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The Room-Mating Season
The Room-Mating Season by Rona Jaffe released on Mar 25, 2004 is available now for purchase.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
23 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Rona Jaffe
22 books141 followersRona Jaffe established The Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Awards program in 1995. It is the only national literary awards program of its kind dedicated to supporting women writers exclusively. Since the program began, the Foundation has awarded more than $850,000 to a total of 92 women.
Ms. Jaffe was the author of sixteen books, including Class Reunion, Family Secrets, The Road Taken, and The Room-Mating Season (2003). Her 1958 best-selling first novel, The Best of Everything, was reissued by Penguin in 2005.
Ms. Jaffe was the author of sixteen books, including Class Reunion, Family Secrets, The Road Taken, and The Room-Mating Season (2003). Her 1958 best-selling first novel, The Best of Everything, was reissued by Penguin in 2005.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
January 4, 2013
I was really intrigued by this book at first, four young girls living in New York and just enjoying life, but was really disappointed by the book. These are my opinions but first I found the book extremely slow and uniteresting so much so that I couldn't even bring myself to finish this book; maybe one day I will but not anytime soon. Second I didn't like that fact that the men where so nonchalant about cheating on their wives, even though that is how things where during those times. Not only that, but the unbelievable ignorance of the women to even think that the men would leave their families for them. I was just totally turned off by the whole thing, they have children for christ sake! That brings me to my next reason for giving it a low rating and not being able to finish it, never in any book have I disliked a character so much as I disliked Cady. She was so navie, childish, selfish and just plain annoying (any they though Susan was annoying). If I ever bring myself to finish the book I will do another review but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Again this is my opinion and I just really have no tolerance for cheating so I really didn't ejoy the book.
May 20, 2012
This book is very addictive, I was not prepared to love it as much as I did. I now want to read everything that Rona Jaffe has written, I liked it that much. Of all the women, I definitely loved Leigh the most while I think I related to Vanessa the most. Cady was the most annoying character I have ever read about but she reminds me of so many women I know, I could not dismiss her presence in this book. Susan... well, I just don't know how I feel about Susan. The friendships between these women is not cookie cutter nor is it catty; it's just real. I absorbed every word of this book and I was sad when it was over, it was just that good to me.
August 2, 2008
This, to me, is not a novel. It's a plot summary.
May 7, 2007
This is a story of four women who start off as roommates in their early twenties, living in Manhattan in 1963. The author follows them until 2000, discussing the many changes in their lives and the world around them. Through all that occurs, their friendship remains- a nice reminder about the important role of friends in our lives.
July 19, 2022
Three and a half stars. After reading Jaffe's first book, The Best of Everything, I was intrigued to find that her last novel looked like a return to the same theme: Four single women in New York, living in a similar era. This time it starts out in the early '60s rather than the early '50s; and this time (at least at first) it's a period piece rather than a contemporary novel. How would the author approach similar material with nearly 50 years of hindsight?
At first, not that differently. The lead character, Leigh, is a pretty direct counterpart to the earlier lead, Caroline. This time she works at a talent agency rather than a publishing house. But once again, she discovers she's ambitious and is attracted to an older man at work who becomes a mentor and romantic interest. The other counterparts are less clear-cut, but Leigh's roommates deal with similar issues: romantic obsession, affairs with married men, unplanned pregnancy ... and yes, one even plummets to her death, although it happens much earlier in the book. And that's where the two novels diverge.
Unlike The Best of Everything, which takes place over a few years, this novel goes well beyond the room-mating season of the title. It follows the three surviving women decade by decade, so we see them through their twenties into their sixties. The focus shifts away from Leigh -- the most stable member of the group -- and devotes the majority of its chapters to Cady, who spends decades fixated on her relationship with a married man. The third roommate, Vanessa, makes some bad choices too, and the story meanders over a lot of repetitious behavior. Occasionally Jaffe shifts into sharper focus, making some worthwhile insights into the way our lives and perspectives can change as we get older. But as someone who enjoyed her books from the 1970s and '80s, I'm left wondering whether my tastes have changed, or if the author lost her edge in later years. Worth reading, but it could have been more satisfying.
At first, not that differently. The lead character, Leigh, is a pretty direct counterpart to the earlier lead, Caroline. This time she works at a talent agency rather than a publishing house. But once again, she discovers she's ambitious and is attracted to an older man at work who becomes a mentor and romantic interest. The other counterparts are less clear-cut, but Leigh's roommates deal with similar issues: romantic obsession, affairs with married men, unplanned pregnancy ... and yes, one even plummets to her death, although it happens much earlier in the book. And that's where the two novels diverge.
Unlike The Best of Everything, which takes place over a few years, this novel goes well beyond the room-mating season of the title. It follows the three surviving women decade by decade, so we see them through their twenties into their sixties. The focus shifts away from Leigh -- the most stable member of the group -- and devotes the majority of its chapters to Cady, who spends decades fixated on her relationship with a married man. The third roommate, Vanessa, makes some bad choices too, and the story meanders over a lot of repetitious behavior. Occasionally Jaffe shifts into sharper focus, making some worthwhile insights into the way our lives and perspectives can change as we get older. But as someone who enjoyed her books from the 1970s and '80s, I'm left wondering whether my tastes have changed, or if the author lost her edge in later years. Worth reading, but it could have been more satisfying.
May 19, 2016
I felt about the book what the characters felt for each other: there was history and it was familiar even though it was no longer fulfilling. It was something to come home to at the end of the work day. I was pleased the story followed each character all through their lives instead of staying in one decade.
I really liked the idea of what the entire story could have been but was very disappointed with what it became. The book is long but it went in circles. There was too much detail but major plot points would get lost in the jumble. For example, pages and pages would lead up to a moment, but the moment itself would only get one sentence. You'd miss it if you blinked.
Initially, I enjoyed Leigh's character and her relationship with David, but both characters became a part of the backdrop. Their 'perfect' lives were only referenced to contrast Vanessa and Cady's lives. There was no depth, nothing about their problems, and struggles. Leigh had fought to have her own career but there was nothing about her journey.
Cady got way too much air time, in fact, i would skim her chapters because it was so dreadfully boring and predictable. She became this sad, pathetic, bitter caricature. I got tired of her, maybe that was the point.
Reading about Vanessa became suffocating. I could feel her fading and desperately clinging to everything she was and could have been. Yet, her family was one dimensional and used as props to propel Vanessa's story.
Charlie, oh mysterious Charlie. So close yet so far, we could never really crack the surface. I'm annoyed because the most important part of the book (!) was over in 15 pages. It could have been so much more.
I think the movie version might be better (if there ever is one)
I really liked the idea of what the entire story could have been but was very disappointed with what it became. The book is long but it went in circles. There was too much detail but major plot points would get lost in the jumble. For example, pages and pages would lead up to a moment, but the moment itself would only get one sentence. You'd miss it if you blinked.
Initially, I enjoyed Leigh's character and her relationship with David, but both characters became a part of the backdrop. Their 'perfect' lives were only referenced to contrast Vanessa and Cady's lives. There was no depth, nothing about their problems, and struggles. Leigh had fought to have her own career but there was nothing about her journey.
Cady got way too much air time, in fact, i would skim her chapters because it was so dreadfully boring and predictable. She became this sad, pathetic, bitter caricature. I got tired of her, maybe that was the point.
Reading about Vanessa became suffocating. I could feel her fading and desperately clinging to everything she was and could have been. Yet, her family was one dimensional and used as props to propel Vanessa's story.
Charlie, oh mysterious Charlie. So close yet so far, we could never really crack the surface. I'm annoyed because the most important part of the book (!) was over in 15 pages. It could have been so much more.
I think the movie version might be better (if there ever is one)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2011
I really can't judge this book too harshly because I picked it up knowing it was chick lit and continued to read through the vapidness until the very end. Something compelled me; I think I just wanted to know how the author would resolve the messy, empty lives of Cady and Vanessa. And the ending was actually sort of interesting, a real kick in the bra.
My main problem with this book as a piece of chick lit is it wanted to be mature chick lit. It wasn't fun and light-hearted, nor did it offer enough substance to transcend the genre and become a respectable literary effort. It's okay as a beach read, but not much else.
My main problem with this book as a piece of chick lit is it wanted to be mature chick lit. It wasn't fun and light-hearted, nor did it offer enough substance to transcend the genre and become a respectable literary effort. It's okay as a beach read, but not much else.
February 5, 2010
This book was a lot better than I anticipated. It centered around 3 women who became friends when they shared an apartment in New York City. Vanessa, the promiscuous flight attendant, was my favorite character, the one who felt she had to validate her self-worth through male attention. I absolutely detested Cady, who was whiny, selfish, and spoiled, and who was always jealous of Leigh, who she felt lived a charmed life. The book followed them from their twenties through their sixties. Even though the characters were flawed, they were realistic, not always (actually rarely) making the right decisions. What bothered me was that I couldn't understand why these 3 people were friends, other than that they happened to live together for a while. Leigh and Vanessa maybe, but Cady was such a toxic person that I just wanted them to ditch her. Anyway, it was a pretty good book. I give it a B--.
August 24, 2021
I picked this up at the library because I thought I had read something else by the author and enjoyed it, but now I’m not sure. Anyways, it was a fine beach read, although the theme of “you must end up with a man in order to be happy, even if he’s absolutely not right for you” seems terribly dated for a book published in this century. And the character of Charlie was problematic, given that what you think is obviously his big secret ends up not being the case (and by the time his actual secret is revealed, it’s like, who even cares about that anymore).
January 12, 2020
Two stars is honestly being generous. This book was anti-climactic and vapid.
August 26, 2023
Three stars feels overly generous after that twist at the end, but I did mostly enjoy this...
At first I was delighted to find a book I enjoyed right from the start. I still enjoyed it later on, but it definitely gets a bit repetitive and stale after an age-up or two. It read a bit like Sex and the City meets Joan Didion, if that appeals.
The novel follows three (eventually former) roommates: Leigh, Cady, and Vanessa, from 23 (and 24) in 1962 into their early sixties. It mostly revolves around their respective love lives and affairs, as well as their connection with one another. The problem is that it doesn't focus on much else, and , Cady gets most of the spotlight. I found Cady a bit insufferable, as her life just seemed to follow the same sad pattern without any insight on her own part, which got a bit tiring to read about through the decades.
Overall, I still thought it was well-written and reasonably enjoyable, and was prepared to give it 4/5 stars on here (representative of the 3.5/5 I thought it was more deserving of), but that TWIST. The twist was so unnecessary and did nothing for the story. If anything, I felt it cheapened the events of the book by forcing a mystery where there never was one, seemingly for nothing but shock value. Ignoring the ridiculous twist, it's quite decent. I'd like to read more Rona Jaffe and see if any of it lives up to the potential I felt this had.
At first I was delighted to find a book I enjoyed right from the start. I still enjoyed it later on, but it definitely gets a bit repetitive and stale after an age-up or two. It read a bit like Sex and the City meets Joan Didion, if that appeals.
The novel follows three (eventually former) roommates: Leigh, Cady, and Vanessa, from 23 (and 24) in 1962 into their early sixties. It mostly revolves around their respective love lives and affairs, as well as their connection with one another. The problem is that it doesn't focus on much else, and , Cady gets most of the spotlight. I found Cady a bit insufferable, as her life just seemed to follow the same sad pattern without any insight on her own part, which got a bit tiring to read about through the decades.
Overall, I still thought it was well-written and reasonably enjoyable, and was prepared to give it 4/5 stars on here (representative of the 3.5/5 I thought it was more deserving of), but that TWIST. The twist was so unnecessary and did nothing for the story. If anything, I felt it cheapened the events of the book by forcing a mystery where there never was one, seemingly for nothing but shock value. Ignoring the ridiculous twist, it's quite decent. I'd like to read more Rona Jaffe and see if any of it lives up to the potential I felt this had.
November 23, 2019
Not my usual sort of thing, but a pleasant-enough read. Jaffe follows a group of women from 1963, when they are in their early 20s, who become roommates in New York for a time and whose friendship lasts for four decades. It's sort of a combination of Mad Men, written from the point of view of all those women at typewriters and on dates with men in suits, and Sex in the City, if Carrie and her friends were a few decades older. The whole thing felt rather schematic to me and it never deeply moved me or did anything unexpected, but it was pleasant if unremarkable.
January 13, 2019
Not sure why this book was considered minor genius by NY Times but is is entertaining. It was recommended by a list titled if you enjoy the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. If you question your friends’ choices in life, this is a good book as the group of friends in this book handle it well and are a good model for that situation.
June 17, 2019
This book was well written but HELLA depressing. It’s basically like “life is a series of good and bad shit but in the end we all just settle” type of message. It has a mild twist but by the time they reveal it you’re just like oh.. ok I guess. Idk I hate to give it one star because I was intrigued but it just had such a lackluster end to it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2024
Not sure why this book was considered minor genius by NY Times but is is entertaining. It was recommended by a list titled if you enjoy the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. If you question your friends’ choices in life, this is a good book as the group of friends in this book handle it well and are a good model for that situation.
April 16, 2025
What a bunch of garbage women and their one male friend. I cannot even fathom how people go about living their lives like this, but I guess it happens. It was an education. I'm donating it.
No offense to the author. I hope none of the characters are her or anyone she loves. Because, geez, girl. It all made me really appreciate the life I have!
No offense to the author. I hope none of the characters are her or anyone she loves. Because, geez, girl. It all made me really appreciate the life I have!
March 18, 2021
The story of 4 friends as they grow, change and stay the same. Absolutely no one in this book was a "good" person and it is a little shocking how unlikable they all are. It was worth reading to the end.
Well written.
Well written.
February 24, 2020
Terrible book.
September 20, 2020
Okay. Not much of a plot.
February 2, 2023
teetering precariously between 2 and 3 stars, but more toward 2. i can’t really complain though because i got it for free, so maybe that deserves the extra star
April 7, 2023
I struggled with this book. About roommates and their sexual adventures including infidelity was not entertaining. It was a giveaway book so I felt obligated to read it.
June 28, 2023
Light, quick read.
August 6, 2023
Growing up is really depressing. Not talking about puberty
December 23, 2023
stay for the ending
This book was marvelous. To say more would be to give things away. Ms. Jaffe had an understanding of the mid century female.
This book was marvelous. To say more would be to give things away. Ms. Jaffe had an understanding of the mid century female.
April 19, 2020
Ms. Jaffe has fast become my all-time second favorite author (Fannie Flagg being the first, who is unbeatable)! This is the third book of hers that I read and loved. Actually, this is book is what you would get if you put 'The Best of Everything' and 'The Road Taken' together. We have the young career girls looking for love and happiness, just like in 'Best Of'...but we also follow them and their families into old age, as in 'Road Taken'.
My only issue with this book was the character of Cady. She was just such an unlikeable person to me. At first, I felt sorry for her, falling in love with the unattainable man...but then I was angry at her. She was so judgmental about everyone else, but never stopped to look at how pathetic her situation was. Finally, in the last 50 pages or so, I softened towards her, but by then she was in her 50's and 60's.
My favorite person was Leigh. She had such a peaceful, happy life...and while that may seem boring, the third friend, Vanessa, certainly made up for it. With her jet-set life as a stewardess is her twenties, then her 'marriage of convenience' to a man she likes, but doesn't love, followed by a move to California, and trips out to New York where she finds comfort in 'catching' other men for an evening...Vanessa surely makes up for what the others lack.
Overall, I loved this book. Maybe not as much as the first two I read, but pretty darn close. I just ordered 'Class Reunion' and 'After the Reunion', and can't wait to start them. If you like women's fiction, then you'll LOVE Rona Jaffe. It really is a shame that with her passing away last December, we lost a very talented and skillful author.
My only issue with this book was the character of Cady. She was just such an unlikeable person to me. At first, I felt sorry for her, falling in love with the unattainable man...but then I was angry at her. She was so judgmental about everyone else, but never stopped to look at how pathetic her situation was. Finally, in the last 50 pages or so, I softened towards her, but by then she was in her 50's and 60's.
My favorite person was Leigh. She had such a peaceful, happy life...and while that may seem boring, the third friend, Vanessa, certainly made up for it. With her jet-set life as a stewardess is her twenties, then her 'marriage of convenience' to a man she likes, but doesn't love, followed by a move to California, and trips out to New York where she finds comfort in 'catching' other men for an evening...Vanessa surely makes up for what the others lack.
Overall, I loved this book. Maybe not as much as the first two I read, but pretty darn close. I just ordered 'Class Reunion' and 'After the Reunion', and can't wait to start them. If you like women's fiction, then you'll LOVE Rona Jaffe. It really is a shame that with her passing away last December, we lost a very talented and skillful author.
January 12, 2015
The story of these women reminds me a little of Sex and the City and the glamour and excitement of being young and single in NYC. Leigh the level-headed perfect one, Cady the romantic frenzied one, and Vanessa the gorgeous but unfulfilled flight attendant, get together as roommates and the story follows them as they grow older and as the times change. I loved Sex and the City and while this wasn't as juicy as the show, it was a light easy read. Leigh's life does seem to fall into place quite perfectly from her successful career to her doting rich husband and it was rather sad to see how Cady's life never measures up. Poor romantic Cady falls in love with a married man and spends her entire youth waiting to finally marry him. Vanessa leaves NYC after a surprise pregnancy and never feels content despite her rich and attractive lawyer husband. Each woman faces issues of her own and grow to become three separate women but their friendship still holds throughout the bitterness, jealousy, and a shared tragedy in their past. Each character realizes the changes that take place as old age sets in and the injustice of how single older men still have a charmed life like their longtime friend Charlie. Overall, not a bad read and I look forward to trying another one of Rona Jaffe's books especially as I am about to start a new life in a new place and embark on my own adventure.
May 8, 2008
what a drag it is getting old!
i'm surprised some other reviewers were so harsh, b/c i really enjoyed reading this, and i don't even usually go for chick lit. this book is the only one by rona jaffe i've read, so i don't really have a means of comparison to her other work.
this story engaged me, even when it was predictable (i mean cady's relationship with paul, which was painful; a few zingers thrown in near the end definitely surprised me). probably the reason i was most interested in this book is b/c of the important close friendships i have with the girls i lived with when i was in college, so i was fascinated with how the relationships of the roommates in this book evolved through their lives. while i sometimes worry that geography or changes in our family structures and priorities could drive us apart, it never occurred to me that disparities in the success of various aspects of our lives would adversely affect our friendships, which happens here.
another interesting thing about this book is that it begins in the '60s and makes observations about how much different expectations for young women were then. and who doesn't love a good new york story?
i'm surprised some other reviewers were so harsh, b/c i really enjoyed reading this, and i don't even usually go for chick lit. this book is the only one by rona jaffe i've read, so i don't really have a means of comparison to her other work.
this story engaged me, even when it was predictable (i mean cady's relationship with paul, which was painful; a few zingers thrown in near the end definitely surprised me). probably the reason i was most interested in this book is b/c of the important close friendships i have with the girls i lived with when i was in college, so i was fascinated with how the relationships of the roommates in this book evolved through their lives. while i sometimes worry that geography or changes in our family structures and priorities could drive us apart, it never occurred to me that disparities in the success of various aspects of our lives would adversely affect our friendships, which happens here.
another interesting thing about this book is that it begins in the '60s and makes observations about how much different expectations for young women were then. and who doesn't love a good new york story?
April 19, 2011
This books discusses the life of several girls who decide to move in together and rent an apartment. It details lives and how it takes different paths such as careers, marriage, and various dissappointments they encounter.
Here is the actual synopsis:
Leigh, Cady, Vanessa, and Susan meet when they become roommates in a townhouse on Manhattan's Upper East Side. New York in 1963 is a place of magical enchantment and infinite possibilities, especially when you're young and eager for the adventure a big city offers. Even being crammed together in a single bedroom with a kitchen too small to accommodate a table and chairs can't diminish their high spirits. A casting assistant at a talent company, Leigh is the level-headed one, the calm at the center of the whirlwind that is their lives. Cady is a prep-school teacher, emotional, passionate, and ready for love. Vanessa, a stewardess, craves her independence above all else. Susan is the wild card. Mercurial and unconventional, she makes a decision that will have far-reaching consequences in her life-and in the lives, through the years, of the others.
Here is the actual synopsis:
Leigh, Cady, Vanessa, and Susan meet when they become roommates in a townhouse on Manhattan's Upper East Side. New York in 1963 is a place of magical enchantment and infinite possibilities, especially when you're young and eager for the adventure a big city offers. Even being crammed together in a single bedroom with a kitchen too small to accommodate a table and chairs can't diminish their high spirits. A casting assistant at a talent company, Leigh is the level-headed one, the calm at the center of the whirlwind that is their lives. Cady is a prep-school teacher, emotional, passionate, and ready for love. Vanessa, a stewardess, craves her independence above all else. Susan is the wild card. Mercurial and unconventional, she makes a decision that will have far-reaching consequences in her life-and in the lives, through the years, of the others.
June 17, 2009
Before a couple weeks ago, I'd never heard of Rona Jaffe, nor the book The Room-Mating Season. I saw a friend of mine reading it and asked if I could borrow it when she was finished, since it sounded somewhat interesting.
I started this book three days ago, and to say the least the first 150 pages were a major drag. I couldn't seem to get into the book just cause this type of book isn't really the type I normally read. Nevertheless, I forced myself to continue and I'm happy I did. I really enjoyed the ending. I was surprised but it was a good way to finish the novel.
Personally, I think Jaffe could've cut half the book out and it would've been better. But at the same time it might have been made better if there was more drama, rather than just meaningless details.
The only reason I'm giving it three stars is simply because the ending 100 pages or so, were much better than the rest of the book. They outweighed some of the boringness.
I started this book three days ago, and to say the least the first 150 pages were a major drag. I couldn't seem to get into the book just cause this type of book isn't really the type I normally read. Nevertheless, I forced myself to continue and I'm happy I did. I really enjoyed the ending. I was surprised but it was a good way to finish the novel.
Personally, I think Jaffe could've cut half the book out and it would've been better. But at the same time it might have been made better if there was more drama, rather than just meaningless details.
The only reason I'm giving it three stars is simply because the ending 100 pages or so, were much better than the rest of the book. They outweighed some of the boringness.
October 27, 2015
on Saturday, April 16, 2005 I wrote on bookcrossing about this book:
Hi sandy Right now reading this book, have read about 2/3rd of it and enjoying the read. This book is much more like some of her older books, for instance like reunion and stuff. venus envy is more chick lit from the twenties :-) from this century.
I do not think this is one of her best books, but definitely a great read.
will update more when i am done.
Oops forgot to update
yes i can see your point sand. The women were a lot alike. It was a bit boring. i don't understand why they were all dating older men. I do not believe that is very logic. 4 girls live together and 3 of them end up with an older men.
I have read better books by Rona.
Hi sandy Right now reading this book, have read about 2/3rd of it and enjoying the read. This book is much more like some of her older books, for instance like reunion and stuff. venus envy is more chick lit from the twenties :-) from this century.
I do not think this is one of her best books, but definitely a great read.
will update more when i am done.
Oops forgot to update
yes i can see your point sand. The women were a lot alike. It was a bit boring. i don't understand why they were all dating older men. I do not believe that is very logic. 4 girls live together and 3 of them end up with an older men.
I have read better books by Rona.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews