Scan barcode
humito's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
ladyreading365's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
lauriestein's review
4.0
A monumental work of social history. The reader really sees a generation form and manifest itself. I wish I had read this before its 90s doppelganger A Fortunate Age but the constant doubling and tracking backwards added an interesting liminality to the experience.
sjgrodsky's review
4.0
Read for the third or fourth time. Some holes in the narrative but the book still stands up, 62 years after first publication.
bboduffy's review
4.0
Loved the Group's social dynamic and the way in which the themes of 20-something-ness resonate from the 1930's to the 2010's. It is also interesting to situate oneself within the geographic proximity of the text's cosmopolitan island.
ifyouhappentoremember's review against another edition
3.0
This book stinks of the early 1960s. You have a lot of issues that the Second-Wave of Feminism and Betty Friedan's work [b: The Feminine Mystique|17573685|The Feminine Mystique|Betty Friedan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1377019820l/17573685._SX50_.jpg|809732] were discussing. As Friedan put it, "the problem that has no name", meaning the dissatisfaction that women feel in their lives (read: white, upper-middle-class and well-educated) due to the rigid constraints a sexist society has put on them, has been the subject of countless works. The Group is one of the earliest works in that canon and because of it, it has a reputation as being a classic, more specifically a feminist classic (something that's a little bit ironic as I don't think McCarthy considered herself to be a feminist as defined by the second-wave). Controversial in its day with explicit sex scenes, discussion about birth control, and lesbianism, The Group had a massive cultural impact. I don't deny the impact this book has had, but I struggled reading it. It borders between being very mediocre and bad.
The biggest mistake was having 8 members of the group. There was no way McCarthy could have fleshed out every single character or have had a compelling arc for each of them - and she does not do that. Four girls get any kind of story and character development but it's in the broadest possible terms. Only one girl, Kay, gets a full arc, although I would not say she is a fully realized character. Kay is the embodiment of the trope of the promising young woman failing miserably. The members of The Group who barely have any plot purpose are simply reduced to stock character roles (RIP to Pokey who is the rich, chubby girl of The Group, and to Lakey who is the beautiful, mysterious lesbian of The Group).
Additionally, the book starts out very slow. The first 100 pages are unbearable to get through. I slowly started to tolerate the book (although it may have been the Stockholm Syndrome talking). I am glad I read it if only to get some historical context. However, Mary McCarthy has not endeared herself to me as a writer. I am very hesitant to pick up another work of hers in the future.
The biggest mistake was having 8 members of the group. There was no way McCarthy could have fleshed out every single character or have had a compelling arc for each of them - and she does not do that. Four girls get any kind of story and character development but it's in the broadest possible terms. Only one girl, Kay, gets a full arc, although I would not say she is a fully realized character. Kay is the embodiment of the trope of the promising young woman failing miserably. The members of The Group who barely have any plot purpose are simply reduced to stock character roles (RIP to Pokey who is the rich, chubby girl of The Group, and to Lakey who is the beautiful, mysterious lesbian of The Group).
Additionally, the book starts out very slow. The first 100 pages are unbearable to get through. I slowly started to tolerate the book (although it may have been the Stockholm Syndrome talking). I am glad I read it if only to get some historical context. However, Mary McCarthy has not endeared herself to me as a writer. I am very hesitant to pick up another work of hers in the future.
chipie's review
3.0
Slightly uneven, some characters got more airtime,somehow it didn't come together for me. Writing style was slightly arch...
thisisleila's review
4.0
Though written in the 60s and set in the 30s, the stories of eight young college graduates remains surprisingly relevant. As much as the similarities struck me, the dramatic differences between our worlds were just as interesting. Each one of the eight women has a fully developed personality and life, and feels like a real person, an challenging and admirable accomplishment
suzemo's review
3.0
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The Group is (apparently, I missed the memo) one of those famous/great literary works that I really should have read at some point. But at least I got to it in my lifetime. It's also not a book I would have picked up on my own without having a book club nudging me to do it, and for that, I'm grateful.
Mary McCarthy was (again, apparently? I'm just learning this stuff) a literary critic and had quite the reputation for her strong and cutting opinions. This book is largely based on people she knew, having graduated from Vassar, herself, in 1933.
The Group is about a group of Vassar graduates from 1933 and covered a period from graduation to the death of one of the classmates. Among the way, you get to see what life was like in the 30s and 40s, through the lives of rather privileged, white women. A lot of the things they had to deal with like being defined by the men in their lives, birth control, child rearing, sexism in the work place, still hold true today, which is really, really sad. However and but and but, I had a very hard time relating to these women, primarily because they came from a much higher social strata that I've ever lived in (yes, a couple of families did get wiped out during the Great Depression, but they still grew up rich and didn't really struggle much later on), and they are far younger than I am now (not that I would have related well at the age). I did have fun recognizing the shocking! things written about, and learned a new word or three (pessary? who knew?!).
Another issues I had was that McCarthy wasn't able to work with the number of characters she was juggling. I think she would have done better by cutting one or two characters, but having so many at the forefront of different chapters didn't allow her the time to really flesh out everyone.
Which brings me to another issue I had with this book - that it was written very coldly, very clinically, re: social issues, characters, etc. I get that this is McCarthy's style, but it just didn't work well for me. The cold writing is what makes me go back and forth on whether I would consider this feminist writing. Regardless of the author's beliefs/intents, this does show the struggle of women at a particular time in history which lends me to think of feminist issues, however it doesn't feel like a feminist writing/critique to me. I guess mileage varies on this one.
All in all, I'm glad I read it, I'm glad I did a wee bit of research about the book and the author, but I wasn't overwhelmingly in love with it.
The Group is (apparently, I missed the memo) one of those famous/great literary works that I really should have read at some point. But at least I got to it in my lifetime. It's also not a book I would have picked up on my own without having a book club nudging me to do it, and for that, I'm grateful.
Mary McCarthy was (again, apparently? I'm just learning this stuff) a literary critic and had quite the reputation for her strong and cutting opinions. This book is largely based on people she knew, having graduated from Vassar, herself, in 1933.
The Group is about a group of Vassar graduates from 1933 and covered a period from graduation to the death of one of the classmates. Among the way, you get to see what life was like in the 30s and 40s, through the lives of rather privileged, white women. A lot of the things they had to deal with like being defined by the men in their lives, birth control, child rearing, sexism in the work place, still hold true today, which is really, really sad. However and but and but, I had a very hard time relating to these women, primarily because they came from a much higher social strata that I've ever lived in (yes, a couple of families did get wiped out during the Great Depression, but they still grew up rich and didn't really struggle much later on), and they are far younger than I am now (not that I would have related well at the age). I did have fun recognizing the shocking! things written about, and learned a new word or three (pessary? who knew?!).
Another issues I had was that McCarthy wasn't able to work with the number of characters she was juggling. I think she would have done better by cutting one or two characters, but having so many at the forefront of different chapters didn't allow her the time to really flesh out everyone.
Which brings me to another issue I had with this book - that it was written very coldly, very clinically, re: social issues, characters, etc. I get that this is McCarthy's style, but it just didn't work well for me. The cold writing is what makes me go back and forth on whether I would consider this feminist writing. Regardless of the author's beliefs/intents, this does show the struggle of women at a particular time in history which lends me to think of feminist issues, however it doesn't feel like a feminist writing/critique to me. I guess mileage varies on this one.
All in all, I'm glad I read it, I'm glad I did a wee bit of research about the book and the author, but I wasn't overwhelmingly in love with it.
fionac326's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5