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413th out of 447 books
—
334 voters
A Cup of Tea: A Novel of 1917
by
Amy Ephron
Amy Ephron gives us a delightful tale of romance, set against the backdrop of New York society during the uncertain days of World War I. Rosemary Fell was born to privilege - her only real hardship having been the loss of her mother some years earlier. She has friends and she has a great deal of money, and now she is about to marry Phillip Alsop, who owns a shipping concer...more
Paperback, 224 pages
Published
June 28th 2005
by Harper Perennial
(first published 1997)
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I can’t believe how much I loved this book. Amy Ephron penned this story in the style of some of the classic writers, almost reminding me of the Bronte sisters. It’s so enthralling, I finished it in one day … I absolutely could not put it down!
The story concerns only a handful of characters living in New York City in 1917. The U.S. has entered the war and there is a different sort of atmosphere – people are trying desperately to add some excitement to their lives and pretend the war doesn’t exis...more
The story concerns only a handful of characters living in New York City in 1917. The U.S. has entered the war and there is a different sort of atmosphere – people are trying desperately to add some excitement to their lives and pretend the war doesn’t exis...more
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SPOILER ALERT!!! I picked this book up this morning while drinking my own cup of tea and didn't put it down until it was finished. Obviously a quick read, this book is a beautifully written love tragedy that takes place during WWI. A homeless woman named Eleanor is taken home for a cup of tea by a flighty woman named Rosemary. Rose is engaged to a dashing man names Phillip who falls instantly in love with Eleanor as soon as he lays eyes on her. Rose kindly sends El on her way, but Phillip manage...more
Well, here is a book that would deter anyone from doing a good deed. Rose is about to get married when she comes across a woman in the street. When the woman asks for some money for a cup of tea, she decides to take her home and feed her. She gives her some dry clothes, when her fiancé walks in. Philip is instantly smitten and it basically deteriorated from this point. The entire book is filled with shit-bags. Rose was ok, up until the last few pages and then she also gets thrown on the shit-bag...more
This book was probably one of the best short reads of lately.
The characters; especially the main female characters are described so vividly, they are immediately recognizable. It is a love story, but a sad story just the same. The main theme is centered around a spontaneous act of kindness (or what the character would like you to believe is kindness, for she is not the most charitable type), and a chance encounter that changes the course of several peoples lives therein. It takes place during W...more
The characters; especially the main female characters are described so vividly, they are immediately recognizable. It is a love story, but a sad story just the same. The main theme is centered around a spontaneous act of kindness (or what the character would like you to believe is kindness, for she is not the most charitable type), and a chance encounter that changes the course of several peoples lives therein. It takes place during W...more
Maybe I’m wrong but there don’t seem to be that money novels set in the first half of 20th century - lot of historical novels are predominately 19th, a period I’m not interested - so when I discovered A Cup of Tea a short novel by Amy Ephron I pounced on it. I did enjoy the book and thought she evoked the period well but I found two things that undermined my reading enjoyment. The first was that sometimes the characters had foresight (particularly about the war) that they just wouldn’t possess a...more
Although it did have some finely 'sculpted' details used for characterization (e.g. the two women were made very vivid each in their corresponding shop - Rosemary in the antiquity shop and Eleanor in the hat shop - just by the way they touched things), the novella is gravely underdone. The middle of the book made me cringe with how badly the actual love affair was handled by the writer: every punch-line was predictable, the dialogues and descriptions of feelings devoid of subtlety or originality...more
To me, this book was a perfect read. Not only can you read it very easily in one sitting (although I found myself wanting to STRETCH IT OUT so it wouldn't end too soon...)there is just a little bit of everything in it. Mystery, intrigue, drama, suspense. You wouldn't believe how much Amy Ephron packs into this little story. I sooo enjoyed this book, that I had planned to name my child after one of the characters, I won't say the name lest it ruin it for someone. But there is a HUGE surprise in t...more
From my wonderful friends getting ready to travel the world through campsite and bicycle..see you in Laos!
WHAT?!! I finished it last night and just about threw the damn thing across the room and into the wall to hit and fall with a satisfactorily thud. my god...Ok, so, the ending was a bit ridiculous. so sudden and...what?!!! But, I guess it is up to the writer's art..I guess the story needed to end? ...but the characters were so beautifully established and described.
True, the drama was somewha...more
WHAT?!! I finished it last night and just about threw the damn thing across the room and into the wall to hit and fall with a satisfactorily thud. my god...Ok, so, the ending was a bit ridiculous. so sudden and...what?!!! But, I guess it is up to the writer's art..I guess the story needed to end? ...but the characters were so beautifully established and described.
True, the drama was somewha...more
Ephron is an amazing writer. I am always drawn into the world she creates. Her stories break my heart as well though. This book is about an affair and the issues between the three people involved. I couldn't put it down once I started reading. Luckily the book is a quick read. A Cup of Tea breaks my heart though... Ephron does a great job of making each character complex enough that to pick a side is almost unthinkable. Though I have to admit, while I was sad for everyone, I really felt the wors...more
Reading the first three quarters I was rating this novella barely three stars. It's based on a Katherine Mansfield short story. There are hints in Mansfield's story which Amy Ephron embellishes with plot. with social context, and with more characters. Why the initial three stars? The premise is too easy to believe--a high society woman's kind gesture leads to dramatic improvement for another female character. What are these improvements and what are the consequences for all of the characters is...more
Rosemary Fell decides to extend a helping hand to Eleanor Smith, a woman who is less fortunate than herself, by inviting her over for a cup of tea at her home. It is here that Rosemary introduces Eleanor to her fiance, Philip. Sparks fly between the two and their attraction for one another leads to an affair. As a result, consequences happen and people get hurt.
With this book, I found myself paying more attention to the historical time period rather than to the plot or characters. I enjoyed the...more
With this book, I found myself paying more attention to the historical time period rather than to the plot or characters. I enjoyed the...more
The ending of this book was so unecessary and so upsetting I wanted to throw it across the room - I will never read another book by this author. I would have given it only 1 star but I did enjoy the atmosphere and it had an interesting short story feel to it that I did like. I just don't understand why the author thought it neccesary to end the book in the way she did ruining the atmosphere and leaving me with a horrible taste in my mouth - totally trashed its potential. I am not familiar with t...more
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Described as an elegant love story it was inspired by Katherine Mansfield short story A Cup of Tea. I haven't read Katherine Mansfield's story to be able to compare but this book compelling reading. Set in 1917 the main characters are Rosemary Fell a wealthy young woman who when she is asked for spare change by a penniless young woman invites her home for a cup of tea. Eleanor Smith is a mystery and why she was penniless and homeless is also a mystery. Two other main characters are Rosemary's fi...more
READ THIS BOOK! This was recommended to me by our top bookseller Diane when I worked at Borders in Fairfield. Diane ran something like 3 book clubs & had read I'd say we;; over a million books but this was the one she always told people to read & I couldn't thank her enough for letting me in on it. She was the top seller as an individual of this book & was visited & thanked by the author, so she got a lot of people to read it & as far as I know they were all as thankful as I...more
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I just picked it up in the book store and chose it based on the cover and back description, never having heard of the book or the author. But I am interested in fiction of WWI, after reading the Jacqueline Winspear series with Maisie Dobbs and The Guernsey Literary and PPPS. I really liked this story and the author's writing style. A society woman takes a poor woman home on an impulse, and the rest of the story is the result of that one act and the reperc...more
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I say historical fiction in the sense of it's a period piece. This was based on a short story and should have remained so. Very disappointed with the story. I never really felt infested in the main characters.
General plotline-- wealthy woman invites a poor woman standing on a street corner in for a cup of tea, wealthy woman gives her clothes and her fiance comes in and bumps into poor woman in the parlor. He is immediately attracted to her and therein lies the difficulty.
General plotline-- wealthy woman invites a poor woman standing on a street corner in for a cup of tea, wealthy woman gives her clothes and her fiance comes in and bumps into poor woman in the parlor. He is immediately attracted to her and therein lies the difficulty.
While this is a well-written short novel, I was disappointed. Based on a short story of the same title, the setting is New York City in 1917 during World War 1. Rosemary, a young wealthy socialite, invites Eleanor, a penniless young woman home for tea. What should be an act of charity starts a series of chain events affecting the lives of several people, and ends tragically.
The writing is beautiful. The author conveys depth and feeling with a modicum of words, yet I found myself wishing for more...more
The writing is beautiful. The author conveys depth and feeling with a modicum of words, yet I found myself wishing for more...more
Quick read. Enjoyed the WWI time period and the fact that it was the homefront. Made you think about karma. Who do you blame in the affair-the wife, husband, or mistress, or two or all? Did not like the fact that we never find out where Eleanor came from or what her real name was, etc. There were a couple lose ends that bothered me. Otherwise I am warming to the author's style of writing-short narratives that make it a quick read but keep the story full and flowing.
One of my favorite books. I read it at first through a recomendation from a friend - and I was very pleased to find it a wonderful story and able to transport me to the time period. It is a very quick read - and having been a long novel lover I was doubtful it would be able to uphold my story expectation, but it surpassed them. The prose that Ephron composes is magical and the simplicity of her writing leaves a musical tone behind for the reader to hum along to.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I was sucked in from the very first chapter and the book held my interest to the very last page. Considering the book is very short (200 pages) the characters and the story and the plot were extremely well drawn. I read this in what amounts to an afternoon. I did not want to put it down. I recommend it without reservation and I think it would make an excellent women's book club selection.
So interesting to read a book that is contemporary American fiction, but could easily pass for Modern British lit. I loved the short, jostling chapters, and the allusions to other pieces of literature. It made me aware of the strong influence of literature like Tess of the D'urbervilles" and " A Dolls House", and "An American Tragedy". Somehow this wasn't derivative, just part of a genre that I know well.
This is a nice short little book-- more like a long short story-- about a a woman of high society, also in the midst of wedding preparations, who on impulse invites a lonely looking woman who is just standing out on the street corner in the pouring rain into her home for a cup of tea. The fiance comes home and sees this woman who is also very beautiful. I can't tell anymore because it would give the story away.
Despite all the bad reviews on GR, I liked this book. Extremely unexpected ending that was so surprising, when I finished it on the train, I actually gasped aloud. I liked the story; one negative would be that I didn't think it was very well written. Ms. Ephron ended quite a few sentences with prepositions which is a huge pet peeve of mine. Overall, worth the 2 hours or less it will take you to read it!
This is a short but lovely novel. The author does a wonderful job of showing how one simple act can change the course of lives, as the drama unfolds quietly but with major consequences. I enjoyed the short chapters, and the writing is elegantly simple and with striking descriptions. The characters are memorable. I also loved the cover art, as it seemed to truly capture the essence of the story.
Not terrible, but not really my cup of tea either (I had to say that). Very short quick read; if it hadn't been, I might have put it down and never picked it up again. But it was like a sketch of a novel, needed more flesh.
Included book club questions and discussion points at the back, all of which would have seemed simplistic to me had I encountered them in high school English.
Included book club questions and discussion points at the back, all of which would have seemed simplistic to me had I encountered them in high school English.
This was a quick read. I think I expected more out of it than I found there. The basic story is one found in many books (not to give much away here...), and the ending was not quite what I expected but still not quite the "shocking conclusion" advertised. I would recommend this as a quick read though. Chapters are very short which makes it move right along. Worth reading.
I just read that this book was based on a short story. Before I knew that I was going to suggest that the story could have been told in a short story and saved me the bother of reading the book, no matter how short the book (200 pages). It gets 2 stars because I did like that the time period came across well in the writing. But the plot and characters? Meh.
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“Keep a cool surface. Calm. Detached. As inside a part of you has been shattered.”
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“Madame Olga began muttering something under her breath in gypsy to the effect of "Fucking debutantes, they do not understand the sacredness of the moment." But everyone in the room just thought this was part of her gypsy spirit chant.”
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