The Beach House: A Novel
by Jane Green
List Price:
Our Price: $2.30
You Save: $12.70 (85%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Jane GreenEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-05-26
ISBN: 0452295386
Number of pages: 341
Publisher: Plume
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780452295384
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Beach House: A Novel
Book Review: For people with average reading skills who want cheap fluff with no substance
Summary: 2 Stars
I picked this book up in London after seeing the numerous media billboards splashed over the tube stations claiming it to be a New York Times bestseller (do the English even care about that?) I am quite unfamiliar with Jane Green and this is my first of her novels.
The story focuses on Nan Powell, the free-spirited, eccentric sixty something year old woman who rents out her beach house for the summer, gathering a slew of strangers carrying emotional baggage. Nan, too, has her sad story about the dissappearance of her husband and being left single to deal with his gambling debts.
Each of the characters' subplots develop quite strongly in the beginning of the novel and immediately hooked me; unfortunately, these subplots held very little substance and much of it was solved by CONVENIENCE, especially through Nan.
Daff/Richard had quite an interesting story from the affair to the handling of Jessica; but after Daff takes up residence in the beach house, the problems with Jessica almost magically disappear; we get NO explanation for what drives her to need attention from her dad. She is simply "cured" after gardening with Nan. It is absolutely ridiculous. To make it more magical, Daff happens to score it big with Nan's son, Michael. It's just too unrealistically perfect. Did I mention that Daff was HORRIBLY drab and dull?
Dan/Bee - while this was the most realistic of the stories, it was absolutely boring. The realization that he was gay only made it worse - Daniel goes out to gay bars and Green repeatedly bashes her readers over and over by telling us that Daniel's life is a lie and this is the life he's always wanted. Almost every scene of Daniel's has these lines. OK we get it, he's finally happy.
Michael - his was actually pretty entertaining but it became irritating when he hooked up with Daff. Seriously, if he's the kind that likes women with a little spunk (like Jordana) why would he waste his time with a dull woman? Yes, she's down to earth, but there's nothing unique about her. Nothing at all.
Everett/Evan - this twist I didn't see coming and I had to admit that it took me by surprise. But again, convenience; as soon as he's gone to face his demons, he dies a happy man, finally having gone home. It's almost a deux ex machina, the hand of God taking care of this subplot because Jane Green couldn't think of any way to handle it.
Aside from the overly unrealistic storylines, there was WAY too much coincidence. COINCIDENTALLY, these brooding strangers happen to rent the same beach house - why not a perfectly happy person instead of all these miserables? COINCIDENTALLY, one of the patrons was married to the daughter of the landlord's presumed dead husband. COINCIDENTALLY, one of Nan's buddies happens to be gay and hits it off with Daniel - as if all gay people fall in love with the first gay person they see simply because they share sexual preference. If I were gay, I'd be downright offended.
The other thing I failed to mention is that none of these characters had voice. NONE. Michael, Dan, Daff and Bee had the same speech type; you'd think that Michael, living in New York, would have some kind of New York slang down. Hell, I'm surprised NONE of these characters had any shred of slang in their speech. Then again, they coincidentally all find happiness at the end of summer.
These coincidences and unrealistic plots are perhaps believable to the average-leveled reader who doesn't indulge in something with more substance.
My final gripe is the writing style. Doesn't Jane Green have an editor to monitor all those nasty run-on sentences? You only need look 3 pages in and there's a grammatically incorrect sentences; they're all over the book! Then again, I restate: it's not meant to be a serious book; it's just for the weak reader.
This is my FIRST and LAST Jane Green novel. I refuse to have an author insult my intelligence with such poor writing like this.
Summary of The Beach House: A Novel
Make this your next book club selection and everyone saves.
Get 15% off when you order 5 or more of this title for your book club.
Simply enter the coupon code GREENBEACH at checkout.
This offer does not apply to eBook purchases. This offer applies to only one downloadable audio per purchase.
The New York Times bestseller and ultimate beach read from the author of Second Chance
Nan Powell is a free-spirited, sixty-five-year-old widow who's not above skinny-dipping in her neighbors' pools when they're away and who dearly loves her Nantucket home. But when she discovers that the money she thought would last forever is dwindling, she realizes she must make drastic changes to save her beloved house. So Nan takes out an ad: Rooms to rent for the summer in a beautiful old Nantucket home with water views and direct access to the beach.
Slowly people start moving in to the house, filling it with noise, laughter, and with tears. As the house comes alive again, Nan finds her family and friends expanding. Her son comes home for the summer, and then an unexpected visitor turns all their lives upside down. As she did so masterfully in her New York Times bestseller Second Chance, Jane Green once again proves herself one of the preeminent writers of contemporary women's fiction.
Get 15% off when you order 5 or more of this title for your book club.
Simply enter the coupon code GREENBEACH at checkout.
This offer does not apply to eBook purchases. This offer applies to only one downloadable audio per purchase.
The New York Times bestseller and ultimate beach read from the author of Second Chance
Nan Powell is a free-spirited, sixty-five-year-old widow who's not above skinny-dipping in her neighbors' pools when they're away and who dearly loves her Nantucket home. But when she discovers that the money she thought would last forever is dwindling, she realizes she must make drastic changes to save her beloved house. So Nan takes out an ad: Rooms to rent for the summer in a beautiful old Nantucket home with water views and direct access to the beach.
Slowly people start moving in to the house, filling it with noise, laughter, and with tears. As the house comes alive again, Nan finds her family and friends expanding. Her son comes home for the summer, and then an unexpected visitor turns all their lives upside down. As she did so masterfully in her New York Times bestseller Second Chance, Jane Green once again proves herself one of the preeminent writers of contemporary women's fiction.
Literary Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Literary Books
Island (Perennial Classics)by Aldous Huxley
Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Published: 2002-07-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.00
Price in other shops:
Angelsby Marian Keyes
William Morrow; Published: 2002-05-28; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.21
Price in other shops:
A Tree Grows in Brooklynby Betty Smith
Harper; Published: 2001-11-13; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.82
Price in other shops:
The Devil and Miss Prym: A Novel of Temptationby Paulo Coelho
Harper; Published: 2006-07-03; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.50
Price in other shops:
Boonville: A Novelby Robert Mailer Anderson
Harper Perennial; Published: 2003-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.01
Price in other shops:
Carameloby Sandra Cisneros
HarperAudio; Published: 2002-10-01; Audio Cassette; Book
Best price: $6.99
Price in other shops:
Headhunterby Timothy Findley
PERENNIAL PUBLICATIONS; Paperback; Book
The Crimson Petal And The Whiteby Michel Faber
Harcourt, Inc./Harvest; Published: 2003; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.50
Great Expectationsby Charles Dickens
Macmillan Pub Co; Published: 1979-06; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops:
This Side of Paradiseby Fitzgerald
Scribner Paper Fiction; Published: 1988-09-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.95
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Promises to Keep: A Novelby Jane Green
Plume; Published: 2011-05-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.97
Price in other shops:
Babyville: A Novelby Jane Green
Broadway; Published: 2004-03-23; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.49
Price in other shops:
The Other Womanby Jane Green
Plume; Published: 2006-06-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.69
Price in other shops:
To Have and To Hold: A Novelby Jane Green
Broadway; Published: 2005-03-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.17
Price in other shops:
Bookends: A Novelby Jane Green
Broadway; Published: 2003-05-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.90
Price in other shops:
Dune Road: A Novelby Jane Green
Plume; Published: 2010-05-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.00
Price in other shops:
Swapping Livesby Jane Green
Plume; Published: 2007-05-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.75
Price in other shops:
Second Chanceby Jane Green
Plume; Published: 2008-05-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.98
Price in other shops:
Promises to Keep: A Novelby Jane Green
Plume; Published: 2011-05-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.58
Price in other shops:
Mr. Maybe: A Novelby Jane Green
Broadway; Published: 2002-06-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.39
Price in other shops: