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suzemo's review against another edition
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 against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
hannahcrowl's review against another edition
5.0
I love love love this book. Everyone should read it.
notoriousesr's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-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? It's complicated
4.25
“The group,” a collection of eight bright, ambitious, and (relatively) affluent young women, graduates from Vassar in 1933. We follow them as they navigate the tricky world of adulthood, facing bad marriages, mental health crises, economic insecurity, 1930s sexual strictures, and more, all while WWII hums to life in the background.
Remind me to take my friend’s suggestions more often, because honestly? This book was BANGIN’. Okay. We start, and BAM. The first girl we focus on (Dottie) learns what an orgasm is by having a one-night-stand. After that, I knew this book was not playing around. Mary McCarthy truly is a master of the character study. At first, I was like “Uh-oh, eight interchangeable white girls?” But by the time I was a quarter of the way through the book, I could more or less tell them apart instantly. Too many P-names (Priss, Polly, Pokey? help!), but that’s forgivable. I knocked off a star for misleading me about which one would be a lesbian. KIDDING, I actually just think that Lakey’s absence for most of the narrative was a detriment, not a strong point. But overall, 4 out of 5 pessaries.
molly_reads_books's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
dianametzger's review against another edition
4.0
Truly loved this book. Won't lie, I read it bc it was recommended by Lena Dunham. I owe her thanks though bc the book felt super progressive for a book published in the 50s in terms of feminism and female sexuality. I loved the flow of the chapters to each girls' perspective and I thought each character came off as unique and vivid.
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
4.0
A great read, I was interested in seeing what was deemed shocking and too much when it came out in 1963. It's not surprising it's not that shocking for modern readers but a very good and thoughtful read about women lives in the 1930!
lagerlout's review against another edition
4.0
The copy I read of this book had an introduction by [a:Candace Bushnell|4415|Candace Bushnell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1435063350p2/4415.jpg] of [b:Sex and the City|7455|Sex and the City|Candace Bushnell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1344270731l/7455._SY75_.jpg|3297002] fame. It was the perfect person to intro and the perfect headspace to be in to read this bombshell of a novel.
As a Sex and the City tragic I see so much of [b:The Group|387348|The Group|Mary McCarthy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1545419472l/387348._SX50_.jpg|1496165] in the women of Bushnell's New York. They talk frankly and openly about difficult topics of the day. They rally behind each other through difficult marriages, childbirth and divorces. They squabble and bicker with each other, but mostly from a place of love. And most of all, they put up with a litany of the most wretched, self-righteous, vain and spiteful men to ever be put on the page.
What was most refreshing was how modern a book that was published in the late 60s felt more than 50 years later. I can't remember the last time I have read a book that devotes pages and pages to women trying to wrap their heads around the best contraception to use. The discomfort and shame of discussing your sex life with a doctor has not lessened in 50 years. Further pages were dedicated to the pros and cons of breast feeding or bottle feeding and how everyone has an opinion on what women should do with their bodies and how they should be mothers. If anything, the debate around this has only gotten fiercer and more public.
I throughly enjoyed my time with this group of women who were often ill-prepared for the lives they thought they should be leading and I'm so glad women have Mary McCarthy to write bold truths and clever insight into the messy business of being female.
As a Sex and the City tragic I see so much of [b:The Group|387348|The Group|Mary McCarthy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1545419472l/387348._SX50_.jpg|1496165] in the women of Bushnell's New York. They talk frankly and openly about difficult topics of the day. They rally behind each other through difficult marriages, childbirth and divorces. They squabble and bicker with each other, but mostly from a place of love. And most of all, they put up with a litany of the most wretched, self-righteous, vain and spiteful men to ever be put on the page.
What was most refreshing was how modern a book that was published in the late 60s felt more than 50 years later. I can't remember the last time I have read a book that devotes pages and pages to women trying to wrap their heads around the best contraception to use. The discomfort and shame of discussing your sex life with a doctor has not lessened in 50 years. Further pages were dedicated to the pros and cons of breast feeding or bottle feeding and how everyone has an opinion on what women should do with their bodies and how they should be mothers. If anything, the debate around this has only gotten fiercer and more public.
I throughly enjoyed my time with this group of women who were often ill-prepared for the lives they thought they should be leading and I'm so glad women have Mary McCarthy to write bold truths and clever insight into the messy business of being female.
tinokette's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to love this book. I truly did. On paper, it has everything I love in a book: historical fiction, issues facing women and a healthy dose of sordid drama. However, the book became so bogged down in unnecessary and verbose details, that my mind would wander away while I was reading it. I was tempted to red line this book from the first page. At 496 pages, this book could easily have been pared down to a trim 300-350. Maybe it's a result of my impatience but I did not connect with the book.
snickies's review against another edition
4.0
This book made me feel a lot of feelings, most of them depressed ones.