Rating: 
Summary: a real snoozer
Review: This novel managed to dull someone who exists in the worlds that Ms. Macy writes about. It is not that I question the fact that the author has had exposure to the priveledged worlds of haute couture New York and the country club/yachting set in CT. Some of the details suggest that she has indeed lived in these worlds. It is just this book is full of stereotypical characters who lack the fundamental quirks of their real life counterparts. The dialogue for a "literary" novel is surprisingly Grisham-like. I suppose the fashionable set might like reading about themselves, but I am inclined to recommend that anyone interested in well written fiction pass this snoozer over...
Rating: 
Summary: A surprise
Review: Although I am the last person to be enamored of the wealthy set, I was pleasantly surprised by how accomplished Macy's first novel is. I know Macy a bit, and am impressed to see how her writing talent has evolved since the days when I saw her fledgling works. I think she may actually develop into a formidable literary presence in the future. Having said that, however, I do have to reiterate that this depiction of youthful privilege and entitlement really bothered me on some levels-- for example, the way it depicted Maine as a glamorous retreat for the "swell set." I know Maine well, and it is an economically depressed place for the most part-- EXCEPT for those areas deemed stylish by out-of-staters. Macy's (and her characters') failure to explore this duality in any meaningful way seemed all too typical.
Rating: 
Summary: Well written but boring!
Review: I usually enjoy reading a young writers first novel. I found The Fundamentals of Play to be well written but not at all interesting. I could have put the book down half way and never wondered how it turned out. I also believe the Ms. Macy should have had her characters attend Yale not Dartmouth since Yale was her Alma Mater. Her Dartmouth background material was superficial....example no one would leave Dartmouth at the end of the term in a cab. My advice would be to skip this book.
Rating:
Summary: Forget Big Brother -- this is the real stuff
Review: Fundamentals of Play is a fascinating glimpse of a particular slice of our culture that I didn't know much about, and the bonus is, it's told in flowing prose. Reading it on July 4th got me to thinking about the wonderful variety of people and worlds existing and flourishing in this great country.I also just read a first novel giving a similarly fascinating glimpse of young people living an entirely different but no less fascinating lifestyle here on the West Coast: "Love Songs of the Tone-Deaf" by Asher Brauner, and I recommend both these books for your summer reading pleasure.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific Read
Review: I found "The Fundamentals of Play" to be a wonderfully exciting book. I had heard tremendous praise and good word about this new novel and had great hopes in reading it. I was very pleased with all aspects of it. I found the characters relatable and interesting, the plot thoughtful and easy to follow, but still interesting and fun to read. The friendships and life experience of the cast of characters keeps this book moving and never dull. I see great promise in Caitlin Macy's work and look forward to more from her in the future.
Rating:
Summary: well writen and interesting first novel
Review: Like one of the previous reviewers, I bought this book on the basis of the Salon review. I was not disapppointed. The writing is clean and elegant. The characters are, for the most part, interesting and engaging. Having said that, though, I must say that I find the novel's milieu,upper class society,a very interesting subject matter. In the end, the book suffers several flaws. It is so obviously influenced by Gatsby. Whole scenes from Fitzgerald's famous novel seem to have been lifted and modernized. And the characters all have parallels. Kate is Daisy. Harry is Gatsby. Geroge is Nick Carraway. Etc... Despite the flaws, the novel is poignant in parts and well worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: It reads like a vintage BMW...
Review: macy's portrayal of a generation & their moment in time doesn't miss a beat. it's full of delightful nuances that demonstrate just how perceptive she is. the fact that she chose a male protaganist and could wrote so convincingly in that voice is a real testament to her craft. in a world with very little sympathy for the nicks & kates out there, i must admit that i now look at them a little differently. thank you, caitlin.
Rating: 
Summary: Got better
Review: It started out weak and vague, but got stronger in the middle. You still might be better off re-reading Gatsby and/or The Sun Also Rises.
Rating:
Summary: The Fundamentals of Melodrama
Review: The first 200 pages were very well-written: great characterization (particularly of Harry--he was extremely well done) and a very engaging story, albeit a little shallow. The last 100 pages, however, deteriorate into melodramatic twists and turns that simply don't fit the tone of the rest of the book. It was as if Macy said, "Well, I've drawn this great world, now what shall I do with it? Ho hum, anything should be fine." I think she has a lot of promise, though, and I look forward to reading other things in the future that she writes.
Rating:
Summary: Eerily accurate depiction of the "snotty college" set
Review: I bought this book thinking it might remind me of a certain segment of my circle of friends. It was, however, more than reminiscent - it was a dead-on depiction of the ugly underside that lurks behind the glimmering veneers and patinas that are polished so carefully by Manhattan's young "money and brains" circle. Uncannily and eerily accurate, many of the descriptions, conversations, locales and events in the novel were unbelievably and hauntingly real to me, and as I read the book I began to wonder if Macy had stolen the journals and diaries of some of my friends and acquaintances. In terms of style and subject matter, the comparisons to Fitzgerald's Gatsby are warranted, but this, while excellent for a first novel, is not in the same league as Gatsby and could not be considered a masterpiece. I'll be watching for Macy's next novel, though, because I think she clearly has a major literary work inside of her! Best of luck to her and hats off for writing an engaging, realistic and wonderfully horrific account of the "snotty college" set. Warning, however - those readers who have not interacted with this demographic group will probably find the novel irritating, unrealistic and perhaps farcical in its portrait. Believe me when I tell you that it is all too real. Eerie.
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