Book Review - The Group by Mary McCarthy

Synopsis:  McCarthy's most celebrated novel portrays the experiences of eight young women from Vassar College, Class of '33. As the story opens, they meet in Ne...more McCarthy's most celebrated novel portrays the experiences of eight young women from Vassar College, Class of '33. As the story opens, they meet in New York City for the wedding of Kay, one of the group. The author then describes the lives, loves, and aspirations of these women until they reconvene seven years later in the same city for Kay's funeral. Juicy, shocking, witty, and almost continually brilliant.

First Line:  "It was June, 1933, one week after Commencement, when Kay Leiland Strong, Vassar '33, the first of her class to run around the table at the Class Day dinner, was married to Harald Petersen, Reed '27, in the chapel of St. George's Church, P.E., Karl F. Reiland, Rector."

Random Quote:  "Soon the smell of singed hair was added to the smell of cigarette smoke, of dog, pipe tobacco, and of a soured dishcloth in the sink.  Watching her, Helena granted Norine a certain animal vitality, and "earthiness" that was underscored, as if deliberately, by the dirt and squalor of the apartment.  Bedding with her, Helena imagined, must be like rolling in a rich moldy compost of autumn leaves, cracking on the surface, like her voice, and underneath warm and sultry from the chemical process of decay."

Review:  Reading this book is like drinking a very dry gin martini (shaken, not stirred).  Closely observed, carefully described, always acerbic - this was a real pleasure.

Vassar College, 1862 - Image via Wikipedia

I remember skimming through this at my Seattle grandmother's house when I was in high school.  At that point I was mostly shocked that someone had written so frankly about sex during the 1930's ("They had SEX in the 1930's?  Really?") - teenagers are always a bit surprised to discover a whole world out there that is outside of their own experience.  I tucked the book away in the back of my mind as something I should read at some point.  I am currently reading books that were published in my birth year and this was the first.  If it is any evidence of the quality of writing in 1963 then it was a great year for more than just me!  I was completely floored by how wonderful this book was.

Written almost more as a series of short stories about the women in the group, the stories are tied together by Vassar, a wedding (at the beginning), and a funeral (at the end).  In between are stories I will never forget.  A Particular standout for me is Chapter 2, wherein Dottie loses her virginity.  Ms. McCarthy truly captures the universal awkwardness of this event along with its own attendant pleasant surprises and does so in effortless intelligent prose.  I loved one of the minor characters, Norine Schmittlapp - utterly contemptible in some ways and yet so admirable in her ability to flaunt convention - she's a gorgeous counterpoint to some of the other more downtrodden and conventional characters.

This book makes me grateful that I was born during the era of Our Bodies, Ourselves instead of relying on Kraft-Ebing for my education on human sexuality.  I am glad that I have more choices than these women did (What the hell did they get such great educations for, anyway, if all that was on offer was to keep house?  Better cocktail party conversation?).  I am glad that I can't be institutionalized for objecting to a spouse's affairs and physical abuse (at least not easily). 

I was just as struck, however, by the way some things endure - watch any one of the dozens of bridal shows on television right now and boggle along with me at the notion that this is a woman's only day, the most important dress she'll ever spend too much money on, the ne plus ultra of life - the more things change, the more they stay same (factoring in inflation, of course).

FTC Disclosure:  San Leandro Public Library

Rating:  Orange

Reading Challenges:  Birth Year Reading Challenge