Customer Reviews

A Tale of Two Sisters

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I really enjoyed this book - usually I like Anna Maxted's book for the character's wit and sarcastic style. These characters were less funny, but more human. The two main characters, Cassie and Lizbet are sisters, and the book delves into their relationship with each other, their partners, inlaws, neighbors and friends and extended family, and their parents. The book really examines what "family" is, when you get out of the "made for TV" definition.

If you are looking for fluff chick lit, a book to pass a weekend with, it's not for you. If you're looking for a really good book on a par with, say, Lolly Winston's "Good Grief", this is for you.

I found this book a bit slow starting and it took two tries before I got involved enough to continue, as the story seemed to start almost in progress.

The book was a bit of a departure from the other Maxted books I've read, and I think I've read them all. The central characters weren't youthful gals, but women in their 30's in relationships. As with most of her books, A Tale of Two Sisters deals with serious and even sad issues with humor.

It was difficult at times to like some of the characters, but I believe that was her point and isn't that true of people in general? Anna Maxted does a good job of developing characters that are more realistic than most authors can manage - people who are lovable but may have annoying traits or aspects of their personalities. Sometimes the story itself is incidental to the quirky characters and the backgrounds and interaction between them, which distinguishes her books from those of lesser authors. In this book, she seemed to show how people can evolve and change as life happens to them - and the many ways in which different people show their love. As the story progressed, it seemed the sisters grew up enough to finally accept that while their parents didn't always give them what they wanted emotionally, they did the best they could and that they did love them.

I wouldn't say this was Anna Maxted's funniest or best book, but it's certainly worth a read - and the subject matter (adoption, miscarriage, fertility, etc.) are ones that many people will be able to relate to - and I think you'll find yourself thinking of the characters after the book is done.

This book is hilarious, funny, and clever and sad - I really loved it. It's a good read, but it has emotional depth, and the characters are very entertaining - I am in love with both the heroes, especially Tim! The stuff about Lisbet writing for the mens' magazine made me laugh out loud - and her story, the sad bits, made me cry. This is a lot more than chick lit - it is meaty writing for grown up girls - it's about family, babies, love, marriage, it's just all so TRUE! - a brilliant juicy read.

I fell in love with Anna Maxted novels after reading Getting Over it, Running in Heels, and Behaving Like Adults.

A Tale of Two Sisters is a novel about two Jewish sisters Lizbet and Cassie growing up in London and dealing problems related to trying to get pregnant.

The main plot of this book is about about pregnancy,adoption, the people you will always love, and those you fall out of love with.

I started this book on a Saturday morning and didn't put it down until that night, a definite read!

This book was another great hit by Maxted. As a mom, and a pregnant woman, I really identified with the main characters. Maxted touches on sensitive issues such as adoption, miscarraige, and love. A real page turned, I thouroughly enjoyed the book and completed it in one day.

I had picked up "Running in Heels" first but to be honest, I did not finish that novel. It was such a whiny self-absorbed novel that I couldn't finish that one simply because I have way too many other books to read. I picked up this one and while it is better than "Running in Heels," it is still just an ok book. I love reading chick lit and I love reading about the complicated relationships between sisters and their mother. This one fits the bill but it was not as funny as I had hoped for. In fact, it was downright depressing. But it did the trick of keeping me entertained.

This is a tale of two sisters, Cassie and Lizabet. Cassie is in a marriage to a man she secretly loathed. Lizabet is in a relationship with a man whom the world revolved around. Things came to a head when Lizabet had a miscarriage and all the resentments, secrets and everything else spills out on the pages. Together or apart, these two sisters must rebuild their lives again, even when Cassie gets pregnant unexpectedly and that threatened their relationship with each other. This is a tale of two sisters that decided that family comes first.

It is an entertaining novel, but not all that funny nor delightful. It felt like it was a put down on motherhood in general and on sisterhood as well. It could depend on my mood too. I am not saying that it's bad writing, it's just not what I expected.

2/7/08

A Tale of Two Sisters by one of my favorite chick-lit writers, Anna Maxted tells the story of two sisters who have little in common but who love each other very much. Maxted is a hilarious and gifted writer but this book is kinda of a let down but that's ok 'cause the story does finally gets off the ground toward the middle. Cassie and Elizabeth are annoying characters and they have many faults as sisters but you end up feeling sympathy for them when Cassie learns she was adopted and when Elizabeth suffers a miscarriage. These two sisters struggle with their once solid realtionship and learn to accept each other's lucks and tradgies. I recommend for any chick-lit lover to check this book out, it's deeply moving and realistic. And I highly recommend to give Maxted's previous novels a read too, especially Getting Over It and Being Committed. Happy reading!

and this book really took me by surprise. In the first chapter, I was already laughing out loud. I will definitely read it again, and now I'm reading her others--but this one is still, by far, my favorite.

Though this novel did not delve into tough issues as deeply as Maxted has done in other novels (the death of a parent in Getting Over It and anorexia in Running In Heels), A Tale of Two Sisters is a sweet novel that captures the complexity of sisterhood. It was funny and sweet and an enjoyable read.

I actually liked this the best of Maxted's books. I've always read her before, but found her a little too sarcastic or something. This book, however, was funny but also warm; she turns an unsentimental yet insightful eye toward family politics.

Lizbet and Cassie are sisters, with the usual rivalries; Lizbet is cute and cozy, Cassie is sharp and sophisticated. What makes the story interesting is how much they don't know about each other. When they seem to be cruel to each other, they are acting on hidden pain. Their mother and father are also expertly drawn.

Like her other books, there are some unlikely plot mechanics, with as many turns and twists as an episode of Desperate Housewives. However, I think this is her smartest book in terms of insights into human nature and family life, and you should read it if you liked her other books.