“Delicious . . . richly riveting . . . The Vacationers offers all the delights of a fluffy, read-it-with-sunglasses-on-the-beach read, made substantial by the exceptional wit, insight, intelligence and talents of its author.”—People (four stars)An irresistible, deftly observed novel from the New York Times-bestselling author of Modern Lovers, about the secrets, joys, and jealousies that rise to … the secrets, joys, and jealousies that rise to the surface over the course of an American family’s two-week stay in Mallorca.
For the Posts, a two-week trip to the Balearic island of Mallorca with their extended family and friends is a celebration: Franny and Jim are observing their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, and their daughter, Sylvia, has graduated from high school. The sunlit island, its mountains and beaches, its tapas and tennis courts, also promise an escape from the tensions simmering at home in Manhattan. But all does not go according to plan: over the course of the vacation, secrets come to light, old and new humiliations are experienced, childhood rivalries resurface, and ancient wounds are exacerbated.
This is a story of the sides of ourselves that we choose to show and those we try to conceal, of the ways we tear each other down and build each other up again, and the bonds that ultimately hold us together. With wry humor and tremendous heart, Emma Straub delivers a richly satisfying story of a family in the midst of a maelstrom of change, emerging irrevocably altered yet whole.
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Part beach read, part character study, this is an easy novel to escape into for a weekend. While I didn’t find any of the characters particularly likeable, I did find myself relating to all of their flaws and insecurities in one way or another. Plus the Mallorcan setting is to die for!
I recently read (and enjoyed) The Vacationers by Emma Straub. I’d recommend it as a beach read — it’s a quick and light, but kept me engaged in the characters and their development. Plus, I think it’s fun to read about another family’s vacation while on your own.
Has anyone read Straub’s newest book, Modern Lovers? If so, what are your thoughts?
A virtual vacation. I just loved it. My family spent summers in Mallorca when I was a kid in the ’70s, and it took me right back there. This is a rich, witty, sometimes biting, sometimes sweet portrait of a family abroad.
Unlikeable characters go on vacation and do very little.
This was my first read by Emma Straub, and would definitely read more of her books. This book made me feel like I was on vacation with extended family. I made bonds with each of the characters. This I would recommend as a beach/getaway book! Will reread!
Perfection. I’m late to the party as far as Emma Straub’s books, but now I want to read them all. Flawed but (mostly) loveable characters with interesting storylines. And having vacationed on the island of Majorca, I can testify she gets the location perfectly right as well. A great read!
great read. Did not want it to end.
Great beach read. Interesting family of characters and a good story.
Tiring
I read this book a while back and really enjoyed it.
The setting sounded wonderful but the characters were more annoying than interesting.
Fun, heart warming and refreshingly honest. A quick read that highlights the complexity of family, friendship and aging. This book lacks a climax, or any real conflict that doesn’t stem from past events. I did keep waiting for the other shoe to drop – which it never did. Still a well-written read worth picking up on, wait for it, a vacation.
The reviews for this book we’re really good. It took me awhile to finish, and I have to say it was just “ok”.
Couldn’t get into it.
Decent story. I thought the characters were basically well done.
It just didn’t grab me the way I had hoped. Basically, there is no dialogue. It’s hard to write dialogue and a lot of writers who are products of MFA programs just fall back on description. I don’t know the writer’s background, but it fell into that category for me. It’s easy to say “She was the quirky one” or “He always made everyone laugh,” but I want to read the words that make someone quirky or make someone funny. I guess I’m just old-school. I didn’t finish it. I got tired of wading through the description of the scenery, the character’s thoughts, their background. I like it when the characters talk, not the author.
It was a good book