteenth-century American fiction, Englishman Colin Ware is familiar with the tradition of transcending disastrous love affairs by booking the next ocean liner to Europe. Now that he has experienced the pain and humiliation of heartache firsthand, he decides to try this cure in reverse.
New Cardiff, Vermont, may be an infinitesimal blot on the rural American landscape, but to Colin it's the ideal place to mend his broken heart. The townsfolk are a quirky, endearing lot, and they welcome the migrating artist into their fold. Colin does his part by capturing his adopted countrymen and women in charcoal and ink. He even discovers love again -- with Mandy, an attendant at the Shining Shores nursing home. When Colin's ex arrives to woo him back to her and his native land, he has to choose between his new love and the woman he's known for years.
With its pitch-perfect dialogue, New Cardiff takes readers on the exhilarating cross-cultural odyssey of a man hurtling headlong into life.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Humor

354 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Charles Webb (born in San Francisco, California) was the author of several novels, mainly known for his most famous work, The Graduate. The novel was eventually made into an enormously successful film.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

People hating on this book I kinda I liked it

[Suz Davidson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amusing, but not much more

[Benjamin Kahn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a great book. It consists almost solely of dialogue, and very awkward dialogue, where one character makes some kind of incomplete statement and the other character keeps asking questions to draw out more information while the original speaker is somewhat evasive. Or you have two characters talking but having different conversations - Character A talks about their relationship while Character B talks about the museum. Each character alternates speaking lines about their different conversations.

I was actually well into the book before it dawned on me that the book was meant to be humorous - not a good sign. After that, the awkward dialogue made a little more sense as it was obviously written for comedic effect. It wasn't any funnier, it just was more logical. There was one line in the book that made me laugh out loud, but that was it.

Some of the set-ups seemed very contrived - the scene at the golf course being a prime example. I found that I started to lose patience over the last hundred pages. The book is basically a romantic comedy, but it's not really marketed that way. Had it been, I probably never would have picked it up.

You never really get to know the characters, since the dialogue doesn't give a lot away about any of them. Are you supposed to like Colin? Like Mandy? Hate Vera? They're all very two-dimensional, so it's hard to really care about any of them. I could see how it might work as a movie, however, which is apparently what they've done, so this might be a case of the movie being better than the book. I definitely couldn't recommend it as a book.

[Leanne Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought this super cheap at a second hand store. It looks interesting and a love story so it was up my alley. The book has a lot of dialogue so it is somewhat of an easy read. I didn't feel it had a very in depth story and the love stories that were taking place didn't get the reader wound up in what was to happen next. I took the book while on vacation and if I fell asleep in the sun, I wasn't too bothered. I did also leave the book there for the next guests. It was a likeable book but not a favorite!

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this mostly on the strength of seeing that it was by the author of "The Graduate." As it turns out, this is no worthy heir. A British man fleeing a shattered love affair lands in New Cardiff, a fictional town in New England, and tries to restart his life. There are some good character sketches and the people are generally likeable, but this does not have the weight and archetypal splash of his debut novel so many years ago.

[Devin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great dialogue from Webb (as always); Witty exchanges abound.

Somewhere toward the end the humor went from feeling charming to overly cute whimsy. This is still well worth the read if you are in the mood for something light. I am certain there is a rich subtext of homages to 19th century American Fiction, as cued by Colin's opening encounter in the art supply store. Alas this feature of the narrative regrettably remained all but lost on this reader.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the movie, wanted to read the book though as was interested in the characters. Enjoyed the book even more. Lovely.

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hope Springs, based on the novel by Charles Webb
Seven out of 10


Yes, Colin Firth, Minnie Driver, Heather Graham and especially Frank Collison are charming and a pleasure to watch.

Alas, this is just about all that we can find worth mentioning in this flawed romantic comedy.
Awful would be too strong a word and inadequate, given the first thing mentioned here…that one cannot help but like those artists involved.

Colin Firth plays Colin Ware, a British artist who travels all the way from England to the U.S., to Hope Springs of all places – because he liked the name, we would learn when he talks with Mandy aka Heather Graham – in order to sooth his pain over a bad breakup.
Vera Edwards aka Minnie Driver is the ex-fiancée that has decided to leave him and, furthermore, to marry another man.

The hero is thus tormented, imagining what might have happened…perhaps she met someone at yoga, when she had to sit back to back with another person for some asana…
Among the few amusing moments that the undersigned has enjoyed are the scenes when Mr. Fisher, owner of the hotel where the protagonist stays, appears with his outstanding presence and mimic.

Oliver Platt and Mary Steenburgen (an outstanding Oscar winner) are also present in the cast, but we can on the one hand think of the pleasure of seeing them, while on the other hand we would regret so much wasted talent on s very shallow script, with bizarre scenes.
The interaction between Colin and Mandy aka Heather Graham is rather awkward and not amusing, even if some might enjoy the moments when the shy artist is caught with his pants down.

He does not know if he should take them off or not, if he is expected to get into bed or stay as he is in a humiliating posture, while the woman has jumped up and down and had some plans and then changed them…

At one moment, they are both in her car, from which Mandy takes a bottle of hard liquor presumably and keeps drinking from it…again and then once more, until it is empty.
What is the value of this passage?

Vera Edwards arrives in the small town and she is scheming to get her man back, for she had just been toying with him and she is not about to be married, she may just be a sadistic individual.
The result however is not satisfying.

Hope Springs appears to offer…No Hope!
The love is not resplendent, the chemistry or something else…perhaps everything else seems to be missing

As for humor?
When Frank Collison is on the screen, we have some moments, but his character only has a few lines and perhaps a total of five minutes on stage…

[Keli Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My book cover doesn’t have the movie cast picture on it. I didn’t realize it had a movie until I read it on Goodreads. I have no desire to see the movie, as I saw the characters in the book much differently than the folks who were cast to play them in the movie, and I want to preserve that. I found the use of dialogue clever and it made it easy and enjoyable for me to picture the scenes. I liked the story and the quirky and clumsy characters. The ending made sense to me and I appreciate that it didn’t offer explanation - it kept the dialogue going right through to the end.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lightweight novel written mostly in dialogue, which is a problem when you pick it up again and forget who was talking, since all the characters sounded pretty much alike. The drawings of the faces of some of the minor characters was a nice touch, but otherwise forgettable.

[Rachel Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious -- laughing till crying. My only problem is that I read it at bedtime. Webb is a master of the slow build, then, with complete subtlety, his dry wit hammers your gut with giggles. Brilliant cadence. Sublime in its script style. Have not seen the movie -- don't need to. Deserves 10/5.

[Amy Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this after reading Charles Webb's obit in the NY Times. I agree with critics that it's not nearly as good as "The Graduate," but it was entertaining.

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't like to leave a bad review but this book was so annoying and pointless that it made me angry. They made a movie of it and I truly can not figure out why. Don't waste your time

[Rosy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.com/201...

This was made into a film a few years ago entitled ‘Hope Springs’ staring Colin Firth, Heather Graham and Minnie Driver, and I don’t know how much seeing the film before reading the book will have affected my view on it.

I loved the film, it was a quiet yet witty affair, perfectly cast that trundled along nicely, and the same can be said of the book. I always find it interesting to see how they translate a book into a film, but this is an example of one done exceptionally well. The scenes, the dialogue, almost everything is transposed word for word into the new medium.

This is pared down simplicity, with around eighty per cent of the novel being entirely dialogue. There’s very little description to get bogged down in, just communication between characters that builds into emotions and relationships. Colin in particular has a wit that leaps off the page, and had me laughing out loud with some of the one liners. It’s haunting, with idyllic almost fairy tale like qualities, and was a highly enjoyable read.

However, I don’t know whether I partly enjoyed the simplicity of the book, because I had the characters and voices in my head that I’d already seen in the film. The casting was perfect, the actors inhabiting the roles so well that reading, I could hear their voices, see the beautiful landscape and the buildings and scenes vividly. It certainly heightened my enjoyment, and whilst I’m certain I would have loved the book anyway, I can’t separate the two enough to see how much.

My only puzzlement came with the ending, which continues on in the book a little further than in the film. It shows Colin and Mandy a few months down the line, and I felt it took away some of the romance built up through the rest of the story. Perhaps something that needs to be done, after all real life isn’t all fairy tales and romance, but I would have preferred to have been left with the escapist illusions, rather than the realities that come with day to day existence.

Over all a very funny, moving and engaging book, showing how simplicity is sometimes the most effective option when conveying complex relationships. A favourite for 2011, and one I will continue to go back and enjoy time and time again.

[Ken Ronkowitz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book because it is by Charles Webb and his first novel, THE GRADUATE, is one of my all-time favorite films. I suspect that I am one of a small group who read the novel version before the film was released - or who ever read the novel. (BTW, the novel is very good and quite different from the film.)

I have read other books by Webb and liked all of them. I enjoyed his Love, Roger and The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker (also made into a film). I tracked down a copy of his "sequel" to The Graduate, Home School, which was published almost 40 years after the novel that he will remain best known for - and then mostly because of the movie version. (I have a review of the sequel on GoodReads.)

I started this book months ago and it moved down on my book pile as other books took precedence. 'New Cardiff' reads like a novel meant to be a screenplay. It is almost all dialogue. And it did become a film called 'Hope Springs' (with Colin Firth and Heather Graham in the leads). The book was just okay (**) and the film it produced is also just okay.

[Sun · Rating 2 out of 5]

British artist Colin Ware travels across the Atlantic, checks into a hotel and spills his guts to sympathetic New Cardiff locals about his girlfriend running off with another man.

I wanted to like this, I really did. Unfortunately, what happened was that I saw the terrible movie adaptation "Hope Springs" beforehand and I couldn't get the image of an incredibly perky and shallow Heather Graham out of my head.

Then again, it's not entirely the fault of the movie. The book is written almost entirely in dialog, which while light and sometimes witty, is too sparse and does not build upon the initial set-up. It begins with the promise of clashing UK-US mores, quirky locals and a tortuous love triangle, but this potential dies with the arrival of Vera (the ex-girlfriend), a terribly unsympathetic and undeveloped character.

The film was also right to cut out Part III of the novel altogether because again, despite its entertainment value (old people go to the seaside, loud American tourist), it introduces new themes rather than providing a true resolution. This is one of those rare times when I'd recommend you see the movie instead, where at least motel owners Fisher and Joanie are so much fun in support.

[Tricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was looking for a light read for the bus commute, and randomly picked this up. The cover shows Minnie Driver so I thought it was encouraging. The writing is very stilted and surface-y - it read more like an outline, so I can see that it might make a good movie. Of course, I've got that on my to-see movie list because I am a glutton for punishment - and I was shocked that Minnie Driver is the 'other' female character and not the main romantic lead... which doesn't work in my head since I had to picture her through the book as the main romantic lead or I couldn't even get through the chapters. Totally shattering. Will update when I've seen the movie (gulp!).
Update on movie: Slightly better than the book. They changed weird things from the book, and left gaps about motivation of characters. They knocked out the entire epilogue of the book, giving it a stunted feel - a real 'so what' feeling. Blah.

[Martinet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing spectacular--simple story mostly told through dialogue, with restrained British humor. (Any scenes with the vindictive fiancee in them, however, are excellent--she adds a spark that none of the other characters have, except maybe the vindictive Chamber of Commerce Director.)

Just learned upon peeking at Amazon that this book has been made into a movie (renamed "Hope Springs"), with a very good cast (Colin Firth, Heather Graham, Minnie Driver). I may actually be interested in checking this out. The author of New Cardiff also, to my surprise, wrote the book that "The Graduate" was based on--and this was the first time I had heard that it WAS, in fact, based on a book. I may look into finding that out of sheer curiosity.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 STARS

"Colin escapes to the New World to heal himself when Vera, to whom he'd been getting married, sends him an invitation to her wedding to someone else. In New Cardiff he finds a simplicity that seduces and transforms him. When Vera arrives to explain it was all a joke, he's a very different Colin." (From Amazon)

I was interested in reading this novel because it was written by the author of The Graduate and stars Colin Firth and Minnie Driver! Unfortunately, I did not care for the book as it was more dull than funny.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, a very strange book that read more like a script. I love the film and didnt realise it was based off of a book until I picked it up. I think it would have been confusing and harder to get through, had I not seen the film first. I dont think its good enough to make sense on its own unfortunately.

[Cody Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very sweet and funny. The film version is retarded and terrible, however the casting of Colin Firth, Minnie Driver, and Heather Graham is perfect. Read the book and imagine these actors in their respective roles.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Takes place in small town in Vermont. Book is mostly dialogue between a British visitor to New Cardiff and a young woman he meets there.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silly contempory love story between an educated Englishman and an uneducated New Englander.

[Dezi Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird story. Even stranger ending.

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bah!

[Summer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mostly double-spaced dialogue with zero character or relationship depth. Nothing to draw you into the story or feel for the characters. Ending was boringly depressing.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read.

I saw the movie starring Colin Firth. I finally got around the reading the book.
Hard to get past thinking of Heather Graham as Mandy.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just couldn't get into it.

[Annalee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much better than his other book.

[Jackie Primiano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good in parts