Summer People [Import] [Paperback]

Marge Piercy (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; New Ed edition (June 28, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140122893
• ISBN-13: 978-0140122893
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars terrifically entertaining, December 18, 1999

By 

flame (Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Summer People (Hardcover)

Remember the old Agatha Christie books that began with a cast of characters/suspects? This book begins the same way -- which is fitting, since with Piercy the odd mix of characters is what propells the action, and the readers' interest. In this novel, seven or eight characters whirl through twelve-month's time in a small town on Cape Cod. Domestic bliss is challenged by the usual obstacles: envy, longing, and the common desires of the heart. Rifts arise between lovers and strangers come together. Small events set in motion the breakup of families. I didn't find the book especially deep or thought-provoking, but it's definitely entertaining -- something to read at the beach or on rainy evenings.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A great read, October 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Summer People (Hardcover)

This book by Marge Piercy is one her better outings. I enjoy her work but her feminist agenda sometimes overides her work. Summer People revolves around the friends, family and lovers of three Cape Cod artists. Susan, Willie and Dinah have been involved in menage a trois that is terminated as the book's action begins. This is partly because of Susan's relationship with a rich summer resident Tyrone has veered into an unhealthy obsession that is ultimately her downfall. Ironically it is this change that allows the other characters to move forward with their lives. Peircy is a good writer and the book is full of juicy observations on the characters and and their interactions. Tyrone is a wonderfully drawn, and it is interesting how Susan never sees the true nature of the man,a selfserving and manipulative user under a polished exterior. However Susan's son Jimmy reveals a dark character as well. This is one part of the book that is very perceptive.I have personally seen the children of parents who depend on the largesse of others grow up to have an expectation things can be "bought" using yourself to pay. In all a really good read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nurturing escape, November 21, 2003

By 

Sokste "KtS" (Minneapolis, MN U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Summer People (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this book when I read it several years ago, and it comes back to me from time to time. I like her take on what is sustainable and wholesome in life. I enjoyed watching the progress of their characters through the particular journeys we see them take. I loved her Pesach dinner. And the honesty with which she holds her characters. Low-key delight.