This story revolves around a weekend of wedding preparations for a very pregnant bride, daughter of Winn and Biddy. The entire extended families have convened, as have the bridesmaids and groomsmen. It is a time for reflection and memories, mainly by Winn, the father of the bride, and Livia, the bride's sister. Winn is a pretentious, shallow man whose main goal in life is to achieve membership in an exclusive club that doesn't want him. Livia's main goal is to find a man to replace the one she lost. Agatha, one of the bridesmaids, figures heavily in their drama. This is a well-crafted social satire. The poignancy is limited because the main characters are simply unlikable and self-absorbed, but Maggie Shipstead does an excellent job of portraying them within the confines of their limited lifestyle.
R E K. (bigstone) - , reviewed Seating Arrangements (Vintage Contemporaries) on + 1440 more book reviews
Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead: Finished this one in record time but I found that it was not the book I thought it would be. The blurb on the back was misleading. This is a story about a family gathering for the wedding of the oldest daughter at their island retreat. There are a number of interesting threads including the father who is attracted to one of the bridesmaids but has been ever faithful to his charming and dutiful wife. The youngest daughter is reeling from a breakup with a boyfriend she thought loved her as she believed she loved him. There is the father's obsession with becoming a member of the island's premier golf club but he has been on the waiting list for three years. The mother of the bride has believed that her faithful husband has been unfaithful for years. The oldest daughter is very pregnant but the reader doesn't learn much about who she is, only that she is to marry an "impeccably appropriate" man. The key characters which I define as being most clearly developed are Win Van Miter, the father; and Livia, the youngest daughter, who loves the sea and all things in it. There are interactions with many characters including the groomsmen and best man, the bridesmaids, the sisters of the mother of the bride and friends of everyone as well as acquaintances. Hard to believe though that so much strange happenings can occur on a bridal weekend! I rate this one at 3 stars.
