Customer Reviews

The Tennis Party

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If Shakespeare's Macbeths had held a tennis party, it would have been just as Madeleine Wickham describes it in her wonderful novel, The Tennis Party. This is a book about the haves, the have-nots and the just plain obnoxious. Caroline and Patrick Chance invite three couples to their English country house, ostensibly to play tennis. Annie and Stephen are overmortgaged and so poor that Annie can't afford tennis clothes for the party and has to borrow from Caroline. Smarmy Charles, an old friend of Patrick's, comes to the party with his spoiled, obnoxious wife, the wealthy Cressida. Equally obnoxious are Don and Valerie, an aggressive father and daughter team who are the only ones who really believe that the weekend is about tennis - and care about nothing but winning the weekend games. But the real game is the one Patrick plays off the tennis court in the den of his country manor, where he attempts, one by one, to persuade each of his male guests to engage in a shaky financial scheme in order to earn a huge bonus to keep up his lifestyle. Only the over-trusting and gullible Stephen buys into the scheme, but, fortunately, is rescued by his wife's and his good sense before the story is over. Nothing is as it appears, as Charles finds out that his wife's financial situation, which he believed to be unshakable, is a disaster. Cressida, for her part, finds out that her husband has been dallying with his ex-paramour, and Stephen learns that his good friend Patrick is little more than an opportunistic crook. The entire situation blows up into a fracas that is both amusing and satisfying. Wickham's sly and understated British humor is evident throughout the book, as is her excellent writing style. Readers who crave Rosamunde Pilcher with an edge will love Madeleine Wickham's The Tennis Party.

I'm very disappointed to report that this seems to be a reissue of The Tennis Party. I read it years ago and it was a pretty good book, but I don't want to purchase it again! The reviews for both 40 Love and The Tennis Party discuss the main characters Patrick and Caroline Chance, and their residence White House. I doubt I'm putting 2+2 together and getting anything other than 4!

I always wait for Ms. Wickham's latest novel with baited breath, so when I saw that her book the Tennis Party was being released stateside with the title 40 Love, I was elated! Unfortunately 40 Love turned out to be one of my least favorite books by Ms. Wickham. It's obvious the book was written early on in her career and she was still working on her writer's voice. That is not to say I didn't enjoy this book, it just wasn't my favorite by this author. 40 Love is the story of several couples who once lived on the same road and became friends. Their lives go in different directions, each getting married or breaking up, having children, and enjoying different levels of professional, financial, and personal success. Until one day, one of the couples decides to have all their old neighborhood friends over for a weekend tennis party. Being thrust together once again many discoveries are made and some of the couples' lives are changed dramatically by what was supposed to be an innocent gathering of friends... I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Madeleine Wickham's, just know going into it that this is not her best work.

It's not quite summer yet, but would recommend as a great read for the pool or beach. Everything you would expect and more.

My expectations for chic lit are never very high. Just create a simple, light story with likeable characters. While the story was simple, light, and predictable, none of the characters were likeable at all. I kept reading, hoping that there would be a point in the book where I would start to like even one of the eight main characters, but it never really happened. All of the characters are either stupid/gullible, snobby/pretentious, or just plain annoying. The ending wasn't a clean ending with a lot of unresolved issues. I've read a lot of chic lit, and this was by far, my least favorite one thus far. I liked it so little that it made me want to log online to write a review.

I am a Wickham/Kinsella fan and was very disappointed by this book. Agree with other reviewers - it is not new but a re-issue of The Tennis Party and not nearly as good as some of her more recent work like Remember Me. I expected light and fun with some good laughs thrown in, but this one was just tedious and boring without redemption for anyone at the end - they are all unhappier than when it started. Not what I hope for from my chick lit brain candy! I would not waste my time if I were you.

This was my favorite of all of her Madeleine Wickham novels. Really funny characters and wonderful descriptions of the "English Countryside." I look forward to her next novel.

I've read most of Madeleine Wickham/Sophie Kinsella's books and usually love them. I was not thrilled with this one. It was okay, but as an avid fan of her other writing, this one was a disappointment. It was a fast, easy read, as most of her books are. However, the ending left me cold and unsatisfied. If you've read her other books, this one will not be your favorite. I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't read it again. Kinda wishing I had bought it in regular form rather than on my Kindle so I could sell it back.

My issue with this book is the fact that I just didn't care about any of the characters, and there are plenty! I don't know whether this was Wickham's intention(as her books are a little less fluffy compared to her alter ego Sophie Kinsella). The story is okay, and it was an easy, entertaining read, but I left it feeling somewhat dissatisfied because I felt no attachment to any of the characters. I could write almost the same review for her "Swimming Pool Sunday". Both were entertaining and easy to get through, but somehow lacking a quality that made them memorable.

To me, when I pick up a book by Wickham/Kinsella, what I'm both anticipating and looking for is her wonderful wit. She's turned characters that, in other author's hands would have been unbearable, and made them downright endearing. But this novel, that apparently is a reissue of her first, lacks that special charm. There were no characters among the 8 main players who I felt any feeling for other than ambivalence. Will I continue to read Madeline/Sophie's other novels? Absolutely, because with time she has become more and more polished, with a unique talent for charming and sincere characterizations. These were perhaps, her training wheels. It's certainly more than readable, just not what I've come to expect from this author.