Bookmarks Subscribers discussion

The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine

Post your comments here.

I finished this book today. I cannot think it is similar to Sense & Sensibility. But it is interesting to see how those privileged people cope when things, money, are taken away.

I didn't read anything about this book before reading it and I'm very glad. I wasn't looking constantly for the Austen comparisons, but started enjoying these characters on their own merits. I was about a third into the book before it occurred to me the family dynamic seemed familiar.

This book was a great take-along for my vacation. While you envy the Weissmans their money, you do not envy, you do not envy their inability to appreciate it.

Hi, Audra,

I can see if you are an Austen purist (which your avatar leads me to assume) that you might be disappointed, but one issue that I think can be confusing--for younger people especially--when reading Austen is being confused about the manners. I have to admit to not getting why Mr. Darcy was considered so proud on the first read. So it would seem to make sense if an author is going to update Austen to a contemporary setting, then some circumstances would need to be adjusted to reflect more contemporary manners.

Again, if I'd have read a review and expected it to be a retelling of Sense and Sensibility, I don't think I would have enjoyed this book so much, but I had already built an appreciation of the story prior to getting the parallel.

And I always thought Elinor and Colonel Brandon a better fit. But maybe that's just me . . .

I really liked the quiet strength of these women, which is also why I like Austen (even though not all of her characters are quiet in their strength). I was expecting to pity them, and I didn't. I found the book - even though it is a modern telling of Sense and Sensibility - a breath of fresh air. I loved it.

It was a quick, easy and enjoyable read, but it was just too -- something -- I'm not even quite sure how I'd state it. As a modern version of Sense and Sensibility, it just didn't quite do it for me in the comparison. I have to just look at it as a totally separate book. I gave it 3 stars.