Rating: 
Summary: What a piece of trash!
Review: Being a fan a Rona Jaffe, I was looking forward to another of her great reads. What a letdown The Room-Mating Season turned out to be! The characters were incredibly shallow--the only believable one was Leigh, who seemed to lead a fairly normal life. These three girls (women) thougt there was not a thing wrong with sleeping around--particularly with married men. About the worst of the three was Vanessa, who certainly was in dire need of a good therapist to find out why she couldn't even take a shopping trip to New York without picking up (and of course, sleeping) with any man who breathed. I found Cady to be very annoying--talk about feeling sorry for yourself. She inanely spent decades waiting for a married man who had no intentions of leaving his wife. Surely she could not have been that naive to fall for his "we don't sleep together & I'm staying in my marriage just for the kids" schtick---even a seventeen year old would have given him the boot. Come on!! Then she has the nerve to moan about her terrible life. How about looking at how it got that way? I could go on and on about these losers, but they are too ridiculous to warrant any discussions. Please, Miss Jaffe, let's get back to your real writing about real people we can relate to!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: This book is not very good
Review: I am disappointed and saddened because I am a big fan of Rona Jaffe. She is an amazing writer. I adore Class Reunion, and have just finished The Road Taken, which was one of the best books I have ever read. Having said that, I looked forward to this newest novel and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It did not live up to my expectations. The characters are shallow and self centered. I never understood them, or their reasons for making the selfish choices that they made. I cannot even fathom why they would remain friends after sharing an apartment for a short time. I didn't care for any of them or what happened to them. There is one character who dies and we never really get to know her, For some reason, these women who have no morals, think about her from time to time. I feel cheated because I know Ms. Jaffe is capable of better writing than this.
Rating: 
Summary: Mesmerizing, but somehow left me empty
Review: I did enjoy this book. Ms. Jaffe's writing style kept me eagerly turning pages. I was sad for Susan, happy for Leigh, and sorry for both Vanessa and Cady. But their personalities were set at the start of the story, and they didn't change very much over nearly forty years. And at the end I just said, "Well, that's it." I didn't feel like I'd witnessed anything special, just forty years in the three women's lives. Unlike some of the other readers who've posted reviews, I liked the surprise Ms. Jaffe threw in at the end. I don't want to say too much, but the memories these women kept alive for so many years would have been forgotten like last week's newspaper had things gone differently. I guess I would have liked to have understood Vanessa better. She was such an enigma to me. How does a person become so empty? Cady, whom I felt was pitiful, was much better fleshed out. Leigh's life was too perfect for much space to be devoted to. I'm not a fan of adultery, but I believe Ms. Jaffe was trying to make a point that some married men really do divorce their wives, while others string girlfriends along as long as they are allowed to. But yes, I did enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: disappointing
Review: I did like this book but ended up rating it for the kind of book it was and less for the amount of interest I had in it. I gave up and just realized it would be a big book of infidelty and it was a 4 star with that as the main topic. I felt there were way too many flings going on - can't one of these girls date a single guy? Cady - very annoying, jealous of her friends, and can't live without being incredibly needy. Dates and falls nutso for a married guy, Paul. She enters a LONG relationship with this one and her life passes her by. Leigh - good at heart, I wanted to believe but then again fell for a married man. Vanessa - ok but needed to keep having flings to see if she still had it. Please!!! Susan - ultra freak. You just need to read this book to find out more. Charlie - fifth wheel? He has some kind of secret..wait till you find out!
Rating: 
Summary: Delicious, gossipy, schmaltzy good fun!
Review: I'm baffled as to why some of the other reviewers don't like this novel. And, believe me, I haven't always liked everything Rona Jaffe has done. Jaffe's "Five Women" was awful, and her "The Cousins" was only average, if not marginal. But Jaffe again hits the jackpot with "The Room-Mating Season", as it is just as good as her last novel, "The Road Taken." I easily had "The Room-Mating Season" finished in less that a week. Actually I could have devoured it in one sitting, and there were times I had to force myself to put it down. I like to pace myself in my reading, but this novel is un-put-down-able. Just as with "Road Taken"....."Room-Mating Season" spans a good chunk of time in the character's lives. Well, "Road Taken" spanned a whole century. But still, "the Room-Mating Season" tells the story of 38 years in the lives of 3 NYC roommates and their mysterious male bachelor friend, as they all make their lives and go from their 20s to their 60s, against the backdrop of the many decades (1960's, 70's 80s 90s) right up to the new Millenium. The setting of NYC plays a very important role, as Rona Jaffe has her finger on the pulse of the City at every turn. She also has an uncanny knack for moving a plot along swiftly with the right amount of dialog to narration. Many of the characters drift in an out of a series of extra-marital affairs. Rona Jaffe, as an author, does tend to normalize dysfunctional behavior. I can put up with it in most of Jaffe's novels, such as "Road Taken", and "Room-Mating Season" because; 1. The characters are so humorous and lovable, and 2. Jaffe is such an expert storyteller and chronicler of the times. There were several times when the characters act so stupid and are running around in NYC circles, that I just had to laugh out loud. The reader can accept it though, because Jaffe's characters are vulnerable and likeable. I say an author can get away with nearly anything if their characters are relateable, loveable, and likeable enough to the reader. Was there anything I didn't like? Yes. The ending. I was stunned when, as I neared the end, and the story was winding down...Jaffe threw a new twist in. An author does not want to throw in new twists and turns into the novel, just as the story is finishing up....leaving the reader with new questions. However, this was such a small part of the endlessly fascinating story, that I can overlook it. With Rona Jaffe's hysterical, (there were many times I was laughing out loud) characters that are written in such an extraordinarily insightful and intelligent way, I just have to give this novel 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Delicious, gossipy, schmaltzy good fun!
Review: I'm baffled as to why some of the other reviewers don't like this novel. And, believe me, I haven't always liked everything Rona Jaffe has done. Jaffe's "Five Women" was awful, and her "The Cousins" was only average, if not marginal. But Jaffe again hits the jackpot with "The Room-Mating Season", as it is just as good as her last novel, "The Road Taken." I easily had "The Room-Mating Season" finished in less that a week. Actually I could have devoured it in one sitting, and there were times I had to force myself to put it down. I like to pace myself in my reading, but this novel is un-put-down-able. Just as with "Road Taken"....."Room-Mating Season" spans a good chunk of time in the character's lives. Well, "Road Taken" spanned a whole century. But still, "the Room-Mating Season" tells the story of 38 years in the lives of 3 NYC roommates and their mysterious male bachelor friend, as they all make their lives and go from their 20s to their 60s, against the backdrop of the many decades (1960's, 70's 80s 90s) right up to the new Millenium. The setting of NYC plays a very important role, as Rona Jaffe has her finger on the pulse of the City at every turn. She also has an uncanny knack for moving a plot along swiftly with the right amount of dialog to narration. Many of the characters drift in an out of a series of extra-marital affairs. Rona Jaffe, as an author, does tend to normalize dysfunctional behavior. I can put up with it in most of Jaffe's novels, such as "Road Taken", and "Room-Mating Season" because; 1. The characters are so humorous and lovable, and 2. Jaffe is such an expert storyteller and chronicler of the times. There were several times when the characters act so stupid and are running around in NYC circles, that I just had to laugh out loud. The reader can accept it though, because Jaffe's characters are vulnerable and likeable. I say an author can get away with nearly anything if their characters are relateable, loveable, and likeable enough to the reader. Was there anything I didn't like? Yes. The ending. I was stunned when, as I neared the end, and the story was winding down...Jaffe threw a new twist in. An author does not want to throw in new twists and turns into the novel, just as the story is finishing up....leaving the reader with new questions. However, this was such a small part of the endlessly fascinating story, that I can overlook it. With Rona Jaffe's hysterical, (there were many times I was laughing out loud) characters that are written in such an extraordinarily insightful and intelligent way, I just have to give this novel 5 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: So much potential
Review: Jaffe's latest saga, The Room-Mating Season, has all of the makings of an exciting in-depth story. The story begins with four roommates in early 1960s New York City. Vanessa is a gorgeous flight attendant, Leigh is an aspiring casting agent, Cady is a teacher, and Susan is the misfit who annoys and aggravates the other three. All four of these young women are attempting to find their places in the world and are adapting to a changing society. This in itself would have made a great novel. However, Jaffe takes us through these women's lives beyond the time spent in their rented brownstone. The decades fly by and there are so many unanswered questions that it's difficult to sympathize or really grasp what has happened in the lives of the characters. I would have liked to have known more about the intricacies and less about the broad pictures that Jaffe chooses to present. There are pages and pages of seemingly unimportant information, and then...poof! Readers are hit at the end with a startling revelation that isn't really resolved, but is instead hurried into an ending. All in all, this was a disappointment for me. However, I always enjoy Jaffe's perspective on changing women's roles, especially the sociological aspects of the early years of feminism. This novel would have been better had she stuck to this idea.
Rating:
Summary: So much potential
Review: Jaffe's latest saga, The Room-Mating Season, has all of the makings of an exciting in-depth story. The story begins with four roommates in early 1960s New York City. Vanessa is a gorgeous flight attendant, Leigh is an aspiring casting agent, Cady is a teacher, and Susan is the misfit who annoys and aggravates the other three. All four of these young women are attempting to find their places in the world and are adapting to a changing society. This in itself would have made a great novel. However, Jaffe takes us through these women's lives beyond the time spent in their rented brownstone. The decades fly by and there are so many unanswered questions that it's difficult to sympathize or really grasp what has happened in the lives of the characters. I would have liked to have known more about the intricacies and less about the broad pictures that Jaffe chooses to present. There are pages and pages of seemingly unimportant information, and then...poof! Readers are hit at the end with a startling revelation that isn't really resolved, but is instead hurried into an ending. All in all, this was a disappointment for me. However, I always enjoy Jaffe's perspective on changing women's roles, especially the sociological aspects of the early years of feminism. This novel would have been better had she stuck to this idea.
Rating:
Summary: Not great but worth the purchase price.
Review: No, it's not the best Rona Jaffe book ever written -- and I've read them all. But it was a page-turner and kept me interested until the end. I was pleased when I discovered it, and pleased that I bought it. It was definitely worth buying -- and reading.
Rating:
Summary: What a piece of trash!
Review: OK, I am not a prude, by any means, but this book was morally reprehensable! The main characters were all selfish, acting without consideration for anyone but themselves. The casual affairs with married men and the cheating on significant others seems to me like it should be treated as a major character flaw. Instead, it is the basis of the entire plot! By the time the women moved past the moral transgressions, I had a hard time, as a reader, caring what happened to them because they were so stupid and weak. The author tried to convince us that these girls were strong and independent, but they were weak and spineless. They deserved every bit of unhappiness they had. And then there was the lame plot device of the roommate from hell who killed herself. First, maybe Jaffe could have spent a little bit of time explaining why Susan was so hard to live with. I've had bad roommates, and this Susan girl doesn't hold a candle to any of them. She has warts on her feet and she is awkward at conversation and turns the TV on loud. Wow. Satan's spawn, right in Manhattan! Then when she killed herself, the roommates "guilt" was so badly portrayed that it came across as how it had inconvienenced them. We're supposed to believe that they blamed themselves, but it never occurred to them to send flowers or attend a funeral? And then it was justified with, "Well, she had a common name and we would have never figured out who her family was." So now you have a character who you aren't invested in as a reader who is dead, then you add a whole bunch of "guilt" that is not fleshed out. The cherry for the top of this sundae of how not to write a novel is that in the end of the book, thier friend reveals that she didn't kill herself, he killed her. The girls all get together, and you should of had the justified reaction of why did you let me blame myself for 40 years, you were supposed to love me!, which you would expect for characters who think of nothing but themselves for the past 400 pages. Instead, you get a meeting of the mind(less) and they decide, "He's our friend. Let's protect him!" Fine, but for crying out loud, be mad at him! Utterly stupid. But what bothered me more than anything about this book was the need to define the time period with silly trivia. There was just something about the way that it was written that sounded like a DJ at a bad oldies radio station. Something like - this is the me decade. There was a man in the white house that they called "Tricky Dick". Whatever. Why mention cultural events if the time period they represent do nothing to shape the girls lives or perceptions of things? It was totally useless. In that respect, it fit in the overall theme of the book. If you want to read a good book about single girls looking for love, there are a lot out here. This one is really the lowest common denominator.
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