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Writers & Lovers
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'Exuberant and affirming, it's funny and immensely clever, emotionally rare and strong. I feel bereft now I've finished' - Tessa Hadley
Casey has ended up back in Massachusetts after a devastating love affair. Her mother has just died and she is knocked sideways by grief and loneliness, moving between the restaurant where she waitresses for the Harvard elite and the
...moreKindle Edition
Expected publication:
March 5th 2020
by Picador
(first published March 3rd 2020)
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Wow. I am kind of shocked by how much I loved this. WRITERS & LOVERS is the first book I've read that truly captures what it's like to be a woman in your late-twenties/early-thirties and not have your life figured out. When all your friends are in serious relationships or married, with real desk jobs and houses of their own, and you're still working a dead-end job and chasing the dream, while serial-dating like you're still in college, ...more
3.5 stars. I found this to be an uneven novel. Lily King won a bunch of awards for her book Euphoria, which I downloaded a long time ago but never read. Now I’m not sure that I want to read it. Other people have rated the writing of this novel as wonderful, but I’m not impressed except with how she described one of the men wooing her—he’s a successful writer/widower/father of two who, like so many people, can only see what he doesn’t have and what he hasn’t achieved as he compares himself to
...more
Boston University Bridge, connecting Boston to Cambridge, referred to as the BU Bridge, is mentioned many times throughout “Writers & Lovers”.
Casey Kasem, rides her banana seat bike over the BU bridge to and from work. Each time Casey crosses the bridge — it feels like a monumental moment —symbolic—
a life in transition….a new start….hope for connection and stability.
As she pedaled across the BU Bridge, often at dusk, I got the feeling it was where Casey measured her healing, her strength… ...more
Casey Kasem, rides her banana seat bike over the BU bridge to and from work. Each time Casey crosses the bridge — it feels like a monumental moment —symbolic—
a life in transition….a new start….hope for connection and stability.
As she pedaled across the BU Bridge, often at dusk, I got the feeling it was where Casey measured her healing, her strength… ...more
My first 5 stars in 2020 and only five days in! Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for the advance copy.
I absolutely loved this book. It is nothing like Euphoria, which I also loved, except maybe the connection to authors and writing. If Lily King wants to make up more stories about writers and writing, what happens in their every day lives, their families, their grief over loss, I will be first in line for my copy. I loved the story of 31 year old Casey Peabody, $70,000 in debt from college, ...more
I absolutely loved this book. It is nothing like Euphoria, which I also loved, except maybe the connection to authors and writing. If Lily King wants to make up more stories about writers and writing, what happens in their every day lives, their families, their grief over loss, I will be first in line for my copy. I loved the story of 31 year old Casey Peabody, $70,000 in debt from college, ...more
A tight, riveting and intimate drama of a woman struggling with the debt, love and the death of her mother.
SUMMARY
Casey Peabody gets up early every morning to work on her novel, while trying not to think about her huge college loan debt, love, or her mother’s death while vacationing in Chile last winter. Casey lives in Boston in an old potting shed that smells of mold and decaying leaves. She get a discount on her rent by walking her landlord’s dog. She’s thirty-one and rides an old banana bike ...more
SUMMARY
Casey Peabody gets up early every morning to work on her novel, while trying not to think about her huge college loan debt, love, or her mother’s death while vacationing in Chile last winter. Casey lives in Boston in an old potting shed that smells of mold and decaying leaves. She get a discount on her rent by walking her landlord’s dog. She’s thirty-one and rides an old banana bike ...more
Feb 07, 2020
Linda
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
net-galley,
fiction
It's not just about "that".
It's about everything.....
Lily King presents the character of Casey Camila Peabody in hues of once bright colors that have faded over time. Casey is the product of faulty decisions of her own making aligned with those of the people residing within her circle of family, friend and foe. She's adrift in a sea of could haves, should haves, and never haves.
It's 1997 in Boston and 31 year old Casey peddles her banana bike that creaks to the rhythm of things left to rust and ...more
It's about everything.....
Lily King presents the character of Casey Camila Peabody in hues of once bright colors that have faded over time. Casey is the product of faulty decisions of her own making aligned with those of the people residing within her circle of family, friend and foe. She's adrift in a sea of could haves, should haves, and never haves.
It's 1997 in Boston and 31 year old Casey peddles her banana bike that creaks to the rhythm of things left to rust and ...more
Loved Euphoria and author Lily King has done it again with Writers & Lovers. We follow Casey, a writer, on a journey to find herself. “I am 31, and $73,000 in debt. I’ve moved 11 times, had 17 jobs and several relationships that didn’t work out. I’ve been estranged from my father since 12th grade, and earlier this year my mother died... What has been constant and steady in my life is the novel I’ve been writing. This is been my home, the place I could always retreat to. The place I could
...more
WRITERS & LOVERS
BY LILY KING
I have always thought Lily King was an extremely talented writer. I discovered her back in 1999 or 2000 when she published her first book called, "THE PLEASING HOUR." I loved that book so much which is about a young girl who joins a family on a houseboat to work for them. She gets involved with the husband which creates a kind of love triangle in which the wife who hired her has a very strong personality. I became a fan of her ability to create literary fiction ...more
BY LILY KING
I have always thought Lily King was an extremely talented writer. I discovered her back in 1999 or 2000 when she published her first book called, "THE PLEASING HOUR." I loved that book so much which is about a young girl who joins a family on a houseboat to work for them. She gets involved with the husband which creates a kind of love triangle in which the wife who hired her has a very strong personality. I became a fan of her ability to create literary fiction ...more
DNF at 20%
...the guy happens to be Spanish so yes, of course he smells like Europe. Us Europeans have a very distinctive smell...
I just wander what this type of pointless description is trying to achieve.
Unsurprisingly, I've come to conclusion that this book is not for me.
Not only did I dislike the writing style but I found the story to be both trivial and banal. The narrative tries, and fails, to come across as a subversive story that follows the ...more
“When he kissed me he smelled like Europe”
...the guy happens to be Spanish so yes, of course he smells like Europe. Us Europeans have a very distinctive smell...
I just wander what this type of pointless description is trying to achieve.
Unsurprisingly, I've come to conclusion that this book is not for me.
Not only did I dislike the writing style but I found the story to be both trivial and banal. The narrative tries, and fails, to come across as a subversive story that follows the ...more
Lily King is an intrepid writer who has taken me to amazing places—to the jungle of New Guinea to explore South Pacific tribes in Euphoria and to an upscale New England suburb to explore the emotional complexities of a toxic father/daughter relationship in Father of the Rain.
In Writers & Lovers, she sets her sights lower, focusing on a young unpublished writer named Casey who is at a pivotal moment in time: her mother has recently died, her student debts are weighing her down, her writing is ...more
I love Lily King. In this novel, Casey is a server at a high end restaurant which is so spot on I dreamed about my own experience waiting tables in college. Cast is also an aspiring writer with an interesting and heartfelt synopsis centered around a character based on her recently deceased mother. She is looking for love and we get to experience the early doubt and witty dialogue of new relationships. Her take on other writers, her art, her debt, are just a few of what makes this character grow.
...more
I’m attracted to novels about writers, and I enjoy the mysterious lure in fiction toward the possibility that some of the book may have autobiographical threads. In WRITERS AND LOVERS, Lily King’s fifth novel, the story centers on Casey, a 31 year-old single woman and waitress living in Boston trying to finish her first novel, a six-year project so far.
It’s 1997, and Casey is drowning in debt from school loans. Her mother has recently died, and she tries to hide her exhausting grief. ...more
It’s 1997, and Casey is drowning in debt from school loans. Her mother has recently died, and she tries to hide her exhausting grief. ...more
I was excited to receive Lily King's new novel, "Writers & Lovers" (coming March 2020) from the publisher, and only intended to "peek" at the first few pages, but immediately found myself as if on the back of a bike going fast - not in control and thoroughly engaged! I sped through this novel on my day off, and then didn’t want it to end. (It’s been the same with all her wonderful novels.)
When we first encounter Casey, the driver of this novel, it is 1997, her mother has recently and ...more
When we first encounter Casey, the driver of this novel, it is 1997, her mother has recently and ...more
Far from the masterpiece of King's previous novel, Euphoria. Unfortunately, the protagonist's journey is deeply internal. The stops she traverses on her path are important for her but not totally captivating for the reader.
Ultimately, it's a sweet story of artistic triumph that reads like a piece of autofiction. "Sweet" story is hardly complimentary, however, when I remember the depths plunged by King in Euphoria. I can see how this novel might be meaningful to its author, but I don't see it ...more
Ultimately, it's a sweet story of artistic triumph that reads like a piece of autofiction. "Sweet" story is hardly complimentary, however, when I remember the depths plunged by King in Euphoria. I can see how this novel might be meaningful to its author, but I don't see it ...more
Following the sudden death of her mother, Casey finds herself in Massachusetts.
She dedicates her mornings to working on her novel that has been in the works for six years. The restaurant shifts allow her to remain distracted enough that she doesn't have to focus on the loss of her mother and inspires her writing. One day, a well-known author is seated in her section and Casey quickly finds herself in love with two different authors, and on the edge of a big break that she may not be able to ...more
She dedicates her mornings to working on her novel that has been in the works for six years. The restaurant shifts allow her to remain distracted enough that she doesn't have to focus on the loss of her mother and inspires her writing. One day, a well-known author is seated in her section and Casey quickly finds herself in love with two different authors, and on the edge of a big break that she may not be able to ...more
“Writers & Lovers” by Lily King is a thoroughly enjoyable and well-written book, with relatable characters that will stay with me long after I finished the last page. It is the story of Casey, a struggling novelist who is working as a waitress to make ends meet, while also trying to come to terms with the sudden death of her mother. From the very first page, I was invested in Casey’s story and I read this short book very quickly because I could not put it down. I enjoyed reading about Casey’
...more
“Writers & Lovers” by Lily King is a thoroughly enjoyable and well-written book, with relatable characters that will stay with me long after I finished the last page. It is the story of Casey, a struggling novelist who is working as a waitress to make ends meet, while also trying to come to terms with the sudden death of her mother. From the very first page, I was invested in Casey’s story and I read this short book very quickly because I could not put it down. I enjoyed reading about Casey’
...more
I like books about writers and about women trying to survive male egos and grief and motherly abandonment, but this was on so much more intimate a canvas, so much slighter in terms of themes than Euphoria, that I was inevitably somewhat disappointed.
I really enjoyed this story. From the very beginning I was intrigued while she was walking the dog and intimating the owner.
The title is so superficial while there is sooo much introspection in the story. Dealing with grief is never easy but this story definitely spoke to me. The writing was spot on. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
The title is so superficial while there is sooo much introspection in the story. Dealing with grief is never easy but this story definitely spoke to me. The writing was spot on. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
3.5 {not quite up to par with Euphoria and Father of the Rain, which were both 4* for me] This is a tough one as I found the book quite uneven--read or not? Very slow to get into, but then momentum picked up--about halfway through. And, for me, a disappointing ending.
Casey has a debt-ridden life as waitress at a high-end restaurant while trying to make it as a struggling writer. She is challenged by relationships--especially with her mother--whose sudden death leaves a huge void and unanswered ...more
Casey has a debt-ridden life as waitress at a high-end restaurant while trying to make it as a struggling writer. She is challenged by relationships--especially with her mother--whose sudden death leaves a huge void and unanswered ...more
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 [not quite up to par with Euphoria and Father of the Rain, which were both 4* for me] This is a tough one as I found the book quite uneven--read or not? Very slow to get into, but then momentum picked up--about halfway through. And, for me, a disappointing ending.
Casey has a debt-ridden life as waitress at a high-end restaurant while trying to make it as a struggling writer. She is challenged by relationships--especially ...more
3.5 [not quite up to par with Euphoria and Father of the Rain, which were both 4* for me] This is a tough one as I found the book quite uneven--read or not? Very slow to get into, but then momentum picked up--about halfway through. And, for me, a disappointing ending.
Casey has a debt-ridden life as waitress at a high-end restaurant while trying to make it as a struggling writer. She is challenged by relationships--especially ...more
Wow. I was completely blown away by this book. The austerity of the writing makes it feel raw and real and just breathtaking; I think when you get the flowery adjectives out of the way and just let the story flow, you end up with something so close to the real human experience, so vulnerable and so resonant that it will stay with you always.
So anyway, by way of Synopsis; Casey’s life is a tangle of anxiety, debt and grief. She’s lost her mother, she’s been ghosted by her boyfriend, she’s being ...more
So anyway, by way of Synopsis; Casey’s life is a tangle of anxiety, debt and grief. She’s lost her mother, she’s been ghosted by her boyfriend, she’s being ...more
Jan 14, 2020
Diana
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
literary-fiction,
coming-of-age,
romance,
writers,
mother-daughter,
sex,
grief,
bad-fathers,
artists,
family
Hey, I was over 30 when I had my coming-of-age story, too.
I wanted to read this because I loved this author's Euphoria so much. I liked this quite a bit, too, but it's a very different book, less fever-dream, more realistic contemporary fiction. I really connected to the main character and I loved the way she and the other characters talked with each other. I also loved all the little details, of waitressing, geese, memories of her mother.
Casey is going through some things- the death of a ...more
I wanted to read this because I loved this author's Euphoria so much. I liked this quite a bit, too, but it's a very different book, less fever-dream, more realistic contemporary fiction. I really connected to the main character and I loved the way she and the other characters talked with each other. I also loved all the little details, of waitressing, geese, memories of her mother.
Casey is going through some things- the death of a ...more
Starting this review by saying: I loved this book!
This story has the making of everything I would like - an aspiring 31 year old writer who works at a restaurant in Cambridge, MA in the 1990's, trying to complete her first novel while grappling to make sense of her mother's sudden death. It was executed perfectly! I loved the main character, I loved its witty tone, I loved the restaurant scene depictions (you'll appreciate the lingo if you've worked in a restaurant before), and the depictions of ...more
This story has the making of everything I would like - an aspiring 31 year old writer who works at a restaurant in Cambridge, MA in the 1990's, trying to complete her first novel while grappling to make sense of her mother's sudden death. It was executed perfectly! I loved the main character, I loved its witty tone, I loved the restaurant scene depictions (you'll appreciate the lingo if you've worked in a restaurant before), and the depictions of ...more
1997, Boston: Casey, 31, is loaded with heavy student loan debt and grief over her mom's death. She writes every day, bikes to her waitressing job, has self-doubts about making it as a writer, and starts dating two guys.
The forty-five year-old love interest sounded promising (he's successful and looks like Kevin Costner), but when he gives her a present on their third date, it's a brand-new shiny bike helmet. Ugh. (Worst "present" ever). Yet this book is not about the search for a guy or for ...more
The forty-five year-old love interest sounded promising (he's successful and looks like Kevin Costner), but when he gives her a present on their third date, it's a brand-new shiny bike helmet. Ugh. (Worst "present" ever). Yet this book is not about the search for a guy or for ...more
In her new novel 'Writers & Lovers' which will be released in the beginning of March by Grove Atlantic in the US, Lily King gives us a coming-of-age novel with a character who is already 31 years old.
The year is 1997. Casey Peabody has been working for six years on her debut novel when she has to deal with her mother's death, a breakup love story and huge debts. She is working as a waitress in a restaurant in Boston (Maine) and deals also with anxiety issues. 'Torn Between Two Lovers' (the ...more
The year is 1997. Casey Peabody has been working for six years on her debut novel when she has to deal with her mother's death, a breakup love story and huge debts. She is working as a waitress in a restaurant in Boston (Maine) and deals also with anxiety issues. 'Torn Between Two Lovers' (the ...more
I won a copy of this book through an author contest. It followed Casey, a complicated, depressed and chaotic woman who had great difficulty getting her life in order. Who can’t relate to that? I ended up adoring Casey and wanted to story to go on. I loved the ending! Great book!
So. This was right up my alley: first-person, realistic, by a woman, and *about a writer*. I hadn't read Lily King before (I think I considered Euphoria, but I no longer adore historical fiction), and a friend sent me this galley copy. I am very grateful he did, because -- good news! -- I couldn't stop reading it. I felt very 'in' the book, in a way I rarely feel 'in' books anymore, since childhood.
At the same time, the language was also very 'obvious,' and the descriptions were, at times, very ...more
At the same time, the language was also very 'obvious,' and the descriptions were, at times, very ...more
YES YES YES!
Lovely story
Young woman finding her way in the world after her mother’s unexpected death
Writing her novel becomes an anchor for her in a very turbulent world
Young woman finding her way in the world after her mother’s unexpected death
Writing her novel becomes an anchor for her in a very turbulent world
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Lily King grew up in Massachusetts and received her B.A. in English Literature from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her M.A. in Creative Writing from Syracuse University. She has taught English and Creative Writing at several universities and high schools in this country and abroad. Lily's new novel, Euphoria, was released in June 2014. It has drawn significant acclaim so far,
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