Seating Arrangements

Shipstead's vibrant prose sparks the raw energy driving this satire set on a New England island on the eve of a reunion and wedding. The revelers converge to witness the marriage of Daphne, the daughter of Winn, the protagonist. All manner of tangential relationships, lusty attractions, malignant resentments, salacious misdeeds, and sad ruminations shadow the happy occasion. Arthur Morey champions Winn's introspective nature and bewildered missteps, but he gives women's voices, even quite youthful ingenues, an incongruous trembling that sounds aged. Still, Morey's perceptive performance accords with each character's specific angst, building memorable encounters, hilarious misunderstandings, and a witty romp through class barriers that separate the social elite and those striving to join them. A.W. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

April 30, 2012
Vibrant prose and moments of keen insight lighten an otherwise lackluster debut in this comedy of manners set during the days preceding a wedding. Daphne Van Meter is getting married at her family’s New England summerhouse, her advanced pregnancy a blight on the festivities for the older WASP set. Her father, Winn, feeling increasingly irrelevant at work and in the eyes of his family, toys with the idea of adultery, though his real passion is gaining admittance to Waskeke island’s exclusive golf club. Daphne’s younger sister Livia, unable to recover from her recent abortion and breakup, makes halfhearted attempts to find a rebound interest as the weekend progresses. Also on the scene is Biddy, Winn’s solid if unspectacular wife (she falls asleep during sex and only wants Winn to be discreet if he cheats). The characters are either bland or unsympathetic, and with little plot, the book lacks energy. Readers looking for a thoughtful beach read may find moments of distraction in Shipstead’s linguistic dexterity, but the glacial pace and dull characters will likely put them to sleep. Agent: Rebecca Gradinger, Fletcher & Company.