The Writing Circle (Voice) [Hardcover]

Corinne Demas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 6, 2010 | Series: Voice

They call themselves the Leopardi Circle—six members of a writing group who share much more than their works in progress.

When Nancy, whose most recently published work is a medical newsletter, is asked to join a writing group made up of established writers, she accepts, warily. She’s not at all certain that her novel is good enough for the company she’ll be keeping. Her novel is a subject very close to her heart, and she isn’t sure she wants to share it with others, let alone the world. But Nancy soon finds herself as caught up in the group’s personal lives as she is with their writing. She learns that nothing—love, family, loyalty—is sacred or certain.

In the circle there’s Gillian, a beautiful, scheming, world-famous poet; Bernard, a pompous but lovable biographer; Virginia, a respected historian and the peacemaker of the group, who also happens to be Bernard’s ex-wife; Chris, a divorced father and successful thriller writer; and Adam, the youngest of the group, an aspiring novelist who is infatuated with Gillian. And then there’s Nancy, an unassuming fiction writer embarking on a new chapter in her own life. They meet to read their work aloud and offer feedback. Over the course of a year, marriages are tested, affairs begin, and trust is broken.

Through their complicated relationships, these eccentric characters share their families, their beds, and their histories, and soon find that buried secrets have a way of coming to light. Hearts break and emotions are pushed to the limit in this richly engaging tale of love, betrayal, and literature.

Praise for The Writing Circle

“An amazingly clever novel with depth, drama, and warmth. The characters are so sharply drawn, they will stay with you long after you’ve reluctantly put down this beautifully rendered tale.”

—Anita Shreve, author of The Pilot’s Wife

“If you think you’ve got a novel in you, The Writing Circle is the book for you. But even if you don’t, even if you just love reading a compelling story narrated with wit and charm, that is sad and funny by turns, and populated by characters whose moral struggles are more profound than they know, this novel will leave you completely satisfied. The Writing Circle is a reading treat. I couldn’t put it down.”

—Valerine Martin, author of The Confessions of Edward Day

“Through its artful use of multiple voices, its memorable characters and elegant prose, The Writing Circle weaves a web that tightens slowly around you as you read until you find you simply can’t put it down. This is a wonderful book, tense, engaging, and highly recommended.”

—Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nancy Markopolis, a medical newsletter editor working earnestly on a novel inspired by her late, beloved father, is invited into an exclusive Massachusetts writers' group, the Leopardi Circle, by hapless historian Bernard, setting in motion this convoluted tale of professional jealousy and literary theft. What Nancy doesn't realize is that to gain a spot in the circle, her work must be judged worthy by a group that includes, among others, Bernard's novelist ex-wife, Virginia, and the cold but wildly successful poet Gillian Coit. As she gets to know the members of the insular group, including who is sleeping (or not sleeping) with whom, accusations of plagiarism arise and lead to a number of shifting alliances, troubling revelations, and a looming showdown. Demas (Eleven Stories High) offers a dense, intricately detailed Massachusetts literary community populated by characters who appraise each others' relationships and furniture just as harshly as their writing--and with the same assessing smile--but what begins as an arresting study in moral ambiguity, however, ends in a clear-cut revenge plot hobbled by an outsized cast.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Demas is a prolific children's author who has also written a collection of short stories and a memoir. Here she has a field day with this group portrait of the Leopardi Circle, six writers who gather weekly to critique each other's work. Nancy is the newest member, unsure about her place in the group and the quality of her work; Bernard is an esteemed biographer and the ex-husband of Virginia, the group's most beloved member and its prime peacekeeper; Adam is the very wealthy owner of a shoe company and an aspiring novelist who writes surprisingly erudite fiction; Chris is a successful thriller writer with a difficult personal life; and Gillian is a world-famous poet with a condescending manner. Part of what gives this format its enduring appeal is the way it allows readers to dip in and out of each character's life while also giving multiple perspectives on key events. Demas ups the ante by deepening the characterizations, introducing the subject of plagiarism, and exposing the vanity and insecurity of even the most celebrated writers. Delicious reading. --Joanne Wilkinson

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Voice (July 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401341144
• ISBN-13: 978-1401341145
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,326,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Corinne Demas is the author of two collections of short stories, three novels, a memoir, a collection of poetry, a play, and numerous books for children. She is Professor of English at Mount Holyoke College and a fiction editor of the Massachusetts Review. Before the year 2000, she published her books under the name Corinne Demas Bliss.

Corinne grew up in New York City, in Stuyvesant Town, the subject of her memoir, "Eleven Stories High: Growing Up in Stuyvesant Town 1948-1968". She attended Hunter College High School, graduated from Tufts University, and completed a Ph.D. in English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. She lived in Pittsburgh for a number of years, teaching at the University of Pittsburgh and at Chatham College.

She lives with her family in Western Massachusetts and spends the summer on Cape Cod. You will find more information at her website: www.corinnedemas.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An answer to the question: "What's it like to be a writer?", July 23, 2010

By 

Corinne H. Smith (Athol, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Writing Circle (Voice) (Hardcover)

Every writer craves feedback. As a result, local writing groups or circles have sprung up in almost every community. In this unnamed New England town, six writers get together on Sunday afternoons to exchange manuscripts and to offer suggestions and criticisms of each other's work. The three men and three women of the exclusive Leopardi Circle are in various stages of literary success. We learn about their drives and their lives both within and away from the group as we turn these pages.

Each chapter is written from the point of view of one of the main characters: the six writers and two of their offspring. This technique offers us insights into each individual's background and his or her perspective about the other members of the core. Although the book begins with and seems to center on Nancy, the newest member of the writing circle, it doesn't take too long for a widely-published poet named Gillian to push her way into the foreground. Suddenly everything revolves around her.

"The Writing Circle" bears a faint resemblance in topic and treatment to Debbie Macomber's "Thursdays at Eight" (2001), in which four women meet in a journaling class and decide to continue gathering once a week. However, Demas' characters show more complexity and are more intricately involved in one another's lives from the outset. They are also more dedicated to the craft and art of serious writing. The gender mix gives more depth to the Leopardi Circle, too.

This book is highly recommended to anyone who has writing aspirations or who has ever participated in a writing group. You may find yourself looking around the table at your fellow scribblers a bit more intently, after reading it. It would also make a great selection for any mainstream book discussion group (although conservative readers should be aware that a few detailed bedroom scenes are included).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LucyH, May 17, 2011

By 

LucyH - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Writing Circle (Paperback)

I'm a writer and could not wait to start this book. It did not disappoint! It's definitely a character-driven novel, so if you're looking for action, this probably isn't the book for you. Each character is well rounded and interesting. I don't want to give away the ending, but I actually stood up and yelled at one of the characters! Fun read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like a Perfect Circle, A Perfect Read!, August 9, 2010

By 

Bingo-Karen Haney "Reader, Reviewer, and BOOK... (Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Writing Circle (Voice) (Hardcover)

Discovering Corinne Demas first through her fabulous memoir, ELEVEN STORIES HIGH, and then being charmed with her poetry and many children's books, such as the delightful holiday tale about finding new friends in TWO CHRISTMAS MICE, Corinne Demas never fails to please her readers. THE WRITING CIRCLE, her newest novel, is no exception. Drawing from her own experience in writers' groups, teaching her craft, and writing so many wonderful books, Corinne Demas gives readers a fascinating look at the literary world that "outsiders" are normally not privy to. THE WRITING CIRCLE leads readers through an interesting character study of a group of writers and from there expands to include their families and shows how their complex personal lives intertwine to produce complications, romance, mystery, and betrayal.

Set in western Massachusetts, Demas's familiar home base, the narrative is told using a different point of view in each chapter, alternating between the various characters. I found this to be the perfect way to follow the story by looking at all sides of the issues and intricacies of the characters. The Leopardi Circle is the name of the writing group that meets to share parts of their current work, be it fiction, poetry, or non-fiction. The purpose being to gain constructive feedback that might improve each writer's work.

The main character, Nancy Markopolis is the newest member of the group who is asked to join when one of their members dies. Nancy is tentative at first as she listens to the more experienced writers, but she soon overcomes that as she learns more about each member. Hers is a novel of fiction which is drawn from an early memory of her beloved father and is based on his early life and in a way, pays homage to him. Her personal life is in a good place right now and little does she suspect what this new association will do to tear her dreams to shreds.

Researching George Frideric Handel, is Bernard, an overweight, unrestrained biographer who actually introduces Nancy to the group. Bernard is so wrapped up in himself that he is rather oblivious to the complicated emotions and feelings of other around him. Bernard's ex-wife, Virginia, is a novelist and the comforting maternal figure of the group. She is always there to offer sympathy and compassion to the group when friction occurs.

In the two single males, we find Adam, the youngest of the group, and one that Virginia has taken under her wing, who has been working on a new novel for so long as he tries to draw from his Master's Degree in Fine Arts project. Adam is a melancholy and naive character suffering from unrequited love. Chris, the older of the two, is the author of successful thrillers that he writes on a regular basis. He restrains himself as he tries to maintain his relationship with his two young sons that are being played as pawns by his self-centered wife in a custody battle.

Finally, there is the poet, Gillian, a possible Pulitzer Prize candidate, who is the famous writer in the group, and whom everyone values for her work. However, some have had other relationships with Gillian while another yearns for more. Gillian's condescending personality and inexhaustible egotism drives the group mad as well as steers the plot toward disaster.

THE WRITING CIRCLE draws the reader into the lives of the characters, and twists and turn just enough to make one suspect where things are heading only to be shocked by such a startling and stunning conclusion. Corinne Demas totally had me for the entire novel and then absolutely knocked me off my feet with the ending. DO NOT look at the last page, PLEASE, as the pleasurable build up to the climax of the book is a journey you will take, in my opinion, in one sitting, as you are so drawn in and you can't put down THE WRITING CIRCLE!