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This is the story of a group of eight women who graduated from Vassar College in 1933. The narrative follows the next few years of their lives. Each chapter focuses on a different member of “the group,” with some having more interaction between the friends than others. It begins at the wedding of Kay and Harald, which takes place one week after graduation. Kay is the first in the group to get married, although not the only one to have a fiancé before graduating from college. The others are intrigued by her low-rent, friends-not-family wedding and what it implies about her bohemian future life (Harald is a playwright).

They are relatively wealthy women, but this is right in the middle of the Depression, so there are various degrees of frugality and saving. Most of the women work, and some have careers. They all consider themselves modern.

However, the most modern aspect of the novel is in relation to the time it was written: its candor about sex, birth control, and having children. One scene in particular stood out to me: a character goes to her gynecologist to have a “ring” diaphragm fitted. The fitting and the doctor’s instructions are described in detail, to the extent that it seemed like McCarthy was seizing the opportunity to educate her readers.

I have no issue with that at all, but I feel that addressing these issues in this novel sometimes comes at the expense of psychological depth. I had difficulty relating to these women because they only came to life for me in brief moments.

Read my full review: http://www.noseinabook.co.uk/2018/03/...

In 1933, a group of ladies graduated from Vassar. However, the men in their lives seemed to bring them misery.

Kay's husband made her unhappy, and so did Norine's. Dottie was made miserable by Kay's husband's roommate. Prissy's husband thought he knew everything about motherhood, which made her miserable. Polly's father made her miserable, and then she had an affair that also made her miserable. But on a positive note, Polly did marry happily in the end.

Helena was the exception as she didn't care about men and wasn't miserable. Libby's date almost raped her, which made her miserable. Pokey's butler was miserable, but Pokey herself was too lazy and/or rich to be made miserable. Lakey was annoyed by Kay's husband, but like Helena, she wasn't truly miserable.

It's clear that the majority of these women had experienced misery at some point. But that's just the way of life. The book delved deep into the topic of educated women during the between-war times, bringing amazing depth and awareness. Perhaps the sub-title of the book could have been: THE PERILS OF THE MRS DEGREE.

Satisfying Read

Only after I finished reading this book did I come to know that it is not only famous and highly acclaimed but also written more than 50 years ago. It makes one realize that the social changes for women have been painfully slow and that human behavior might perhaps never truly evolve.

The story chronicles the lives of a group of Vassar women right after their graduation. It commences with Kay's small wedding to the irresponsible and perilously sociopathic Harald and then highlights certain aspects of each woman's life - typically the event that steers the course - over the next 7 years. The book concludes in the same church with the same group of women attending Kay's funeral.

This is by no means a typical "chicklit" beach read. The writing style superbly captures the voice of the elite and gracefully weaves around a set of social, political, sexual, and psychological circumstances that seem convincingly real.

The character presentation is instantaneous, and the intricacies of various parental, lover, and friend relationships are precisely depicted.

The Group is just as relevant today as it was when it was first written and will most likely continue to endure for another 50 years, captivating readers with its timeless themes and engaging narrative.

In 1933, eight friends graduate from Vassar, brimming with optimism for the future.

The country is emerging from the Depression, and new technology is liberating women from domestic drudgery. They have unwavering faith in the progress of science. The story commences with Kay's marriage to theatre director Harald Peterson, whom the other girls don't particularly fancy.

Immediately after, Lakey, the artistic one, sets sail for a tour of Europe. Then, Dottie loses her virginity (and experiences a beautifully described orgasm) with a man named Dick, who treats her with cold indifference. It is this very scene, in chapter 2, that led to the book being banned upon publication in Australia, Italy, and Ireland.

We walk in the shoes of each woman, hearing their thoughts and identifying with one after another. Distinguishing eight characters and captivating our interest in all of them is no small accomplishment for a writer, yet McCarthy manages it masterfully.

Each woman has her hopes shattered by the outside world, where men hold sway both at work and in the home. We witness them gradually surrender their ambitions while tiptoeing around male egos, convincing themselves they are making the right choices.

The narrative encompasses a broad spectrum of life: religion, politics, psychoanalysis, class, contraception, childbirth, and racism. Particularly harrowing are the domineering husband who imposes strict regimens for the feeding of his son and the philandering husband who commits his wife to a mental institution when she complains about his womanizing. Life is arduous for all of them in one way or another. The only woman who has a semblance of true freedom is Lakey.

The Group was published in 1963, coinciding with the release of Betty Friedan's Feminine Mystique, which is credited with igniting the'second wave' of feminism. McCarthy's novel soared to the top of the US charts and remained there for five months, hitting the zeitgeist dead-on. Reading it in 2021, it still feels contemporary and relevant, and I understand why so many women I respect consider it their favorite novel. I wouldn't go quite that far, but it is a profoundly powerful story, and I strongly urge you to read it.

You know when you're engrossed in a great book and have to set it aside, yet you can't stop thinking about the characters and the story? Well, that was definitely not the experience I had with this book!

Apparently, this book was first published in 1954 and 1963. I believe its initial popularity stemmed from its rather taboo content, especially for the 1950s. I can envision young girls of that era giggling and secretly hiding their copies. However, aside from that, it is rife with flaws.

The book lacks a proper plot. The author attempts to tell the story of 8 Vassar graduates, but with so many characters, none of them are fully developed. There are also around 30 side characters, which only adds to the confusion. Moreover, although the bulk of the story is supposed to take place from 1933 to 1943, McCarthy fails to capture the essence of the 1930s. Instead, it feels more like the 1950s - 1960s, the time period when she actually wrote it.

Another significant flaw is the lack of developed relationships. Everyone seems to be talking at each other rather than having a proper dialogue. It's a continuous, running monologue, much like in some of the old Woody Allen movies - specifically, the ones where he or other characters drone on and on about communism, psychoanalysis (so very 1950s!), and sexuality. It's just one character talking for the sake of talking.

There was a movie adaptation in 1966, but it was a flop. I always try to find at least one positive aspect, so I guess this book made me grateful that I came of age in the 1980s after the invention of the birth control pill! And I also learned what a "pessary" is!

This is a wonderful novel about interwar America that follows the lives of eight women - Vassar graduates (this Vassar haunts me, in "Fates and Furies" the main heroine was also a graduate from there, and also the mother of Theo from "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt). So in the group, these young women start their professional lives in New York. There everything is great - and the problems that women face at that time (and that are still relevant today!): how to build a career when you are a woman, when "you are a mother", when you are better and more talented than your man. I gave it a three because this book is somewhat disjointed. If it were a series, with each chapter being a new episode, that would be great! Just like I see "The Mad Men", but with the main heroes being heroines. Read it if the interwar period is your theme, you won't regret it!

It delves deep into the complex and often challenging lives of these women, exploring their hopes, dreams, and the obstacles they encounter. The author does a great job of描绘 the social and cultural context of the time, making it a fascinating read for those interested in history and women's studies.

Despite its flaws, the novel offers valuable insights into the experiences of women in a male-dominated society and the struggles they face in pursuing their goals. It is a thought-provoking and engaging work that will leave readers with much to consider.

Written at least a generation before my time, and from the perspective of women, The Group presents the struggles that every generation experiences after graduating from college.

Although these struggles are resolved in ways unique to each generation, they are universal in nature. The book begins with a wedding and concludes with a funeral, and in both cases, there is a search for the perfect way to handle the occasion.

It's a delicate balance between being too formal and too Bohemian, with everyone second-guessing the decisions.

Questions such as how the parents will be involved, whether the minister is supportive, and what role each friend will play all come into play.

Similarly, when it comes to setting up one's life, there are choices to be made among different styles.

Will one be fashionably materialistic, stick with affordable common sense, or remain true to spiritual or political values?

The struggles become even more intense when it comes to children, with decisions such as whether to breastfeed or bottle-feed, and whether to indulge or discipline.

Often, the men play the role of the heavies or the foils in these struggles, but not always.

At least they are portrayed fairly and realistically.

The struggles and decisions faced are ultimately the same for everyone, regardless of gender, and the interesting part is how one's choices inevitably shape one's destiny.

It's also interesting to note that the dilemmas of the 1930s are not so different from those of today.

My favorite line was an observation from one of the young women: "Selfish people, she felt, were more fun to be with than unselfish people."

How true this is, even though they may require more maintenance!

This is for me an absolute 5 stars.

The way in which the characterization of the different persons is presented is truly masterful. Each person is described in a very detailed and sometimes suggestive manner.

Moreover, the way in which the entire story is interwoven is extremely well done. You gain insights into failed ambition in the thirties. It is not because the women are incapable, but rather because marriage prohibits them from developing themselves.

You often find yourself laughing at what the characters think, say, or how they handle situations.

The only drawback is that it can be difficult to distinguish certain characters towards the end. Some characters come to the forefront more and are easier to remember, while others seem to fade away during the course of the story.

Nevertheless, it is certainly a remarkable read. It reads like a soap opera, which makes it both engaging and entertaining.

Overall, this is a book that I would highly recommend to others.

A little part soap + some social commentary + the disillusionment of finishing college in the early 1930s = this book.

It is an interesting read that reveals how, despite the passage of time, certain aspects remain constant. The story centers around the lives of a group of women who graduated from Vasser College in the 1930s.

For these women, life is far from easy. The reality they face is starkly different from the ideals and dreams they had for themselves.

The book delves into the social and economic challenges of the era, as well as the personal struggles and disappointments of the characters.

It shows how the women navigate through a world that is often unforgiving and how they try to find meaning and purpose in their lives.

Overall, this book offers a fascinating glimpse into the past and a timely reminder that, in many ways, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

I'm an enormous enthusiast of books centered around "groups of women who knew each other in childhood or college and reunite as adults" (seriously, that subgenre requires a much shorter label). This particular book has persistently loomed as a "must-read someday" for me. It's always been on my radar as a trailblazer in that rather long-named subgenre. In fact, I've owned at least two copies of it, yet I never got around to reading it. I'm delighted that it's being reissued as an ebook, as it will likely introduce it to a new generation.

I'll commence with the author biography at the back of the book. I have a weakness for prologues, acknowledgments, and such - I'll even skim through long lists of articles in non-fiction books. McCarthy led a quite fascinating life, with multiple marriages, public feuds (including with her first husband, a playwright named Harold who gets quite the treatment in THE GROUP), and numerous jobs. However, the most astonishing fact for me is that THE GROUP was published in 1963. I would have assumed it came out much earlier. The book is set in the seven years following the group's graduation from Vassar in 1933 (the same year McCarthy graduated from the same institution), so it concludes just before America's entry into World War II. It's challenging to determine how much, if any, of the '60s perspectives influenced the book. Perhaps McCarthy provided a faithful account of the general events of her classmates from that era, but I was surprised by some of the attitudes and actions (towards sex, birth control, lesbians, psychiatry, women's education, class, and money). In various ways - sometimes the characters were as conservative as I would have anticipated, but occasionally there were glimmers of independence in thought and action. However, nearly every girl mentioned her pearls at some point, which couldn't have been coincidental. After all, they are Vassar women. And I adored the description of Libby, after Kay's wedding, "she had an image of herself as a high-bred, tempestuous creature, a sort of Arab steed in an English sporting primitive" (223) - a perfect blend of how most young girls feel at this stage of their lives, with just enough pointed description to clarify the rarefied position in which these girls find themselves.

All of the women received some attention (although a few only make brief appearances throughout - I was so curious about Pokey, but I guess McCarthy told us all we needed to know about her through her butler?). And all serve a specific role, generally a rather sad and/or tragic one, though some seemed truly happy (thank goodness for Polly and Jim, I suppose). I thoroughly relished this book, and even if I occasionally forgot which name corresponded to which set of circumstances, I'm unlikely to forget this portrayal of life for pre-war educated women. ARC for review.

An amazing work indeed!

The writing, at certain moments, gives the impression of being completely contemporary. For instance, the discussion on the politics of birth control seems very relevant in today's context.

However, it can be quite challenging to follow in some parts. The narrative dwells on one story line for an extended period, to the extent that one almost forgets the other story lines.

Thankfully, towards the end, the story gains more momentum. McCarthy skillfully weaves the different lines together, using one story line to provide insights into another.

Even in those sections where the text might seem a bit dated, such as the discussion on the various aspects of socialism/communism, the book remains interesting and enlightening.

Just imagine, in the past, people were passionate and well-informed about these ideas. They didn't simply throw out words like "Obama is a socialist!" as pejoratives without having a clear understanding of what they meant.

It makes one reflect on how much has changed in our society's approach to such important topics.