The Group

by Lara Feigel

I managed to finish this book, but it was very hard going. I really did not enjoy this book at all! I didn’t like the style of the writing and I didn’t like how the main character was narrating her friends lives as though she was living their lives. I felt as though it was very anti men. I know that one character a male had been accused of sexual acts and exposing himself to women, but it wasn’t handled very well.

All I could take from this book was how anti men these women were. As though their husbands were a waist of space, didn’t see to their needs or were having affairs. How these women were still friends for so long after they had all shared a house when they were at university together is beyond me. Especially seeing one of the characters had a long running affair with one of her so called friends husbands, and when she found out about it they still ended up being friends.

I really don’t have anything positive to say about this book, it was so hard going to read. I kept on reading hoping that it would get better. Sadly it didn’t and as for the end of the book I was totally baffled. I also felt that this book made me feel depressed while reading it.

Stella, Helena, Kay, Polly and Priss all met when they shared a house together at university. Twenty years down the line as they are all approaching their fortieth birthdays. They are still friends, but not quite in the same way.

Stella: Narrates whats going on in her friends lives, how they are or aren’t coping with family life. She and her husband have separated as things weren’t as they should be. When Stella did everything she could to get pregnant for the second time it pushed her husband away. So they live separately and share the parenting.

Helena: Is a documentary presenter. She’s single and wan’t a baby so she and her gay best friend decide to have a baby together. While she is pregnant she meets a younger woman and they start to have a relationship, but Helena’s pregnancy put strains on their relationship as her partner doesn’t want children.

Kay: Is married to a philanderer. Who doesn’t really take much responsibility in helping her with their children. She is struggling mentally and physically and she ends up just going off on her own for a while leaving her husband to deal with everything. As she needs to try and get herself back.

Polly: Is a surgeon who surgically rebuilds young girls and women private parts after they have been mutilated. She is very angry with what has happened to her patients and she seems to keep hold of this anger. She’s also been having an affair with her boss who is old enough to be her father. She eventually puts a stop to their relationship as she know it can’t go anywhere as she realises she wants a proper relationship.

Priss: Seems to have it all. She has a style that others try to copy. Along with having a good looking husband and wonderful children, but it not enough for her she’s fed up of being a stay at home mum. She likes the idea of opening her own little cafe which she eventually does along with help from a man who she ends up having an affair with almost in retaliation for her husbands affair.

Pages: 336, Publication Date: 11 June 2020, My Rating: