Rating: 
Summary: Only so-so
Review: I'm a fan of Elinor Lipman's books "Isabel's Bed" and especially "Then She Found Me" which I thought was wonderful. This one was kind of disappointing. The characters did not seem as complex and the plot was kind of thin. I was annoyed by the romances and friendships which all seemed to lack real emotion. The parts I liked the best took place when the narrator was a young girl - that's when she was the most real and the most entertaining to me.
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Summary: A humorus and insightful look at family dynamics and culture
Review: Wonderful, humorus look at the differences and similarities between jews and gentiles. Terriffic!
Rating: 
Summary: Great ialog...you'll want to read this in one sitting
Review: Ms. Lipman's book is highly entertaining, and will make you want to continue reading and wanting more. The characters are very likable and the story-line interesting if not fully believable. This book makes me definitely want to read the rest of her work!
Rating:
Summary: Delicious comedy
Review: I disagree with the customers commenting that the ending is disappointing or the book formulaic. This is a perfectly pitched light romantic comedy. The initial darkness is more than satisfactorily resolved with marriages and everyone in their appropriate places. That's the nature of the genre, and Lipman handles it all with style, grace, and deceptive ease.Lev Raphael, "Mysteries" Columnist, Detroit Free Press; Reviewer, Michigan Radio
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Summary: A Summer Place
Review: Like many of the other readers here, I agree that the book was stronger at the beginning; however, if you're looking for that perfect vacation read, this is an excellent choice. Natalie Marx is quirky without being cliche, and Lipman sticks to her premise without running it into the ground. There are a couple of characters that I would have liked more had they been better developed, (i.e. Robin) but for the most part, I found the descriptions and dialogue to be witty and highly readable. So make some lemonade, pull out that lawn chair, and pretend that you, too, have an "Inn" of your own.
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Summary: Jewish versus Gentile - a love story
Review: As a society we are divided by class, religion and color. Whenever we try to intermingle any of these differences in personal relationships it is, often times, met with disapproving attitudes by others. And eventhough we may be reminded, justifiably so, by the holocaust or by slavery our nation still discriminates, still judges. Elinor Lipman in her novel, "The Inn at Lake Devine" writes with great wit and humor about the great divide between Jews and Gentiles. Ms. Lipman's story centers around a hotel in Vermont in the 60's that flatly states they do not accept Jews as guests. The main character, Natalie Marx, challenges the hotels policy and after meeting a gentile friend at summer camp, whose family spends each summer at the Inn, invites herself to vacation there with her friends family (as that is the only way she can "legally" get into the Inn). Natalie's eyes are widened even further after witnessing the owners and their family during that vacation. Years later she returns to the Inn to attend the wedding of her summer camp friend where unforeseen circustances occur and relationships develope between Natalie and the innkeepers 2 sons. Interestingly, Ms. Lipman takes the action to the Catskills, where the tables are now turned as the Jews talk about the Gentiles. All of this is done with great style and wit by Ms. Lipman and she never judges anyone so that we dislike them. Instead, Ms. Lipman allows us to observe the inner-workings of our society and how we, as a whole, can improve all our lives together. What happens to Natalie, the owners 2 sons and the Inn will have to be discovered by the reader. In the meantime, buy Ms. Lipman's novel - she addressess a subject worth writing about and delivers it humorously and professionally.
Rating:
Summary: A great read, but disappointing on retrospect
Review: I read this book all in one sitting, because it's funny and touching with great characters: a sassy protagonist, likable parents, good love interest, and a polite Nazi-woman who I really wanted to kill. But I agree with other readers that the ending was too fluffy. In fact, I think the whole thing was a little on the light side. Some famous person (I forget who) wrote that a novel should be about the "most important time" in a person's life--if this part of Natalie Marx's life was really important, the way that it altered the way she came to think and feel wasn't discussed in much depth. All that being said, of all the "beach" books in the world, The House at Lake Devine is certainly a better choice than most of the stuff out there!
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Summary: I love the way Elinor Lipman writes...
Review: This book is so engaging - I felt a part of it. I've read everything Elinor Lipman has ever written and never come away disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put the book down
Review: This was my first Elinor Lipman novel and I now will surely read the others. I really enjoyed the characters..especially the protagonist Natalie Marx and her observations as a young girl.
Rating:
Summary: A hilarious, smart read
Review: What a relief to read a book that is meant to make us laugh, but doesn't rely strictly on one liners to do it. Great characters and dialog, what a terrific book.
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