Reviews

The Group by Mary McCarthy

juliacecil's review against another edition

4.0

i really liked this book. very dramatic in a daytime soap kind of way.

katiehartsreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

pddkny's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

morenowagain's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Grief, Toxic friendship, War, and Classism

Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, Excrement, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, and War

ggwillmott's review

funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, and Gaslighting

Minor: Homophobia

steve_sanders's review against another edition

4.0

Could have been a masterpiece at 400 pages. At 500 pages, the narrative loses momentum, especially in the second half. But the things that work here are rendered beautifully.

_sarah_reads_'s review against another edition

4.0

I didn't want to stop reading this book.. The frank discussion of sex and love and marriage and motherhood was interesting, but the fact that this was published in the 1930s blows my mind. I found the female characters engrossing. I wish I knew more about the clothing and decorating of the time so that I could imagine the details more accurately.

elliemcc11's review against another edition

2.0

I took this book out of the library and thought I would really like it but made it to 100 pages and didn't really enjoy the read. I actually found the text slightly difficult to follow. I'm not sure whether it's the mix of 7 main characters or just the writing style. Maybe it's a book I have to return to at a different time in my life...

ieemee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I full understand why this book was revolutionary when it was written but it could do with some Trigger Warnings - it has some toxic notions around womenhood, motherhood, mental health , and about Sexual assault& is homophobic - I read it since it was pivotal and is on the Rory Gilmore book list  & went in blind - I won’t be recommending it to friends. The book shatters that notion of step-ford house wife  & speaks to the true Zeitgeist of historical womanhood and for that reason I decided to rate a 3. It’s good to know  what people are talking about when referring to this book. It definitely was a predecessor to a sex & city type novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Medical trauma, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism and Torture

jsheldonsherman's review against another edition

3.0

Spoiler

I liked this book, although I skimmed much of it. It was intersting about a group of women who all graduated from a girls' college together. It followed their lives in New York and other places and ha da lot to do with social scenes and money. It was very hard to follow because there were so many characters. I probably would not read again.