Jacqueline Buchanan
Since I read it Larry's Party has stayed with me somewhere in the back of my mind ...both philosophically and practically... his journey and development through life - how it is possible to start off not knowing about anything then begin to know something...and then get to be an expert...and how when you use cut flowers always use the flower feed sachet as it really disinfects the vase....
Claire Brady
This book will always remind me of 9.11.01 when I was travelling in America,a few years ago when I was 21. The train was evacuated at Philadelphia as the planes flew in to the twin towers. This book held me blissfully captivated while panic ensued around me!
julie taylor
Carol Shields deserves to be compared to Jane Austen (of whom she produced an excellent biography) not Ann Tyler. Though Larry's Party is not her best work (I prefer Unless and Mary Swann) it still exhibits many of her fine qualities, in particular using detail to reveal character. I thought she pulled off the attempt to get into the skin of a man, certainly more convincingly than many male authors manage to do with their attempts at understanding women.
Jenny Thomson
Larry's Party was the first Carol Shields book I read. I just loved it. Engaged with the hapless Larry and then went on to read her other books. I think she is a great loss
Jenny Corsi
I liked and believed in Larry and it is an enjoyable book. I found his second wife a fairly unbelievable character and I disliked the ending of the novel - too neat and unreal a happy ending for everybody.
Anna Dreda
Carol Shields' attempt to make something of the mystery of "man" in the twentieth century is compassionate, humourous, deft and accomplished. Whether she solves the mystery or compounds it, is another matter and half the fun! We drop in and out of Larry's life, almost catching up, but in reality feeling ourselves to be left one step behind. The timing of the novel means that we read Larry's life retrospectively (until the party), a device that keeps us emotionally at a distance: is this what men do? Like The Idea of Perfection, Larry's Party immerses us in the minutiae of daily life; brilliantly written episodes of doing the laundry; going to work; being married in the seventies; all of this and so much more. Themes of work, love, domesticity, mazes, parenthood, divorce are explored with warmth, humour and style. It's a pleasure to read from start to finish, and not an especially happy ending, I thought!
Alison Ferguson
I disagree with the other contributors. Carol Shields' work is superior to Anne Tyler's though I read and enjoy both. Shields is brilliant at comedy whereas with Tyler you come away feeling life is as gloomy as you always suspected! I think part of the problem is comic work is not valued as being deep and meaningful when in fact Shields' books resonate with insight and important themes. I would have nominated Unless as her best with its acute mix of comedy and tragedy but Republic of Love is a much better book than Amateur Marriage which disappointed me.
Penny Vincent
I love Carol Shields for "Unless" and "The Stone Diaries" - they are exceptional. I find all the other novels of hers that I have read too light - I would agree with Jane Forster that for this type of writing Anne Tyler is superior.
Jane Forster
Ultimately disappointing. For me, Carol Shields is Anne Tyler without the charm, understatement or skill.
I have read and not enjoyed one of her previous novels and decided to read 'Larry's Party' as I had heard good reviews and the theme appealed to me.
I can't help but compare with Anne Tyler's "The Amateur Marriage". The ending of the former was predictable and dull, where that ending of the latter left me bereft - and the feeling still lingers.
Both easy reading, but only one worth reading by the non-easy reading brigade.
In my humble opinion!
Judy Dickens
Not my favourite Carol Shields book but still worth a read
