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Gilmore Girls
Coffee at Luke's: An Unauthorized Gilmore Girls Gabfest
In the fall of 2000, Gilmore Girls premiered on the WB and viewers were introduced to the quirky world of Stars Hollow and the Gilmores who had made it their home, mother-daughter best friends Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. With the show in its seventh season on the fledgling CW, Coffee at Luke's is the perfect look at what has made the show such a clever, beloved part of the television landscape for so long.
What are the risks of having your mother be your best friend? How is Gilmore Girls anti-family, at least in the traditional sense? What's a male viewer to do when he finds both mother and daughter attractive? And how is creator Amy Sherman-Palladino like Emily Gilmore? From the show's class consciousness to the way the characters are shaped by the books they read, the music they listen to and the movies they watch, Coffee at Luke's looks at the sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking underpinnings of smart viewer's Tuesday night television staple, and takes them further into Stars Hollow than they've ever been before.
What are the risks of having your mother be your best friend? How is Gilmore Girls anti-family, at least in the traditional sense? What's a male viewer to do when he finds both mother and daughter attractive? And how is creator Amy Sherman-Palladino like Emily Gilmore? From the show's class consciousness to the way the characters are shaped by the books they read, the music they listen to and the movies they watch, Coffee at Luke's looks at the sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking underpinnings of smart viewer's Tuesday night television staple, and takes them further into Stars Hollow than they've ever been before.
197 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
138 people are currently reading
2032 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Crusie
80 books7,789 followersJennifer Crusie is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author of twenty-three novels, one book of literary criticism, miscellaneous articles, essays, novellas, and short stories, and the editor of three essay anthologies.
She was born in Wapakoneta, a small town in Ohio, and then went on to live in a succession of other small towns in Ohio and New Jersey until her last move to a small town in Pennsylvania. This may have had an impact on her work.
She has a BS in Art Education, an MA in literature, an MFA in fiction, and was ABD on her PhD when she started reading romances as part of her research into the differences between the ways men and women tell stories. Writing a romance sounded like more fun than writing a dissertation, so she switched to fiction and never looked back. Her collaborations with Bob Mayer have pretty much proved everything she was going to say in her dissertation anyway, so really, no need to finish that.
For more information, see JenniferCrusie.com and her blog, Argh Ink.
She was born in Wapakoneta, a small town in Ohio, and then went on to live in a succession of other small towns in Ohio and New Jersey until her last move to a small town in Pennsylvania. This may have had an impact on her work.
She has a BS in Art Education, an MA in literature, an MFA in fiction, and was ABD on her PhD when she started reading romances as part of her research into the differences between the ways men and women tell stories. Writing a romance sounded like more fun than writing a dissertation, so she switched to fiction and never looked back. Her collaborations with Bob Mayer have pretty much proved everything she was going to say in her dissertation anyway, so really, no need to finish that.
For more information, see JenniferCrusie.com and her blog, Argh Ink.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
February 27, 2021
I have a lot of issues with this book. A couple of the authors definitely did not watch Gilmore girls.
I maybe really biased. I have seen it 1000 plus times. Can even recite most of the show.
If you never seen the show then don't write about it.
I maybe really biased. I have seen it 1000 plus times. Can even recite most of the show.
If you never seen the show then don't write about it.
December 21, 2007
I have mixed feelings about this book since I wanted to have an essay in it and they turned me down - Me! Don't they know who I am? Ahem - but, at the same time, American TV show Gilmore Girls is one of my total obsessions. In fact, I'm watching it in the corner of my screen as I'm writing this ("The Festival of Living Art" from season 4, in case you're interested).
Plus the book is edited by Jennifer Crusie and we do love Ms Crusie here at Trashionista. Like other SmartPop books including This Is Chick Lit, Flirting With Pride & Prejudice and Perfectly Plum (which I do feature in - yay me!), Coffee At Luke's is a collection of essays about Gilmore Girls by a wide range of writers and pop culture experts.
Subjects range from personal relationships (including looks at fabulous secondary characters Kirk and Paris), to parenting (with a spirited defence of
To read the rest of the review, please visit
http://www.trashionista.com/2007/11/b...
Plus the book is edited by Jennifer Crusie and we do love Ms Crusie here at Trashionista. Like other SmartPop books including This Is Chick Lit, Flirting With Pride & Prejudice and Perfectly Plum (which I do feature in - yay me!), Coffee At Luke's is a collection of essays about Gilmore Girls by a wide range of writers and pop culture experts.
Subjects range from personal relationships (including looks at fabulous secondary characters Kirk and Paris), to parenting (with a spirited defence of
To read the rest of the review, please visit
http://www.trashionista.com/2007/11/b...
June 10, 2012
First of all, I was dead set on giving this book only two stars, but the truth is that the essays got better as I got further into it, so I'm giving it three. The problems I had with this book is that several of the essayists referred to themselves about a million times in the essay. IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU. Another problem I had was obviously the fact-checking--not to mention one essayists called Max Medina unattractive (really?)). And some of the essays were just poorly developed, I could write better. There are some essays that are really intriguing though:
My Three Dads by Miellyn Fitzwater
Happiness Under Glass by Jill Winters*****
Dining with the Gilmores by Gregory Stevenson
Reading, Rory and Relationships by Maryelizabeth Hart
"That's what you get, folks, for making whoppee." by Kristen Kidder
"Happiness Under Glass" is definitely my favorite. As she brings in, is Stars Hollow really stasis? Is Lorelai essentially her mother? And what does Lorelai really want?
It's worth the read if you're obsessive and it makes you look at things on the show that you normally wouldn't look at, like food and books as a way of communication, or what the show has in common with the Golden Age of cinema.
My Three Dads by Miellyn Fitzwater
Happiness Under Glass by Jill Winters*****
Dining with the Gilmores by Gregory Stevenson
Reading, Rory and Relationships by Maryelizabeth Hart
"That's what you get, folks, for making whoppee." by Kristen Kidder
"Happiness Under Glass" is definitely my favorite. As she brings in, is Stars Hollow really stasis? Is Lorelai essentially her mother? And what does Lorelai really want?
It's worth the read if you're obsessive and it makes you look at things on the show that you normally wouldn't look at, like food and books as a way of communication, or what the show has in common with the Golden Age of cinema.
April 12, 2017
Coffee at Luke's: An Unauthorized Gilmore Girls Gabfest - Jennifer Crusie work library has it. Trying to get it downloaded onto a device I can read it on. So much aggravation.
I have it on my phone, now. W00t! If I can get it on my Kindle I will be a very happy person for about 5 minutes, until something else comes along to annoy me. Fingers crossed. I wanted the Fire specifically to be able to take advantage of the extensive work elibrary.
Now I've run into problems getting the sundry devices onto the Wifi network. Sigh. It's not a big problem, just a little niggling one that's going to drag this whole thing out for the entire day.
Not to name names, but the app for reading this on my phone was not convenient.
But the essays, they are intriguing. But also, collectively a little clueless. So many contrast New England culture against [place where the author is now] which is utterly unlike Star's Hollow, for good and ill. Seriously? I realize that Connecticut is the Land of WASPs, the place where Pilgrims get all the attention, but seriously, the lack of history re the entire rest of the nation was off-puttingly White-minded and just wrong. No one should ever again get a book chapter out of ignoring 1) millennia of First Nations, 2) five hundred years of Norse, and English, and Irish exploration and settlement, mostly for the cod 3) French settlement in Acadia 3) more than two hundred years of Spanish exploration and colonization. Seriously, Plymouth wasn't even the first permanent English colony in what is now the USA during the 17th century: there were already three in Virginia.
Generally I love a pop culture essay. I enjoy someone taking a tv show seriously, seeing what it says about society, family, religion, adulthood. Of course, there are problems: backstory is incomplete, sometimes contradictory, often open to interpretation, and that's when these essays get really good. Because there is no objective reality, everyone ends up writing not about the show, but about themselves. It's a Rorschach test. Humans are social animals, and it desire to examine the related between us is just as strong when we're talking about imaginary people. In real life a person rarely has to choose between two romantic prospects, but as a mental exercise it makes us consider what is most important: do we prefer similar backgrounds, or shared passions? Charm or loving actions? What do we need to be content?
So, here I am, nothing like Lorelei, except I do live in a charming old small town, and I like junk food and old movies and coffee, and books examining what this all means.
Library copy
I have it on my phone, now. W00t! If I can get it on my Kindle I will be a very happy person for about 5 minutes, until something else comes along to annoy me. Fingers crossed. I wanted the Fire specifically to be able to take advantage of the extensive work elibrary.
Now I've run into problems getting the sundry devices onto the Wifi network. Sigh. It's not a big problem, just a little niggling one that's going to drag this whole thing out for the entire day.
Not to name names, but the app for reading this on my phone was not convenient.
But the essays, they are intriguing. But also, collectively a little clueless. So many contrast New England culture against [place where the author is now] which is utterly unlike Star's Hollow, for good and ill. Seriously? I realize that Connecticut is the Land of WASPs, the place where Pilgrims get all the attention, but seriously, the lack of history re the entire rest of the nation was off-puttingly White-minded and just wrong. No one should ever again get a book chapter out of ignoring 1) millennia of First Nations, 2) five hundred years of Norse, and English, and Irish exploration and settlement, mostly for the cod 3) French settlement in Acadia 3) more than two hundred years of Spanish exploration and colonization. Seriously, Plymouth wasn't even the first permanent English colony in what is now the USA during the 17th century: there were already three in Virginia.
Generally I love a pop culture essay. I enjoy someone taking a tv show seriously, seeing what it says about society, family, religion, adulthood. Of course, there are problems: backstory is incomplete, sometimes contradictory, often open to interpretation, and that's when these essays get really good. Because there is no objective reality, everyone ends up writing not about the show, but about themselves. It's a Rorschach test. Humans are social animals, and it desire to examine the related between us is just as strong when we're talking about imaginary people. In real life a person rarely has to choose between two romantic prospects, but as a mental exercise it makes us consider what is most important: do we prefer similar backgrounds, or shared passions? Charm or loving actions? What do we need to be content?
So, here I am, nothing like Lorelei, except I do live in a charming old small town, and I like junk food and old movies and coffee, and books examining what this all means.
Library copy
January 23, 2015
Some authors contradict themselves--there's nothing to draw people to Stars Hollow so the Dragonfly would close, but the same author loves the Stars Hollow Museum and dioramas. AKA an attraction. One author called out Jess Marino. Who?? It's Mariano! Someone else mentioned Goober Pyle of Mayberry. I assume she meant Gomer Pyle. What kind of fans are these ladies to miss basic information!
And the "gabfest" in the title. Are Gilmore Girl fans incapable of having a discussion or analysis? In the glossary, the editor asked if Entertainment Weekly would stop calling her novels chick lit. Well, Jenny, if you write something with "gabfest" in the title, where else would the work be classified?
And the "gabfest" in the title. Are Gilmore Girl fans incapable of having a discussion or analysis? In the glossary, the editor asked if Entertainment Weekly would stop calling her novels chick lit. Well, Jenny, if you write something with "gabfest" in the title, where else would the work be classified?
February 7, 2020
If you are a Gilmore Girls fan, you will definitely enjoy this book. I enjoyed the many different topics and authors perspectives on the shows different themes.
February 4, 2019
A really nice collection of essays about one of my all-time favorite shows; Gilmore Girls. Entertaining and made me very nostalgic and craving the fast-paced banter of Lorelai and Rory.
April 18, 2010
The Gilmore Girls edition of the Smart Pop culture analysis series is a fantastic read for any fan of the WB/CW's beloved series. Split into thematic sections, each academic/super fan scrutinizes a particular element of the show and offers up well thought out commentary.
Most compelling are the stories that delve into the complicated-but-ideal relationship between series stars Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. Jennifer Armstrong, in "No Boys Allowed" confirms that the female leads have constructed a life in which men are no longer necessary. Analyzing this premise further, "That's What You Get Folks, For Makin' Whoopee" by Kristen Kidder convincingly argues that it is the inevitable introduction of the "unnecessary" sex that causes the makings of a sieve in incorrigible relationship between the Girls. Later in the book, Janine Hiddlestone's "Mothers, Daughters and Gilmore Girls" introduces the thematic importance of Emily Gilmore in the younger Gilmores' relationship.
The compilation also brims with essays that investigate what is possibly the series' most fascinating character: the town of Stars Hollow. Stars Hollow, like the Girls' relationship, is idealized. The sky is unceasingly sunny, the temperature always light jacket appropriate, the denizens teeming with character. However, Sara Morrison's "Your Guide to the Real Stars Hollow Business World" reminds us that in reality, the Taylor Doose business conglomerate is far more likely to thrive than the patronages provided by Lorelai and Luke. Yet with all of this proof of impossibility in hand, it is the unlikelihood of this town's real world existence that adds the final element of eccentricity to the show fans grew to love.
Jennifer Crusie's Gilmore Girls "gabfest" is a treat, and one I plan to share with fellow fans.
Most compelling are the stories that delve into the complicated-but-ideal relationship between series stars Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. Jennifer Armstrong, in "No Boys Allowed" confirms that the female leads have constructed a life in which men are no longer necessary. Analyzing this premise further, "That's What You Get Folks, For Makin' Whoopee" by Kristen Kidder convincingly argues that it is the inevitable introduction of the "unnecessary" sex that causes the makings of a sieve in incorrigible relationship between the Girls. Later in the book, Janine Hiddlestone's "Mothers, Daughters and Gilmore Girls" introduces the thematic importance of Emily Gilmore in the younger Gilmores' relationship.
The compilation also brims with essays that investigate what is possibly the series' most fascinating character: the town of Stars Hollow. Stars Hollow, like the Girls' relationship, is idealized. The sky is unceasingly sunny, the temperature always light jacket appropriate, the denizens teeming with character. However, Sara Morrison's "Your Guide to the Real Stars Hollow Business World" reminds us that in reality, the Taylor Doose business conglomerate is far more likely to thrive than the patronages provided by Lorelai and Luke. Yet with all of this proof of impossibility in hand, it is the unlikelihood of this town's real world existence that adds the final element of eccentricity to the show fans grew to love.
Jennifer Crusie's Gilmore Girls "gabfest" is a treat, and one I plan to share with fellow fans.
October 15, 2007
There are some interesting viewpoints and takes on Gilmore Girls in Coffee at Luke's. There are essays considering the mathematical presence of father figures in Rory's life (no, really), the contention that the Girls are really just a latter-day screwball comedy, a guy's perspective on what food means within the Gilmore verse (a lot, naturally), and (my favorite) a passionate defense of Emily Gilmore, the third and oft-ignored Girl. I'm an Emily fan, and I think she was one of the most complex and enjoyable characters on tv for years, and was played to perfection by Kelly Bishop (but I digress), so including that essay was enough to earn this collection a solid 4 stars.
February 16, 2015
I had high hopes for this book because of the editor and because of the subject matter, but I was disappointed. While some of the essays were thought-provoking (hence the two stars), too many of them felt thrown together, poorly thought out, and had little substance. My sense was the authors were big fans and wanted to contribute to the book but ultimately didn't have anything fresh to say. Several essays (particularly in the first half of the book) seem to simply summarize elements of the show or state the obvious. I was hoping for a little more depth, I guess.
April 16, 2011
It gets one star for the premise, one for being readable, and one for the cover, which I like. But ultimately I think this book did not live up to its promise. Don't expect to find the wit of the Gilmore Girls series in these pages.
June 12, 2025
A scream from start to finish - but then what else would you expect of an essay book about Gilmore Girls.
Read
January 2, 2022Through a book challenge held with my family, I was requested to read this book. It is a review of the show to which I have mixed emotions. The book seemed to be a justification for the protagonists Laurelai and daughter Rory's whore like tendencies. There appears to be much man bashing and belittlement. I'm sure if there's a claim to enjoy this book, you were a fan of the show, so only read it if you liked the show. Many of the reviewers seemed to be delusional and not in the right mind. Chef does not recommend. Zero stars.
February 28, 2015
I wanted to love this because I am desperate to read some thoughtful analysis of one of my favourite television shows. Alas, this is not the book for it. Many of the essays are under-developed, and the first half of the book is kind of a slog. My favourite essay creates an imaginary classic screwball comedy of Gilmore Girls and I have to say that Bringing Up Baby Katharine Hepburn is on point Lorelai Gilmore. But then it makes some unnecessary claims, like being unable to find any Asian actors of the period for Lane? How perfect would Pat Suzuki be? I'm harping on this one particular essay, but each makes strange claims like this that make you question the legitimacy of the authors. Additionally, some of the authors appeared to have watched further into the series than others, which made for confusing after the fact reading. I think I would prefer a more academically rigorous examination of the show. It deserves it.
August 25, 2011
This was the perfect fix for my post-Gilmore Girls blues! (My mother and I finished watching the seventh and last season last week. We started Season 1 in late May and from then on filled our summer days with Gilmore-goodness.)
All the essays were interesting and brought up points and nuances of Gilmore Girls I had never considered before. I didn't always agree with the different views, but I just read them in the light of devil's advocate.
Actually, while this book did help with my missing of Gilmore Girls, it also increased my desire to have coffee at Luke's again!
All the essays were interesting and brought up points and nuances of Gilmore Girls I had never considered before. I didn't always agree with the different views, but I just read them in the light of devil's advocate.
Actually, while this book did help with my missing of Gilmore Girls, it also increased my desire to have coffee at Luke's again!
May 26, 2016
I enjoyed some of these essays more than others. My favorites were the one about Kirk, the one about Rory's three father figures, the list of Stars Hollow businesses and how likely they'd be to survive in the real world, the one about Rory and books, and the one about connections with classic movies. Most of the essays had a definite liberal leaning, which bugged me but didn't surprise me (the show itself is the same way, right?). Anyway, it made me want to pick up where I left off with rewatching the show as soon as possible!
December 28, 2014
If you are a Gilmore Girls fan, this is a book for you! Some of the essays were great, some were just ok, but overall it was a really fun read. This series has a Buffy book that I'm dying to check out now.
October 19, 2016
I love Luke. I love Lorelai. I love Emily. I absolutely love Gilmore Girls. So I obviously loved this book.
Many of the essays can be easily skipped, but this is a good feel-good book for Gilmore Girls fans.
Many of the essays can be easily skipped, but this is a good feel-good book for Gilmore Girls fans.
March 1, 2020
These essays are not well written. This book is skippable, even for a devoted Gilmore Girls fan.
November 28, 2020
I like that this book exists, but the essays vary widely in quality. Here’s a categorization:
Best essays:
• My Three Dads
• Happiness Under Glass
• Dining with the Gilmores
• Reading, Rory, and Relationships
• That’s What you get, Folks, For Makin’ Whoopee
OK essays:
• Whimsy Goes with Everything
• Boys Not Allowed
• Your Guide to the Real Stars Hollow Business World
• Golden Age Gilmore Girls
• Mama Don’t Preach
• Mothers, Daughters, and Gilmore Girls
Godawful essays.
• When Paris Met Rory
• In Defense of Emily Gilmore
• The Best-Friend Mom
• It’s Not Luke’s Stubble
The commentary on the “Coffee at Luke-isms” was lol-level funny, but it’s hardly an essay, so I haven’t categorized it.
The number of OK and godawful essays far outnumber the number of good essays. I read all of them, but, even of the good essays, few were intellectually rigorous (evidence! Outside sources, people!) and almost all of them (over)emphasized a personal element. I’m glad this book exists, and reading it felt like reading a really long series of reddit theory posts: enjoyable, a little guilty, and an overall pleasurable waste of time. Though I think “Happiness Under Glass” and “That’s What You Get” are more exempt from my caustic criticism; definitely worth a read.
Best essays:
• My Three Dads
• Happiness Under Glass
• Dining with the Gilmores
• Reading, Rory, and Relationships
• That’s What you get, Folks, For Makin’ Whoopee
OK essays:
• Whimsy Goes with Everything
• Boys Not Allowed
• Your Guide to the Real Stars Hollow Business World
• Golden Age Gilmore Girls
• Mama Don’t Preach
• Mothers, Daughters, and Gilmore Girls
Godawful essays.
• When Paris Met Rory
• In Defense of Emily Gilmore
• The Best-Friend Mom
• It’s Not Luke’s Stubble
The commentary on the “Coffee at Luke-isms” was lol-level funny, but it’s hardly an essay, so I haven’t categorized it.
The number of OK and godawful essays far outnumber the number of good essays. I read all of them, but, even of the good essays, few were intellectually rigorous (evidence! Outside sources, people!) and almost all of them (over)emphasized a personal element. I’m glad this book exists, and reading it felt like reading a really long series of reddit theory posts: enjoyable, a little guilty, and an overall pleasurable waste of time. Though I think “Happiness Under Glass” and “That’s What You Get” are more exempt from my caustic criticism; definitely worth a read.
January 15, 2024
As a huge Gilmore Girls fan, I had high hopes for this book. Overall, it was a let down. Some of the essays were great, but a lot of them fell flat. Some of them even made me down right angry. I love discussing this show and other favorite shows of mine. However, there is a certain point where you can pick a part something too much. Some of the essays did just that. Rating which businesses would fall apart and which would succeed? Didn’t care for that…let me live in my dream world! The worst part was all the mistakes…I’m not even sure some of the writers watched the show! Anyone who has watched the show knows basic things like the characters ages (Rory was never 14 in the show!!!) and the fact that Lorelai left home after she had Rory, NOT before. Total let down. Thank goodness some of the essays were thought-provoking and knowledgeable, or the whole thing would have been a waste of time. Giving it three stars because I love the subject matter and some of the essays were lovely. I recommend skimming it.
November 11, 2019
Reading this book was like chatting with Gilmore fans all over the world. I agreed with some, some were over-complicating things, some were mere funny and relatable...I'm really happy I got to read this, but it made me crave for more...Hope I come across similar books, since Gilmore fandom in my surrounding is scarce, I need to continue at least my fictional conversation.
December 1, 2020
Av vaga anledningar fastnade den här antologin i tbr:en ett par år. Bra novemberläsning, om än av skiftande kvalitet. Fyller det ständiga GG-tomrummet i våra själar med kaffe, pannkakor, wit, popkultur och böcker.
"Just turn on the opening credits and I get filled with that warm and fuzzy I-want-to-be-part-of-this-picture feeling [...] Stars Hollow here I come."
"Just turn on the opening credits and I get filled with that warm and fuzzy I-want-to-be-part-of-this-picture feeling [...] Stars Hollow here I come."
January 30, 2022
"Oy with the poodles already!"
An eseyistic analysis of the charming life of Stars Hollow and it's residents. It may not be everyones cup of coffee (too bad it's at Luke's) and not everyone will agree with it's particular opinion. The part I personally did not enjoy was the 'off the show and characters part' where the authors felt the liberty and went on and on about the personal sh**, i mean stuff as a comparison.
Nevertheless, a fun ride for a Gilmore sucker.
An eseyistic analysis of the charming life of Stars Hollow and it's residents. It may not be everyones cup of coffee (too bad it's at Luke's) and not everyone will agree with it's particular opinion. The part I personally did not enjoy was the 'off the show and characters part' where the authors felt the liberty and went on and on about the personal sh**, i mean stuff as a comparison.
Nevertheless, a fun ride for a Gilmore sucker.
October 17, 2017
This book was perfect for my nerdy Gilmore Girl-obsessed self. Full of one-liners and trivia, I loved how each essay dove into the characters and how they developed over the first six seasons (let's be honest - the only seasons of the show that anyone really counts).
August 13, 2021
The essay about Gilmore Girl food gets a solid 5 stars, as does the essay on sex. Those two essays had me thinking and rethinking about this show (seriously- Paris, Rory, AND Lane all had somewhat disastrous consequences after having sex for the first time. No way that wasn't a deliberate point.) And both of those essays had me rewatching several episodes- especially the food essay, breakfast at Luke's Diner will never hit me the same way again.
Many of the other essays were a solid 3-4 stars, but there were a couple that came in pretty low at 2 stars.
If you're a serious fan of the Gilmore Girl show then this book would be interesting. Otherwise skip it.
Many of the other essays were a solid 3-4 stars, but there were a couple that came in pretty low at 2 stars.
If you're a serious fan of the Gilmore Girl show then this book would be interesting. Otherwise skip it.
March 22, 2018
A must read for any Gilmore Girls fan! Read my full review on my blog Caffeine and Conquer
July 22, 2012
Often more insightful than I was expecting, Coffee at Luke's is the perfect cup of comfort for Gilmore Girls fans who miss those weekly Tuesday night trips to Stars Hollow.
Although some of the essayists' conclusions feel a bit of a stretch, many of the chapters illuminate story patterns and symbols that add resonance to the show's portrayals of many subjects, including teen romance and single parenthood. My favorite chapters analyzed the symbolism of food and books in the lives of the titular Girls. I also generally enjoyed a chapter that could essentially be called an ode to New England, as this is the region where my roots remain. While this chapter mostly gave me the warm fuzzies, I often questioned whether the writer's glorification of both good and bad aspects of life in the Northeast was meant to be heartfelt or ironic; this left me feeling that the author still can't determine how she feels about her time growing up in Connecticut.
I do wish that the contributors and editor of this book had waited just a bit longer--perhaps a year--before releasing this title. The book seems to have been written in the midst of Gilmore Girls' seventh (and final) season, and so none of the essays are able to look back on the completed series or comment on how things wrapped. I would have been interested in a post-Gilmore Girls perspective.
I did catch a couple of factual errors--nothing major, but details that would be irksome to the ardent fan. (In one such example, an essayist mentions Rory's four years at Chilton, when of course any true Gilmore Girls fan knows that Rory transferred to the private school in her sophomore year.) I also noted a few grammatical errors, though I'm unsure of whether they were present in the original hard copy text or if they occurred in the process of rendering the book to Kindle format.
While it's not quite a scholarly examination of Gilmore Girls, Coffee at Luke's is an unexpectedly perspicacious collection of essays that should satisfy a Gilmore Girls fan's longing for one more function in the town square, one more Friday night dinner, one more ... well ... cup of coffee at Luke's.
Although some of the essayists' conclusions feel a bit of a stretch, many of the chapters illuminate story patterns and symbols that add resonance to the show's portrayals of many subjects, including teen romance and single parenthood. My favorite chapters analyzed the symbolism of food and books in the lives of the titular Girls. I also generally enjoyed a chapter that could essentially be called an ode to New England, as this is the region where my roots remain. While this chapter mostly gave me the warm fuzzies, I often questioned whether the writer's glorification of both good and bad aspects of life in the Northeast was meant to be heartfelt or ironic; this left me feeling that the author still can't determine how she feels about her time growing up in Connecticut.
I do wish that the contributors and editor of this book had waited just a bit longer--perhaps a year--before releasing this title. The book seems to have been written in the midst of Gilmore Girls' seventh (and final) season, and so none of the essays are able to look back on the completed series or comment on how things wrapped. I would have been interested in a post-Gilmore Girls perspective.
I did catch a couple of factual errors--nothing major, but details that would be irksome to the ardent fan. (In one such example, an essayist mentions Rory's four years at Chilton, when of course any true Gilmore Girls fan knows that Rory transferred to the private school in her sophomore year.) I also noted a few grammatical errors, though I'm unsure of whether they were present in the original hard copy text or if they occurred in the process of rendering the book to Kindle format.
While it's not quite a scholarly examination of Gilmore Girls, Coffee at Luke's is an unexpectedly perspicacious collection of essays that should satisfy a Gilmore Girls fan's longing for one more function in the town square, one more Friday night dinner, one more ... well ... cup of coffee at Luke's.
December 6, 2016
"Oy with the poodles already!"
Okay, first of all I'm obsessed with Gilmore Girls. I discovered the show way way after the 7th season ended, but in a week I watched the entire 7 seasons. By that you can imagine how much I love this show.
I love Lorelai. I adore Rory. Luke is such a great guy! Emily is, well, Emily! Jess is every girl dream of a bad-boy/geek boyfriend (geek because of the books..). And Logan, how I love him! (Yes! I'm on team Logan, and sometimes team Jess) Oh and Kirk! And Miss Patty! And Lane! You get the point, right?! I have an obsession over this TV show, the little town and it's characters.
This book was pretty much what I was expecting. A gathering of essays about everything concerning the show. Some I really liked. Others, I could live without them. And some where just information about movies and movie stars that are now dead or really old.
It's not like watching the show or anything like that, and it talked so little about coffee that it's kind of weird the name of the book is "Coffee at Luke's". A more appropriate title would be "Gilmore: The Ups and Downs".
So, now I'll leave you and I'm going to be at Luke's drinking some coffee coffee coffee and a cherry Danish, even though today it's not Danish Day ;)
Okay, first of all I'm obsessed with Gilmore Girls. I discovered the show way way after the 7th season ended, but in a week I watched the entire 7 seasons. By that you can imagine how much I love this show.
I love Lorelai. I adore Rory. Luke is such a great guy! Emily is, well, Emily! Jess is every girl dream of a bad-boy/geek boyfriend (geek because of the books..). And Logan, how I love him! (Yes! I'm on team Logan, and sometimes team Jess) Oh and Kirk! And Miss Patty! And Lane! You get the point, right?! I have an obsession over this TV show, the little town and it's characters.
This book was pretty much what I was expecting. A gathering of essays about everything concerning the show. Some I really liked. Others, I could live without them. And some where just information about movies and movie stars that are now dead or really old.
It's not like watching the show or anything like that, and it talked so little about coffee that it's kind of weird the name of the book is "Coffee at Luke's". A more appropriate title would be "Gilmore: The Ups and Downs".
So, now I'll leave you and I'm going to be at Luke's drinking some coffee coffee coffee and a cherry Danish, even though today it's not Danish Day ;)
September 1, 2021
I most probably only gave this book a 5 star sating because I LOVED the Gilmore Girls and reliving the peculiar sayings only made me wish the show could go no…
I love how this book take a look at real live and state how half of Stars Hollow will go bankrupt in the first day! Because let’s face it, we all grew up wishing we could be on or other character and have their success! My fictional role model was Lorelai, I even went on and studied tourism... Biggest mistake ever – but where not talking about me here are we?
I must say the best part of the book is what made The Grilmore Girls a great TV series as well! Can we have that special “Best friends first, mother and daughter second relationship?” Stepanie Lehmann gives her opinion on this relationship, while Charlotte Fullerton defends Emily and here way.
Yes it was a fun read!
If you’re a Gilmore Girl fan this is something you really must read!
GG fan forever!
I love how this book take a look at real live and state how half of Stars Hollow will go bankrupt in the first day! Because let’s face it, we all grew up wishing we could be on or other character and have their success! My fictional role model was Lorelai, I even went on and studied tourism... Biggest mistake ever – but where not talking about me here are we?
I must say the best part of the book is what made The Grilmore Girls a great TV series as well! Can we have that special “Best friends first, mother and daughter second relationship?” Stepanie Lehmann gives her opinion on this relationship, while Charlotte Fullerton defends Emily and here way.
Yes it was a fun read!
If you’re a Gilmore Girl fan this is something you really must read!
GG fan forever!
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