(Book #24) Ellen hosted a gathering of seven of us. Sadly, her cook was ‘on holiday’ and she was forced to have the luncheon catered: finger sandwiches, olives, pickles, potato salad and berries followed by three kinds of tart desserts from Bittersweet. With the meal, we enjoyed wine, champagne and sparkling fruit juice.
We all fully enjoyed the writing — particularly such depictions as “the breathless pursuit of repose.” Though it’s difficult to really ‘like’ any of the characters, we talked about our favorites — Arthur, the ex-husband, affectionately called Exhibit A, and Mrs. Landish who couldn’t start a fire because her andirons weren’t right. We discussed how little we seemed to know about Jim except through the eyes of other characters. We spent some time sorting out just what happened at the end of the book (and why?). Though perhaps not one of Wharton’s best, it is glamorous and clever.