Este es el típico libro que no me atrevería a recomendar fácilmente.

Es bueno y tiene cierta calidad, pero hay partes que se hacen directamente aburridas.

Durante gran parte del tiempo, no sabes muy bien hacia dónde va la historia.

Hay una especie de frialdad en la manera de narrar que te distancia de los personajes.

A veces, parece más un ensayo sobre la sociedad americana de los años 30 que una novela con una trama atrapante.

Sin embargo, tiene cosas interesantes que han hecho que valiera la pena leer las más de cuatrocientas páginas sobre este grupo de amigas.

La novela sigue las vidas de ocho universitarias recién licenciadas en el elitista Vassar College y cómo sus expectativas se desarrollan en la vida real.

Son mujeres liberales con una amplia gama de intereses, pero les costará encontrar buenas oportunidades laborales.

Al mismo tiempo, el matrimonio y la maternidad siguen siendo una obligación social prioritaria.

Cada una reacciona a su manera y, aunque las circunstancias las apartan, siempre conservan la relación en nombre de una época idílica.

Hay una comparación continua con la generación anterior y un sentimiento de haber mejorado gracias a la formación recibida.

Además, hay un optimismo respecto a los cambios que están sucediendo a toda velocidad en diferentes áreas.

Y la autora describe con detalle la vida cotidiana de la época, aunque a veces predomina la descripción de las cosas sobre las relaciones humanas.

También se atreve a abordar temas controvertidos desde un punto de vista femenino y progresista, lo que hizo que fuera un libro muy conflictivo en su momento.

Finalmente, hay que destacar a Harald, el malo-malo de la historia, y también a otros personajes masculinos que no salen muy bien parados.

¿Es interesante? Sí. ¿Pesao? Un rato. Pero eso es lo que hay.

Ah, y la traducción, por cierto, es mala.

I read this book for a book club, and I'm hesitant to post a review before discussing it, but I'm doing it anyway!

This was a tricky one for me. The story didn't have a lot of action or major events. However, the writing was truly excellent. The author did a great job of developing the characters. Each character was well-defined and had their own unique personality.

While there was an attempt to connect the characters, at times it felt more like a collection of short stories rather than a complete novel. Given the title "The Group," I was hoping for a stronger sense of a unified group. Instead, everyone seemed to stand on their own, with only some overlap at crucial moments in the story.

I think the author was trying to make a point about the lives of a group of college friends and how they drifted apart after college. The sexual progressivism in the book was unexpected, and I was appalled by the treatment of women.

Overall, it was a thought-provoking and memorable read. Even though it's not a book I'll rush to read again, I can understand why it's considered a new classic.

This is truly my ideal novel.

Set in 1930s New York, it delves into the lives of several Vassar graduates.

While there have been only a few truly slow moments in this novel, it more than makes up for it with its engaging story.

I found myself laughing aloud in several parts, completely immersed in the characters and their antics.

The discussions of New York high-society, 1930s politics, Freudian psychotherapy, and modernism were like a sweet treat for me.

Each and every one of these characters was incredibly interesting, and I was left feeling a sense of sadness when the novel came to an end.

I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.

I don't think sex is comical to the people taking part in it. It's comical to others. -Mary McCarthy, on the Jack Paar Show 1963

It is easy to overlook McCarthy's wit as she has filled this novel with a lifetime of observations on the kind of women she didn't become. There is much of T.S. Eliot's "The women come and go, talking of Michelangelo" in these sketches of Vassar girls. They discuss Cézanne, O'Keefe, and read Clive Bell, Roger Fry, Croce, Tolstoy's "What is Art?" Their shelves hold Marx, Spengler, Edmund Wilson's Axel's Castle (amusing as McCarthy was married to him). The furniture in Kay's apartment was meant to be talked about, while in Norine's, only things that made a "relevant statement" were admitted.
In the quote from Norine, we can see a hint of Sylvia Plath's impotent rage that McCarthy didn't have as she was too focused on being artistically great, politically active, and sexually adventurous. This novel invites comparison with the Daddy-oppressed poet, as the Vassar girls are of Plath's class. I realized the novel was set in the 1930s only a fourth of the way through, despite its language and morality seeming rooted in 1950s American culture. The privilege of these girls contrasts with the unemployed quarter of the country.
The opening scene is a wonderful panorama of sister-graduates at a wedding. We're like uninvited guests, dizzily meeting everyone. Names fly by, but we sense the moral atmosphere. No one thinks Kay has married well. She's married Harald, who has lost his stage job and reads The New Yorker. We soon learn he's hiding secrets. Kay clips recipes from McCall's and is into casseroles and beans. They may have to move due to finances, but she won't live in a basement. McCarthy may be pressing her case too hard here, but I don't mind. Kay has a ruthless hatred of poor people that even Harald doesn't suspect.
The novel is full of details about being sexually active in the 1930s, from losing virginity to contraceptive options. There's also plenty on vulgar mating rituals and affairs, which must have shocked early 1960s readers. Norine instigated a "fracas" between Harald and Putnam over sleeping partners. Helena's mother isn't surprised. It's good to see the hypocrisies of feminism haven't changed in sixty years, but comforting to see mother-daughter relationships haven't either. Mrs. Davison blames women for men's actions, and Helena laughs and pats her arm. We learn more about the woman involved, who studied English and did her main work for Miss Lockwood in Contemporary Press. Mrs. Davison smote her forehead, exclaiming, "Oh, my prophetic soul!"

It is of great significance to be aware that the copyright of this book dates back to 1954. Additionally, it is worth sharing that the story is set during America's Great Depression.

If these two facts were unknown to you, you might assume that this is merely another book of contemporary women's fiction.

"The Group" is the account of seven college friends and the events that unfold for them over a ten-year period. (See what I've told you...Does that sound like a contemporary women's fiction novel, or not?)

However, this book was far superior to any contemporary women's fiction novel I have ever read. It could potentially be because it was the first of its kind, but I believe there is more to it than that. It is highly literate, featuring fascinating characters. And then there is the time travel aspect...I truly felt as if I had been transported back to 1932 along with these women. I would be thinking, Gee, these women are just like me, and then suddenly! The author would insert a bit of dialogue or a small subplot, and I would remember, No, these are women who, despite their excellent educations and affluent backgrounds, never had the opportunities that I have.

I'm not entirely certain whether to classify it as a must-read. I am extremely glad that I read it, and I would encourage others to do so as well, but it does have its soap-opera-like moments here and there.

This book was just mediocre.

I'm a rather fast reader, yet this book, which is less than 500 pages, took me a significant amount of time to complete.

There were an excessive number of "main" characters, and with just as many point-of-view shifts, it truly made it difficult to get to know each and every one of them. Moreover, this book is set in the 30's, but aside from anti-feminist lifestyles and mentions of the date, there are no genuine indications of the time period.

I only managed to finish this book because I have the habit of finishing whatever I start, but reading this was indeed a chore. It felt like a struggle to get through the pages, and I often found myself losing interest due to the convoluted character development and the lack of a distinct sense of the setting's time period.

Overall, I can't say that I would recommend this book to others.

"You mustn't force sex to do the work of love or love to do the work of sex."

First published in 1963, this novel delves into the lives of a group of eight young women who have just left the exclusive Vassar College. Set against the backdrop of 1930's New York, it chronicles their experiences of finding love and heartbreak, forging careers and relationships, dealing with sex and babies. McCarthy herself graduated from Vassar in 1933, but it's unclear if any of the characters were based on her or her classmates.

The story begins with a wedding and concludes with a funeral, both for the same person - Kay. The other members of the 'group' attend each event. Kay is the first to marry and the first to die. The narrative shifts between the viewpoints of several, but not all, of the group members.

The novel explores many of the issues of the day. Dottie loses her virginity to one of Kay's wedding guests, enjoys it, and then gets fitted with contraception. Polly has an affair with a married man who is in counselling. Priss struggles to breastfeed her newborn son in the hospital, caught between conflicting theories about the best way to feed a baby. Even the question of how the lady of the house should treat her staff in a changing world is addressed. Meanwhile, the cracks in Kay's marriage become quickly evident. At college, her ambition was to work in the theatre, but she has to take a job at Macy's to support her husband's theatrical dreams. These women come from a privileged stratum of society and are highly educated, yet they still face difficulties in making their mark in a male-dominated and sexist world.

The story is told in the third person, which makes it difficult for the reader to get close to any of the characters. However, the reader can see what's coming before the characters do. Kay and Dottie are naive, while Norine is shallow, but they still fare better than all of the male characters. Similarly, the sex scenes, although fairly explicit, feel mechanical rather than emotional. It becomes clear that the author was more interested in exploring themes than in developing characters.

First published in 1963, this book can be seen as a precursor to today's chick-lit. As such, I'm not really part of its target audience. Nevertheless, I found myself smiling on a few occasions, especially when Priss was in the hospital. I also thought the opening scenes about the wedding were well-written and evocative of a bygone era. Best of all, the author resisted the temptation to neatly wrap up everything with a fairytale ending. Overall, I quite enjoyed it and believe it deserves to be more widely read.

"We are the hero of our own story."

The book titled "The Group" delves into the lives of 8 Vassar graduates, spanning from 1933 to 1940. However, having eight main characters seems rather excessive.

As a result, many of the characters lack full development. In fact, I only felt that I was able to get to know 3 or 4 of them to any significant extent.

Most of the characters come across as rather superficial, which makes it difficult to form a genuine liking for them. For instance, while I felt a certain degree of sympathy for Kay, I can't truly say that I liked her.

The plot of the book also isn't highly linear. Instead, it gives the impression of being a series of sketches.

Moreover, the book is extremely frank when it comes to sexuality, with some sex scenes described in great detail. Nevertheless, it feels more "clinical", resembling a sex education text rather than something erotic.

Overall, "The Group" offers an interesting look into a particular subset of society during a specific historical period. However, it doesn't quite reach the level of being a great book.

I'm putting it down.

I truly admire the writing and the progressive subject matter for that specific time period. It's quite remarkable how the author managed to touch on such relevant and forward-thinking topics.

However, despite my appreciation for these aspects, I have to admit that me and this story, along with these particular female characters, are just not connecting.

It seems as if there's a certain disconnect that I can't quite bridge. Maybe it's the different perspectives or the cultural context that I'm not fully understanding.

Nonetheless, it's time to say goodbye to the Vassar upper crust. It was an interesting read, but it just wasn't for me.

I'm sure there are many others who will find great value and enjoyment in this story, but for now, I'm moving on to other literary adventures.

[4.5 stars]

This book truly turned out to be quite remarkable. The final chapter was so impeccably judged that it easily earned an extra half star. Incidentally, this paperback is seemingly as old as I am. It's one of my mom's books that I snatched before we relocated to the UK. Unfortunately, I don't believe I ever inquired of her what her thoughts were on it. 'The group' pertains to around eight Vassar graduates, spanning from 1933 to the end of the decade. There is a light comic touch that persists throughout the entire book. However, I don't think the intention was satirical, which came as a relief. McCarthy is astute in observing their idiosyncrasies, class blindspots, and their voracious judging of one another. But to me, she refrains from mockery and blends her unsparing observation with empathy. Each chapter centers on a different member of the group with a shifting point of view. Her characterization is sharp, and no one is merely a 'type'. You get portrayals of about a dozen characters with impressive depth.

So, the storytelling is solid, and the dialogue is frequently excellent. But at times, you might wonder if it's all leading anywhere. Then, you're presented with an amazing final chapter that ties everything together. One of the group has passed away, and the last chapter describes the day of her funeral. Just as I had been pondering that one character, the envied and exotic Lakey, had curiously remained in the background and was never the focus of a chapter, McCarthy, it turns out, had saved her moment until the very end. And she also delivered a well-deserved comeuppance to a repulsive ex-husband of one of the group.

Highly recommended. And here are a few favorite lines:
Great wealth was a frightful handicap... The depression, whatever else you could say about it, had been a truly wonderful thing for the propertied classes.
\\"Putnam's impotence is a sign of a Promethean loneliness.\\"
(in the midst of an attempted seduction): This must be the Continental approach. (one page later this is less amusing, when the scene turns into an attempted rape)
Her doctor had ordered her to put on lipstick and powder right in the middle of labor; he and Sloan both thought it was important for a maternity patient to keep herself up to the mark. (no word on what justifiable homicide laws were like at the time)
Polly was embarrassed by her father's behavior; she felt that his style of dress and upper-class accent were giving the Trotskyites a bad name.

Martha Duffy, in Time Magazine, vividly described the profound influence of McCarthy's writing on American culture.

She noted that McCarthy, who saw herself as old-fashioned, was actually incorrigibly modern and a celebrated pioneer for generations of young women.

By ignoring the constraints and prerogatives of gender, she opened up new ground for serious fiction, delving into a woman's domestic strategies, finances, female friendships, and minute biological concerns.

Every syllabus on feminist literature owes a debt to her.

Interestingly, while The Group has come to be regarded as a feminist novel, McCarthy did not write it as a platform for feminist ideals.

She conceived it essentially as a comic novel, interested in satirizing the way the girls in the group embraced the New Deal era in various aspects such as fashions, domestic appliances, ideas, and sex.

The girls, especially in the way they parroted the progressive opinions of their husbands or boyfriends, were meant to be funny, and McCarthy wanted to show how their naïve expectations were ultimately confounded.

From a left-wing standpoint, but not with great seriousness, she was more focused on describing the girls' gullibility and self-deception.

The fact that their attitudes hadn't really changed from their mothers' was one of the most comic aspects of the book.

Kay's death was meant to represent the end of the liberal-progressive era in American life.

The Group took the author completely by surprise, and she wishes she had read it when she was a young woman.

Despite one tragic event, the book is handled with a deft touch, moving and amusing the reader in equal measure.

McCarthy never overplays her hand and has a wickedly funny sense of humor.

The author thoroughly enjoyed this and plans to read more of McCarthy's work in the future.

Not my case.

It started with a lot of indirect speech and no progress in action (simply nothing happened). Then it went on to a page-long digression about topic x, which at some point just became meh.

If there was supposed to be irony or social criticism, it was invisible to me.

Based on the description, I had expected strong women. Well, I didn't really perceive the ladies as strong. They were rather occupied with their own problems, but that's not a sign of strength.

Likewise, no emotions reached me. This was presumably due to the style (either a lot of indirect speech or just a罗列 of descriptions: she did this, then she did that, and so on).