Tigers in Red Weather: A Novel
by Liza Klaussmann
Review by TheLostEntwife
Tigers in Red Weather houses a story that had a very, very bold undertaking. In this story, Liza Klaussmann weaves together a tale that not only spans years (and decades) but also switches from one point of view to the next. What do I mean?
The first section of time periods is devoted to one character, but then we go back to those same time periods, this time seen through the eyes of the next character...so on and so forth. What should have been completely confusing, as a result, is at times repetitive, but also filled with revelation upon revelation heaped on the reader as the story unfolds.
While reading Tigers in Red Weather I was reminded of eating an artichoke. No, really, I was. One by one the petals get pulled away and savored, enjoyed, then discarded until finally those last few are peeled away and the heart of the artichoke (or story) is bared, ready to be fully devoured and relished. And that's what happened with this story - I devoured those final moments and was shocked by what they meant to the rest of the story.
In some ways, Tigers is a coming-of-age story - for both the young people and their parents involved in the story. In others, it's a tragic look at how different things were in the 40's, 50's, and 60's. Post-war relationships are thoroughly explored, innocence lost, and family relationships are brutally bared as their secrets come to light.
A thoroughly engrossing novel.
The first section of time periods is devoted to one character, but then we go back to those same time periods, this time seen through the eyes of the next character...so on and so forth. What should have been completely confusing, as a result, is at times repetitive, but also filled with revelation upon revelation heaped on the reader as the story unfolds.
While reading Tigers in Red Weather I was reminded of eating an artichoke. No, really, I was. One by one the petals get pulled away and savored, enjoyed, then discarded until finally those last few are peeled away and the heart of the artichoke (or story) is bared, ready to be fully devoured and relished. And that's what happened with this story - I devoured those final moments and was shocked by what they meant to the rest of the story.
In some ways, Tigers is a coming-of-age story - for both the young people and their parents involved in the story. In others, it's a tragic look at how different things were in the 40's, 50's, and 60's. Post-war relationships are thoroughly explored, innocence lost, and family relationships are brutally bared as their secrets come to light.
A thoroughly engrossing novel.
Other Member Reviews
Klaussmann’s first novel has assured touches and enmeshes you in the life of an American family. Starting in post-war 1945 and spanning the following 24 years, this fascinating novel follows the lives of the family, mostly through their stays at their summer retreat on the rural east coast. It is told through the distinctive voices of five of the family in separate parts, so that at times, events are repeated, but viewed from a different perspective that alters the readers understanding of the events. Through the years, the relationships between the family members, subtly change, in a thoroughly realistic way, which adds much to the plot and perceptively reveals the tensions in the family as the atmosphere grows progressively darker after the early lighter mood and optimism of peace.
I picked this book up partly because of the good reviews but also out of a petty desire to see if the author had gotten her location details right (I live on the Vineyard). I soon realized that the book was so intimately about the family that very little of the world around it mattered much, and that with one trivial exception (she wrote "Vineyard Haven lighthouse" instead of "West Chop light") the smattering of local details were correct. I couldn't really judge the feeling of the society because Edgartown summer people are not my crowd (though I've worked for some of them, briefly).
The book was very well written, but I should have read the description more closely. It's a family saga with a lot of creepiness -- not a genre I normally enjoy. Most of the characters were despicable but vivid and at least partly sympathetic. I stayed up late to finish it because I had to see how it turned out, reading the last 80 pages after my initial attempt at lights out. My mother once said, "I don't like to hear about murders happening here, even if they're in fiction," and I feel the same, but if that doesn't bother you then go ahead and dive in.
The book was very well written, but I should have read the description more closely. It's a family saga with a lot of creepiness -- not a genre I normally enjoy. Most of the characters were despicable but vivid and at least partly sympathetic. I stayed up late to finish it because I had to see how it turned out, reading the last 80 pages after my initial attempt at lights out. My mother once said, "I don't like to hear about murders happening here, even if they're in fiction," and I feel the same, but if that doesn't bother you then go ahead and dive in.
Tigers in Red Weather first came to my attention by the gorgeous cover – it suggested lazy summer days of long ago (not to mention retro fashion). But underneath this innocent cover lies a wealth of themes from infidelity to murder. It does contain long hot days of summers from the 1940s to the 1960s but there’s a dark undercurrent running through it.
Tigers in Red Weather is told by five different characters – first Nick, who is trying to adjust to life as a military wife and then later, her daughter Daisy who with her cousin Ed, who finds a corpse one summer. The tale then moves to Daisy’s father and Nick’s husband Hughes – war time love affairs and what to do with something quite sinister. He’s followed by Nick’s cousin and Ed’s mother, Helena, who is suffering marital problems that leads to problems. Finally, we hear from Ed to sum up if the reader’s suspicions are correct.
I’m deliberately not describing the plot in this review because I think one of the strengths is in how the themes are revealed. With each character, we get just a little more detail each time and can piece the issues together. The climax is truly gripping and will raise a lot of questions about what is right and what is wrong to do in the circumstances. As the book is so multilayered, it is also a good choice for book groups as there are many topics to be covered!
Klaussmann’s writing reminded me of both Richard Yates and F. Scott Fitzgerald. There are elements of pathos, of show more missing something but not being sure exactly what and looking for that elusive final clue to complete happiness. Is it a co-incidence that Nick’s daughter is called Daisy? (There’s a character in The Great Gatsby called Daisy). However, Klaussmann’s Daisy is (eventually) a lot wiser, while Nick is somewhat more like Gatsby in her pursuit of endless fun. All characters have a problem – whether it’s drinking, pills or something more sinister and their flaws only serve to make them more interesting. I wish the structure was a little tighter, but the novel still pulls quite an impact.
This is a solid debut and I’ll be interested to pick up Klaussmann’s next book. Her characterisation and settings that evoke endless summer days are a pleasure to read.
I received an ARC of this book.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com show less
Tigers in Red Weather is told by five different characters – first Nick, who is trying to adjust to life as a military wife and then later, her daughter Daisy who with her cousin Ed, who finds a corpse one summer. The tale then moves to Daisy’s father and Nick’s husband Hughes – war time love affairs and what to do with something quite sinister. He’s followed by Nick’s cousin and Ed’s mother, Helena, who is suffering marital problems that leads to problems. Finally, we hear from Ed to sum up if the reader’s suspicions are correct.
I’m deliberately not describing the plot in this review because I think one of the strengths is in how the themes are revealed. With each character, we get just a little more detail each time and can piece the issues together. The climax is truly gripping and will raise a lot of questions about what is right and what is wrong to do in the circumstances. As the book is so multilayered, it is also a good choice for book groups as there are many topics to be covered!
Klaussmann’s writing reminded me of both Richard Yates and F. Scott Fitzgerald. There are elements of pathos, of show more missing something but not being sure exactly what and looking for that elusive final clue to complete happiness. Is it a co-incidence that Nick’s daughter is called Daisy? (There’s a character in The Great Gatsby called Daisy). However, Klaussmann’s Daisy is (eventually) a lot wiser, while Nick is somewhat more like Gatsby in her pursuit of endless fun. All characters have a problem – whether it’s drinking, pills or something more sinister and their flaws only serve to make them more interesting. I wish the structure was a little tighter, but the novel still pulls quite an impact.
This is a solid debut and I’ll be interested to pick up Klaussmann’s next book. Her characterisation and settings that evoke endless summer days are a pleasure to read.
I received an ARC of this book.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com show less
The press release says
This one was a really pleasant surprise. I grabbed it from Net Galley and loaded it on my Nook just before we left on vacation earlier this month and I'm really glad I did. I was prepared for a fluffy beach read, and instead was treated to a brilliantly written story of family intrigue, dark secrets, a spectacular sense of place, and well-crafted characters. Klaussmann tells us the story from each of the five main characters' point of view, and the result is breathtaking. It's five stories, all bound together, about expectations, marriages gone awry, romances dying on the vine, with each story clearly labeled in place and time so we are always at ease with where we are on the journey. The deeper into the book I got, the less I wanted to put it down.
The marketing blurb continues:
Even the genre is difficult to put a label on. It can be a mystery but the mysterious elements aren't the driving force; it could be a romance but those relationships, while important, aren't pulling the train either; for some readers it will be a coming of age novel; others will view it as historical fiction- particularly those who want to re-live summers spent on Martha's Vineyard, World War II coming home stories, and growing up in the Eisenhower days; some will find it very dark but others will be able to ignore the dark parts and see it simply as a tale of generational and psychological drama. However you read it, what it is NOT is boring. It's a first class good read. show less
Nick and her cousin, Helena, have grown up sharing sultry summer heat, sunbleached boat docks, and midnight gin parties on Martha's Vineyard in a glorious old family estate known as Tiger House. In the days following the end of the Second World War, the world seems to offer itself up, and the two women are on the cusp of their 'real lives': Helena is off to Hollywood and a new marriage, while Nick is heading for a reunion with her own young husband, Hughes, about to return from the war.
This one was a really pleasant surprise. I grabbed it from Net Galley and loaded it on my Nook just before we left on vacation earlier this month and I'm really glad I did. I was prepared for a fluffy beach read, and instead was treated to a brilliantly written story of family intrigue, dark secrets, a spectacular sense of place, and well-crafted characters. Klaussmann tells us the story from each of the five main characters' point of view, and the result is breathtaking. It's five stories, all bound together, about expectations, marriages gone awry, romances dying on the vine, with each story clearly labeled in place and time so we are always at ease with where we are on the journey. The deeper into the book I got, the less I wanted to put it down.
The marketing blurb continues:
show more at Tiger House, Nick and Helena--with their children, Daisy and Ed--try to recapture that sense of possibility. But when Daisy and Ed discover the victim of a brutal murder, the intrusion of violence causes everything to unravel. The members of the family spin out of their prescribed orbits, secrets come to light, and nothing about their lives will ever be the same.
Soon the gilt begins to crack. Helena's husband is not the man he seemed to be, and Hughes has returned from the war distant, his inner light curtained over. On the brink of the 1960s, back
Even the genre is difficult to put a label on. It can be a mystery but the mysterious elements aren't the driving force; it could be a romance but those relationships, while important, aren't pulling the train either; for some readers it will be a coming of age novel; others will view it as historical fiction- particularly those who want to re-live summers spent on Martha's Vineyard, World War II coming home stories, and growing up in the Eisenhower days; some will find it very dark but others will be able to ignore the dark parts and see it simply as a tale of generational and psychological drama. However you read it, what it is NOT is boring. It's a first class good read. show less
Book on CD read by Katherine Kellgren
Cousins Nick and Helena grew up spending idyllic summers at Tiger House, the family’s estate on Martha’s Vineyard. As World War 2 ends, the two young women are about to begin their “real” lives – Helena is off to Hollywood and a new marriage to producer Avery Lewis, while Nick travels to Florida to reunite with her husband Hughes Derringer, home from the war. But reality doesn’t meet their expectations. Twelve years later, the cousins – along with their children Daisy and Ed – try to recapture their memories by once again spending the summer at Tiger House. But when Daisy and Ed make a gruesome discovery, the secrets and lies that each family member thought were safely buried begin to push to the surface.
This is Klaussmann’s debut and I see a nugget of a good novel here. But the execution falters. The dialogue is tortured. And the fractured timeline and changes in point of view do little to help the story arc. Klaussmann gives the reader some clues … dividing the book into sections titled with the character from whose point of view events will be relayed: Nick, Daisy, Helena, Hughes, Ed, and heading each chapter with the year and month. However, within the chapters events go back and forth in time as the character reflects on things. So, a chapter might be titled 1947: February, but some events relayed may have taken place months or years previously. I’m sure the author intended that this device would help build show more suspense, but mostly it just confused me. By the time the big reveal takes place I didn’t care, I just wanted the book to end.
Katherine Kellgren’s performance on the audio does nothing to help the novel. She has a tendency to be overly dramatic when voicing the characters. I wound up reading the text for more than half the novel. ZERO stars for the audio performance. show less
Cousins Nick and Helena grew up spending idyllic summers at Tiger House, the family’s estate on Martha’s Vineyard. As World War 2 ends, the two young women are about to begin their “real” lives – Helena is off to Hollywood and a new marriage to producer Avery Lewis, while Nick travels to Florida to reunite with her husband Hughes Derringer, home from the war. But reality doesn’t meet their expectations. Twelve years later, the cousins – along with their children Daisy and Ed – try to recapture their memories by once again spending the summer at Tiger House. But when Daisy and Ed make a gruesome discovery, the secrets and lies that each family member thought were safely buried begin to push to the surface.
This is Klaussmann’s debut and I see a nugget of a good novel here. But the execution falters. The dialogue is tortured. And the fractured timeline and changes in point of view do little to help the story arc. Klaussmann gives the reader some clues … dividing the book into sections titled with the character from whose point of view events will be relayed: Nick, Daisy, Helena, Hughes, Ed, and heading each chapter with the year and month. However, within the chapters events go back and forth in time as the character reflects on things. So, a chapter might be titled 1947: February, but some events relayed may have taken place months or years previously. I’m sure the author intended that this device would help build show more suspense, but mostly it just confused me. By the time the big reveal takes place I didn’t care, I just wanted the book to end.
Katherine Kellgren’s performance on the audio does nothing to help the novel. She has a tendency to be overly dramatic when voicing the characters. I wound up reading the text for more than half the novel. ZERO stars for the audio performance. show less
This is a tale of a family, a Martha's Vineyard society kind of family, starting with the end of WWII and moving on through the late 60s. The first third of the book is dominated by Nick, a controlling young woman who has married who she was supposed to marry, and hasn't had a happy day since. She does what she must while yearning for other things (and other men), and produces the required child, Daisy. Then a murder in the the community shakes things up, for everyone.
Next we hear from Helena, Nick's cousin, though really like a sister to her, gets her say. Her first husband died in the war shortly after their marriage, and when we meet her, she is on her way to Hollywood to marry her second husband, a filmmaker. It doesn't take her long to find that he is actually a grifter and is obsessed with a dead actress. Helena drifts into alcohol and drugs, taking a short break to have a baby to see if that would improve her marriage. It didn't, and she finds her son to be rather strange and frightening, so once more she moves into the arms of booze and drugs. She is visiting her cousin in Martha's Vineyard the summer of the murder, and it was in fact her son Ed and Nick's daughter Daisy who find the mutilated body. Sunny Daisy comes through it well, but Ed seems to get even more strange and worrisome. Helena's resentment of Nick begins to grow in to a complicated hate.
Hughes, Nick's husband, takes over the story for a bit, offering fresh perspective on things already known, as show more well as some secrets of his own. Then Ed get's his turn, finishing the book with the stark confirmation and clarification of so many of the doubts and mysteries the whole family has held for 25+ years.
This is not a cheerful book in any way. However, the writing is mesmerizing, with crisp dialog that makes you feel as if you are right there with the characters, and drives you to turn page after page into the wee hours of the morning. This is a debut novel, and a very impressive one. I'll be eagerly looking for more from Klaussmann in the future. show less
Next we hear from Helena, Nick's cousin, though really like a sister to her, gets her say. Her first husband died in the war shortly after their marriage, and when we meet her, she is on her way to Hollywood to marry her second husband, a filmmaker. It doesn't take her long to find that he is actually a grifter and is obsessed with a dead actress. Helena drifts into alcohol and drugs, taking a short break to have a baby to see if that would improve her marriage. It didn't, and she finds her son to be rather strange and frightening, so once more she moves into the arms of booze and drugs. She is visiting her cousin in Martha's Vineyard the summer of the murder, and it was in fact her son Ed and Nick's daughter Daisy who find the mutilated body. Sunny Daisy comes through it well, but Ed seems to get even more strange and worrisome. Helena's resentment of Nick begins to grow in to a complicated hate.
Hughes, Nick's husband, takes over the story for a bit, offering fresh perspective on things already known, as show more well as some secrets of his own. Then Ed get's his turn, finishing the book with the stark confirmation and clarification of so many of the doubts and mysteries the whole family has held for 25+ years.
This is not a cheerful book in any way. However, the writing is mesmerizing, with crisp dialog that makes you feel as if you are right there with the characters, and drives you to turn page after page into the wee hours of the morning. This is a debut novel, and a very impressive one. I'll be eagerly looking for more from Klaussmann in the future. show less
4.5 stars
Written by the great great great granddaughter of Herman Melville, this is a well-written, engaging read about a family who gathers at Tiger House on Martha’s Vineyard every summer. Spanning 3 decades, the story is told from the various viewpoints of 5 members of the extended family (including one budding psychopath). There are deep secrets, dark twisted feelings, and longings that are slowly revealed over the course of 20 years. This is not a stable happy family but it sure is fun to read. It was interesting to have the chance to get inside their heads during the separate narratives and look at the events from different perspectives. Each perspective reveals more of the story.
I loved the setting and the time period of the 50’s and 60’s. Amidst the glamour of the era there is a murder mystery, although it’s not the main focus of the story. The ending packs quite a punch!
Written by the great great great granddaughter of Herman Melville, this is a well-written, engaging read about a family who gathers at Tiger House on Martha’s Vineyard every summer. Spanning 3 decades, the story is told from the various viewpoints of 5 members of the extended family (including one budding psychopath). There are deep secrets, dark twisted feelings, and longings that are slowly revealed over the course of 20 years. This is not a stable happy family but it sure is fun to read. It was interesting to have the chance to get inside their heads during the separate narratives and look at the events from different perspectives. Each perspective reveals more of the story.
I loved the setting and the time period of the 50’s and 60’s. Amidst the glamour of the era there is a murder mystery, although it’s not the main focus of the story. The ending packs quite a punch!
Taking place between WWII and the end of the 1960s, “Tigers in Red Weather” is about two cousins - Nick and Helena - and their families. The novel explores how people change, how they interact with one another, and how everyone’s choices have an impact on other people.
“Tigers in Red Weather” teetered between being “just average” to “downright boring.” The characters are cardboard and unoriginal, the dialogue is uninteresting and everyone has the same voice, and the shifts in chronology are clumsy and confusing. What disappointed me most, however, was that the author never surprised me.
The book is constructed in five parts, with the story being told from the perspective of five different principle characters. This could have been an opportunity for the author to twist things up a bit by making the reader see characters and events in an entirely different way. But in each story, everything remains exactly as I had perceived in it the previous narrative(s). The best word to describe the book is: predictable.
All in all, it felt like the author was playing it safe and simply applying “how to write a novel” formulas she learned at university. I think if she is willing to be a bit more daring and edgy in her next work, she will prove to have talent that isn’t exhibited in this debut novel.
“Tigers in Red Weather” teetered between being “just average” to “downright boring.” The characters are cardboard and unoriginal, the dialogue is uninteresting and everyone has the same voice, and the shifts in chronology are clumsy and confusing. What disappointed me most, however, was that the author never surprised me.
The book is constructed in five parts, with the story being told from the perspective of five different principle characters. This could have been an opportunity for the author to twist things up a bit by making the reader see characters and events in an entirely different way. But in each story, everything remains exactly as I had perceived in it the previous narrative(s). The best word to describe the book is: predictable.
All in all, it felt like the author was playing it safe and simply applying “how to write a novel” formulas she learned at university. I think if she is willing to be a bit more daring and edgy in her next work, she will prove to have talent that isn’t exhibited in this debut novel.
Set in bucolic, hoity-toity post-WWII Martha's Vineyard, this unnerving literary thriller from the great-great-great-granddaughter of Herman Melville finds a family unmoored by an unsolved murder in their apparently porcelain community. At the debut novel's center are two woman, Nick and Helena, cousins who grew up spending summers at their family's cushy lakeside estate. Once carefree girls, now jaded women, they've since returned to Tiger House with their families, but their lives have lost much of the rosy glow they had before the murder. Summary BPL
Stunning first novel! Told from five different POVs, Tigers in Red Weather is difficult to pin down: 1950s Peyton Place soap opera plot studded with F. Scott Fitzgerald characters who, martinis in hand, wander briefly into film noir. Mostly, though, I am grateful that it led me to this poem whose last lines gave the novel its title.
Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock
The houses are haunted
By white night-gowns.
None are green,
Or purple with green rings,
Or green with yellow rings,
Or yellow with blue rings.
None of them are strange,
With socks of lace
And beaded ceintures.
People are not going
To dream of baboons and periwinkles.
Only, here and there, an old sailor,
Drunk and asleep in his boots,
Catches Tigers
In red weather.
Wallace Stevens
Stunning first novel! Told from five different POVs, Tigers in Red Weather is difficult to pin down: 1950s Peyton Place soap opera plot studded with F. Scott Fitzgerald characters who, martinis in hand, wander briefly into film noir. Mostly, though, I am grateful that it led me to this poem whose last lines gave the novel its title.
Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock
The houses are haunted
By white night-gowns.
None are green,
Or purple with green rings,
Or green with yellow rings,
Or yellow with blue rings.
None of them are strange,
With socks of lace
And beaded ceintures.
People are not going
To dream of baboons and periwinkles.
Only, here and there, an old sailor,
Drunk and asleep in his boots,
Catches Tigers
In red weather.
Wallace Stevens
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. At first I thought it was a little slow with no point to the story in sight but the further I read the more intriguing it became as the story slowly but surely unravelled. I liked the way small gaps within each character's perspective was filled by the perspective of another character.
A good satisfying read.
A good satisfying read.
A summer story that does pack a wallop as it slowly builds its plot. Who are the innocents and who the deceivers? Nick the beautiful temptress. Does she actually love her husband Hughes? Is she faithful? Her cousin Helena married to a weird man with a dead actress fetish. Why does she put up with this? With pills and booze and extreme jealousy of her cousin. Helena whose son Ed is in his head all the time and loyal only to Daisy. Hughes who loves his wife so much yet cannot connect with her.
"Tigers in Red Weather has a whole host of intriguing characters and a thrilling plot. An excellent read.
"Tigers in Red Weather has a whole host of intriguing characters and a thrilling plot. An excellent read.
This book came highly publicized, which should have been a warning to me, but I ignored it in the vain hope that I'd find something redeeming in the novel. However, unlikeable characters, an almost complete lack of plot or plotting technique, and a clumsy hand with period detail all make this a perfect example of the New York "intelligentsia" overhyping one of their own. It's wholly unsatisfying. If this is what's coming out of creative writing programs at modern universities, I'll stick with the classics.
Now that I'm writing the review for this book I have realized I liked it a lot more then I thought… It was well written and flowed nicely because it changed from one person telling the tale to other very evenly, 5 people's perspective all together. I agree with other reviews that it should be a popular book for book clubs to dissect. Enjoy a different read and I hope to see more from this author.
I was lucky enough to read this book as a part of Elle magazine's early reader program. It is sort of a mystery and sort of a story of two female cousins from their close friendship at the end of ww II to their slow growing apart as their fortunes diverge. I don't want to spoil the very interesting plot by giving away too much, but I will say that it offers a very interesting portrait of the way in which a sociopath is molded. In addition, the author does a fantastic job of embodying the different characters who often tell the same events from differing points of view.
I just finished this novel..as in just finished it five minutes ago. I absolutely loved it! The story of two cousins (and their respective families) spanning three decades is told through the perspectives of five characters. Each narrator has their own section of the novel. We meet, Nick, just as WWII has ended. She (yes, Nick is a woman. The name through me off a few times) is the first narrator and introduces us to life at "Tiger House" and some of the main events in the story. After Nick's section, four more narrators take their turn.
While the looming event of the book is the brutal murder of a young woman on their New England island, the story really is about the choices we make and how they can have lasting effects on those around us. I loved reading about the thoughts and reasons behind some of the characters choices. While the story is mainly about family dynamics, the question of the murder adds a nice bit of suspense which lead to a thrilling admission at the end of the book. Klaussman simply slipped the admission in as a thought, just one little sentence that could easily be overlooked. I found myself stopping and re-reading that line a second and third time just to see if it really meant what I had thought it meant.
Lisa Klaussman is a gifted writer. I've always loved novels that switch narrators and time periods. The way that she was able to consistently revisit different events from five points of view was amazing! I received this book as an advanced reading show more copy (ARC) from a goodreads.com giveaway. I'm so glad I did. Intrigued by the cover, I might have picked up the book while at the bookstore but I'm not sure if I would have brought it home with me. The publishing date was set for July 2012 and when I checked B&N, it did appear to be available online (in book format and e-reader format). If you are looking for that perfect summer read...Tigers in Red Weather is it! And if you read it, be sure to tell me what you think.
*also reviewed on http://www.underagraysky.com show less
While the looming event of the book is the brutal murder of a young woman on their New England island, the story really is about the choices we make and how they can have lasting effects on those around us. I loved reading about the thoughts and reasons behind some of the characters choices. While the story is mainly about family dynamics, the question of the murder adds a nice bit of suspense which lead to a thrilling admission at the end of the book. Klaussman simply slipped the admission in as a thought, just one little sentence that could easily be overlooked. I found myself stopping and re-reading that line a second and third time just to see if it really meant what I had thought it meant.
Lisa Klaussman is a gifted writer. I've always loved novels that switch narrators and time periods. The way that she was able to consistently revisit different events from five points of view was amazing! I received this book as an advanced reading show more copy (ARC) from a goodreads.com giveaway. I'm so glad I did. Intrigued by the cover, I might have picked up the book while at the bookstore but I'm not sure if I would have brought it home with me. The publishing date was set for July 2012 and when I checked B&N, it did appear to be available online (in book format and e-reader format). If you are looking for that perfect summer read...Tigers in Red Weather is it! And if you read it, be sure to tell me what you think.
*also reviewed on http://www.underagraysky.com show less
Strangers in the house & in the family. This was all about a twisted family & the time they summered over the years at their rambling house on the Vineyard. I liked the story & it was certainly engaging, peopled with characters that I didn't like but was fascinated to spend time with. The story was told through the perspectives of the five main characters and I must admit that I was sorry to never get Avery's side. I still don't know quite what to think of him. Daisy's portion was a bit tedious after a while but I had to keep reminding myself that she's twelve in her portion & her perception of what's going on around her may be dim. Nick, Hughes & Ed had the most interesting parts & honestly, I felt so badly for Helena that it distracted me a bit while reading her section.
As to the murder mystery B-plot, I can't say that I cared much. I mean, it happens, there's some chat about it, there's the not so subtle hint that Ed knows more about it than the adults really want to know & then it's not so much a big deal. At least not in any way that makes one pine to know what really happened to Elena Nunes & who is the murderer. It comes out but it's less interesting than the toll it's taken on the characters in the story. What's far more fascinating is the family dynamics that play out & the culmination of years of this insanity.
Definitely worth reading over my weekend.
As to the murder mystery B-plot, I can't say that I cared much. I mean, it happens, there's some chat about it, there's the not so subtle hint that Ed knows more about it than the adults really want to know & then it's not so much a big deal. At least not in any way that makes one pine to know what really happened to Elena Nunes & who is the murderer. It comes out but it's less interesting than the toll it's taken on the characters in the story. What's far more fascinating is the family dynamics that play out & the culmination of years of this insanity.
Definitely worth reading over my weekend.
I enjoyed the way this book was written. The book has 5 parts, each part from the prospective of one of the 5 main characters. The time periods slightly overlap and/or have recollections of the past, however, it is written so that you don’t feel it is repetitive. You are provided with additional information and new insights with each character’s section. I actually found myself having “a-ha moments” when being able to link two prospectives of one event together. It is slow in parts though which is one reason that I am giving it a 3 rather than a 4. The other being that I found the amount of alcohol use/abuse throughout the book to be over the top and thus annoying. It would be rare to find a scene in which there wasn’t any alcohol being consumed. I understand that it adds to the dysfunctionality of the characters but it seems overstated.
Two female cousins are very close when they are kids. The book follows their relationship into adulthood, including husbands, kids and plenty of associated drama. They definitely aren't as close as the were. An interesting exploration of relationships, the perceptions of privileged people and the thinking of a psychopath. Though, not a thriller, there is a dark edge to it. I really enjoyed meeting all of the characters and exploring their personalities and relationships.
Two female cousins are very close when they are kids. The book follows their relationship into adulthood, including husbands, kids and plenty of associated drama. They definitely aren't as close as the were. An interesting exploration of relationships, the perceptions of privileged people and the thinking of a psychopath. Though, not a thriller, there is a dark edge to it. I really enjoyed meeting all of the characters and exploring their personalities and relationships.
Suspenseful - Check!
Engaging - Check!
Well Drawn Characters - Check!
Made me moody, cranky and uncomfortable while reading - erm Check!
I read a favorable review of Tigers and Red Weather and was really eager to read it because it is set on Martha's Vineyard and I love reading things set in places I have visited.
I also was drawn to it because of the fact that it was described as a novel about characters that had a mystery running in the background.
I really liked that aspect of this book - it had a seriously suspenseful storyline that went on during the novel but it wasn't pushed forward enough to make this book officially a mystery. It was much more about unraveling the characters and trying to understand who they were and what motivated them to become one way or another.
Overall I really liked this book. I thought the way it was written was really fresh - I love the mystery without having be the driving force of the novel. I loved the setting and the detail the author used.
My only complaints are just that after about the first 1/3 the tone of the book becomes relentlessly grim. It is hard to read such dark stuff without some lighter moments. I found my own mood reflecting this. Also to be fair I was toting around the giant hardcover and that always kind of gets me cranky (i do love a paperback for portability reasons).
Anyway one last caveat is that there are a few gruesome things in here - but basically it is an interesting but grim read.
Engaging - Check!
Well Drawn Characters - Check!
Made me moody, cranky and uncomfortable while reading - erm Check!
I read a favorable review of Tigers and Red Weather and was really eager to read it because it is set on Martha's Vineyard and I love reading things set in places I have visited.
I also was drawn to it because of the fact that it was described as a novel about characters that had a mystery running in the background.
I really liked that aspect of this book - it had a seriously suspenseful storyline that went on during the novel but it wasn't pushed forward enough to make this book officially a mystery. It was much more about unraveling the characters and trying to understand who they were and what motivated them to become one way or another.
Overall I really liked this book. I thought the way it was written was really fresh - I love the mystery without having be the driving force of the novel. I loved the setting and the detail the author used.
My only complaints are just that after about the first 1/3 the tone of the book becomes relentlessly grim. It is hard to read such dark stuff without some lighter moments. I found my own mood reflecting this. Also to be fair I was toting around the giant hardcover and that always kind of gets me cranky (i do love a paperback for portability reasons).
Anyway one last caveat is that there are a few gruesome things in here - but basically it is an interesting but grim read.
Author: Liz Klaussmann
Published By: Little, Brown & Company
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 4
Review:
"Tigers in Red Weather" by Liz Klaussmann truly was a intriguing read that left me saying Wow what a story. It wasn't a happy cheery book...but one of gloom and much doom. However, I did find it realistic being very true to a way of life. This was definitely one of those families that looked good on the outside but when you explored deeper sometimes you never know just what is going on behind closed doors. What is even more important sometimes everyone in the house may not really know what is going on either. "Tigers in Red Weather" was of two woman Nick and Helena whose lives will be changed forever during this period of World War II.
I loved the way this author chose to explain this to its reader using five different people's perspective. ...each were able to explain and recall different incidents that really made this wonderful read believable. You will find a lots of tangled webs of lies and many disappointments entwined in this read. I even was able to laugh a some of it. It was one of those reads that was hard to put down because you were left wondering what was coming up next.
The ending with that wried Ed...well what would you expect leaving you with a very creepy unsettling end. Will there be a sequel?
Now with that all said...I recommend you pick up "Tigers in Red Weather" to check out this good entertaining read with much depth.
Published By: Little, Brown & Company
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 4
Review:
"Tigers in Red Weather" by Liz Klaussmann truly was a intriguing read that left me saying Wow what a story. It wasn't a happy cheery book...but one of gloom and much doom. However, I did find it realistic being very true to a way of life. This was definitely one of those families that looked good on the outside but when you explored deeper sometimes you never know just what is going on behind closed doors. What is even more important sometimes everyone in the house may not really know what is going on either. "Tigers in Red Weather" was of two woman Nick and Helena whose lives will be changed forever during this period of World War II.
I loved the way this author chose to explain this to its reader using five different people's perspective. ...each were able to explain and recall different incidents that really made this wonderful read believable. You will find a lots of tangled webs of lies and many disappointments entwined in this read. I even was able to laugh a some of it. It was one of those reads that was hard to put down because you were left wondering what was coming up next.
The ending with that wried Ed...well what would you expect leaving you with a very creepy unsettling end. Will there be a sequel?
Now with that all said...I recommend you pick up "Tigers in Red Weather" to check out this good entertaining read with much depth.
An excellent debut (I believe) by Liza Klaussman. An intriguing and often beautiful read. Set over 2 decades, events are revealed through 5 different character narratives. The book is not set chronologically but Klaussman pulls it off with absolute ease.
My one complaint is that this book had many shadows of the incomparable Gatsby. Despite being set 30-40 years after Gatsby. It was something I couldn't shake off while reading it. I'm not sure if this was intentional by Klaussman or not.
All in all, a very good novel. Worth a read. I look forward to what she produces next.
My one complaint is that this book had many shadows of the incomparable Gatsby. Despite being set 30-40 years after Gatsby. It was something I couldn't shake off while reading it. I'm not sure if this was intentional by Klaussman or not.
All in all, a very good novel. Worth a read. I look forward to what she produces next.
This book was amazing! I was really enchanted with the manner in which the author was able to capture the different voices of the characters and make them so distinct. Additionally, even though I was able to tell where the plot was going, I didn't mind because the manner in which the story was told was so engaging. The story is about two cousins after WWII who share a summer cottage. One marries a military man who becomes a lawyer and lives a relatively comfortable life, first in Florida and then in New England, and the other marries a shady man loosely connected to the movie world and moves to Hollywood with him. I would highly recommend it.
Tigers in Red Weather was a much more complex novel than I expected. The synopsis on the book jacket made it seem like a detailing of the lives of two cousins but its much more than that. The author spins an interesting tale of betrayal, mental illness and marital troubles. The novel is well crafted and intricate. The story is told from the point of view of the 6 main characters Nick, Hughes, Daisy, Avery, Helena and Ed. The story spans across twenty years but moves fluid through the various decades. This book is highly recommend and I'm rating it four stars
What an impressive first novel. Starts out rather innocently as two close cousins are on a train, post World War II, both going to begin new lives. The atmosphere of the novel is wonderful, I felt fully immersed in this time period and in their lives as well. The tension of the novel builds as more and more facts are related about the characters lives. Narrated by the five main characters, we soon realize their is much more to this story than the innocent beginning would have one believe. Soon the suspense and the tension builds, time passes, and many secrets are slowly revealed. The ending was somewhat shocking but I felt very fitting. Would definitely recommend.
This is great for summer reading. The story is a little lightweight (though richer than what you might initially expect), and the writing itself is only average. But it's a quick read, entertaining, and it's even set during summer months. I was torn between 2 and 3 stars, but marked it down because it seemed slightly unfinished, like a gelatin salad that needs an extra hour in the 'fridge.
This is a story told from the perspective of five different characters. Unfortunately, I didn’t like a single character. Nick (a woman) hates her life and makes everyone miserable. Daisy is too innocent and clueless to contribute much to the plot. Helena lets everything happen to her. Hughes is maybe the most aware character but is intent on loving the wrong person. And finally, Ed is just creepy.
In all fairness, my dislike of the characters wasn’t the only reason for rating the book a low 2.5 stars. I had the impression that the story would be about Nick and Helena, who are cousins, and their relationship as they marry and have children. Instead, they didn’t like each other either and the plot went in an unexpected and dark direction.
In all fairness, my dislike of the characters wasn’t the only reason for rating the book a low 2.5 stars. I had the impression that the story would be about Nick and Helena, who are cousins, and their relationship as they marry and have children. Instead, they didn’t like each other either and the plot went in an unexpected and dark direction.
Tigers in Red Weather is a novel about the lives of two cousins, Nick and Helena, and their families. It takes place from 1945 to 1969 and is told from the points of view of five different characters. Most of the story takes place on Martha's Vineyard at the summer cottage called Tiger House. The characters live dysfunctional lives that become frightfully intertwined. The title of the book refers to a poem by Wallace Stevens and I believe it stands for both the danger and excitement in the lives of the main characters. The book covers a gamut of topics which are important because each one brings the reader closer to knowing the individual behind the character.
Well written, the characters were good. The way in jumps around in time was a little disconcerting but I enjoyed hearing the same episode from different perspectives.
Like Wish You Were Here by Stewart O'Nan, which I posted about earlier this month (see post), Tigers in Red Weather concerns itself with an extended family and their interpersonal relationships using time spent together at a summer cottage (this time on Martha's Vineyard) as a catalyst. The novel is also told variously from the perspectives of the individual family members, but Tigers in Red Weather has a series of first-person narrators rather than one third person omniscient.
While Wish You Were Here takes place over a single week, Tigers in Red Weather unfolds over twenty-plus years. From the end of World War through the late 1960s (with a bit of a flashback to the war years), Tigers in Red Weather follows first (female) cousins Nick and Helena (and Nick's husband Hugh) as they adjust to post-war and married life. Their children Ed and Daisy join the narrative as they reach the age of reason, spending their summers at Tiger House.
Throughout the novel there's an air of mystery and deep-seated secrets. One summer there's a murder on the Vineyard, and while that adds to the intrigue, it's never really a question of whodunnit. Rather the focus of Tigers in Red Weather is on interfamilial deceptions, the lies individual characters tell themselves and each other.
Unfortunately, it was difficult to connect with any of the central characters. Two of them were repugnant the majority of the time. The others ranged from generally likeable to vaguely incomprehensible, but all show more suffered from some level of inconsistency within their characters that made them at best unsympathetic, but at worst unbelievable.
I will say that the novel's unending is unexpected and quite well done.
Read the full review on my blog: morsie reads: Tigers in Red Weather. show less
While Wish You Were Here takes place over a single week, Tigers in Red Weather unfolds over twenty-plus years. From the end of World War through the late 1960s (with a bit of a flashback to the war years), Tigers in Red Weather follows first (female) cousins Nick and Helena (and Nick's husband Hugh) as they adjust to post-war and married life. Their children Ed and Daisy join the narrative as they reach the age of reason, spending their summers at Tiger House.
Throughout the novel there's an air of mystery and deep-seated secrets. One summer there's a murder on the Vineyard, and while that adds to the intrigue, it's never really a question of whodunnit. Rather the focus of Tigers in Red Weather is on interfamilial deceptions, the lies individual characters tell themselves and each other.
Unfortunately, it was difficult to connect with any of the central characters. Two of them were repugnant the majority of the time. The others ranged from generally likeable to vaguely incomprehensible, but all show more suffered from some level of inconsistency within their characters that made them at best unsympathetic, but at worst unbelievable.
I will say that the novel's unending is unexpected and quite well done.
Read the full review on my blog: morsie reads: Tigers in Red Weather. show less
Well written, but lacking something for me
As I sit here pondering what type of review I should write, I feel like that is as big a mystery as the book. This book seemed to be disjointed with the story being told by the different characters in the book. Each chapter is labeled with the year, however, I was never able to get into the rythem of the story telling.
In my opinion, there was no consistency and the first couple of pages of each chapter had me trying to figure out where we were and how we got there. Once I did that, the story flowed. But to start each chapter in this manner was a bit frustrating.
Many thanks to Little Brown and Company Publishing along with Net Galley for the advanced readers copy.
In my opinion, there was no consistency and the first couple of pages of each chapter had me trying to figure out where we were and how we got there. Once I did that, the story flowed. But to start each chapter in this manner was a bit frustrating.
Many thanks to Little Brown and Company Publishing along with Net Galley for the advanced readers copy.
A slow start but it became much more interesting from Hughes' chapter. I'm not terribly keen on the way that the chapters jumped between times as I had to keep looking back to work out how old Ed and Daisy were.
Told from the viewpoint of the five main characters. Finely honed characterization. Basically about romantic / dependency relationships and a bit about familyWent on way too long though. 388 pages
Story of two cousins, their early years at Tiger House in Martha's Vineyard, their subsequent marriages and children. Entertaining of the social life at that time. A bit of a mystery is unfolded concerning Helena's son Eddie and his homicidal tendancies.
A few months ago, when living in Denver, Allison @ The Book Wheel and I randomly blog met and then real-life met. One of the first things we did (after making sure we weren’t scary people that we met online) was exchange book suggestions. And the book suggestion Allison gave me months ago was Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann.
Nick and her cousin Helena marry well. . . or so they think at first. Nick’s husband Hughes doesn’t provide enough love and affection, so she seeks it elsewhere. Helena’s husband is a loser, and their son, Ed, seems to be a little “off.” Ed and Daisy (Nick & Hughes’ daughter) discover a murdered maid, and things begin to fall apart rapidly.
For the full review, visit Love at First Book
Nick and her cousin Helena marry well. . . or so they think at first. Nick’s husband Hughes doesn’t provide enough love and affection, so she seeks it elsewhere. Helena’s husband is a loser, and their son, Ed, seems to be a little “off.” Ed and Daisy (Nick & Hughes’ daughter) discover a murdered maid, and things begin to fall apart rapidly.
For the full review, visit Love at First Book
adult fiction; New England islanders/dysfunctional families/small town murder. Kind of a weird mashup of stories woven together through narratives from one family--everyone's got things to hide.
Wasn't impressed with the writing or the characters.
not a book club book, borrowed from a friend and it was pretty good and could be a bookclub book
A brilliant summer read
This will make a great book club read.
Loved this book - reminded me of the Great Gatsby
"Beyond here be dragons"
Finished in summer 2014
Verhaal over de nichten Helena en Nick (opm.: kon maar moeilijk wennen aan deze - m.i. - 'jongensnaam') die in de nadagen van de Tweede Wereldoorlog het prachtige Tiger House verlaten; Helena gaat trouwen en vertrekt naar Hollywood en Nick reist haar jonge echtgenoot Hugh tegemoet.
Begin zestiger jaren komen ze terug in Tiger House met hun kinderen Daisy en Ed. Helena's man is vanwege zijn werk niet van de partij.
De kinderen gaan op tennisles. Maar Ed spijbelt geregeld en hangt rond in de omgeving, waar hij regelmatig mensen begluurt. Als Daisy een keer meegaat doen ze een gruwelijke ontdekking. Dit zet alle relaties op scherp en brengt een aantal geheimen aan het licht die de familie voor altijd zullen ontwrichten.
Ik heb genoten van dit boek; bleef spannend tot het eind. Het boek bestaat uit verschillende delen; elk deel wordt verteld vanuit het gezichtspunt van de hoofdpersonages (Nick, Daisy, Helena, Hughes, Ed). En dan zijn er nog de diverse tijdvakken waarin zich het verhaal afspeelt: bv. december 1945, augustus 1967, juni 1964...
Als lezer krijg je zo steeds meer stukjes van de puzzel. Je moet dus goed blijven opletten (en soms even terugbladeren), maar dat vond ik gelijk het mooie aan dit boek!
Begin zestiger jaren komen ze terug in Tiger House met hun kinderen Daisy en Ed. Helena's man is vanwege zijn werk niet van de partij.
De kinderen gaan op tennisles. Maar Ed spijbelt geregeld en hangt rond in de omgeving, waar hij regelmatig mensen begluurt. Als Daisy een keer meegaat doen ze een gruwelijke ontdekking. Dit zet alle relaties op scherp en brengt een aantal geheimen aan het licht die de familie voor altijd zullen ontwrichten.
Ik heb genoten van dit boek; bleef spannend tot het eind. Het boek bestaat uit verschillende delen; elk deel wordt verteld vanuit het gezichtspunt van de hoofdpersonages (Nick, Daisy, Helena, Hughes, Ed). En dan zijn er nog de diverse tijdvakken waarin zich het verhaal afspeelt: bv. december 1945, augustus 1967, juni 1964...
Als lezer krijg je zo steeds meer stukjes van de puzzel. Je moet dus goed blijven opletten (en soms even terugbladeren), maar dat vond ik gelijk het mooie aan dit boek!
Jul 22, 2019Dutch
En septiembre de 1945, Helena y Nick, dos primas hermanas, comparten una ginebra en la parte trasera del jardín mientras charlan sobre el futuro que les espera ahora que la guerra ha acabado. Nick se reúne de nuevo con su marido, Hughes, que ha estado sirviendo en Inglaterra en los últimos meses. Por su parte, Helena –que perdió a su esposo en la contienda– se marcha a Hollywood para casarse con Avery Lewis, un agente de seguros vinculado al mundo del cine.
El futuro es un misterio, y los hombres de los que se enamoraron ya no son los mismos... y si Nick se siente atrapada en su papel de madre y ama de casa y echa de menos una vida más intensa, Helena se da cuenta de que Avery no es lo que parecía. Pasarán los años y la Casa de los Tigres, el lugar donde habían compartido las dos familias tan buenos momentos, empezará a llenarse de engaños, sueños rotos y preguntas alrededor de un crimen...
El futuro es un misterio, y los hombres de los que se enamoraron ya no son los mismos... y si Nick se siente atrapada en su papel de madre y ama de casa y echa de menos una vida más intensa, Helena se da cuenta de que Avery no es lo que parecía. Pasarán los años y la Casa de los Tigres, el lugar donde habían compartido las dos familias tan buenos momentos, empezará a llenarse de engaños, sueños rotos y preguntas alrededor de un crimen...
Mar 27, 2023Spanish
Ratings
