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31st out of 90 books
—
122 voters
Commencement
A sparkling debut novel: a tender story of friendship, a witty take on liberal arts colleges, and a fascinating portrait of the first generation of women who have all the opportunities in the world, but no clear idea about what to choose.
Assigned to the same dorm their first year at Smith College, Celia, Bree, Sally, and April couldn’t have less in common. Celia, a lapsed...more
Assigned to the same dorm their first year at Smith College, Celia, Bree, Sally, and April couldn’t have less in common. Celia, a lapsed...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
June 16th 2009
by Knopf
(first published June 14th 2009)
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This book is about a group of Seven Sisters grads a few years out of college, like me, which is why I was curious enough to read it as soon as it came out. The first part of it looks back on how the friendships between them formed when they were in college. The second part has them grappling with their feminist politics in their relationships and life choices 4-5 years after graduating. The first part is steeped in the cult of the women's college, painting Smith as a queer feminist utopia. I alw...more
This is the best chick-lit book I have read in a very long time. Witty, fun, some interesting twists, and the fact that it doesn't revolve around one silly character and their strained relationship with boy X. Sullivan gives an interesting perspective on all types of relationships, something I found very refreshing. I should also say, I am from the Northampton area and really related to a lot of the book in ways others may not if you are not from that area, so I very well may be biased. In the e...more
Amateurishly written, clunky, boring, and riddled with bad dialogue and cardboard characters. And I went to a school not unlike Smith in some ways, so you'd think I'd be interested. I soldiered on for 49 pages and gave up. (I don't even care if there's going to be a torrid lesbian love affair, which I rather assume there will be.)
I'm editing to add that I see a lot of people comparing this (favorably) to Curtis Sittenfeld's "Prep," which I have also read. "Prep" is by far the superior book, in m...more
I'm editing to add that I see a lot of people comparing this (favorably) to Curtis Sittenfeld's "Prep," which I have also read. "Prep" is by far the superior book, in m...more
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I feel like I have to write two different reviews for this book. One for the writing, which I found to be fluid and funny and fast paced. I enjoy reading the story from each character's point of view and especially when experiences intersect and you get two different takes on it. That really lends depth and individuality to the characters. I looked forward to each character's chapter, though I didn't root for one in particular, I wasn't put off by any of them either.
Now...another review for the...more
Now...another review for the...more
I picked up this book based on a fantastic review I read in the local newspaper, and I must say I ended up disappointed. As I started the book, I was satifised just being introduced to the characters, but I didn't like them. The girls were all immature in college and beyond (in their “freshman year of life”). And although this was about friendships formed in college, there was very, very little about academics. Somehow, they all managed to stay up all night talking on a continuous basis, and yet...more
As a Smithie, I was interested to read this, but for that reason I was also disappointed by it. I know my class is about a decade behind these girls', but my experience has been completely...just not this. I know the author went to Smith so it didn't make any sense to me why all the 'smith' aspects of the book were weakly drawn stereotypes. No one I know would EVER even think to complain that Celebration was 'too exclusive'. Every supplementary character either has a food disorder or is eating e...more
OH, Y'ALL.
J. Courtney is so good at making you want to just keep reading, even when there's not a real whole lot happening, and her whole structural conceit means you barely ever experience plot in the present. Either way, these characters were more complex and more likable than those in Maine, her second novel, if all a little predictable.
In short(ish), Commencement reminded me of this short story I wrote in college about a trip that all of my high school girlfriends had been on, in which a fi...more
J. Courtney is so good at making you want to just keep reading, even when there's not a real whole lot happening, and her whole structural conceit means you barely ever experience plot in the present. Either way, these characters were more complex and more likable than those in Maine, her second novel, if all a little predictable.
In short(ish), Commencement reminded me of this short story I wrote in college about a trip that all of my high school girlfriends had been on, in which a fi...more
I picked this book up at the charity shop sometime in the last year . . . didn't know much about it or its author, but I think that the description of "four Smith graduates" was probably what grabbed my attention. After reading the author's second novel, Maine, while on holiday, I discovered that this novel (her first) was languishing in the huge book sprawl beside my bedside table. (Sadly, my bedside table cannot begin to contain the to-read tower of books.) And by the way, this novel is defini...more
If I could, I would probably give it 3 1/2 stars. I did like the book, I enjoyed reading about the traditions of Smith College while learning about the friendship between 4 women. The book intrigued me because I can relate to having that close group of friends that you met in college and trying to stay in touch after graduation. I think the part that would have made it more enjoyable was if the author would have developed the characters a bit more post college. We don't really get into why they...more
While the brief synopsis on the inside cover of this book makes it sound like another fun chick-lit read, I found it to be anything but. The 4 main characters come from varied backgrounds to attend an all women's college and become best friends. Four years later they are still best friends, despite their differences lifestyles and locations, and they meet up for the wedding of one of the girls. As they grow and change, so does their friendship.
I thought the author portrayed those first post-gra...more
I thought the author portrayed those first post-gra...more
Ever summer needs a summer read. Something that's light, fun, and easy to fly through! For me this summer, that was Courtney Sullivan's Commencement which follows the lives of four college friends from Smith College.
Celia, April, Sally, and Bree are all thrown into a dorm together their freshman year at Smith. None of them like each other, at first sight. Sally seems stuck up and distant, April is the over-the-top feminist rebel, Celia is slightly judgmental and conventional, and Bree is the epi...more
Celia, April, Sally, and Bree are all thrown into a dorm together their freshman year at Smith. None of them like each other, at first sight. Sally seems stuck up and distant, April is the over-the-top feminist rebel, Celia is slightly judgmental and conventional, and Bree is the epi...more
Took this out of the local library thinking it would be the usual chick lit story following friends after college. It was and then more!
What I liked was the unsual twist in storyline of the diverse group from Smith College '02 - Bree, Sally, Celia and April. Many of the references love, partying, crazy late night talks and college class demands were standard. I was not prepared for the uniqueness of Smith feminism and their lesbian population and rituals.
Southern belle and homecoming queen Bree...more
What I liked was the unsual twist in storyline of the diverse group from Smith College '02 - Bree, Sally, Celia and April. Many of the references love, partying, crazy late night talks and college class demands were standard. I was not prepared for the uniqueness of Smith feminism and their lesbian population and rituals.
Southern belle and homecoming queen Bree...more
I read this book after reading Maine, Sullivan's second novel. I'm glad I read Maine first because I think I would have resisted reading her second novel. A New York Times Review refers to the book as "affable." She also works/worked at the New York Times editorial department so I would take the review with a grain of salt. The book centers around four young women from very different backgrounds who become friends as a result of an accident of living arrangements. I really don't see these four w...more
This book was recommended by several Smith classmates from the late '90s, but I have to say I'm deeply underwhelmed. Yes, it was fun for nostalgia's sake to read about familiar places (drinking at Packard's, skinny dipping in Paradise Pond, etc), and to recall those first few disorienting days after arrival as a first year (keeping straight all the acronyms, HONS and SAAs and JMG and so on). But beyond that pleasant jolt of recognition of the general, I was put off by how much I did not recogniz...more
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I thought this was a wonderful, engaging story about 4 women who met at their freshman year at Smith College. They are different people, but become instant soulmates, and we hear all about their lives and stories throughout their college careers and on into their mid-twenties. Naturally after college they grow apart and don't live together anymore, and so this book is really about what happens to soulmates as they inevitably have to develop their own lives and other relationships.
I really enjoye...more
I really enjoye...more
When I finished reading When Tito Loved Clara, I had a copy of Maria Kalman's And The Pursuit of Happiness at the ready. I liked her work with The New York Times and loved her work with Why We Broke Up. But after a few lunch time pages, I couldn't get into it and I disappeared into the stacks.
That's right. Someone has foolishly allowed me to work in a library, where I can immediately comb the stacks for my next read (or books to be brought home and left in piles on my floor to be usurped in queu...more
That's right. Someone has foolishly allowed me to work in a library, where I can immediately comb the stacks for my next read (or books to be brought home and left in piles on my floor to be usurped in queu...more
Before I started this book I checked out many of the reviews. I had mixed feelings. Mostly good reviews if you were a former Smithie, or knew a Smithie. Many other reviews not so good. I went ahead and began my reading.
WOW. My years at college were nothing like this. Thank goodness. The storyline is a little outlandish and unbelievable to me. The second half really seemed to drag on and on. I found myself skimming pages more than reading them, just to move things along.
I had a hard time acceptin...more
WOW. My years at college were nothing like this. Thank goodness. The storyline is a little outlandish and unbelievable to me. The second half really seemed to drag on and on. I found myself skimming pages more than reading them, just to move things along.
I had a hard time acceptin...more
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QUINTESSENTIAL summer read for girls! We all look at tv shows like FRIENDS and Sex and the City and wish and hope that when we are adults that we will have a group of friends like them. This books follows four girls from all different backgrounds, who meet at an all girls college, and live on the same floor. Each girl has different aspects that they bring to the group (e.g. Celia is the peacemaker). The girls' relationships with each other are not perfect, but whenever one is in need for shoulde...more
Whoo! Another book I enjoyed more then usual. I am on a roll! This book is about 4 college friends who went to Smith College and what happened during school and the four years after, hence the title as one of the characters referred to each of the four years after graduation as the same as the when they were in school. The girls couldn't be more different (of course) but because of where they were placed in the living arrangements, they became friends. It's books like this that make people think...more
http://iwriteinbooks.wordpress.com/20...
I really need to quit judging books by their covers. After Vaclav & Lena surprised me, one might think that I would be less judgmental of books that seem frilly on the outside. Yet, here I am, once again, reporting on the deep and gritty content within a seriously “chick-lit” cover.
I’ve had Commencement on my shelf for almost a year without so much as cracking the cover. I don’t know why it took me so long as I grew up in the area where the story takes...more
I really need to quit judging books by their covers. After Vaclav & Lena surprised me, one might think that I would be less judgmental of books that seem frilly on the outside. Yet, here I am, once again, reporting on the deep and gritty content within a seriously “chick-lit” cover.
I’ve had Commencement on my shelf for almost a year without so much as cracking the cover. I don’t know why it took me so long as I grew up in the area where the story takes...more
Commencement is J. Courtney Sullivan's first novel and centers around a group of first-years at Smith College. Sullivan attended Smith as well, and writes for a number of magazines and various publications.
Celia, Bree, April and Sally are four young women who couldn't be more different from one another, but when they share the same level of a dormitory together, strong bonds and close friendships are forged. The novel spans back and forth between present day and college days, as we come closer t...more
Celia, Bree, April and Sally are four young women who couldn't be more different from one another, but when they share the same level of a dormitory together, strong bonds and close friendships are forged. The novel spans back and forth between present day and college days, as we come closer t...more
I read this because it seemed like I should. The story was different than I thought it would be, but I didn't particularly like or sympathize with any of the 4 main characters. I think J. Courtney Sullivan was trying to incorporate the major stereotypes of students at Smith into the four girls, but it didn't work. I was constantly surprised at what each character said and did.
One thing I realized after finishing the book is that a typical Smithie wears many hats. Occasionally, people fit perfec...more
One thing I realized after finishing the book is that a typical Smithie wears many hats. Occasionally, people fit perfec...more
After months of Facebook ads pushing this book on me (with the headline "Vassar Grad?" no less), I succumbed as part of my project to read more fiction written for adults. Lesson learned: Don't listen to Facebook ads. Further, don't listen to blurbs from the New York Times when the author is on the editorial staff of the New York Times, and ignore blurbs from Gloria Steinem when said book contains passages of rapturous, glowing Gloria Steinem worship.
The Group it ain't. This isn't even Prep. Com...more
The Group it ain't. This isn't even Prep. Com...more
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There’s something magical about the bond between female friends, one that has enticed writers for years. And so it is with J. Courtney Sullivan and her debut novel, Commencement. Sullivan’s story revolves around four very different friends: April, Bree, Celia and Sally. They meet as first-year students at Smith College, a long-standing bastion of women-only colleges. Initially brought together by the random assignment of rooms, these women quickly become each other’s lifeline during an emotional...more
This book is really engaging, and the author has an impressive knack for dialogue. I also love how honestly she talks about female friendships and the way they change along with the people involved. But what could have been a really smart, modern drama ended up being a frustrating read because of the author's ambivalence about the kind of book she ultimately wanted to write. She seems torn between a roman-a-clef about a real place and real people on one hand, and a genuine piece of fiction with...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This book was an ideal vacation read, though not likely a book I'll spend loads of time thinking about now that I've finished it. (Entertainment Weekly's jacket blurb that calls it "a beach book for smart women" is accurate.) That said, there is a lot to like about this novel in addition to its compulsive readability. Sullivan makes her characters seem real, and accurately renders many of the emotions and joys that are part of the college experience with both skill and sensitivity. As a peer of...more
I cannot give this book an unbiased review. The first chunk of the novel takes place in the early 2000's at Smith College in a house only a few steps from the one where I lived a few years prior. The author made me nostalgic for Smith traditions and oddities while also doing an excellent job of describing the special and sometimes puzzling bond between women living together in Smith's unique housing system. That portion of the book made me long for my Smith girlfriends who maintain a closeness v...more
Because my commute on the train is about 3 hours a day (there and back), I’m often looking for books that will entertain me, even if they don’t change my life. This book falls into that category. I plowed through it slightly more than a day’s commute; it’s an easy read.
This is a story about girls becoming young women and young women becoming (mostly) adults. But unlike many similar stories, you won’t find a ridiculous amount of pageantry and angst. It’s four different women whose lives come toge...more
This is a story about girls becoming young women and young women becoming (mostly) adults. But unlike many similar stories, you won’t find a ridiculous amount of pageantry and angst. It’s four different women whose lives come toge...more
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| RCHS 1967: reaction to Commencement | 4 | 7 | Oct 27, 2011 04:08pm |
J. Courtney Sullivan is a Brooklyn-based writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, New York magazine, Elle, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, In Style, Men’s Vogue, the New York Observer, Tango, and in the essay anthology The Secret Currency of Love (Morrow.) She contributes to the website someecards.com, and is co-editing an anthology about young women and feminism with Courtney E. Marti...more
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