Customer Reviews

A Cup of Tea (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

I really enjoyed this book. I noticed that not to many people here seemed to like it, but I wasn't expecting literary genius when I picked this up. This is a very short (only 200 pages) little book about how much one woman's life changed with the passing of a look.

Set in 1917 NYC, Rosemary, a very prominent society girl, decides to help a young woman, Eleanore Smith, by getting her off the street corner and out of the rain, to bring her home for a cup of tea and some dry clothes. While there, Rose's fiancé Philip comes by, and an unmistakable look of want passes between he and Eleanore. Rose quickly gets the girl out of the house and thinks nothing more of the incident.

But Philip hasn't forgotten about the beautiful young woman, and what takes place in the following pages forever changes the lives of everyone one involved. I finished this book in a day, just picking it up in between chores and other things. It was very hard to put back down. The chapters are very small, only a few pages, and you'll become engrossed in this book from the first one. I highly recommend this book as a great afternoon read. You won't be disappointed.

This short novel takes place in New York City at the time that America enters World War I. However, I wouldn't call it a historical novel per se, as the story is mainly character-driven with the historical elements serving only as a minor backdrop. The book's plot revolves around two women: Rosemary Fell, a young woman of means who is about to be married, and Eleanor Smith, a destitute girl barely of age who Rosemary reaches out to on impulse. Eventually, this leads to a love triangle which is clearly destined to come to a bad end. The book is a very quick read, not only because it is only 200 pages long but also because each chapter is just 2-4 pages long. It provided me with adequate entertainment for an hour or two, but not to the extent that I would strive to recommend it to others. However, if you are looking for a brief diversion, this little novel might fit the bill.

Absolutely dreadful. Where was this woman's editor? The plot is the sort of thing a pre-adolescent girl might dream up, the characters are as dull as can be, and my 5-year-old can construct a better sentence than Ephron. At first, I kept reading because I thought there had to be a reason the book was this bad -- perhaps the author was playing some kind of trick on us. When it became clear she was serious, I started actually enjoying the book's awfulness, waiting to see how bad it could possibly get. Pretty darn bad, as it turns out, culminating in an absolutely ludicrous ending.

don't let the number of pages fool you. this little book has some meat on its bones. the strengh of this books comes with its characters. i found myself thnking about them and wondering how i would react in such situations. my book club had a great discussion about true motives, dishonesty and appearances. this book will make you think; always a good thing.

Within the first few pages I knew I was in trouble. When I read that the antique store owner was "all over her," I wondered at the claims that Ephron had recreated the aura of an era. In fact, the numerous anachronistic colloquialisms and skin deep historical background destroyed any notion of atmosphere. Caleb Carr's "Alienist," though of a different genre, is a great example of how an author DOES capture and convey the spirit of a time. In addition, Ephron's writing style, reminiscent of a pretentious sixth-grader, was very annoying. Almost as annoying were the ridiculously short chapters which disrupted or destroyed the development of any sense of flow to the story. Finally, her characters are incredibly one-dimensional. Some may say that this reflects the social conditions of the time, but all one needs to do is look at F. Scott Fitzgerald's work (many of which were written within 4-10 years of 1917) to see that one CAN create complex and compelling characters within a class-conscious and restrictive social structure ("The Great Gatsby," any one?). Is Ephron just resting on her (or her sister's?) laurels, or is she just a bad writer? I don't think I'll try to find out.

First off, this really is more of a novella or short story. It should take most readers under an hour and there's not much to focus on. The period detail consists of a hat shop and a few mentions of WWI and trenches. That's about it. If you want a New York period piece, try Jack Finney's Time and Again. I just read this and Richard Paul Evan's latest book in the same two day span. They both share a nice story, simple plot and two dimensional characters with sketchy love stories. Pretty blah. If you want to see the difference, pick up the work of a great writer -- I just started Philip Roth's The Human Stain and its writing alone blows these fluffy books away. If not for her name, I don't think any publisher would have jumped at this run-of-the-mill story. I enjoyed the book, but it was not a work of art. Stick to the Mansfield story it was based on.

I would give this book a minus 5.
A CUP OF TEA is trite, predictable, unoriginal, and amatuerish in every way possible. And I thought THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY was bad!

I just wasn't that impressed with A Cup Of Tea. I admire it's lightness and graceful storyline, but there was no oomph to really captivate me. The ending was especially ho-hum since it brought nothing new to the table. Perhaps this book would fit in better with a younger crowd, but for us connoisseurs who love a good, strong novel, steeped with intricate characters and an engrossing plot, I say skip this one and try another.

First, this is hardly a "period piece" as there are only a few mentions of the war and fashion of the era. Otherwise, this could very well be the tale of a home wrecker in the 21st century. I finished this "book" in less than an hour, so its brevity is really its only redeeming quality. In a nutshell, a well-to-do woman brings home a beautiful, but penniless, woman to give her some food. Not surprisingly, in one glance the husband to be is lovestruck by this new woman. From there the book drags on with unfelt tension as two lovebirds we don't care about play at their deception.

I note that this book comes with a "reading group discussion" section at its conclusion. In my opinion, any book that requires instruction about good points to talk about is not a book that is very good. A book worth reading will have readers talking about it without a list of recommended topics.

On that point, I will end my discussion here.

Relic113

I was looking forward to reading this book because of the historical setting. I was sorely disappointed at the lack of character development. At the end of the book (and the whole time I was reading it, for that matter) I did not care about the people I had just read about. I felt as if I was ready about stick people with no "meat" to their characters. It's too bad because the premise for the book was intriguing. Many plot elements were too contrived and predictable. I would not recommend this book to my book-loving friends. Good thing I paid a small price for it at a used bookstore.