Seating Arrangements
Paperback Published on: 04/07/2013
Price: £9.99
Synopsis
The New York Times bestselling author of Great Circle
‘Joyously good’ DAILY MAIL
‘A ferociously clever comedy of manners’ GUARDIAN
‘A wise, sophisticated and funny novel about family, fidelity, class and crisis’ MARIE CLAIRE
‘A well-observed, hilarious, yet moving novel’ WOMAN & HOME
New York Times bestseller and winner of the 2012 Dylan Thomas Prize and 2012 L.A. Times First Novel Prize
The Van Meters have gathered at their family retreat on the New England island of Waskeke to celebrate the marriage of daughter Daphne to an impeccably appropriate young man. The weekend is full of lobster and champagne, salt air and practiced bonhomie, but long-buried discontent and simmering lust seep through the cracks in the revelry.
Winn Van Meter, father-of-the-bride, has spent his life following the rules of the east coast upper crust, but now, just shy of his sixtieth birthday, he must finally confront his failings, his desires, and his own humanity…
‘Maggie Shipstead is a hugely talented young writer – definitely one to watch’ GRAZIA
‘Distinctive and dazzling … The world has found a remarkable, humane new voice to explain us to ourselves’ Allison Pearson
Publisher information
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
- ISBN: 9780007467730
- Number of pages: 432
- Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 27 mm
- Weight: 300g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
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Disappointing
I found this book really difficult to read. The story line is not a page turner, i found my-self picking it up only to get bored after a few pages and put ... READ MORE
So Boring!
I am sorry to say that sadly I couldn't get passed page 48 and I did try several times! I really could not get into this novel. The characters for me were ... READ MORE
Swimming with characters
Only got up to page 109, just couldn't get into it, so many characters at the start it was hard to remember them all, not a book that I felt I couldn't put... READ MORE
Loved it. It's funny and insightful
Sometimes this book made me laugh out loud, sometimes it made me cringe as Winn Van Meter seems to go through a full mid-life crisis in one weekend. As his... READ MORE
Family life beautifully observed...
I loved this debut novel by Maggie Shipstead and a book that genuinely had me laughing out loud at the travails of this very American family. Ostensibly an... READ MORE
Easy summer read
I really enjoyed this book. It is easy to follow, funny in parts and often thought provoking. It takes you on a leisurely stroll through the family dynamic... READ MORE
A struggle
I found this book quite a struggle. The idea of the story was good and could have been brilliant, however I didn't feel that there was enough backbone to i... READ MORE
One to miss
Seating arrangements is set on an island in New England and follows the Van Meters on the weekend of daughter Daphne’s wedding. Patriarch Winn, is a social... READ MORE
Engaging
From the very start of this book, I was drawn into the world of the characters and the imminent family wedding. This book is not about the wedding though, ... READ MORE
Worth a Read
This family saga had a sense of doom from the start and while I couldn't really relate to the characters, setting or the traumas in the book I did want to ... READ MORE
Disappointing
I was excited to start this book, however I was really disappointed. It focused on probably the most boring character and although delved into the other ch... READ MORE
EXCELLENT FIRST NOVEL
I found this to be a very enjoyable read indeed. The main character and head of the family is Winn Van Meter whose main aim in life appears to be his despe... READ MORE
Overall a good summer read
Entertaining from the start, this book narrates a very good, easy reading and easy to follow story. The characters are well introduced and developed throug... READ MORE
Summer reading?
This book was a lucky dip review copy.
That said, let us approach the book: the cover is colourful but not in a brash way that would have me put it back a... READ MORE
Seating Arrangements
An enjoyable read, there were moments of humour but mostly I just felt sad for the main character whose life seemed to be falling apart. A good holiday rea... READ MORE
Entertaining light read!
Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead was the first book I have read from this author and I really enjoyed it.
It`s a run up to Daphne`s wedding. The wh... READ MORE
Mixed feelings
This is a contained story, giving the reader time to look at the lives of a number of characters over a short time-span i.e. the last few days of preparati... READ MORE
entertaining
Winn Van Meter arrives at his family retreat on the New England Island of Weskeke to his wife two daughters Daphne and his youngest daughter Livia and a ho... READ MORE
Not for me
I wanted to enjoy this book but I just didn't. I felt no emotion towards these characters. I had to give up and this is rare to not finish a book. I found ... READ MORE
A mildly entertaining glimpse
Seating Arrangements follows the story of a slightly disfunctional family as they prepare for a wedding. It provides a mildly entertaining if somewhat sad ... READ MORE
Seating Arrangements
Set in America's New England and featuring a class of people that would be equivalent to the British upper class, this was a gentle look into the lives and... READ MORE
Boring, predictable, nothing happens
Seating arrangements is a cosy tale of the week or so leading up to one girl's marriage, during which time her father tries to come to terms with the chang... READ MORE
A nice easy read for fans of chick lit
This book covers a three day period following Winn Van Meter in the run up to the wedding of his daughter Daphne. It shows the effects of the wedding on a... READ MORE
I wanted more of a laugh
Just read Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead. Good story line but could have been improved with a bit more humour. The father of the bride was simply... READ MORE
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