The Three Weissmanns of Westport: Book summary and reviews of The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine

The Three Weissmanns of Westport Summary

Betty Weissmann has just been dumped by her husband of forty-eight years. Exiled from her elegant New York apartment by her husband’s mistress, she and her two middle-aged daughters, Miranda and Annie, regroup in a run-down Westport, Connecticut, beach cottage. In Schine’s playful and devoted homage to Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, the impulsive sister is Miranda, a literary agent entangled in a series of scandals, and the more pragmatic sister is Annie, a library director, who feels compelled to move in and watch over her capricious mother and sister.

A New York Times Best Seller and a New York Times Editors' Choice.

Did Joseph really like Felicity? (23 responses)
I don't think that he knew what hit him. Felicity manipulated him to end his marriage and she continued this tactic successfully throughout the book. Every time I thought that Joseph would come to his senses, Felicity steered him in the... - marymargaretf

Do you think it’s possible to outgrow your family role? (16 responses)
I agree with andreas about how Annie and Miranda's roles changed as the book progressed. They did take on more of a parent role with Betty although each in different ways. Annie was the responsible one, but it seemed that as Betty was dying Miranda... - scottishrose

Does Roberts feel like a "tacked-on" character? (14 responses)
Roberts's character may not have been well developed by his thoughts, but his actions speak very loudly. He is responsible for the positive things that happen. Although, like Col.Brandon, he may have seemed destined for Miranda, Annie finally saw... - phyllisr

Does this novel make a statement about whether "sense" or "sensibility" is the better character? (6 responses)
I think the book is saying that a balance of both is what works best. I see this exemplified in the Betty character. She's carefree, whimsical, a bit silly, but then digs in after she see's that Joseph's not going to take care of her and hires... - marshas

Generosity in Divorce? (5 responses)
I agree with the comments. From the beginning what got my attention was the repetition of how Joseph was a "generous" man...At first it made me laugh, then I got angry...Why "generous"? I think it was because he deep down he felt guilty and the... - cristinav

How are Miranda and Annie similar and different? Do they have a typical sister-sister relationship? (4 responses)
They seem to be typical sisters. I am very different from my sisters. While Miranda seems flighty and Annie very grounded and unemotional, they seem to come together in a crisis regarding their mother. - bettyt

How do Betty and her daughters relate to men? (3 responses)
I agree with thereseje. As most of us we do expect marriage for life. - joanw

How do the parenting styles of Kit, Joseph, and Frederick compare and contrast? (4 responses)
Kit starts out as a seemingly caring parent. After he leaves, his character is no longer developed, and one loses track of whether he's doing any parenting at all (with the introducion of Leanne, one realizes that he's almost out of the picture).... - rosemaryk

How does the conclusion of Schine's novel compare with those of Austen's? (5 responses)
Schine's ending is contemporary, with the unexpected (Betty's death, although she had acted as if Josie had died, her marriage died), the "controversial" (marriage of Miranda to a woman, although there is no controversy there for me and I don't... - kareng

Is it ever too late for romance? (24 responses)
No it is never too late for romance. I think you can have romance without true love. One doesn't necessarily mean the other is there. Many long marriages are devoid of romance. I think love and romance can exist well after 50. - trezelineb

Josie's view on life (5 responses)
I think the author was trying to indicate that Josie realizes he blew it but doesn't feel he can back, and so makes weak statements hoping in vain that his daughter will forgive him - dave s

One could argue that this is a novel "where no relationship works." Do you agree or disagree with this statement? (14 responses)
This depends on the relationship. If you mean between husband and wife, then I would answer, "No". We never find out if the Robert and Anne relationship works. The only relationship that worked in marriage was between Cousin Lou and Rosalyn. Now... - sallyg

Overall, what did you think of The Three Weissmanns of Westport? (52 responses)
I loved the book. This was the type of book, that once you started reading, it was hard to put down. I loved Uncle Lou. He loved having get-togethers for his big extended family, but he also looked out for his immediate family. - sharon54220

Three Wise Men? (7 responses)
Thanks for your response, Sally. Every once in awhile I come up with a bright idea. It was probably the retired English teacher coming out in me! I just couldn't resist the irony in the names and felt as though the author was hoping her "more... - debracoley

What did you think about Schine’s choice to make Miranda and Annie much older than Jane Austen's characters? (7 responses)
Making the characters older makes the novel more identifiable in today's culture. It was interesting how Miranda was so scattered even at her age and with a seemingly successful career. And Anna was obviously the one trying to hold it all together... - phyllisr

What if Betty just said, " To heck with it all....I am fighting for Joseph!" (6 responses)
Scottishrose- Like you, I felt the official end of the marriage, indeed ended Betty's life as well. Without the fight, there was no will to continue-it sounds a bit elementary, but I believe it to be so true. The apartment did seem to be... - debracoley

What's your favorite funny moment? (12 responses)
I thought it was horribly funny the a reviewer said this was like a Jane Austen novel. True, most of it was boring. Also like an Austen novel I wanted to scream...get over it, slap him, do anything but whine...even STAND UP FOR YOUR SELF. Do people... - pennyn

Which of the women has the best approach to men? (5 responses)
This story did provide a look at various women's approaches to relationships with men. None of these approaches proved successful so I think if there is any merit to the story it might be to think about where these women got in life with their... - lynneb

Why do women seem to struggle more than men after divorce? (15 responses)
Hmmm, I learned this awhile ago. I also refused to play the game. Have you also noticed that men usually remarry after divorce? Many women never remarry. The women find they are stronger and more true to themselves without a MAN. - pennyn

The Three Weissmanns of Westport Reviews

"Simply full of pleasure: the pleasure of reading, the pleasure of Austen, and the pleasure that the characters so rightly and humorously pursue….An absolute triumph” - The Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Schine's homage to Jane Austen has it all....A sparkling, crisp, clever, deft, hilarious, and deeply affecting new novel, her best yet ... Schine is clearly a writer who loves to read as much as she loves to write. And it is great fun to play English major with her." - Dominique Browning, The New York Times Book Review

"Schine has been favored in so many ways by the muse of comedy ... The Three Weissmanns of Westport is full of invention, wit, and wisdom that can bear comparison to Austen's own." - The New York Review of Books

"A clever, frothy novel…Schine playfully probes the lies, self-deceptions, and honorable hearts of her characters." - The New Yorker

"Schine sets the Austen machinery in perfect forward motion, and then works some lovely modern changes, keeping the pace going at a lively clip ... Spotting the similarities and differences between the early 19th century and early 21st century stories is good sport, but the greater pleasure comes from Schine's own clever girls and their awkward attempts to find happiness." - The Boston Globe

"There is so much zest for life in this novel that you can only imagine how much fun Cathleen Schine had writing it." - Carol Memmott, USA Today  

"Absolutely wonderful. You'll turn each page with anticipation, all the while wishing you could read it slowly in order to savor the deliciousness of Schine's particular sensibility….It will warm the center of your heart." - Elizabeth Strout, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Olive Kitteridge

"Swap genteel nineteenth-century England for upscale contemporary Connecticut, add two sisters- one impulsive, one practical- and stir with lively doses of romance, domestic discord, sudden setbacks, and sublime surprises, and you get Cathleen Schine's homage to Jane Austen." - Elle

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The Three Weissmanns of Westport Reader Reviews

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Rated of 5 by Kathy
Stay with it!
I am an avid reader but it took me a month to get through the first chapters of this book. I'd read a couple pages and loose interest and go to another book. However, once I got past the beginning I read it in a weekend and LOVED IT! I am not sure what my problem was with the beginning, but I did end up loving the characters and enjoying the book as a whole. They have stayed with me, but I was especially fond of Betty, the mother, as she repeatedly tried to make the dreariest of events into a "picnic". I applaud her effort!

Rated of 5 by Dave S
Disappointment
I wanted to like this book, and there are a few insightful comments about divorce and its impact on an older woman and grown daughters, but overall I thought the prose and character development to be lacking. The story had a lot of promise, but I never really felt I knew the characters as well as I wanted. A missed opportunity

Cathleen Schine Author Biography

As a child, Cathleen Schine dreamed of growing up to become a graduate student. Years later, her childhood ambitions were realized when she entered the University of Chicago’s graduate program in medieval history. There, it was noticed that she had no memory for names, dates or abstract ideas, and she was thus forced, tragically, to abandon her life-long dream. Before this disappointment, however, while on a fellowship studying paleography in Italy, Schine made an important discovery: she liked to buy shoes. So when the welcome of academia was rescinded, Schine was able to pursue a career in this area which was rewarding but short-lived, as she could not get a job. In debt and increasingly desperate, Schine turned to the lucrative world of free-lance writing. Having failed as an...

... Full Biography

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