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The Romantics
"The Romantics is a smart, edgy novel that is wickedly insightful about class and privilege, amusingly cynical about love and friendship, and thoroughly entertaining throughout. Galt Niederhoffer is an elegant prose stylist and a shrewd social observer."—Tom Perrotta
Laura and Lila were once as close as could be--college roommates at the center of a tight-knit group of frie...more
Laura and Lila were once as close as could be--college roommates at the center of a tight-knit group of frie...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
July 8th 2008
by St. Martin's Press
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Loved it. Couldn't put it down. Did not love the ending, which is the only reason it didn't get 5 stars.
You know what? I read this months ago. The more I think about it, the less I liked it. The characters are interesting, though the premise is worn out. A group of friends reunites years after college for a wedding of some of their gang. Naturally the bride is a perfectly WASPy blonde while her totally ethnic brunette Jewish BFF is the maid of honor. The blonde bride is perfection, while the eth...more
You know what? I read this months ago. The more I think about it, the less I liked it. The characters are interesting, though the premise is worn out. A group of friends reunites years after college for a wedding of some of their gang. Naturally the bride is a perfectly WASPy blonde while her totally ethnic brunette Jewish BFF is the maid of honor. The blonde bride is perfection, while the eth...more
Despite negative reviews, The Romantics, by Galt Niederhoffer was a joy to read.
The story follows seven college friends who reunite at a friend's wedding ten years after graduating from Yale. Lila, the bride, and her maid of honor, Laura, have two things keeping them together: their frenemy-type friendship and their love for the groom, Tom. And to add a little more spice to this dramatic book, Tom, who also happens to be the ex-boyfriend of Laura, is having doubts of getting married.
Yes, the c...more
The story follows seven college friends who reunite at a friend's wedding ten years after graduating from Yale. Lila, the bride, and her maid of honor, Laura, have two things keeping them together: their frenemy-type friendship and their love for the groom, Tom. And to add a little more spice to this dramatic book, Tom, who also happens to be the ex-boyfriend of Laura, is having doubts of getting married.
Yes, the c...more
I want to be clear that I, as an English major, love this books because it mockingly shows English majors who are constantly looking for the perfect person to say, "YOU UNDERSTAND ME." Plus, I'm intrigued by preppies.
Galt Niederhoffer presents us with a group of graduated Yalies who have left college and...well, not done too much except had crappy, incestuous relationships among the same group of college friends. Somehow I find this way less annoying than I did in my own college group. Few of t...more
Galt Niederhoffer presents us with a group of graduated Yalies who have left college and...well, not done too much except had crappy, incestuous relationships among the same group of college friends. Somehow I find this way less annoying than I did in my own college group. Few of t...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
(Yes, I posted a copy of this on my blog.)
This is an interesting book, and not necessarily in a good way. A group of nine college friends - best friends - reunite 10 years later in Maine for a wedding. Their definition of friend is vastly different from yours and mine. Tom and Lila are getting married. Laura is the maid of honor, Lila's best friend, AND Tom's ex-girlfriend. All the other couples are interconnected as well, married or engaged to each other, each having dated another member of th...more
This is an interesting book, and not necessarily in a good way. A group of nine college friends - best friends - reunite 10 years later in Maine for a wedding. Their definition of friend is vastly different from yours and mine. Tom and Lila are getting married. Laura is the maid of honor, Lila's best friend, AND Tom's ex-girlfriend. All the other couples are interconnected as well, married or engaged to each other, each having dated another member of th...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
A disappointing read that had none of the charm of Galt Niederhoffer's first book, A Taxonomy of Barnacles. In this group of college friends gathering for a wedding, I expected to find at least one relatable or redeeming character, but none of the characters were appealing and the individuals in the group simply blended together from lack of personality or distinguishing characteristics. It seemed that Laura, the maid of honor who still pines after the groom and is the only Jew in a group of WAS...more
"I didn't hate this book but I certainly did not love it. I was pleased with the first few pages I read as I visioned the beautiful ocean front home where the novel takes place. However, it quickly took a turn for the worse. The first half of the book was so darn slow! I really wasn't interested in learning every single detail about each characters past. After about 100 pages the story finally started and by that point I almost didn't care. But I continued reading because I had already invested...more
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I'm not sure why people think that sad love stories are somehow less cliche than happy ones. This story, about a group of Yale-ys, old college friends who aren't really friends, is a bit depressing and it's outlook on love and friendship frequently bleak.
Moreover narrative style - the story is written in 3rd person omniscient - is terribly confusing with so many different characters, all of them less then likeable.
Moreover narrative style - the story is written in 3rd person omniscient - is terribly confusing with so many different characters, all of them less then likeable.
I really like The Romantics. It was an unexpected story...I was surprised by the ending and all the unresolved things that were left in the air...
The characters are real, they have flaws, like everybody, but that is what makes them memorable. Yes, they are kinda selfish and arrogant, but that's why the story is different from others.
The only thing that I didn't like was the fact that they showed us all negative things in their relationships as friends, but they didn't show the good parts... and...more
The characters are real, they have flaws, like everybody, but that is what makes them memorable. Yes, they are kinda selfish and arrogant, but that's why the story is different from others.
The only thing that I didn't like was the fact that they showed us all negative things in their relationships as friends, but they didn't show the good parts... and...more
I was looking forward to reading this book and in the end I was so disappointed. I found the first chapter to be the most interesting of all nineteen, the description of the character that the author used really set the mood and I could picture every little thing. However, it soon became dull and too many characters were introduced at the same time, making me lose track of who was who and who was with whom. The writing then became too descriptive and it lacked interest. The author just described...more
wow. blew through this book. this book is sort of like getting an entire season of felicity or dawson's creek or something in one novel. and i sort of put it on par with that kind of story telling/setting. incestuous group of privileged white friends who are constantly stabbing each other in the back get together for the wedding of their two most lauded/hated members. it was fun, in the same way that marathon watching gossip girl is fun, but hardly profound. and that was why i had soooo much tro...more
I don't know what everyone else's problem with this was; I thought it was wonderful.
Now of course, I have my complaints about this book. It was kind of like the dark version of South of Broad (not that the plot was darker, mind you, merely that I liked it less). It lacked the love of that book, and I cannot understand why people with such vile feelings toward each other would stay together.
But. I love the realism of this book (though the coke did scare me just a smidgeon). I love the extraneous...more
Now of course, I have my complaints about this book. It was kind of like the dark version of South of Broad (not that the plot was darker, mind you, merely that I liked it less). It lacked the love of that book, and I cannot understand why people with such vile feelings toward each other would stay together.
But. I love the realism of this book (though the coke did scare me just a smidgeon). I love the extraneous...more
Picked this up because the movie looks like it's going to be good. I haven't seen much of Katie Holmes and Anna Paquin in new movies lately, and Josh Duhamel is great. The premise of the book intrigues me and this is the book I pick over House Rules for my return flight from Taipei.
I have to say I'm disappointed with the book. The narration might be lush but often redundant. I find myself disliking the characters, even the main ones and especially the side, supposedly quirky ones. I don't like T...more
I have to say I'm disappointed with the book. The narration might be lush but often redundant. I find myself disliking the characters, even the main ones and especially the side, supposedly quirky ones. I don't like T...more
Warning: it may be called "The Romantics," but this is not Jane Austen. Then again it is very similar to Austen in that it exposes the inside scoop on a social world that many would otherwise never be exposed to. And it isn't pretty. Maybe it's also not realistic, but I think it probably comes pretty close.
So many people panned this book because they didn't like the characters and couldn't believe they were actually friends. I found the characters to be realistic and believable, if not like-able...more
So many people panned this book because they didn't like the characters and couldn't believe they were actually friends. I found the characters to be realistic and believable, if not like-able...more
I know lots of people have panned this book as not bring too great, but I really enjoyed it. Sarcasm and cynicism are abundant in these characters and I personally loved that. Maybe that's because I'm a little cynical, but hey. I loved being inside the minds of so many different people and on some small level related to their phase of life. Being out of college for ten years is an awkward and often overlooked spot. While in some ways your life has taken off and you've experienced a lot, life isn...more
I didn't know whether to totally hate this book, or just kind of hate this book. The writing isn't terrible, but the characters are--so much so that you don't really want to spend any time reading about them. I kept hoping that someone would be redeemed, but no such luck. At first the nasty, judgy, snarky tone that each of the characters used when critiquing each other felt a little bit like naughty fun, like peeking into someone's dark thoughts. After a while, it began to grate. I never quite u...more
Interesting how a book with such unlikable characters can keep the pages turning. There's usually no one to empathize with, and yet I couldn't wait to find out what happened in the end. (Still not sure what did happen, actually.) My only complaint is that the book took itself a bit seriously. It's about almost-thirty rich people with romantic regrets, no spines, no discernible careers, and little true affection for each other. These are not characters to get worked up over -- they don't even fee...more
Well I should probably start off by saying this isn't really my style of book. I have a wide selection of books that I like but for me this just didn't do it. I found the characters whiny, and childish, I think that was the point but I found it detracted from the story. I didn't care about the characters. There was a wide diversity of traits each character had, but I never felt drawn to any of them, especially the three leads. Then which end did it take? This is a story I would have like closer...more
This book is a great rendition of a modern Jane Austen novel for young adults with an inside peek into the divisions that money and social class pervades and inflicts upon the nature of friendships. Lovely all around for its insights into the priviledged WASP culture yet refreshing for its realistic view about the dynamics we all go through in relating to one another, no matter the type of relationship that's initially and innocently established. The characters Laura and Lila are the Oxford defi...more
The only thing interesting about this book is the character studies the author gives us. None of the characters are likable. Perhaps they were when they attended Yale and were still forming these selfish personalities, but now as they attend this wedding, they are merely interesting to read about. And that's what kept me reading till the end. It wasn't the predictable story lines, but the characters in them. They’re written with a fascination of the social pecking order that comes with wealth. I...more
It's an enjoyable quick read. Honestly, I picked it up because the movie is coming out and I wanted to read the book first. While it's hard to like any of the characters - I've never met such messed up people, it was easy to relate to their feelings, even though they are quite exaggerated for entertainment purposes. It reads more like a movie then a book, with quick shots of situations versus prolongs descriptions of them. I would put this in the romantic drama category. There was definitely not...more
This is another character driven novel in which I really identified with the characters. I watched the movie first, which of course wasn't as good as the book. In both the movie and the book, I did not like the ending. I prefer resolutions and neither really had one.
However, this book got 4 stars because of the characters. It's about a group of college friends who get together for a wedding, 10 years after they've graduated college. Their struggles, their feelings, their careers, I can all ident...more
However, this book got 4 stars because of the characters. It's about a group of college friends who get together for a wedding, 10 years after they've graduated college. Their struggles, their feelings, their careers, I can all ident...more
So I picked this up because I saw the movie was coming out and always like to read the book if I can. The movie looks good. The book, for me, was just ok. I don't think I liked one character in the book. The heroine can't get out of her own way and these people all keep hurting each other and they are all suppose to be best friends! The was not one redeemable quality in any of the characters, so I found myself not caring what happened in the end. The good news is that it was a quick read and it...more
Was difficult to get into this story - not that it's not incredibly well-written, but because the author, Galt Niederboffer, insists on her readers getting to know every unflattering facet of each member of this dysfunctional wedding party - from the college friends who've all dated, kissed, or mated with each other in a culturally gender-appropriate fashion to the family that is so WASP that you anticipate seeing a piece of the Mayflower's masthead preserved and mounted on a plaque in the summe...more
If you like your books to have a clearly-defined ending, this is not the book for you. Don't even start it. Because it will suck you in with characters and drama and the promise of a gigantic impending conflict- and then you'll never find out the resolution.
Here’s where reviews go wrong. I really, seriously, LOVED this book. Until the ending. I really, seriously, HATED the ending. Had it ended differently (and I don’t necessarily care what sort of differently, just DIFFERENTLY), it would absolut...more
Here’s where reviews go wrong. I really, seriously, LOVED this book. Until the ending. I really, seriously, HATED the ending. Had it ended differently (and I don’t necessarily care what sort of differently, just DIFFERENTLY), it would absolut...more
Aug 27, 2010
Kristin (Kritters Ramblings)
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kritter-reviewed-2010
Well - an interesting read. I picked up this book initially because I saw the movie would be coming out and nothing is more frustrating than a ruined book after seeing the movie. I would much rather ruin the movie! It was a good read, not excellent, but good.
**SPOILER**
I think my main point of frustration was after reading such a great push pull about whether Tom would end up with Lila or Laura - the ending left me more than hanging. I can not believe how I felt when it ended, I have not been th...more
**SPOILER**
I think my main point of frustration was after reading such a great push pull about whether Tom would end up with Lila or Laura - the ending left me more than hanging. I can not believe how I felt when it ended, I have not been th...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
About a group of friends that were former college buddies (4 guys/5 girls), that were referred to by some as "The Romantics" (CHEESE?!) because they pretty much were all involved romantically with each other at some point. They're all meeting up for a weekend where one of the couples is getting married-Lila & Tom. The main character Laura is still in love with Tom & she's supposed to be the maid of honor. Super cliche and full of cheesy lines. The book only spans over a couple of days wi...more
a story about a group of college friends who reunite for a wedding in new england. laura & lila were roommates and best friends, even when tom broke up with laura and began dating lila, who he is now marrying. but he and laura have never really fallen out of love.
i usually hate books about infidelity, but i thought this one was well done. lila seems pretty awful at the beginning, but as the book goes on, we learn things about her that make her character multi-dimensional. each character is p...more
i usually hate books about infidelity, but i thought this one was well done. lila seems pretty awful at the beginning, but as the book goes on, we learn things about her that make her character multi-dimensional. each character is p...more
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“The map was just an accessory. She knew exactly where she was.”
—
12 people liked it
“Technically, on the spectrum of very bad things, they did nothing truly wicked. But of course, that spectrum has no measure for the greatest of all carnal sins, the kind that occurs before skin touches skin, before wondering turns to yearning, yearning to having, having to holding for dear life, when two people cling to each other so desperately that even when they lie, inches apart, neither is fully satisfied until the light between them turns to darkness.”
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12 people liked it
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