Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead

What a fabulous book as an end to summer reading! This novel takes place on an island that is not called Nantucket, but clearly IS Nantucket. There is a big wedding to take place on the weekend that the novel occurs and the bridal party and relatives are in place, ready for the big event.
Most of the novel is told from the point of view of the father of the bride, Winn Van Meter, who is not quite 60 and is marrying off his oldest daughter....he is the father of three daughters, which was clearly a problem for him philosophically. He was SUPPOSED to drop his SON off at Harvard...not a daughter.
Winn is such a wonderfully drawn character...or caricature... of the social climbing, blue blood WASP who wants to be in the best club, and has the "old money" house and has sons to rear. He lusts after one of the members of the bridal party and she is equally lusting for him. I found it hard to believe that this novel was written by a 28 year old female; she has such a great sense of Winn. She must have known someone very much like him to tell this story from his point of view...and do it so well!
This is such a fun book to read, but also so well written. A great social satire that will have you laughing and thinking.