Book Review: The Reading Group; Elizabeth Noble

Title: The Reading Group
Author: Elizabeth Noble
Type: Fiction
Genre: Chick Lit.
Number of pages: 429
Link: @amazon.com
Rating: 42/50; 84% – B.

From the back:
The Reading Group follows the trials and tribulations of a group of women who meet regularly to read and discuss books. Over the course of a year, each of these women becomes intertwined, both in the books they read and within one another’s lives.
Inspired by a shared desire for conversation, a good book and a glass of wine-Clare, Harriet, Nicole, Polly, and Susan undergo startling revelations and transformations despite their differences in background, age and respective dilemmas.
What starts as a reading group gradually evolves into a forum where the women may express their views through the books they read and grow to become increasingly more open as the bonds of friendship cement.

Plot:
As far as original storyline goes, I can’t comment on that beyond saying it was something I, personally, had never read before. It had a few of the general, run-of-the-mill chick lit elements, but for the most part, this book was enjoyable and innovative.

The setting was in Britain, and while there weren’t many place descriptions (aside from characters’ homes), it was handled in such a way that it could have been going on anywhere, at any time. If I had to be pressured into naming anything specific, I’d say somewhere in Surrey because that is where the author lives, according to the blurb in the front.

This book seems very realistic to me; each character has their own problems and deals with them in very plausible ways. They’re not always the right way, but if I were in a similar situation, I could see myself reacting in a similar manner.
Total points: 15/20.

Characters:
The main characters in this book–the women in the reading group–were extremely likeable and realistic to me. I could see them actually existing somewhere. Their husbands and children were all varying, unique, and had their own places in the storyline. They were portrayed in such a way that I could identify with all of them on some level, feeling their pain, but enjoy the feeling of having a birds-eye view into their lives and have the luxury of seeing things in them that they didn’t see in each other. I could see Polly reacting to her daughter’s crisis and feel her consciously thinking “I don’t want to be like my mother,” but at the same time, I could see just how much like her mother she was.

There weren’t really any villains in this book; the problems they faced were all personal. But that didn’t make it any less heartbreaking when Nicole found her husband cheating for the eightieth time or when Cressida revealed that the father of her baby wasn’t really Joe.

The only problem I had with the characters in this book was that once Clare left the reading group, she was only mentioned in passing. The storyline didn’t focus on her anymore, and I was really looking forward to her forming friendships with other people in the group. Out of the five original members, she was the only one who didn’t have a best friend there with her. I kept wanting her to walk back in, to come out of her shell a little, and that was a disappointment.
Total Points: 9/10.

Readability:
The only problem I had while reading this book was that it was so British. There were a lot of phrases that, while in English and easy enough to understand after a second or so, aren’t really in use in the US. But I can’t say that’s really a disadvantage or a problem, since the author has never lived in the US. It was just an interesting cultural sidetrack for me.

There were no glaringly obvious grammar or spelling errors. It was largely conversational, more or less like any normal person would use while thinking or speaking with friends.
Total Points: 10/10.

Re-readability:
I would reread this book. Not immediately, but maybe in a few months, or earlier if I’m looking for something easy and quick to get through that I know I enjoyed the first time and will probably enjoy the second time.
I inhaled this book, so I have no doubt I’d find something new to focus on in the storyline if I chose to reread it.
Total Points: 5/5.

Anything Else:
–Would I recommend this book to a friend?: Yes, especially if they were looking for something they could read quickly and easily without having to remember a whole bunch of facts.
–Do I want to see a sequel or a series from this book? Am I going to look for more material by this author?: I don’t think a sequel would be right for this novel. It left off at a fitting place–things weren’t perfect, but they were headed that way–and I think writing a sequel would ruin the imperfect simplicity of this one. But I would and probably will look for something else by the same author.
–Would I like to see fan media for this novel?: Considering its genre, it really isn’t made for fan media, so I wouldn’t really like to see any.
–Is it worth paying the cover price? (on the back of the book): ($14.95 US) I got this book at a bargain price, and I can’t say that I would have bought it otherwise. Books are expensive, and usually I won’t spend $15.00 on something I don’t know for sure that I would enjoy. I’d recommend checking this out of a library or picking it up used.
–Other impressions/things to note: none.
Total Points: 3/5.