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katepowellshine's review against another edition
3.0
It was exciting to discover a new L'Engle book, but I can see why it wasn't published during her lifetime. Enjoyable, but certainly not her best.
erinknocke's review against another edition
5.0
Madeleine L'Engle was one of my favorite authors growing up. I saw this book in a discount book store, never having heard of it.
It is a fast, simple read. It rang true with real, authentic life. I feel that I get the most out of books like this. This, to me, means that parts dragged, there was a good mix of positive and negative things happening to the characters as such is life, and the characters had actual conversations. Love starts off sweet, but doesn't always last.
This wasn't an action-packed, dramatic mess. It actually only covers four days of Liz's summer adventure at the theatre. L'Engle invites you into the characters lives. The book isn't the entirety of their lives.
You can always spot one of L'Engle's "villains" from a mile away. Kurt is no exception. But in this book, the characters question why people are the way they are. There is a beautiful conversation between Liz and Ditta. The whole conversation is genius. But they talk about Kurt and Liz. They talk about why Kurt is the way he is. And even though it doesn't excuse the way he acts, you understand him. He is brought to a human level, for the reader and Liz. A lesson we should all take to heart. No one is a jerk for no reason.
Ben is also one those characters that I would want to meet in real life, fall in love with, and live out a life with. He's unique, full of personality, talent, awkwardness, self-awareness, etc. The list could go on. If L'Engle was alive today, I would beg her to write out Ben and Liz's story. Any girl would love to be loved with such assuredness and humor.
It is a fast, simple read. It rang true with real, authentic life. I feel that I get the most out of books like this. This, to me, means that parts dragged, there was a good mix of positive and negative things happening to the characters as such is life, and the characters had actual conversations. Love starts off sweet, but doesn't always last.
This wasn't an action-packed, dramatic mess. It actually only covers four days of Liz's summer adventure at the theatre. L'Engle invites you into the characters lives. The book isn't the entirety of their lives.
You can always spot one of L'Engle's "villains" from a mile away. Kurt is no exception. But in this book, the characters question why people are the way they are. There is a beautiful conversation between Liz and Ditta. The whole conversation is genius. But they talk about Kurt and Liz. They talk about why Kurt is the way he is. And even though it doesn't excuse the way he acts, you understand him. He is brought to a human level, for the reader and Liz. A lesson we should all take to heart. No one is a jerk for no reason.
Ben is also one those characters that I would want to meet in real life, fall in love with, and live out a life with. He's unique, full of personality, talent, awkwardness, self-awareness, etc. The list could go on. If L'Engle was alive today, I would beg her to write out Ben and Liz's story. Any girl would love to be loved with such assuredness and humor.
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
3.0
An enjoyable read, with a lot of the L'Engle hallmarks of tone and character and earnestness, but without much in the way of magic. I don't mean magic like A Wrinkle in Time, but magic like it had that spark, or really caught my imagination. Still, if you love L'Engle's style, or stories about the theater, or mildly old-fashioned YA, I'd recommend it for a quick read. I really liked the character of Elizabeth, except she made me feel like a grown-up because I wanted to shout "trouble!" every time a certain character walked onto the page. I like a bit more ambiguity in my 'villains' - it makes it more fun if you could imagine the story going either way, even though you know what will happen.
eupomene's review against another edition
3.0
A never-published expanded short story written by my favorite author in her earlier days. One can see why it was not published. Compared to her other work it's really not all that well done. There are moments and flashes of her mature writing, and some names and experiences that L'Engle fans will catch, rather like inside jokes -- those are fun (such as the actress named Sarah Courtmont), but truly this is only for the major fan. Theater folks might enjoy it too, as it is a tale of summer stock and will ring true, based as it is on L'Engle's on experiences in the theater.
Still, I grieve for a lost favorite author and it was wonderful to have this to look forward to.
Still, I grieve for a lost favorite author and it was wonderful to have this to look forward to.
eveeb's review against another edition
3.0
A quaint and simple read.
It was nice to revisit Madeleine L'Engle...and this book really does read like a slice of time, carefully preserved on paper....but compared to the works she is most famously known for, the story itself is rather simplistic.
That being said L'Engle has a gift of imparting an incredible sense of realism to her characters that it impossible to beat......
It was nice to revisit Madeleine L'Engle...and this book really does read like a slice of time, carefully preserved on paper....but compared to the works she is most famously known for, the story itself is rather simplistic.
That being said L'Engle has a gift of imparting an incredible sense of realism to her characters that it impossible to beat......
ralovesbooks's review against another edition
2.0
Would recommend: Ehhh...
I am a huge fan of Madeleine L'Engle. I collect her books, and I have high expectations for what I should get out of them. The Joys of Love was just okay for me. The characters were lovely, and I was eager to find out what happened to them, but it wasn't as good as her other books are.
I had a dim view going into it because it was published posthumously; I couldn't shake the feeling that if Madeleine L'Engle wanted it to be published during her successful, prolific career, why wouldn't she? Maybe she didn't want it to be published, you know? There was a slim chance in my mind that it would be brilliant, the previously undiscovered work of hers, but that was not the case.
The book is pleasant enough, but there are so many other books of hers that I'd recommend before this one.
I am a huge fan of Madeleine L'Engle. I collect her books, and I have high expectations for what I should get out of them. The Joys of Love was just okay for me. The characters were lovely, and I was eager to find out what happened to them, but it wasn't as good as her other books are.
I had a dim view going into it because it was published posthumously; I couldn't shake the feeling that if Madeleine L'Engle wanted it to be published during her successful, prolific career, why wouldn't she? Maybe she didn't want it to be published, you know? There was a slim chance in my mind that it would be brilliant, the previously undiscovered work of hers, but that was not the case.
The book is pleasant enough, but there are so many other books of hers that I'd recommend before this one.
benwyman's review against another edition
5.0
Sweet and romantic, this is L'Engle at her most simple and evocative. It holes up in one quiet summer with a small-time theater company, as L'Engle remembers the close of her youth on the bright shores of a New England summer beach.
kailey_luminouslibro's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed reading this book! L'Engle has such a unique writing style; she can take a side-character with a toothache, and make their toothache be a philosophical commentary on the fantasy vs. reality of emotional entanglements, weaving it so perfectly into the storyline that you barely realize she's doing it. As always, brilliant writing!
The setting is a 1940s summer theater company where Elizabeth is an apprentice, learning to act. She has a crush on the young director, Kurt, but is best friends with the assistant stage manager, Ben. Love triangle goodness ensues.
I think if I were at all interested in acting or the theater, I would have enjoyed this book much more. I liked the plot and the characters, but it didn't deeply appeal to me as some of L'Engle's other books have done.
I really liked the character of Elizabeth, because she makes mistakes and says the wrong thing, but then she owns it and apologizes. I wish she had more backbone, but when it really counted, she showed her mettle finely!
I hated Kurt so much! He's so manipulative, and I wanted to scream at Elizabeth, "Don't you see?! He's manipulating you! He's a selfish jerk!" Agh.
I think Ben was the most interesting character in the whole book. He's always teasing everyone, but never mean-spirited. He seems to vacillate between pride and humility, and I love how he's always trying to take care of everyone. He's a little bossy, and I think he gets frustrated with people who are being stupid, but then he has pity on them too. Figuring him out was the best part of the book! He's a complex person.
The plot moves pretty slowly, focusing on the small but important things of everyday life that end up changing the big events in life. The way L'Engle writes it, it suddenly becomes very important whether or not someone eats icecream or goes for a walk, because somehow that will affect their decision to play MacBeth or love someone new or make an enemy of a friend. It all ties together in a big jumble with strings of everyone's choices affecting everyone else.
Of course, I adore L'Engle's books, and this YA romance is a good one!
The setting is a 1940s summer theater company where Elizabeth is an apprentice, learning to act. She has a crush on the young director, Kurt, but is best friends with the assistant stage manager, Ben. Love triangle goodness ensues.
I think if I were at all interested in acting or the theater, I would have enjoyed this book much more. I liked the plot and the characters, but it didn't deeply appeal to me as some of L'Engle's other books have done.
I really liked the character of Elizabeth, because she makes mistakes and says the wrong thing, but then she owns it and apologizes. I wish she had more backbone, but when it really counted, she showed her mettle finely!
I hated Kurt so much! He's so manipulative, and I wanted to scream at Elizabeth, "Don't you see?! He's manipulating you! He's a selfish jerk!" Agh.
I think Ben was the most interesting character in the whole book. He's always teasing everyone, but never mean-spirited. He seems to vacillate between pride and humility, and I love how he's always trying to take care of everyone. He's a little bossy, and I think he gets frustrated with people who are being stupid, but then he has pity on them too. Figuring him out was the best part of the book! He's a complex person.
The plot moves pretty slowly, focusing on the small but important things of everyday life that end up changing the big events in life. The way L'Engle writes it, it suddenly becomes very important whether or not someone eats icecream or goes for a walk, because somehow that will affect their decision to play MacBeth or love someone new or make an enemy of a friend. It all ties together in a big jumble with strings of everyone's choices affecting everyone else.
Of course, I adore L'Engle's books, and this YA romance is a good one!
readingwithsammi's review against another edition
3.0
“But my memories are like a fire in winter—whenever I'm cold I can warm my hands at them."
I really don't have too much to say on this story - it was sweet but certainly didn't feel fresh. I knew from reading L'Engle when I was younger that this would probably be a Young Adult / juvenile read but I was surprised as I was reading it that it felt a little bit more mature. That's not to say it didn't have YA elements but the plot and setting at least wasn't as much. I almost didn't buy it but the premise of it being set at Summer Stock (theater) in 1940's New York was too much my style to resist.
The main character was especially naive for being like 23 and out of college and a lot of the characters felt too cliche (i.e. the girl next door that doesn't know how pretty she is, the blonde rich b*tch, the scummy older love interest etc.). The plot felt kind of one dimensional as well. Some of this of course goes back to this being written for younger reads and the fact that this was one of L'Engle's earlier works that she never published (published post-mortum).
All in all - it was okay, and I'm not upset I've read it but it's not too memorable.
I really don't have too much to say on this story - it was sweet but certainly didn't feel fresh. I knew from reading L'Engle when I was younger that this would probably be a Young Adult / juvenile read but I was surprised as I was reading it that it felt a little bit more mature. That's not to say it didn't have YA elements but the plot and setting at least wasn't as much. I almost didn't buy it but the premise of it being set at Summer Stock (theater) in 1940's New York was too much my style to resist.
The main character was especially naive for being like 23 and out of college and a lot of the characters felt too cliche (i.e. the girl next door that doesn't know how pretty she is, the blonde rich b*tch, the scummy older love interest etc.). The plot felt kind of one dimensional as well. Some of this of course goes back to this being written for younger reads and the fact that this was one of L'Engle's earlier works that she never published (published post-mortum).
All in all - it was okay, and I'm not upset I've read it but it's not too memorable.