The Writing Circle - A Review

The Writing Circle - Corrine Demas (B&N First Look Book Club)

Product Details (via B&N)

• Pub. Date: July 06, 2010
• Publisher: Hyperion
• Format: Hardcover, 304pp
• Sales Rank: 326,246

• ISBN-13: 9781401341145
• ISBN: 1401341144

Synopsis (via B&N)

They call themselves the Leopardi Circle—six members of a writing group who share much more than their works in progress.

When Nancy, whose most recently published work is a medical newsletter, is asked to join a writing group made up of established writers, she accepts, warily. She's not at all certain that her novel is good enough for the company she'll be keeping. Her novel is a subject very close to her heart, and she isn't sure she wants to share it with others, let alone the world. But Nancy soon finds herself as caught up in the group's personal lives as she is with their writing.

She learns that nothing—love, family, loyalty—is sacred or certain.

In the circle there's Gillian, a beautiful, scheming, world-famous poet; Bernard, a pompous but lovable biographer; Virginia, a respected historian and the peacemaker of the group, who also happens to be Bernard's ex-wife; Chris, a divorced father and successful thriller writer; and Adam, the youngest of the group, an aspiring novelist who is infatuated with Gillian. And then there's Nancy, an unassuming fiction writer embarking on a new chapter in her own life. They meet to read their work aloud and offer feedback. Over the course of a year, marriages are tested, affairs begin, and trust is broken.

Through their complicated relationships, these eccentric characters share their families, their beds, and their histories, and soon find that buried secrets have a way of coming to light. Hearts break and emotions are pushed to the limit in this richly engaging tale of love, betrayal, and literature.

My Thoughts:

I had a lot of hope for this book but it kind of fell short for me. It had a lot of stuff going on and part of me wishes I had more time with the characters. I enjoyed the story but as I mentioned, I almost feel like there were so many other sub stories we never got a conclusion too. Maybe if we had less of the sub stories and more of just the main plot, it would have worked better for me. All in all it wasn't a bad read, just not what I had expected.

Author's Website:

Corrine Demas