Today I am marking off my seventh #7 checkpoint category for the POPSUGAR READING CHALLENGE 2020 with:
The brilliant new novel from Charlotte Wood, acclaimed author of The Natural Way of 
Things.
People went on about death bringing friends together, but it wasn’t true. The graveyard, the stony dirt – that’s what it was like now . . . Despite the three women knowing each other better than their own siblings, Sylvie’s death had opened up strange caverns of distance between them.
Four older women have a lifelong friendship of the best kind: loving, practical, frank and steadfast. But when Sylvie dies, the ground shifts dangerously for the remaining three. Can they survive together without her?
They are Jude, a once-famous restaurateur, Wendy, an acclaimed public intellectual, and Adele, a renowned actress now mostly out of work. Struggling to recall exactly why they’ve remained close all these years, the grieving women gather for Christmas at Sylvie’s old beach house – not for festivities, but to clean the place out before it is sold.
Without Sylvie to maintain the group’s delicate equilibrium, frustrations build and painful memories press in. Fraying tempers, an elderly dog, unwelcome guests and too much wine collide in a storm that brings long-buried hurts to the surface – and threatens to sweep away their friendship for good.
The Weekend explores growing old and growing up, and what happens when we’re forced to uncover the lies we tell ourselves. Sharply observed and excruciatingly funny, this is a jewel of a book: a celebration of tenderness and friendship that is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Review:
The Weekend is a searing and frank examination of the complexities of female friendship. Charlotte Wood explores long buried secrets, reservations, past hurts, fears of the future and loss within her sixth novel.
The Weekend by Charlotte Wood looks at the intricacies of a friendship group of four women, which is changed by the loss of one. Together, the women bond over their shared experiences and mutual support of one another, but these are trying times. Each member of the friendship group has their own troubles and complaints. They lead differing careers, families and life situations. However, despite these differences, the women have managed to forge and nurture a bond that has lasted the distance. The loss of their friend Sylvie forces the group to cast a critical eye over their lives and friendship. The process of cleaning Sylvie’s home brings the remaining women together in their grief, but it brings simmering issues to the forefront. Over a weekend, the trio will confront difficult memories, bicker, fight and consider why they should continue to remain friends. Charlotte Wood’s perceptive and reflective tone, with timely insertions of humour looks closely at the process of ageing, along with the power of friendship.
I didn’t request The Weekend to review, but I purchased this novel to read as part of the Buddy Read Event for the Page by Page Book Club with Theresa Smith Writes. However, life got in the way and I’m sure more than a few review books. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to take part in this event, but The Weekend remained on the backburner until I had some time to slot it in.
The Weekend is a book that focuses on characters rather than a fast moving plot. It meanders around the feelings, responses, reactions and interactions between the protagonists present in the novel. I appreciated the way in which Wood was able to draw out each of the women who make up the friendship circle of this novel. I felt she embodied each woman with clarity and interest. However, I did find it hard to like and completely connect with the main character set. I thought this may be due to my age separation from these women, but I was able to make some links to family members and friends of this age bracket.
The Weekend is honest, moving, sometimes funny and blunt. Wood’s often curt tone made me stand to attention and take note of the different outbursts, as well as preoccupations of her characters. Within the book Wood explores the mindset and emotions of a group of women who are concerned with the longevity of their friendship, relationship woes, health and wellbeing, as well as past regrets. This cutting but insightful approach to issues that strike at the heart of contemporary life will be sure to draw in readers of many stages of life.
A special mention goes to the delightful mature canine companion Finn, who emits pure heart to the pages of The Weekend. Finn’s presence on the pages of The Weekend brings plenty of much needed tender moments to this sometimes difficult text.
The Weekend recently made the Stella Prize 2020 shortlist. It seems to have struck a chord with readers and industry specialists, who have connected to this piercing recognition of the ebbs and flows of friendship.
*** 3.5 stars
The Weekend by Charlotte Wood was published on October 15th 2019 by Allen and Unwin. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
To learn more about the author of The Weekend, Charlotte Wood, visit here.
The Weekend is book #29 of the 2020 Australian Women Writers Challenge
