Reviews
What kind of writer is Amy Poeppel? Warm, generous, funny, and full of surprises. In her third novel, a large, musical family (and their many friends, lovers, and groundskeepers) assemble in the shabby chicest corner of rural Connecticut over the course of one long, hot summer. What ensues is part classical French farce, part touching family comedy, and 100% page-turning delight. Cue up some chamber music, pull out a lawn chair, and prepare to binge read this gleefully entertaining novel., Light and quick-to-finish, Musical Chairs --like all of Poeppel's work--is witty, relatable and well-paced. It's also a good reminder that, rather than pushing life's messiness away, sometimes it's best to embrace it., Amy Poeppel's charming MUSICAL CHAIRS made me laugh out loud. Poeppel has a remarkable talent for creating the very best kind of mayhem. Drunken dinner parties, a runaway cat, brilliant musicians, a tattooed florist, drop dead gorgeous twins, crumbling old houses, beautiful Connecticut, secrets and lies--and finally--a wedding, the true hallmark of any delicious comedy. Reading this book was such a pleasure., Full of Poeppel's signature charm and wit, MUSICAL CHAIRS is a romantic-comedy-of-errors with a smart, edgy twist on the possibilities that might be revealed in life's third act. Touching, full of humanity, and the absolute definition of 'compulsively readable'!, This charming story begins like a lovely overture, an introduction that gets you used to the rhythm and feeling of the piece. Slowly you become entranced and rapt in the characters and plot of this beautifully composed novel., A story of deep friendship . . . a story of motherhood, of daughterhood, and of sisterhood--when to help, when to let go, and when to celebrate. It is also a story of fixing up a house. A story of music. A story of aging. A story of being scared to change and yet still wanting to. And a story of falling in love. There is a large cast of characters, but they are all distinct individuals with their own personalities and voices who work together seamlessly in the novel as both soloists and supporting characters. Author Poeppel has created a story that is well thought out, well plotted, well written, and fully developed. A delightful novel that celebrates the messiness and joy to be found in real life., Poeppel ( Small Admissions ) charms with this witty story . . . [Her] whimsical tale offers plenty of surprises., Reading Amy Poeppel's Musical Chairs is as fun as watching a Marx Brothers comedy, especially that scene in A Night at the Opera when everyone is squashed into the stateroom . . . Poeppel's people are a mess, but her writing is crisp and breezy., This witty dive into the world of classical music, families and dilapidated country houses will be a fun beach read., In this funny, profound, and brilliantly alive novel about all the messy, wise and wonderful chords that love can strike in our lives, Poeppel gathers together fathers and daughters, old flames and new sparks, music, writing and gardening, to explore what it really means to feel at home, and how life can open you up in ways you never saw coming. Set against the backdrops of Manhattan and the Connecticut countryside, Musical Chairs is profound, delicious and soul-stirring., A choir of perfectly complicated characters in Bridget's life--the missing violinist from her musical trio, her 20-something-year-old children who move back in and her elderly father who's getting married--make for an imperfect summer of love, mystery and second chances in MUSICAL CHAIRS., In this funny, profound, and brilliantly alive novel about all the messy, wise and wonderful chords that love can strike in our lives, Poeppel gathers together fathers and daughters, old flames and new sparks, music, writing and gardening, to explore what it really means to feel at home, and how life can open you up in ways you never saw coming. Set against the backdrops of Manhattan and the Connecticut countryside, MUSICAL CHAIRS is profound, delicious and soul-stirring., Another superbly crafted novel by Amy Poeppel that blends humor with insights into the human condition and modern family life, Musical Chairs is an extraordinary and fully entertaining story of 'romance, role reversals, reinvention, and sweet synchronicity.', Readers of upmarket ensemble fiction with a dash of humor, à la Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney or Emma Straub, will enjoy Poeppel's latest., Every summer reading list needs at least one book you'll want to binge at the beach or by the pool. Musical Chairs , about a recently dumped woman named Bridget and her best friend Will, is a sweet summer romance with tons of heart. It's the perfect escape., Full of Amy Poeppel's trademark warmth, wit, and humor, MUSICAL CHAIRS is a literary love song that will leave readers swooning as they wax rhapsodic with the pure joy of reading. Pull up a chair, pour a glass of wine, and let the music take you away.
