The Romantics [Paperback]

Galt Niederhoffer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 21, 2009

Laura and Lila were college roommates--one brooding and Jewish, the other the epitome of golden WASP-dom. Now it's ten years later, a day before Lila's wedding to Laura’s former boyfriend, and as the guests arrive, Laura finds herself the only one not coupled up. Struggling with the traditionally thankless role of maid of honor, Laura realizes for the first time why she can't stop thinking about her long, tangled relationship with the groom. And it appears that he is not entirely ready for the altar himself. Unfolding over two days off the coast of Maine, The Romantics follows the shifting allegiances among an unforgettable set of characters.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In film producer Niederhoffer's wan second novel (following A Taxonomy of Barnacles), a love triangle takes center stage among an amorous group of nine Yale friends known to each other as The Romantics. As the group reunites for the marriage of Lila Hayes and Tom McDevon at a Maine estate six years after graduation, Niederhoffer omnisciently narrates the rivalry between wealthy blonde Lila and raven-haired Laura, her maid of honor and former roommate—the Nick to Lila's Gatsby. Laura and Tom dated early on in college, and their continuing relationship haunts Tom and Lila's over the ensuing years, which naturally causes friction. After the rehearsal dinner, the entire wedding party, minus Lila, embarks on a raucous evening of drinking and reminiscing. Neither the characters nor the story convince as Niederhoffer repeats thin stereotypes in a vain attempt to strengthen the plot: Laura the ethnic outsider; Tom the complex man yearning for an uncomplicated relationship; Lila the uncomplicated beauty with all of the necessary social accoutrements. The rest of the cast serves as background noise in this forgettable postcollegiate exercise. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Niederhoffer’s nuanced, piercing follow-up to her debut, A Taxonomy of Barnacles (2005), focuses on a group of college friends reuniting for a wedding. Now in their late twenties, all of the friends have paired off together save for Laura Rosen. The bride, Lila Hayes, is Laura’s former roommate and best friend, and the groom, Tom McDevon, is the ex-boyfriend she’s still very much in love with. As the weekend progresses, Niederhoffer gracefully unveils little details about the friends: Laura and Tom had an affair behind Lila’s back after college. Lila’s brother Chip is in love with Laura. Their other six friends are hiding various ambitions and attractions. When the friends, minus Lila who is prepping for her big day, set out on a late-night, drunken trip on a raft and end up losing Tom in a swim back to shore, they pair up and set off to look for him, which leads to some surprising revelations. An involving, tightly woven tale with fascinating characters. --Kristine Huntley --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Picador; Reprint edition (July 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312428847
• ISBN-13: 978-0312428846
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,323,224 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Philadelphia Story" transplanted to Maine..., July 11, 2008

By 

Jill Meyer (United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Romantics (Hardcover)

with the cast of "The Big Chill". I didn't much care for Niederhoffer's first novel, "A Taxonomy of Barnacles". In fact, I didn't finish it (rare for me, actually). Her writing was just way too "precious". It's as if she was trying to channel the "Royal Tenenbaums" and it just didn't work.

This novel, her second, is much better. Not "5 star" better, but at least readable. The same cast of rich WASPs who populated the wedding family of the "Philadelphia Story" are here, complete with domineering mother, bratty little sister (called here "Minnow" - oh, don't you just love the nicknames the rich give each other?)and marginalised father. The bride, whether named "Tracy" or "Lila", is the same blond goddess we've seen before and will see again.

The supporting players of the wedding, the "wedding party" is made up of "Big Chill" extras. While Niederhoffer tries to give the three groomsmen and the three bridesmaids some individual identities for the reader to respond to, I'm afraid all six just sorta merge into one big pile of late 20's Yalies.

The two "stars" of the book are Laura, the maid of honor, who has had an off-and-on relationship with Tom, the groom-to-be since college 10 years earlier. Tom had basically flitted from Laura to Lila, back and forth over a ten year period, and now, has found himself marrying Lila. Not for any good reason, it seems, because he has always loved Laura. Laura and Lila have also been "best friends" for this period, not best friends who truly love each other, but best friends competing for the same man, so they have to keep each other in clear sight.

This book is pretty good, and it's not long, so if you're so inclined, dear reader, go to it!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I read it in one sitting., August 11, 2008

By 

Gretchen C. Rubin (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Romantics (Hardcover)

This is just the kind of novel I love -- lots of insight into human nature and social mores, beautifully written, scandals and mini-drama within a small group of friends (9 twenty-somethings who all went to Yale together), suspense -- all takes place during one wedding weekend. I devoured the book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I liked it, October 23, 2010

By 

Christi (Arkansas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Romantics (Paperback)

I'm so glad that my friends and I are not that screwed up. With that being said it was hard for me to like this book at times. It went back and forth between points of view and though some of the characters were interesting some of them were too self centered. It felt like I was skimming the paragraphs rather than reading. The author has a plethora of knowledge when it come to etiquette. I really didn't know how snotty some people could be. I really liked the ending to this book because up until the very end your still not sure which way its going to end up. Even though I'd tell him to go fly a kite.