Book Review: Seating Arrangements

Seating ArrangementsSeating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead
Fiction
Released June, 2012
433 Pages

Bottom Line: Read it.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon
Source: Purchased

Plot Summary

Family and friends gather on a small island in New England for the wedding of Daphne Van Meter, who is seven months pregnant, and Greyson Duff.

My Thoughts 

The Van Meters (Winn and Biddy are the parents – I mean, get a load of those names!) and Duffs are snobby, New England families that don’t talk about anything unpleasant and fear “inappropriateness” and “social embarrassment” above all else. Obviously, a wedding where the bride is knocked up has the potential for many moments that would send these people into a tailspin.

Many of the reviewers on Amazon passionately hated the characters and everything they are about. However, it’s obvious from the first page that this is a social satire and Shipstead wrote the book with a tongue in cheek attitude. These characters aren’t meant to be loved…they are meant to provide comedy and represent certain cliches.

Shipstead also perfectly captures the ridiculousness that can overcome packs of women as they prepare for a wedding. Seating Arrangements is a fun, light read with just the right amount of substance.

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