Gossip audiobook

Loviah French is stuck. Having come from the wrong side of the tracks she has gotten into an elite prep school on scholarship. While there she belongs without belonging, ultimately graduating with two opposite, but life long friends. Instead of attending college like them, she instead interns with a high end dress shop, ultimately becoming an in-demand dresser for the rich and famous; including her friends. She has a relationship with a married family man, stealing bits of time and happiness around his life. She is a women stuck on the edge of all the grand social status that New York has to offer, but is never quite able to take those final steps into that sphere.The story of her two friends is told through the eyes of Loviah, as she goes from awkward teen to matronly godmother. And it is the term godparent that the title gossip is derived from. In the book the word gossip was a historical term for the godparents, as it would be their job to talk about the godchild over the years. Gossip was a good thing discussing a child you both loved. We see this talk between Loviah and her wild roommate Dinah, always the contrarian; and between Avis, the older more prim and proper girl.The two opposing friends endure each other for the sake of their love of Loviah; and ultimately they are fused together, for better and for worse, through their association for her. I see this book as Loviah’s endless struggle to love both her friends without disparaging the other. To balance their eccentricities and walk the highroad; to be a good friend.What is never explicitly discussed in the book, but is central is how Loviah must have walked her own path through life. A scholarship girl, who works in a service capacity to the society women, who also is having an open affair with a married man; her life must have been subject to the small minded gossipers who definitely did not have her best interests at heart. Her experiences must have refined her so much that she is able to hold her head up high, to proudly be a friend to those around her.One of my favorite quotes in life is to treat all those you meet as damaged in some way, having secret struggles, and most of the time you would be right. Loviah’s is a life that has seen a lot of struggles, yet she triumphs as a friend. Through all the vicissitudes of life, she is there for the ones she loves, even if they do not necessarily care for each other. It should be noted that this book finishes with a bang a little out of step with the first 85%, but in a good way. Sort of sprinting for the tape at the end of a race. A great story well worth reading.

Ever read a book and thought, "It's ok, but not great." That's what I was thinking as I was nearing the end of Gossip by Beth Gutcheon. ... But then you get to the end, and you're opinion TOTALLY changes. You start thinking deeper about everything you just read.Gossip, what does it really mean? I always thought it was a rumor spread by a bunch of spiteful and nosy people. I still think that, but the original meaning was talk between two people who are the godparents of the same child. Interesting right? How did this word get so far away from it's original intent? Gossip these days can make or break your career, destroy friendships, destroy families, or (like all of these hack reality stars) it can make you famous. In the case of this book, it can cloud your judgment.Loviah "Lovie" French has always been stuck in the middle. As the owner of a small dress shop, Lovie is privy to a lot of secrets and gossip.Who is marrying who? Who is cheating with who? Who is getting a divorce? The list could go on. People feel they can talk to Lovie. They know Lovie will keep their secret. They know she won't pass judgment. There are times when Lovie wants to say more during these exchanges. If they're bashing one of her friends, Lovie is tempted to speak up but sometimes it just isn't worth it to get in a fight over gossip. When it's her turn and she needs a shoulder to lean on, Lovie turns to her long-time lover, Gil, who also happens to be married. In private, Gil and Lovie can be themselves in private but in public they have to tone it down, otherwise people might spread "gossip."Lovie's best friend Dinah Wainwright has made a career out of writing about the rich and famous people of New York. Her personality is very in your face. She loves to talk. She wants to be your friend. She has two sons, but to hear her speak you would think Dinah has only one child. RJ is settled in his life with a wife and kids, but Nicky is the one she worries the most about. She wants badly to see him succeed. Avis Metcalf is the total opposite of Dinah. Avis is quieter and more reserved. She's more obsessed with her career than forming a bond with her only daughter, Grace. But Avis' friendship with Lovie is extremely strong. It is put to the test when Grace and Nicky get married. Lovie is like the middle man. It must be daunting to people who are really in this situation. You have to watch what you say around one friend. What one friend might find funny, the other won't. It doesn't help matters when Grace and Nicky's marriage takes a drastic turn. I can't say what it is (read the book to find out), but I will say I wasn't expecting it. Towards the end of the book I was in totally shock. I'm thinking, "did she just write that?"If I'm going to judge a book by it's cover, I was expecting a light, chick-lit story. By the end, it was very thought-provoking. It doesn't hurt you to spread gossip, but what about the person you're talking about? Did you ruin their life? How will it effect that person's career? Their family? What satisfaction do you get by talking about a person? This book was a little slow to start, but by the end it was a very worthy read.Rating: SuperbNote: I received a copy of the book from FSB Associates in exchange for an honest review.

GossipBy Beth GutcheonMy summary...Girls from various backgrounds attend Miss Pratt's Boarding School.  The novel follows them throughout their lives but the focus is mostly on Lovinia, Dinah and Avis.  You can tell from their names that it is sort of the olden days.My thoughts...Oh my...I really did love this book.  From the girls first meetings...some in the right clothes, others in the not so right clothes, and still others in homemade clothes...I was into this book.    It mostly takes place in New York...early New York...where wealthy women attended functions and made appointments to shop for frocks from various department store stylists...only then they weren't called stylists.  And the frocks were usually expensive designer ones.  But aside from the clothing this book was like stepping back into that time...people were dressed up all of the time and summered in Nantucket and had affairs...there  were lots of "dalliances" in this book.   Some of them seemed to last for years.  The book is mostly the story of Lovinia  and Dinah and Avis and their families.  Lovinia has a dress shop.  Avis works as an art buyer and Dinah was a writer, then a mother and then a foodie.And although the women live during what I call "Mad Men" time...we follow them to almost the present time.Their lives connect...they spend time together...dinners and summers in Maine and Nantucket.  They lunch.  They are there for the  marriages and births and  divorces and deaths that intersect their lives.  Lovinia is the narrator and the glue...Dinah and Avis...although united by a grandchild...always seem to truly irritate each other.  There is true lovely joy within this book and a bit of sadness.  What I loved...I loved the roses in the garden of the little house that Lovinia loved.  I loved the fun food descriptions.  I loved the fussiness of that era.  I loved how tea and cookies could soothe things sometimes.   I loved all the dressing up and the carrying of favorite books around.  I loved all the lunch dates and the theatre events.What you might love?The way this novel unfolds.  The characters are amazing.  The story  is sweet and fascinating and there is a dynamic ending...actually quite a few endings...lol...when you read this book you will know exactly what I mean!

At first I thought this was simply a stylish and entertaining read about New York society, spanning several decades. But as I continued I realised there was a much more serious message here too. Why is it that we are so inclined to talk about the things we shouldn't, and to avoid talking about the things we SHOULD?

This was the second book of hers I read. There are many others, and I read the newest first, then the oldest, then the middle-ist. I started this one not sure that I would like it very much, but her writing compelled me to keep going, and I am glad I did. All 3 of these books have Maine in them, a recent fascination for me, since my son and daughter-in-law (a Mainer) got married there, and I loved it. This book was mostly NYC, however. Interesting lives of all kinds of people from the 60's until post 9-11, living "the life" in the Big Apple through the decades, with gossip popping in and out, affecting lives significantly.

This is my first Beth Gutcheon book, it won't be my last.If you are an aspiring novelist, check out this book for it's brilliant dialogue (completely fitting for a book of this name).Rich characters, complex social motives, nice pacing. The only reason I didn't give out all the starts is because the ending isn't quite what I hoped for. Beautifully written, yes. What I wanted for the main character, no.

Loved most of it but got bogged down in the middle. Loved the end.

Really enjoyed this quietly moving book: until the end, which I found abrupt and not quite fitting. But perhaps that was the point.

Taken from my blog at www.takemeawayreading.comBack before my blogging days, I read and thoroughly enjoyed Beth Gutcheon's The New Girls about four prep-school classmates from the 60's who reunite as adults. Some components of Gossip were similar to that which makes me wonder if this is a common theme coursing throughout multiple books of hers. Anyway, my enjoyment of The New Girls excited me when I saw she had a new book coming out; and it's set in NYC so, wa-la! Of course I had to read it.Gossip is narrated by Loviah French who owns a dress shop on the upper east side of Manhattan where she is often patronized by the wealthiest and those of high society New York. She has two best friends from back in prep school who couldn't be more different than each other. There's Dinah Wainwright who is incredibly gregarious and writes gossip for a tabloid; and there's Avis Metcalf -- prim, proper, and naive.This is really a look at high society life and the ways in which the people perpetuate gossip about each other and, in some ways, how this affects everyone involved. It's very subtle, though. The big title word, GOSSIP, gave me the impression this would be a fully scandalous read. But instead it was a lighter, though no less perceptive, look into their lives. For instance: It is my observation that the people who enjoy money the most are the ones who weren't born with it. For the congenitally rich, money creates a kind of cage, a structure of manners and expectations they don't dare question, because if they do they might discover they don't know who they are. For our classmates at school it was the water they swam in, isolating them in ways they sometimes never understood. (p.179)And this, more about people in general: The men on the ferry who wished to declare themselves old Nantucket hands wore baseball hats or shorts in a color that looks weather-beaten even when new, called Nantucket red. The tourists would all have hats in this color by the tie they made the return trip. We all want either to belong somewhere or for others to think we do. (p.224)Loviah is frequently placed in a situation, due in part to her job and in part to her social interactions, to hear gossip about various people she knows and sometimes about her friends. This places her in a position of deciding whether or not to share with her friends what's being said about them. Loviah even partakes in possibly gossip-able activity, though we don't really hear about it probably due to her being the narrator.Other than these interactions, there doesn't seem to be a big event in the plot until the last quarter of the book. For the first while reading Gossip, I sort of wondered where it was going. But along the way I became involved with the characters, and when the climactic stuff did happen I was attached to the characters and was shocked. Jealousy was another gossip-related theme that played throughout the book.Allow me one additional, somewhat off-topic, passage that hit home for me humorously: You do, however, have to figure out the Brooklyn subways by yourself, and I made a hash of it and at first went the wrong way, deeper into Brooklyn instead of toward home. By the time I realized my mistake, I had to wait what felt like forever in a virtually empty station... I had no idea what sort of world was overhead, whether there was a bustling brightly lit street full of taxis, or a neighborhood as dark and quiet above as the station below, so I felt I had no choice but to stay where I was and hope that a train arrived before something unpleasant did. At last a Q train arrived, not a line I understood at all, but it was brightly lit and going toward Manhattan, neither of which you could say about the bench where I'd been sitting, so I got on... The subway is like that after hours. What had possessed me to go to an outer borough at night by myself? (p. 259-260) I have done this a few, but too many, times (not alone, fortunately, but with my husband). My last visit (last week) involved walking around Brooklyn one night, with no one else in sight, searching for the subway to head back to Manhattan... not smart... need to plan better! And I totally understand the relief of the train arriving and it not mattering what train it is because it's headed in the direction of heavily populated areas!Gossip was a fairly short read that I was unsure about in the beginning but ultimately enjoyed. I would recommend for those interested in human nature, the life of the semi-famous and well-to-do, and of life in NYC.

Beth Gutcheon's Gossip is a whirlwind. Though it took me a third of the book to get the many dynamic characters straight in my mind, I felt invested in their stories and compelled to find out what happens to them. Gutcheon’s storytelling is non-linear; we bounce around often, moving from boarding-school past to present, but I never felt motion-sick. It worked well: we get the friends’ stories piece-meal, revealing little truths along the way, and I loved that.Gossip reminded me of The Great Gatsby. Before you go throwing a proverbial book at me for the sacrilege, don’t “X” out of here — in terms of the narrator, Lovie’s first-person omnipresence reminded me of Nick Carraway telling the story of Daisy and Gatsby. We’re obviously being told a story in retrospect, and there’s a sense of foreboding as we move through the years. Though Lovie is undeniably critical to the story, she seems to serve more as storyteller than protagonist.Dinah is the story’s real dynamo. A gossip columnist with plenty of secrets of her own, I found myself drawn to her character and wanted to see what uproarious thing she would do next. By contrast, Avis — even the name sounds so dull — comes off as the dull fish. Lovie is somewhere in the middle; she seems like a normal, respectable shop keeper, but we know all about a certain clandestine relationship she has carried on. The trio all keep secrets from each other, and truths from themselves . . . and that web eventually ensnares all of them.Early in the book Lovie notes a historical definition of a gossip. To paraphrase, a “gossip” was one who “stood godparent” to a child — and the “gossiping” would be chatter between both godparents, discussing and worrying over their charge. When Lovie is named godmother to Nicky, Dinah’s son, she takes the role seriously. Having no children of her own, her friends are her family — and Nicky’s life is of particular interest to her. As the years progress, her sense of responsibility for his well being and actions only increases — especially as his own mother seems too caught up in her own dramas to notice him.Spanning the 1960s all the way to a post-9/11 New York, it was easy to be swept up in Gutcheon’s vivid descriptions of society life and the friendships that shake and shatter her characters. As their loyalties are all tested, Lovie and her solitary life as carried into a maelstrom. The book’s cover — and description — are deceptive; there’s much more happening here than a little friendly rivalry between former schoolmates.If a book about women with a title like “gossip” doesn’t seem intriguing, I still encourage you to give this one a chance. The explosive ending shocked and astounded me, and no sooner had I finished than I wanted to start it all over again. I knew I’d missed so much in my eagerness to finish. Gutcheon’s Gossip isn’t weighed down with filler; her words are obviously chosen with care. And for a word nerd like me, learning an alternative meaning of “gossip” — and how that theme is carried throughout the book — was fascinating. An excellent read.

In some places, gossip has become an industry. New York City, the biggest little city in the world, where everyone seems to know everything about everyone else, is just such a place. It is here that Loviah "Lovie" French and her friends Dinah and Avis have made their lives. They all attended the same boarding school in the 60s but only Lovie and Dinah remained friends after. As Lovie makes her way up in the fashion industry, eventually opening her own shop, Dinah makes a name for herself as a columnist in various papers, but leaves the business after a quietly hushed scandal. Meanwhile, Lovie and Avis reconnect and become close friends. Lovie watches as both Dinah and Avis make their families and move on in their lives and is thrilled when Dinah's youngest son falls for Avis's daughter. But Lovie soon finds herself in the middle of a mess, one that stems from some unsavory gossip, and one that ends in tragedy for them all. I admit I struggled a bit with the synopsis here. I didn't want to give away too much and I almost resorted to using the publisher's copy until I realized that it only thinly veils the outcome of the story anyway. In my defense, I didn't actually read the cover copy before diving into this book, and I truly think that it made it that much of a better read for me. I would love for everyone to experience the book that way.I've not read Gutcheon before, but I certainly plan to read more of her in the future. I found myself completely entranced by this book and while it's certainly a character driven tale (and I loved them all), what initially drew me in was Gutcheon's prose. Her writing is so vivid and musical, I couldn't help but be sucked into the story.Lovie, as the narrator, is hard not to connect with. I think you'd have to be a bit of a sourpuss not to love her. And then there are Dinah and Avis. Dinah is maddening! Her attitude towards just about everyone, including (sometimes) Lovie, makes you want to slap her. But really she's not all that bad and Gutcheon presents her in full -- warts and all, so to speak. She has her own moments and her own troubles. I had a harder time with the kids, Grace in particular, only because as the reader we get to see so much more of Avis than her own daughter does. By the time their relationship is on the mend, the story is already headed downhill.But I didn't know that! Yes, I suspected things were coming to a head. I had no idea the outcome would be what it ended up being. It was shocking compared to the rest of the story and because it was so unexpected, it was completely jarring. This is a book that I think is going to stay with me for a while. But as I said, I'm already browsing Gutcheon's backlist for a new addition to the TBR. Gossip was a pretty excellent read in my humble opinion!

Friendships born in prep school days, and which continue into adulthood and old age, form the core of "Gossip: A Novel," that reads like a powerful and emotional chronicle of intimacy and betrayal, trust and fidelity, friendship and motherhood...and explores the way we use "information" to sustain, and occasionally destroy, one another.Narrated by Loviah French, who runs a small, high-end dress shop on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, we are privy to her inner thoughts and feelings as she tells the story. She shows her feelings, her fears, and the connections she has to the people who surround her in her somewhat solitary life.Dinah Wainwright was one of Loviah's school friends who seemed to know exactly what to do in every situation. She commented on everything and seemed to have the right connections. She was readily accepted.After college, she became a writer about family, food, furniture, or fashion; she went to art openings, book parties, and even celebrity functions. At one point, she headed up a column called "Dinah Might."Avis Binney was almost a total opposite, quietly living her life with impeccable social credentials. Her stepmother Belinda became a beloved mother figure to Avis, Loviah, and many of their friends.Over the years, through marriages that fail for various reasons, the connections between the women remain. However, some have frayed with time, resentments, and the inevitable pull of other connections.When Dinah's son Nicky marries Avis's daughter Grace, the union seems to promise a better future for the old friends, albeit with some competition between the women when the child is born.What bitterness held by Dinah and manifested in little "blind items" in the society pages creates a core of ill will? How will this emotion come back to haunt her? How will Nick's problems maintaining his various pursuits affect his marriage? And in what ways will the inevitable fall-out descend upon them all?The story told through Loviah's eyes felt like a conversation. At times, she even uses the terms "you know how it was" or "we all know" about various aspects of what she's describing. Personalizing the story in this way made it incredibly touching and helped me really connect with the characters.The astounding finale blindsided me, and yet I could also sense something coming; lest I leave any spoilers, let me just say that it was chilling. Gutcheon is a fabulous storyteller, and this story in particular earned five stars from me. I recommend it for everyone who has ever maintained long term friendships and can testify to the damage wrought over time by the little things that chip away at those connections.

Gossip is Beth Gutcheon's 9th book. I have a history with Beth (it's not what you think). She is married to the headmaster of the school, Hillbrook, that all 3 of my kids attended. One of her books, Saying Grace, centers on a private school very similar to Hillbrook. In fact, there is an incident in the book that closely approximates the experience that my youngest, Lauren, went through as a child. Lauren stuck her finger in the armhole of a Ken (of Barbie and Ken fame) doll, and nothing we did could extricate it. Finally, and I'm not kidding here, we had to call the fire department who came and, after much discussion and effort, cut the doll from around her finger. It sounds crazy, but it actually happened. Imagine how much fun it was to read Beth's book and know (or at least suspect) that it was patterned after what happened to Lauren.But enough of my asides. Gossip tells the story of Lovie French who owns a dress shop in Manhattan that caters to the high end of society. Lovie's story starts in boarding school where she becomes lifelong friends with Dinah and Avis. A lot of different stories branch off from the main characters, including their children and everybody's respective careers. Mix in some affairs, extra-marital and otherwise, and it covers a lot of ground.This book reminded me of Meg Waite Clayton's The Four Ms. Bradwells. They both chronicle the friendships of women who meet at a young age and then stay friends long into adulthood. Besides that similarity, both authors can really write. Their books resemble literature which, as many of you know, I try to avoid (my mind being a bit too simple to appreciate good writing!). Beth has a great vocabulary which she uses in such a way that it does not distract from the story. That's not an easy thing to do. We've all read books in which the author loses his/her way because of a dependence on "big words." Beth uses her big words naturally. They enhance the story, not the other way around. I recommend this book to all of those people who don't need shoot-'em-ups in order to enjoy a book (and you know who you are). As for you men out there, if you have at least a trace of metrosexual-ness, then you will enjoy it too.

The 411 by Sonia:Let me introduce you to another one of my friends, meet Sonia who is a mother of three children and a friend of mine. Because Maria's Space book reviews has taken a back seat over the last few months due to me business, some good friends are helping me provide my readers with book reviews until I can jump back in.Here is Sonia's very first book review: When I first got this book I was a little weary usually not my kind of read but I am so glad I decided to read it. I don't want to give too much of the book away with too many spoilers so here is my non-spoil review:Loviah was my favorite character she's not as well off as the other girls but got in to a high society boarding school on a scholarship and befriends two girls from different walks of life Dinah and Avis. Dinah and Avis can't stand each other but remain friends for the sake of Loviah who loves them both dearly. After graduation Loviah moves on to open her own dress shop and has an affair with a married man.Dinah becomes a gossip columnist/author, and Avis a high end art dealer. All are living on the upper east side of Manhattan. It was a good story told through the eyes of Loviah although I kept finding myself a little confused at times because the book goes from past to present/present to past often, I had to keep skipping back and forth to get the stories of the characters straight but when I did, it was worth it.The writer does a wonderful job of creating characters and lives that were very real. At times I felt like I was a part of them and couldn't wait to find out what happens next. As in reality, even those living the high society lifestyle get a dose of reality at times.The ending of the book was such a shocker and a worthwhile surprise for the reader. .To me the book showed no matter where you come from, we all have our secrets and problems. We all can relate to the characters in the story within our everyday lives with different people we come across and within our own personal relationships. This book is really good a must read not at all like I thought it would be.

Loviah French, or 'Lovie' as she is known, is piggy-in-the-middle. She met and made friends with both Dinah and Avis when they all attended the same boarding school back in 1960. Dinah and Avis are worlds apart, and can't stand each other, yet both of them are great friends to Lovie.The story is set in New York and is told in the voice of a now middle-aged Lovie. Lovie is looking back on her friendship with the other two women and Gutcheon's tells the story of how they all grew to be the women they are today ... except for one thing .... the reason that Lovie is telling their story, and something that is not revealed to the reader until the very end of the story.Beth Gutcheon is not a thrilling author, she doesn't shock or dismay, but she has a beautiful style that is both gentle and funny. Her insight into the often complicated world of female friendships is so precise and can be both satisfyingly familiar to the reader and also a little reminder of how friends can often cause the deepest of wounds.Three women, all so very different, yet all with their own compelling voice. I am really not surprised that Beth Gutcheon has had such success in her native America if her novels are all as well written as Gossip - I really hope that she has as much success here in the UK.