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A Wedding in December
At an inn in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts, seven former schoolmates gather for a wedding.
Bridget, the mother of a fifteen-year-old boy, is marrying Bill - who was her lover at Kidd Academy years ago - after a chance encounter has brought them together again. Nora, the owner of the inn, has agreed to host this reunion of her old friends, a group that was once close as only high school friends can be but was scattered by a tragedy that occurred just before graduation.
It is a disparate crew that gathers in the gorgeous winter light. Bridget faces uncertainties about her health and her future that have made this wedding all the more urgent. Nora has recently had to reinvent her life following the death of her renowned husband. Harrison, who still hears echoes from the tragic event at Kidd twenty-seven years ago, has made a life and family for himself in Toronto but is now drawn to Nora even more strongly than he was in the past. These four join Jerry, now a Wall Street banker with a disdainful wife; Rob, a well-loved concert pianist, and his lover, Josh; and Agnes, a history teacher at Kidd Academy who longs to tell a secret she has sworn never to reveal.
Throughout the wedding weekend, the guests uncover the choices and chances that have transformed them in the years since high school, and delve for the first time into what really happened the night that changed all their lives. Even as these dramas unfold, Agnes tells another tale, that of the terrible explosion that devastated the city of Halifax during World War I. One young surgeon's feats of heroism during this cataclysm resonate powerfully with present-day events, as he deals with undreamed-of exigencies and makes an agonizing choice between passion and loyalty.
So, too, will the friends at Nora's inn be tested by this astonishing weekend of revelation and recrimination, forgiveness and redemption.
Bridget, the mother of a fifteen-year-old boy, is marrying Bill - who was her lover at Kidd Academy years ago - after a chance encounter has brought them together again. Nora, the owner of the inn, has agreed to host this reunion of her old friends, a group that was once close as only high school friends can be but was scattered by a tragedy that occurred just before graduation.
It is a disparate crew that gathers in the gorgeous winter light. Bridget faces uncertainties about her health and her future that have made this wedding all the more urgent. Nora has recently had to reinvent her life following the death of her renowned husband. Harrison, who still hears echoes from the tragic event at Kidd twenty-seven years ago, has made a life and family for himself in Toronto but is now drawn to Nora even more strongly than he was in the past. These four join Jerry, now a Wall Street banker with a disdainful wife; Rob, a well-loved concert pianist, and his lover, Josh; and Agnes, a history teacher at Kidd Academy who longs to tell a secret she has sworn never to reveal.
Throughout the wedding weekend, the guests uncover the choices and chances that have transformed them in the years since high school, and delve for the first time into what really happened the night that changed all their lives. Even as these dramas unfold, Agnes tells another tale, that of the terrible explosion that devastated the city of Halifax during World War I. One young surgeon's feats of heroism during this cataclysm resonate powerfully with present-day events, as he deals with undreamed-of exigencies and makes an agonizing choice between passion and loyalty.
So, too, will the friends at Nora's inn be tested by this astonishing weekend of revelation and recrimination, forgiveness and redemption.
325 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 2005
592 people are currently reading
5142 people want to read
About the author
Anita Shreve
107 books4,556 followersAnita Hale Shreve was an American writer, chiefly known for her novels. One of her first published stories, Past the Island, Drifting (published 1975), was awarded an O. Henry Prize in 1976.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,770 reviews
April 25, 2017
Another review. Another very average audio book! Oh well. At least my commute isn't empty, which is the reason I listen to these. I limit myself as I just borrow audio cd's. They are free!
This is a story of high school friends re uniting for a marriage of two of them. This couple have a chance at love after it was assumed they'd marry first time around. They didn't, he split up with her and they regretted it their whole lives. It seems this theme runs this way for all the characters - a lot of what ifs.
Parallel to this was a story of 911 and a war time disaster told in a fictional novel by one of the characters. Weird.
All these characters simply wished for what they could not have, and went about and took it anyway. The moral core of most of the characters was lacking. This was frustrating. Phrases such as 'visceral pain' 'luminous incandescence'.
Then they all left without saying goodbye, which is how I felt about the story. Oh well. Onto the next. Which is a Sandra Brown one, hopefully this will give me a shred of satisfaction!
This is a story of high school friends re uniting for a marriage of two of them. This couple have a chance at love after it was assumed they'd marry first time around. They didn't, he split up with her and they regretted it their whole lives. It seems this theme runs this way for all the characters - a lot of what ifs.
Parallel to this was a story of 911 and a war time disaster told in a fictional novel by one of the characters. Weird.
All these characters simply wished for what they could not have, and went about and took it anyway. The moral core of most of the characters was lacking. This was frustrating. Phrases such as 'visceral pain' 'luminous incandescence'.
Then they all left without saying goodbye, which is how I felt about the story. Oh well. Onto the next. Which is a Sandra Brown one, hopefully this will give me a shred of satisfaction!
August 3, 2007
I've read two Shreve novels now and I think what I've learned from her is this: Before agreeing to marry a man, one should ask him if he's actually deeply in love with someone else. If he's honest he may reveal that he's just marrying you because he thinks it'll never work out with another woman. As Shreve illustrates so well in her novels, it sucks to find out ten or twenty years into a marriage that you were actually the runner-up.
I'm pretty tired of books about domestic funk. Why do I keep reading them? Do I think I'm going to find one that isn't brimming with middle class malaise? (I think I stole the phrase "middle class malaise" from the NYT review of A Wedding.)
Still, I'm not gonna lie, I liked this book. I'll probably read another just like it next week. It's like I think if I read enough books about unhappy marriages I'll be able to prevent myself from entering one.
I'm pretty tired of books about domestic funk. Why do I keep reading them? Do I think I'm going to find one that isn't brimming with middle class malaise? (I think I stole the phrase "middle class malaise" from the NYT review of A Wedding.)
Still, I'm not gonna lie, I liked this book. I'll probably read another just like it next week. It's like I think if I read enough books about unhappy marriages I'll be able to prevent myself from entering one.
April 23, 2009
Well I bought this thinking it would be my tie-breaker for Anita Shreve. I've read two book by her that I enjoyed and two that I flat out hated. I won't be reading Anita Shreve anymore.
After the first 100 pages or so, I started just skimming the 'story-within-a-story' parts of the book. For me, this made it much, much better. I didn't really get the point of including this story.
The other thing that I hated was the whole, overall message. She should have included one couple who was at least semi-happy who hadn't gotten where they are through infidelity. I hated how the idea of infidelity was approached with the idea that if you are happier in your affair than your marriage then it's ok. As long as you're 'in love'. Puh-lease.
I'm over this book. Yuck.
After the first 100 pages or so, I started just skimming the 'story-within-a-story' parts of the book. For me, this made it much, much better. I didn't really get the point of including this story.
The other thing that I hated was the whole, overall message. She should have included one couple who was at least semi-happy who hadn't gotten where they are through infidelity. I hated how the idea of infidelity was approached with the idea that if you are happier in your affair than your marriage then it's ok. As long as you're 'in love'. Puh-lease.
I'm over this book. Yuck.
January 14, 2016
I feel I was let down, in the end, when I found out the last details of some dead high school all-star shortstop who died twenty-seven years ago. But, I don’t feel I was let down by this book, which was entertaining and held my attention. In the end, I was surprised by parts of some of the outcomes which were not as happy or as Christian as they could have been portrayed.
At times, I was bothered by the baseball parts which felt as though my mother was describing the terminology. “Hole between second and third.” And, at one point the main character, Harrison, claimed the dead kid would have become the greatest shortstop to ever play Major League Baseball (that made me laugh).
During the Novel, characters do some of the writing and those parts don’t do much for me. I did like the story within, written during the events by a schoolteacher, but I didn’t care that much about how that story related to the rest of the book (I guess I might be missing something). The extra story did mean there were a lot of characters to keep track of.
A Wedding In December may not be all that memorable compared to most weddings I have been to, but I wanted to know what was going to happen next all the way through. And that means quite a bit, especially when the story included a few (possibly unfair) stereotypes - a gay piano player who won't play wiffle ball for fear of hurting his fingers.
At times, I was bothered by the baseball parts which felt as though my mother was describing the terminology. “Hole between second and third.” And, at one point the main character, Harrison, claimed the dead kid would have become the greatest shortstop to ever play Major League Baseball (that made me laugh).
During the Novel, characters do some of the writing and those parts don’t do much for me. I did like the story within, written during the events by a schoolteacher, but I didn’t care that much about how that story related to the rest of the book (I guess I might be missing something). The extra story did mean there were a lot of characters to keep track of.
A Wedding In December may not be all that memorable compared to most weddings I have been to, but I wanted to know what was going to happen next all the way through. And that means quite a bit, especially when the story included a few (possibly unfair) stereotypes - a gay piano player who won't play wiffle ball for fear of hurting his fingers.
October 21, 2008
This novel brings seven former schoolmates together after more than 20 years to attend a wedding at an inn in the Berkshire Mountains. The tight bond held by this group of friends was shattered years earlier when one of their own died unexpectedly. The blossoming relationships and potential of each of these central characters jackknifed with the death of this friend, and the wedding reunion gives the characters an opportunity to seek out a resolution for the paths they did not follow.
This is the second book I have read recently in which the others who have read it with me have been dissatisfied. This book was chosen as our December read for my book club. Many, if not all, of the other book club members were turned off by the unhappy marriages and questionable moral behavior that plays out in the novel. (But, then again, this is a church book club!) I, however, was struck by this book. While I did not completely understand the motivation of the characters, I was moved by their strong inner turmoil and their struggles to overcome weakness and temptation.
Despite the setting (which is very appealing to the imagination), the book, like the other Anita Shreve novels I have read (The Pilot's Wife and The Weight of Water), is shrouded in sadness and regret. The characters are consumed with unhappiness and a feeling of general unease. A member of my book club shared that she felt the characters in this novel were underdeveloped. I believe Anita Shreve intentionally writes her characters to be vague. Like real people, they are complicated and troubled. The reader must infer understanding of the characters through their obscure thoughts and behavior.
The most interesting part of this novel for me was the story within a story. In the book, the character Agnes, a lonely classmate pining for a former teacher, is writing an historical fiction short story about the Halifax disaster. The explosion that occurred in the city of Halifax in Novia Scotia during the winter of 1917 parallels the tragedy of 9/11 in this book- the characters in the novel are reuniting merely two months after 9/11. The story of Innes and Hazel (as written by Agnes in the novel) is told during and after the Halifax disaster and their relationship mirrors the others in the novel in it's tempting impossibility set against a recent tragedy. Prior to reading this novel, I had never heard of the Halifax explosion and I was saddened to learn of the deaths and injuries that occurred during that significant historical event.
This book is not a good one to pick up if you are looking for a lighthearted read. While the novel is easy to follow and won't take long to finish, a melancholy feeling permeates every word and may linger for awhile after you put the book down.
This is the second book I have read recently in which the others who have read it with me have been dissatisfied. This book was chosen as our December read for my book club. Many, if not all, of the other book club members were turned off by the unhappy marriages and questionable moral behavior that plays out in the novel. (But, then again, this is a church book club!) I, however, was struck by this book. While I did not completely understand the motivation of the characters, I was moved by their strong inner turmoil and their struggles to overcome weakness and temptation.
Despite the setting (which is very appealing to the imagination), the book, like the other Anita Shreve novels I have read (The Pilot's Wife and The Weight of Water), is shrouded in sadness and regret. The characters are consumed with unhappiness and a feeling of general unease. A member of my book club shared that she felt the characters in this novel were underdeveloped. I believe Anita Shreve intentionally writes her characters to be vague. Like real people, they are complicated and troubled. The reader must infer understanding of the characters through their obscure thoughts and behavior.
The most interesting part of this novel for me was the story within a story. In the book, the character Agnes, a lonely classmate pining for a former teacher, is writing an historical fiction short story about the Halifax disaster. The explosion that occurred in the city of Halifax in Novia Scotia during the winter of 1917 parallels the tragedy of 9/11 in this book- the characters in the novel are reuniting merely two months after 9/11. The story of Innes and Hazel (as written by Agnes in the novel) is told during and after the Halifax disaster and their relationship mirrors the others in the novel in it's tempting impossibility set against a recent tragedy. Prior to reading this novel, I had never heard of the Halifax explosion and I was saddened to learn of the deaths and injuries that occurred during that significant historical event.
This book is not a good one to pick up if you are looking for a lighthearted read. While the novel is easy to follow and won't take long to finish, a melancholy feeling permeates every word and may linger for awhile after you put the book down.
May 28, 2008
The basic message of this book is that adultery can be justified, which I firmly disagree. At first I thought this book was ok - it has an interesting plot concept: reunion of a group of friends from high school after 27 years. It also had a story within a story (which the transitions were confusing, but I started looking forward to reading more of the second story) and was an easy read. But by the end (and time I realized the main message), I was disappointed that I wasted my time.
June 1, 2007
Oh my god, this book was boring and pretentious, for at least the fifty or so pages that I got through, and I almost never put down a book in the middle. I think I've somehow managed to read almost every book by Anita Shreve and I've only liked about half of them, so I believe I give up now.
April 21, 2007
As with all of her books, the storyline has promise, but falls short (for many reasons). I am not a fan of her abrupt/erratic writing style (she seems to jump from topic to topic with her characters). With this book, I didn't like how she had so many characters that seemed under-developed. The book is about seven former classmates, but there are a few that just seem to be thrown into the storyline. The best part of the book was the mini Halifax story within the story.
October 14, 2008
This book started out with so much possibility. A group of old high school friends gathering for a wedding between two of the friends who had found each other again.
It was very interesting to see where each of their lives had taken them. It was interesting to learn of their relationships in high school. There was even a wonderful second story taking place because one of the characters was writing a novel and it was being revealed as she wrote it.
However, the book ended UGLY. It revealed some really terrible things about most of the people. That in itself would have been okay, but nothing was resolved or no great break throughs were made. In fact several more mistakes were made by the characters that seemed to have no meaning or merit.
Both the real book, and the novel being written just stopped. There was no ending to either. The stories just stopped in really bad situations. Worse yet, I didn't want to know what happen to the characters. I didn't want to know them. I was not endeared to them.
It was very interesting to see where each of their lives had taken them. It was interesting to learn of their relationships in high school. There was even a wonderful second story taking place because one of the characters was writing a novel and it was being revealed as she wrote it.
However, the book ended UGLY. It revealed some really terrible things about most of the people. That in itself would have been okay, but nothing was resolved or no great break throughs were made. In fact several more mistakes were made by the characters that seemed to have no meaning or merit.
Both the real book, and the novel being written just stopped. There was no ending to either. The stories just stopped in really bad situations. Worse yet, I didn't want to know what happen to the characters. I didn't want to know them. I was not endeared to them.
November 24, 2018
The Anita Shreve books that I have read have been historical fiction. A WEDDING IN DECEMBER, though, is what the title sounds like, a book about a wedding, in this case, a wedding weekend. This book does, however, CONTAIN historical fiction, a story within a story.
The main story is a bit soap opera-ish. The story within the story was short on history, long on cliché.
They were a group of best friends when they were in high school, all except one. That was the one member of the group who died before they graduated. Although the others are now in their 40s, the death of the one hangs over their reminisces during that Friday through Sunday they meet for the wedding of two members of their gang.
Each of the seven members of the former high school gang has issues, and these are explored over the weekend. This is the main story.
One of the members of the gang, Agnes, is now writing about a doctor who was a hero when an explosion occurred in the city of Halifax during World War I. Here is our story within the story. This might have been great historical fiction if Shreve had stuck with the devastation and the doctor’s efforts. And it does begin that way. But it turns into cliché with a whining wife, a long-suffering and selfless husband, and an affair on the side.
Nothing really happens in the main story unless you count the arrival of a daughter from a former marriage or a sexual liaison. So you may be disappointed if you expect more.
The main story is a bit soap opera-ish. The story within the story was short on history, long on cliché.
They were a group of best friends when they were in high school, all except one. That was the one member of the group who died before they graduated. Although the others are now in their 40s, the death of the one hangs over their reminisces during that Friday through Sunday they meet for the wedding of two members of their gang.
Each of the seven members of the former high school gang has issues, and these are explored over the weekend. This is the main story.
One of the members of the gang, Agnes, is now writing about a doctor who was a hero when an explosion occurred in the city of Halifax during World War I. Here is our story within the story. This might have been great historical fiction if Shreve had stuck with the devastation and the doctor’s efforts. And it does begin that way. But it turns into cliché with a whining wife, a long-suffering and selfless husband, and an affair on the side.
Nothing really happens in the main story unless you count the arrival of a daughter from a former marriage or a sexual liaison. So you may be disappointed if you expect more.
March 30, 2008
This is possibly one of my least favourite of the Anita Shreve novels I have read (there are about 3 I haven't read yet - 1 TBR) I didn't find there was the depth that exists in some of her earlier work, like Fortune's Rocks, or The Weight of Water. The actual story of The wedding - is pretty bland, predictable , and not very compelling, although Anita Shreve's writing is always hugely readable. However within the novel, there is a story within a story, which irritaed me at first but then hooked me in a way the main narrative didn't. One of the characters Agnes is writing the story of a terrible disater that took place in Halifax (Canada) during the first world war - and it is this story that is the more compelling of the two. The relationships explored in A wedding in December are done well, and certainly there is a definite feeling of sadness that pervades the whole story - a sadness which seems in keeping with how some of the characters begin to look at their lives, their past and their future. I do generally like Anita Shreve's books, but this was a little disappointing.
November 20, 2008
So, I began this book in May just before I went to grad school and was actually intrigued by the plot synopsis. I found the first few pages dry, but I knew better than to give up on a book before the quarter marker. When I picked it up again this month, I re-read the few pages I had already read and continued for another 20 or so more, but I just couldn't get hooked into it anymore. I thought the narrative was needing spice in numerous areas and even the foundation of the plot began to seem unappealing to me. I can't say that my worldview has changed over six months, but the idea of people leaving their spouses for the "real" loves of their lives just couldn't settle in my tummy. While romantic, in theory, the potentially catastrophic repercussions for all involved are just not my thing.
I'll give LIGHT ON SNOW a try in the near future. I've heard such great things about Shreve that I'd hate to give up after just one try.
I'll give LIGHT ON SNOW a try in the near future. I've heard such great things about Shreve that I'd hate to give up after just one try.
June 16, 2008
I was annoyed with this book practically from the first few pages. I could not relate to any of the characters for whatever reason. Maybe it was the repetition behind each character’s selfish thought process which made the reasoning for their actions seem overdone and invalid. There were some promising moments, but overall I was disappointed. For example, what was the deal with nearly every character being an adulterer? I look forward to reading the author’s more highly recommended works and hope for something better next time. It’s pretty lame that the big secret to the entire mystery of the story lies behind this alcoholic teenager who died because he soiled himself and drowned cleaning himself off in the ocean. Very lame. I would not recommend this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2016
One of my favorite movies is The Big Chill about a group of friends who get together for the funeral of one of the group. A Wedding in December has all of the same ingredients needed for a weekend reunion of friends from their youth; plenty of drama, secrets revealed, handsome, champion baseball players, beach scenes, memories of favorite teachers and of course romance. Having read way too many mystery novels recently, it was nice to read a story about people, their friendships, their flaws and their aspirations. This is what Anita Shreve excels at, the drama of interpersonal relationships. Now I hope she does a movie script for The Wedding in December.
September 12, 2007
Obviously, I went through an Anita Shreve phase. This was one of those books that was hard to get into and hard to finish. I actually quit reading it for a while, read a few other books, and came back to it when I had nothing else to read. I guess it was just boring...nothing really happens to any of the characters, they rarely leave the house where the wedding is taking place, and most of the book is spent reminiscing uninteresting memories from the characters' high school/college days. Skip this one.
October 7, 2013
I first read this novel in 2005 and rated it a 4★. Reading it again in 2013, I have had to adjust my rating to 3★. Maybe the reader in me has grown up a little...
September 17, 2008
This wasn’t bad. It is a story of a small reunion of highschool friends. One of the girls, Bridget and one of the guys, Bill are getting married at the Inn owned by one of their friends. This is definitely similar to “The Big Chill”. I liked that about it. The Inn is in the Berkshires. There are, of course, demons that are hidden in the back of each of the friends mind. Specifically, the death of their friend, Stephen who drowned in the ocean when they were seniors. The truth comes out in the story. Stephen was an alcoholic already and had soiled himself at the party thrown the night of his death. He went to wash himself in the ocean and fell in and drowned. Harrison, his roommate, always felt responsible. Especially since he was in love with Nora, Stephen’s girlfriend. Stephen caught them kissing the night he died. Agnes, another friend, has a secret as well. She teaches at the school they graduated from and has been having an affair with one of their teachers for years. He is married. She is also writing a book about the Halifax explosion. That story is woven into this one. The book could have done without this, although it was interesting. I never heard about the Halifax explosion but it was mentioned in “Until I Find You”. And finally, Bridget has breast cancer. Her and Bill, highschool sweethearts, reunited at their highschool reunion. He left his wife and daughter to marry her.
I liked this better reading it the second time.
I liked this better reading it the second time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2007
I didn't like Pilot's Wife, by Anita Shreve. So I've not really sought out her others. But, when you are on the road travelling and you need a new book because you've exhausted the three you brought with you, you'll pretty much take anything that isn't utter crap.
Boy, was I suprised. It was AWESOME! One of the best books I have read in a really really long time. I savored every word. I loved every word.
Enjoy!
Boy, was I suprised. It was AWESOME! One of the best books I have read in a really really long time. I savored every word. I loved every word.
Enjoy!
October 5, 2007
This was my first Anita Shreve book. It was enjoyable, but disappointed where it ended. It was almost as if there was to be a continuation. The one female character who was having an affair with an old teacher, her story seemed abruptly cut off. Why was she having trouble w/ her vision? I almost feel I need to read this again in case I missed something the first time around. I never felt there was enough back ground to each character.
November 30, 2008
I did not really care about the characters. It was a straight character study about people who really bored me to death. We compared it to the big chill (that was more entertaining) The book ends kind of like it started it just was and it was nothing I wanted to read.
October 25, 2016
3.5 stars -
Decades have passed since this collection of high school friends have gathered together. Now in their early to mid forties they are meeting to celebrate a wedding. It's a second marriage for the bride and groom but they had been high school sweethearts and so they settle upon an intimate wedding shared with the five friends who knew them best when they were young lovers. Although it was essentially a weekend spent together to celebrate this marriage it could really be considered a reunion. The story focussed more heavily on four of the friends and to a lesser extent on the others. The book left a number of unanswered questions about some of the characters but whether by design or not, this worked for me. Having recently attended a school reunion I came away with dozens of unanswered questions about my friends lives. There's only so much one can cover in a weekend after decades apart. Much like these characters I found I vividly remembered things I hadn't thought of in the longest time; I noticed that some of my friends were exactly the same whereas others had changed significantly and there were conversations that should have taken place long ago. In the novel there was a major issue that had been left unaddressed and festering since the group had last been together Nora had wondered whether the reunion was a mistake, likening it to taking a stick and poking it into a clear pond and watching the mud eddying up into the water. As the weekend progressed and the alcohol flowed tongues loosened (as did morals). One of the things I've noticed about Anita Shreve's novels is the prevalence of infidelity and this one was no exception. .
As always I found myself totally invested in the story and the characters it delivered. In this case I even enjoyed the story within the story. Agnes, another of the main characters was penning a novel and though I initially found it distracting I could see how it worked, especially the way it contained a number of parallels to the main story. Overall this was a most enjoyable read and another tick for Anita Shreve.
Decades have passed since this collection of high school friends have gathered together. Now in their early to mid forties they are meeting to celebrate a wedding. It's a second marriage for the bride and groom but they had been high school sweethearts and so they settle upon an intimate wedding shared with the five friends who knew them best when they were young lovers. Although it was essentially a weekend spent together to celebrate this marriage it could really be considered a reunion. The story focussed more heavily on four of the friends and to a lesser extent on the others. The book left a number of unanswered questions about some of the characters but whether by design or not, this worked for me. Having recently attended a school reunion I came away with dozens of unanswered questions about my friends lives. There's only so much one can cover in a weekend after decades apart. Much like these characters I found I vividly remembered things I hadn't thought of in the longest time; I noticed that some of my friends were exactly the same whereas others had changed significantly and there were conversations that should have taken place long ago. In the novel there was a major issue that had been left unaddressed and festering since the group had last been together Nora had wondered whether the reunion was a mistake, likening it to taking a stick and poking it into a clear pond and watching the mud eddying up into the water. As the weekend progressed and the alcohol flowed tongues loosened (as did morals). One of the things I've noticed about Anita Shreve's novels is the prevalence of infidelity and this one was no exception. .
As always I found myself totally invested in the story and the characters it delivered. In this case I even enjoyed the story within the story. Agnes, another of the main characters was penning a novel and though I initially found it distracting I could see how it worked, especially the way it contained a number of parallels to the main story. Overall this was a most enjoyable read and another tick for Anita Shreve.
August 10, 2022
It seems I am almost alone in loving this particular novel of Anita Shreve’s. Maybe it quite simply speaks to me but I have been unable to determine why. I think it has something to do with the Nora/Harrison dynamic and even the inn itself, which is beautifully and evocatively described to the point that you feel you are staying there reading this book.
“At an inn in the Berkshire Mountains, seven former schoolmates gather to celebrate a wedding - a reunion that becomes the occasion of astonishing revelations as the friends collectively recall a long-ago night that indelibly marked each of their lives.”
Actually to my mind, collectively is quite wrong. There are revelations at the wedding but the real revelation is mainly between just two people.
Shreve spends time mainly with Agnes, who has become a sports teacher at their old school, Bridget the bride who is battling cancer, Harrison a married father of two living in Canada and, for me, the enigmatic Nora who, now widowed, has transformed her former home into an inn.
The dynamics of these friends’ relationships picked up after so many years is intricately portrayed. Not only who they are now but how they have changed since the incident happened. And this is done without tiresome backstories. We are immersed with who they are and what it is like to spend time with this group of people - privately and talking to each other.
Here’s Harrison watching Nora: “She turned, and Harrison watched her walk away along a narrow gravel path that circled around to the front of the inn. She moved briskly, head down, though she must have known he was looking at her. And doing so, he had a sudden and sharp memory of Nora as she had been when he’d seen her walking along a side street in Maine. He’d always remembered where and when he’d met Nora, but it had been years since he’d actually been able to see it as he could now. The clarity of the image took his breath away, and he thought, as he picked up his sweater from the rocker, that other such sharp pictures might reveal themselves during the weekend to come. For a moment, he stood with his hands on his hips and braced himself, even as he admired the spectacular view.” Highly recommended.
“At an inn in the Berkshire Mountains, seven former schoolmates gather to celebrate a wedding - a reunion that becomes the occasion of astonishing revelations as the friends collectively recall a long-ago night that indelibly marked each of their lives.”
Actually to my mind, collectively is quite wrong. There are revelations at the wedding but the real revelation is mainly between just two people.
Shreve spends time mainly with Agnes, who has become a sports teacher at their old school, Bridget the bride who is battling cancer, Harrison a married father of two living in Canada and, for me, the enigmatic Nora who, now widowed, has transformed her former home into an inn.
The dynamics of these friends’ relationships picked up after so many years is intricately portrayed. Not only who they are now but how they have changed since the incident happened. And this is done without tiresome backstories. We are immersed with who they are and what it is like to spend time with this group of people - privately and talking to each other.
Here’s Harrison watching Nora: “She turned, and Harrison watched her walk away along a narrow gravel path that circled around to the front of the inn. She moved briskly, head down, though she must have known he was looking at her. And doing so, he had a sudden and sharp memory of Nora as she had been when he’d seen her walking along a side street in Maine. He’d always remembered where and when he’d met Nora, but it had been years since he’d actually been able to see it as he could now. The clarity of the image took his breath away, and he thought, as he picked up his sweater from the rocker, that other such sharp pictures might reveal themselves during the weekend to come. For a moment, he stood with his hands on his hips and braced himself, even as he admired the spectacular view.” Highly recommended.
November 24, 2007
I've read quite a few of Shreve's books & they're a guilty pleasure - she's not the greatest writer in the world, but she tells an interesting story, usually with some historical background, & they're often a quick read. I liked this one less than some of her others, but give it four stars on the strength of the story-within-story - a technique that I always LOVE! The main story is about a group of old high school friends who reunite over 20 years later, for the wedding of the separated-but-now-reunited sweethearts. There's a quasi-mystery about the death of one of their group, which is probably the most interesting part of the modern-day story. Other than that I didn't much care for, or about, any of the modern-day characters. The story-within-story is about the explosion of the munitions ship Mont Blanc in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1917, & how it affected a young doctor & the family he'd been staying with. I didn't realize this had actually happened, so on finding the story so interesting I looked up more details. The explosion was the largest human-created explosion that had ever taken place in the world, & held that record until the first nuclear bomb test explosions in 1945. Everything within a mile of the Halifax blast site was obliterated. 325 acres of the town were destroyed. The explosion took place in a harbor & caused a tsunami that resulted in additional deaths besides those caused directly by the blast. Some victims were carried miles from where they'd been at the time. Many people had gone to the windows to look at the ship on fire in the harbor, & there were a huge amount of injuries as a result of people being hit, often in the eyes, by flying glass. 2,000 people were killed. Shreve ties the historical Halifax story to the "modern-day" story which takes place not long after 9/11/2001, but 9/11 is just background. It might have been more interesting, if harrowing, if Shreve had written parallel stories of people whose lives really were affected by each of these events. Still, it's a good book, well written, & worth spending the time particularly for the Halifax story.
November 11, 2011
É um livro lento, com pouca acção. A autora é sempre uma mestra nas descrições das relações humanas, e não estava a dormir quando escreveu este "Casamento em Dezembro". Eu quase adormeci ao longo das páginas, porque me pareceu demasiado nostálgico, pensei que não fosse a lugar algum. E então, de repente, conforme me estendia à beira da piscina num festival de verão com ele aberto, aconteceu: a revelação, o inesperado, a qualidade inegável da autora. E não vou revelar o que sucede que me fez chorar à frente dos meus amigos, numa situação jamais esperada. Foi a escritora a falar da vida, da ilusão de que o passado está enterrado e que tudo está bem ou vai, simplesmente, acabar bem. É por isso que a adoro e que amei o livro.
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It's a slow book, with little action. Shreve is always a master when it comes to describe human relationships, and she wasn't asleep when she wrote this 'A wedding in December'. I almost slept through the book pages, because it seemed so nostalgic that I thought it wouldn't go anywhere. And then, suddenly, as I layed by the pool in a summer festival with it, it hit me: the revelation, the unexpected, the undeniable quality of the author. And I won't reveal what happens that made me cry in front of all my friends, in the most unexpected situation. It was Shreve speaking to me about life, about the ilusion that the past is buried and everything is fine or will simply end up right. That's why I love her and I loved the book.
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It's a slow book, with little action. Shreve is always a master when it comes to describe human relationships, and she wasn't asleep when she wrote this 'A wedding in December'. I almost slept through the book pages, because it seemed so nostalgic that I thought it wouldn't go anywhere. And then, suddenly, as I layed by the pool in a summer festival with it, it hit me: the revelation, the unexpected, the undeniable quality of the author. And I won't reveal what happens that made me cry in front of all my friends, in the most unexpected situation. It was Shreve speaking to me about life, about the ilusion that the past is buried and everything is fine or will simply end up right. That's why I love her and I loved the book.
January 2, 2017
I think I picked the wrong Anita Shreve novel as my introduction to this often-acclaimed author. A Wedding in December is a reunion story, think "The Big Chill" set in a country inn 27 years after a high school graduation. Its ensemble format consists of multiple story lines, unresolved grudges, marital infidelities, yuppie angst and even an “off camera” dead guy. (Oh, and also a novel within a novel, sigh.) Agonizingly slow, with lots of conversations on paths to nowhere, I found myself mentally screaming at the characters to move the story forward. And, small thing, but there are at least a half dozen uses of the word “finger” as a verb.
May 29, 2015
Anita Shreve is a great storyteller, especially when her milieu is the past. In this novel, the focus is on a group of middle aged friends who have not seen each other since they were classmates at a boarding school in Maine. There are lots of secrets to share, as well as a wedding to celebrate. One of the former classmates is creating her own fiction, a story within the story, which highlights the Halifax explosion of 1917 a disaster which occurred when two ships in the harbor, laden with wartime explosives caught fire.
October 13, 2018
Everyone loves to imagine reuniting with our first love, reliving the unique connections we had with those friends that played such an integral part in the formation of who we became...I had such high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, it played out in a painfully slow and monotonous way and that slow build unfortunately didn't pay off when the drama finally ensued at the end. The culmination of it all felt empty and devoid of any real meaning or closure.
February 26, 2013
A Wedding in December is a pretty simple book about seven former classmates who reunite for a wedding. Each person has his/her own storyline and there is the group storyline of the wedding/reunion. My takeaway is confirmation that we are a composite of the choices we make and the chances we take throughout our lives. One slight deviation from our decisions and our lives could be very different.
July 18, 2015
I really enjoyed this novel. The notion of reunions is always scary and the relationships rediscovered didn't disappoint. The subplot novel, written by Agnes was also interesting and parallels the main plot. It is a novel about unfolding relationships. So if you are looking for an action thriller this is not the book for you.
June 14, 2016
won this book from www.listia.com
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