Ralph's Party

Customer Reviews

• A party I would LOVE to go to...  Mar 20, 2001 (15 of 16 found this helpful)

  I will admit. I was hoping for a goofy, Bridget-Jones-type British novel. Ralph's Party did not live up, although it was a funny soap opera-ish tale in it's own right. And for a first novel, it really was quite good.

  Ralph and Smith are flatmates in search of a third person to share the load. Their new find comes in the form of young Jem, a sweet-looking twenty-something who winds up with both her new roomies competing for her. Of course, the story couldn't be as black-and-white as that...

  Throw a couple of love triangles in the mix: Even though Smith seems to be the winner of Jem's affection, he secretly harbors a five year passion for upstairs neighbor, Cheri. Meanwhile, Cheri has been having an affair with the downstairs neighbor, Karl. And of course Karl has his live-in love, Siobhan, who he's been with for the past 15 years. And what about Siobhan? Well, there are all sorts of changes waiting in the wings for her. The lives of these six people that intermingle throughout the novel finally culminates with a bombshell of a party that you DON'T want to miss!

  For readers who are in search of Bridget Jones humor, this novel is not for you. But if you crave a breezy tale of mixed-up Londoners with some interesting insight into the male mind (plus a few paragraphs of disgusting male behavior), then Ralph's Party will surely suffice.

• So much fun!  Jun 1, 2000 (8 of 8 found this helpful)

  I have grown a little tired of the "Bridget Jones" type books and was really expecting "Ralph's Party" to be similar. It is not-it is truly exceptional! It follows the lives of several different characters and although at first it was a little hard to keep up with/care about all of the characters, by the end of the novel I cared about each one. The character development was fantastic and Jewell does an excellent job of establishing a storyline and developing characters. I was actually sad when the book ended!

• Funny and Sweet -- Perfect Beach Reading  Aug 15, 2000 (7 of 7 found this helpful)

  Ralph's party is a well-written, amusing, enjoyable story about a group of 20ish/30ish people who live near, or are somehow connected to, an apartment complex in London. Their stories are quite entertaining and told with a gentle wit. The main characters are Smith and Ralph, two roommates who add a third, Jem, a kooky and attractive young woman who believes that she is destined to marry one of them. This novel being a romantic comedy, she of course winds up with the wrong one at first, but ultimately sees the romantic truth (as do the other characters in the novel) at, you guessed it, Ralph's party. This book is a quick, non-taxing read, but I really enjoyed it. I kept thinking it would make a great movie, just as long as Hugh Grant somehow gets a part. If you are looking for a light, entertaining novel, Ralph's party is for you. Have fun.

• A good time to be had by all  May 6, 2000 (7 of 7 found this helpful)

  I was quickly sucked into Ralph's Party, a tasty treat of a novel that focuses on a handful of London twenty- and thirty-somethings. New roommate Jem is the catalyst for change in the lives of her flatmates Ralph and Smith; simultaneously we watch the lives of co-inhabitants of the same apartment building evolve. Reading about the characters is much like getting to know a real person: you start with the facade and eventually figure out the real deal, especially as each character reacts to unforeseen events or emotional crises. If Jemima is a bit too cute, if the various plot lines are tied up a bit too neatly, if the good-characters-get-rewarded-in-the-end-while-bad-ones-get-punished version of destiny is an idealized one, well, who cares? Pour yourself a nice glass of Pinot Grigio and enjoy.

• It Ain't Peyton Place  Jul 25, 2001 (6 of 6 found this helpful)

  Lisa Jewell is getting to be one of my favorite authors (after Nick Hornby). What I like most about her is the very colorful and well defined characters she creates. I immediately got an image of each of the characters and this made the story more enjoyable.

  Ralph's Party is the story of several inhabitants of a London Apartment Building and the interwining stories they share. The story focuses on two friends - Ralph the eccentric artist and Smith the dour banker, and their flatmate Jem who is the object of desire of both of them. Who wins - you'll just have to read and find out. Not to be forgotten are Karl, the smooth-talking DJ and his overweight girlfriend Siobhan who is just discovering her inner beauty. And standing in the wings, is Cheri, the beautiful but evil upstairs home-wrecker who would destroy them all.

  Ralph's Party is the story of friendship, lost love, found love, inspiration, and being thankful and grateful for what you might have. Several of the characters are not, and thus lose something wonderful and beautiful in their lives.

  This is a book I could not put down. The story keeps taking countless plot twists and turns. Like a rollercoaster, moves fast and you never know what is waiting around the corner. I read the book in the airport, on the train, during lunch and whenver I could. It will make you laugh, make you cry and make you think. Ralph's Party is one party you'll thoroughly enjoy and one which you will stay to the end.

  I also loved Thirtynothing (see other review). Lisa Jewell is a product of this new wave of British writers (like Nick Hornby and Isabel Wolff) who know how to tell a story and how to create colorful yet believable characters.

  I can hardly wait for Ms. Jewell's next book "One Hit Wonder". I have aleady ordered it.