On Saturday, February 1st, the Ladies Who Brunch got together to discuss two books: Is There Still Sex in the City by Candace Bushnell and Let It Snow by Nancy Thayer. Antoinette Carone, Eileen Donovan, Alicja Wesolowska attended, with Jill Wisoff presiding over the meeting. Overall, the group liked the former book but had mixed reactions about the latter. The group concluded that the underlying theme of both books was the romantic notion of finding “prince charming.” That said, the two stories were still different from one another.
Is There Still Sex in the City?
We considered Is There Still Sex in the City? to be an autobiographical “dating book”. The characters in it are an assortment of the author’s friends. We observed that there were too many characters which made the narrative confusing to follow. However, Bushnell’s voice is witty and sarcastic, yet tender in her treatment of the characters. Her style was described as “journalistic.” The book begins with a very funny description of the death of the author’s dog, which leads to a contemplation of other losses, including the break-up of her marriage, sale of her apartment, and her move to a small house in the Hamptons where she connects with other friends who live in the village. The rest is a series of their adventures in their attempts to meet the right man and live happily ever after.
As the story jumps from past to present and back again, the author categorizes the types of men that women meet and comments on what these men may be seeking from women. Some of these adventures are hilarious and some touching. There was some comment on the fact that these capable and accomplished women still felt lonely and in need of male companionship. There was further discussion on the fact that these women felt themselves to be in reduced circumstances, although they clearly could afford houses in the Hamptons. The Ladies concluded that Is There Still Sex in the City? was an enjoyable read — and perhaps, an anthropological study of a social culture. The novel examined the end of one phase of life and the transition into another. It finished with the triumph of the life of one of the author’s friends and even of the author herself.
Let it Snow
Let it Snow, on the other hand is a work of fiction. Some of the group did not like it, considering it escapist. Others however, found it to be a relaxing, curl-up-for-a-cup-of tea, winter read. For my part, I would not have read it had it not been for a club read, but I found I really enjoyed it. Like Is There Still Sex in the City? — Let it Snow is also a romance about finding true love. It takes place in Nantucket at Christmastime. All agreed that Ms. Thayer created a lovely sense of place – life in a small town depicting the rapport among the members of that community. Moreover, her descriptions of the area reveal a deep knowledge of Nantucket. Not all agreed, however, on the depth of her characters.
Some of us felt that the characters were predictable, even stereotypes. Others however, compared the characters to the archetypes of a classic fairy tale. The protagonist, Christina, is a young woman whose parents died sometime in the past — leaving her a large old-fashioned house. She is like the orphaned maiden in an empty castle. She operates a toy shop, which she rents from a rich old man – the proverbial evil aristocrat. Some of her friends are also his tenants. The characters in this book are, while not exactly impoverished, certainly just making ends meet. Except for one – who is well-to-do, but conceals it. There is a child called Wink who captures the heart of the protagonist and turns out to be the evil landlord’s granddaughter. There is also Harriet who seems to be rather unpleasant at first, but eventually shows that this is just a cover for her vulnerability.
In the course of the story Christina meets Andy, the landlord’s son and Wink’s uncle. They begin to fall in love an the course of their relationship follows the operatic trajectory of perceived betrayal and rejection. There are other romances that form a kind of subplot and the classic happy ending. We all agreed that her use of linear time made the story pleasant to follow. Although the story is one told many times, through many permutations, Thayer’s language flows, making it a captivating read.
Up next, The Ladies Who Brunch will be discussing Jean Hanff Korelitz’s The Devil and Webster on Saturday, April 4th! Register for the meeting before it fills up!
Antoinette Carone was born in Morgantown, WV. She studied theater in New York City and holds a bachelor’s degree in Romance Languages from CUNY. She has worked for international organizations and was active in community theater until she and her husband decided to spend a year in Naples, Italy. During that time, she kept a journal which has been published as Ciao, Napoli – A Scrapbook of Wandering in Naples. She has since turned to writing. She short stories have been published in Ovinque Siamo and Foxglove Journal.
In addition to her membership in WNBA, she is an active member of New York Writers’ Coalition, the Italian American Writers’ Association, and a Board Member of the American Italian Cultural Roundtable. She now divides her time between New York City, Long Island and Naples, Italy.
