The Season of Lillian Dawes: A Novel

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Summary: A backward glance at a long-gone New York
Review: A witty and engaging first-person narrative of New York in 1954. In addition to the brilliant and mysterious Lillian Dawes, whose first noncameo appearance doesn't occur until a third of the book is behind you, you'll meet the brothers Gabriel and Spencer Gibbs, who are temporarily rooming together (for reasons explained in the opening chapter), and their delightful aunt Lavinia, who brings her own silverware, and her dog, to restaurants.

The story is written in the first person, by Gabriel at some point in his future, and it joins the ever-growing list of "New York" novels, and quite near the top, too. Comparisons with "Catcher in the Rye" as well as Henry James and Edith Wharton are inevitable. There's also more than a touch of "Breakfast at Tiffanys."

New Yorkers with long memories, or their children and grandchildren, will delight in the references to the politics of the time (Joe McCarthy, the Rosenbergs, President Eisenhower) as well as to artifacts of the "Populuxe" era--transistor radios, hula hoops--and long-gone New York eating places, like Schraffts.

Tidily done.

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Summary: What fun.... with wit, intelligence and humor to spare!
Review: I can't remember the last time I had so much fun reading a novel that purports to be a comedy of manners but is also a heartwarming look at the eccentricities found in families and of the ties that bond those families together - in spite of themselves. Filled with humor and warmth, this one is an absolute stand-out, not to be missed.
At the heart of this book is Gabriel Gibbs, a young boy struggling to find himself after being thrown out of an upscale boarding school. Luckily he has his wise, if unconventional, brother Spencer to look after him as well as a muse in the form of the mysterious Lillian Dawes, a woman who is both more and less than she seems. She touches the heart of both Gabriel and his brother, leading them towards an unpredictable conclusion.

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Summary: Loved This One
Review: I really loved The Season of Lillian Dawes--it's got wonderful writing and a wonderful story--it's just a terrific read. Katherine Mosby is a terrific writer and so what if her characters speak more eloquently than most people. We would if we could. The story concerns Gabriel Gibbs, who has been kicked out of boarding school and must spend a few months with Spencer his older brother. During their time together, Gabriel befriends Lillian Dawes, a fascinating older woman with on whom he has a very strong crush. Lillian ultimately becomes involved with Spencer. The story is a combination of The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye--it is the coming of age of a wealthy cynic. The ending is fabulous. Mosby leaves enough to the imagination to make it incredibly satisfying without being too perfect or tied up. Enjoy.

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Summary: He aint Holden!
Review: There were many wonderful things about the book: namely the compelling female characters. They were quirky and believable and had great lines.
But Gabriel, the narrator--who is he? What does he look like? How old is he supposed to be when he's telling this story? What kid talks like this?
Holden would tell it to you straight: This kid's a phony!
As for evoking the zeitgiest of New York in the 1950s, I found the book unconvincing. Sure, there was the requisite mention of the McCarthy hearings and a liberal sprinkling of place names to set the scene, but then some neologism or trendy food item (pinenuts, etc.) would throw me off.
Finally, there are some real gimmicky things happening in the end as mysterious heir surfaces and true identity is revealed blah blah blah. Why add all these trappings to what could have been a bittersweet, ordinary (in the good sense) story of a boy's lost love?
Still, there's no denying that the novel has its charms, something that makes these faults all the more regrettable.

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Summary: Collective Disappointment
Review: This book was chosen by my office reading group. It was generally felt to be a disappointment. I for one really liked the writing style and prose but wondered why simpler words were not chosen. Some felt, too, they required a dictionary by their side. It was definitely a book one could easily put down. There wasn't much in the way of character development and the story lacked intrigue. The ending, too, was a disappointment.

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Summary: Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before...
Review: This novel I actually listened to on tape, and though it made my seven hour car ride enjoyable, I couldn't help thinking I've read this book before...I think that's because it reminds me of other famous novels--"The Great Gatsby" meets "Catcher in the Rye," meets Edith Wharton's social commentary. I was quickly able to guess the secret identity of the missing heir who was swindled, and the only suspense was how it was all going to work-out. Mosby's writing style was pleasant, and I enjoyed the difficult vocabulary she interjects--its refreshing to read (or my case, listen), to something that is not written for the lowest common denominator. Its not over-burdened with difficult vocabulary, though the author's descriptive metaphors were often a little forced, and seemed like they were only there to show-off her cleverness. Gabriel was wiser than his years or experience, and Lillian didn't seem entirely believable. I understand that Gabriel would have over-exaggerated her charms since he was enamored, but Lillian shows too much book-intellect for someone that left home at 17 with no formal education beyond that point. Had the author showed her more as someone with a curious, insightful mind (with some life experiences that broadened her education), it would have been easier to believe. The other characters were not fully developed by the author to better understand their behavior, and I for one enjoy more descriptions of their looks so I can better imagine what the characters look like as I'm reading. Everyone does seem much too intelligent, but a private prep school education in the '50s was probably more stringent than a '90s college education...Aunt Livinia adds some comic relief to the novel, though I couldn't helping feeling she was channeling Oscar Wilde with her constant witticisms and social observations. On the whole I enjoyed the novel, and will read the book again to see if I missed something by listening to it on tape. (I will actually enjoy having my dictionary handy to look-up words that are rarely used today in literature.) Also, I wasn't crazy about the ending--I guess I've grown accustomed to the tidy, Hollywood-endings, and had hoped for at least a little hint as to what happened to Lillian and Spencer.

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Summary: Eloquently written novel with a vintage feel
Review: This reminded me a little of the Great Gatsby with its reflective prose and clever usage of vocabulary. Part of me found both of these things vaguely irritating from time to time, like I wanted to shake the book and yell, "Just spit it out already-nobody talks like this!" But perhaps this is precisely the way people of a certain upbringing conduct themselves.

The story revolves around brothers Spencer and Gabriel Gibbs, Spencer in his late 20's, Gabriel 10 years his junior. Gabriel has been expelled from his chi-chi private school and comes to live with his brother. He also comes, over the course of a summer, to be infatuated with the mysterious Lillian Dawes, a woman who seems to leave all men trembling in her wake, as she possesses that ineffable "certain something." It is really a tale of Gabriel's coming of age in 1950's New York City. He is a likeable young character, as is his brother, despite their pretensions. Lillian, however, remains rather aloof and unknown throughout the novel, but part of the mystery surrounding her eventually gets unraveled (and if you area halfway intelligent person you will figure it out before Gabriel finally does.)

Overall, an enjoyable read. Maybe I was initially resistant to the way Mosby writes because so few people write like that these days. I had to keep a dictionary handy, though, for some of the vocabulary words.