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The Three Weissmanns of Westport: A Novel [Hardcover]

Cathleen Schine
3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (128 customer reviews)

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Book Description

February 2, 2010
Jane Austen’s beloved Sense and Sensibility has moved to Westport, Connecticut, in this enchanting modern-day homage to the classic novel
 
When Joseph Weissmann divorced his wife, he was seventy eight years old and she was seventy-five . . . He said the words “Irreconcilable differences,” and saw real confusion in his wife’s eyes.
 
“Irreconcilable differences?” she said. “Of course there are irreconcilable differences. What on earth does that have to do with divorce?”
 
Thus begins The Three Weissmanns of Westport, a sparkling contemporary adaptation of Sense and Sensibility from the always winning Cathleen Schine, who has already been crowned “a modern-day Jewish Jane Austen” by People’s Leah Rozen.
 
In Schine’s story, sisters Miranda, an impulsive but successful literary agent, and Annie, a pragmatic library director, quite unexpectedly find themselves the middle-aged products of a broken home. Dumped by her husband of nearly fifty years and then exiled from their elegant New York apartment by his mistress, Betty is forced to move to a small, run-down Westport, Connecticut, beach cottage. Joining her are Miranda and Annie, who dutifully comes along to keep an eye on her capricious mother and sister. As the sisters mingle with the suburban aristocracy, love starts to blossom for both of them, and they find themselves struggling with the dueling demands of reason and romance.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A geriatric stepfather falls in love with a scheming woman half his age in Schine's Sense and Sensibility–flecked and compulsively readable follow-up to The New Yorkers. Betty Weissman is 75 when Joseph, her husband of nearly 50 years, announces he's divorcing her. Soon, Betty moves out of their grand Central Park West apartment and Joseph's conniving girlfriend, Felicity, moves in. Betty lands in a rundown Westport, Conn., beach cottage, but things quickly get more complicated when Betty's daughters run into their own problems. Literary agent Miranda is sued into bankruptcy after it's revealed that some of her authors made up their lurid memoirs, and Annie, drowning in debt, can no longer afford her apartment. Once they relocate to Westport, both girls fall in love—Annie rather awkwardly with the brother of her stepfather's paramour, and Miranda with a younger actor who has a young son. An Austen-esque mischief hovers over these romantic relationships as the three women figure out how to survive and thrive. It's a smart crowd pleaser with lovably flawed leads and the best tearjerker finale you're likely to read this year. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Bookmarks Magazine

The seemingly endless parade of Jane Austen adaptations (Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, anyone?) may tempt weary readers to give this book a pass. And, really, who can blame them? Perhaps an exception should be made, however, for The Three Weissmanns of Westport, which most critics hailed as a clever and warmhearted tale about love, life, and the true meaning of family. Schine's story captures the essence of Austen's classics, with pages filled with vibrant characters and insightful social commentary. Only the Wall Street Journal thought the novel too derivative. Both funny and sad, The Three Weissmans is the literary version of a delectable desert.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Sarah Crichton Books; 1 edition (February 2, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0374299048
  • ISBN-13: 978-0374299040
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (128 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #424,641 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Cathleen Schine is the author of The New Yorkers and The Love Letter, among other novels. She has contributed to The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, The New York Times Magazine, and The New York Times Book Review.

Customer Reviews

I just wanted the book to be over. April  |  15 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
142 of 153 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Starting Over February 13, 2010
Format:Hardcover
Catherine Schine has written a funny and on-target tale of three women starting over in their lives. Rarely in fiction is one of the heroines a 75 year old woman who is being dumped by her husband of five decades. The title refers to Mrs. Weissmann and her two daughters, forced to live together because of various dire financial circumstances. Ms. Schine examines the foibles of love and of relationships between men and women in middle age and the senior years (the 1987 movie "Moonstruck" comes to mind). It is refreshing to read of romance late in life, especially in a novel as well-written as this one.
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42 of 44 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific read! February 15, 2010
Format:Hardcover
What a terrific read! Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down until I finished. The author sets up her situation very quickly and draws readers in with fine characterizations, unpredictable plot turns and excellent insights. She also does a wonderful job with setting the scene - whether it is in New York City, a Westport beach cottage or Palm Springs. Her writing is subtle and accessible, without unnecessary flourishes or affectation.

All in all, whether you do or don't want to compare the book to Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility" [as the very positive front-page review in The New York Times Book Review did], this is a book that you'll enjoy and tell your friends to read.
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63 of 71 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Nancy Meyer's Next Film February 20, 2010
Format:Hardcover
The Three Weissmanns of Westport is a fun read. It is hardly updated Jane Austen. Like past reviewers, I was quite surprised to see it reviewed on the front page of the Book Review of the New York Times. It is contemporary, easy to relate to, especially if you live in Manhattan and are of a certain age. I must admit at times I felt it was just a step up from chick lit and just a fun escape book. Visually, I could see Nancy Meyer casting it, setting her usual beautiul scenery, decorating the Wesport homes, Manhattan apartment of Betty and Josie or even collaborating with Nora Ephron and writing a really witty script.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars Sense and Sensability in disguise
If I had wanted to read Sense and Sensability again I would have chosen to read it in its original form. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Toni L. Tennent
2.0 out of 5 stars The Three Weissamnns of Westport
Talking about women not taking responsibility for their lives, this is a perfect example.
Although this was a bookclub selection for our bookclub, I found it quite boring and... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Bobbie B.
3.0 out of 5 stars But not a page turner. Easy to put down.
What can I say, sort of interesting story line about blended families and financial mismanagement, but don't care about any of them.
Published 1 month ago by Janis Arnold
2.0 out of 5 stars So Overrated
When I initially saw this book on a shelf, the title and the front cover got my attention. After reading the brief summary and the favorable quotes on the back cover, I was... Read more
Published 2 months ago by karsiyaka
2.0 out of 5 stars It's really a two and a half stars...
The beginning of the book was fun. By beginning I mean the first 3 chapters. The more you read about the main characters' personalities, the more you kind of root against them. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Lilica
1.0 out of 5 stars Predictable, boring.
I read every word, but I don't know what exactly drove me to the finish line. It was almost comical how really bad it was. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Debbra Richards
4.0 out of 5 stars A family of modern women
Touching story of an all too familiar situation in our modern times. After 50 years if marriage an end. And many new beginnings
Published 4 months ago by stephanie fine
2.0 out of 5 stars About as close to Jane Austen as Stephanie Meyer is to Charlotte...
Why, oh why, do people put Cathleen Schine in the same sentence as Jane Austen? It's OK, I guess, if you're saying the two have nothing in common in terms of talent. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Raye
1.0 out of 5 stars Boring
After I paid good money for this book, I forced myself to finish it.
This book had no plot nor character development and I never grew to like any of the characters. Read more
Published 8 months ago by A. Collinson
4.0 out of 5 stars The Plot--and the Feel--of Sense and Sensibility
After nearly 50 years of marriage, Joseph Weissman announces that he's leaving his wife Betty for the younger, manipulative Felicity. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Martha E. Pollack
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