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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Marrying for love or money., Jul 27 2003
"The Marrying Game," by Kate Saunders, is a seriocomic novel set in contemporary England. It features the four Hasty sisters and their mother, Rose, who are living in not-so-genteel poverty. The family was devastated when Rose's husband, Rufus Hasty, whom the family affectionately nicknamed "The Zed," killed himself one day without even leaving a note. Now the ladies are desperately seeking a way to retain their beloved ancestral home, Melismate, which has been in the family for generations. Unfortunately, the Hasty family is almost penniless. Two of the sisters come up with the idea of convincing rich men to fall in love with them, a scheme that they call "The Marrying Game."On this lighthearted note, the novel gets under way, and before too long, the Hasty women cast their spell. Besides being utterly gorgeous young ladies, Rufa, Nancy, Selena, and Lydia are fascinating and charming individuals. Saunders makes each character come brilliantly alive. Rufa, who is an extraordinary chef, is the most vulnerable, since her father's death hit her the hardest. Selena is bookish but rebellious. Nancy is voluptuous and a bit wild. Lydia has already endured a failed marriage and she is the mother of a precocious and adorable little girl named Linnet. Saunders works her magic on many levels. On the one hand, "The Marrying Game" is a comic bedroom farce, with various characters falling in and out of love constantly. Saunders gets serious, however, when she describes the touching devotion of the Hasty sisters to one another. In addition, Saunders sensitively explores the difficulty of carrying on after suffering the loss of a loved one. Saunders has Jane Austen's psychological insight and attention to detail, Louisa May Alcott's understanding of family dynamics, and Elinor Lipman's zaniness and saucy irreverence. Yet, Saunders is not just a pale imitation of other novelists. She has her own original voice, and "The Marrying Game" is a wonderful comedy of manners that has a great deal to say about life and love.
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