The Weekend

A Novel

By: Charlotte Wood

Narrated by: Pauline Constantine

The #1 International Bestseller from the Booker Prize-shortlisted author of Stone Yard Devotional and The Natural Way of Things

“The Big Chill with a dash of Big Little Lies . . . Knife-sharp and deeply alive.” —The Guardian (London)
“An insightful, poignant, and fiercely honest novel about female friendship and female aging.” —Sigrid Nunez, National Book Award–winning author of The Friend

“Friendship, ambition, love, sexual politics and death: it’s all here in one sharp, funny, heartbreaking, and gorgeously written package. I loved it.” —Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train

Three women in their seventies reunite for one last, life-changing weekend in the beach house of their late friend.

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.

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 at Sylvie’s old beach house—not for festivities this time, but to clean it out before it is sold. Can they survive together without her?

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 from an award-winning writer.

emotionally rich

You might find this book rewarding if you like novels that: focus on the inner lives of its characters; reveal the complexities of reality and relationships by presenting multiple perspectives on the same people and events; and present fully realized, imperfect human beings as they grapple with their own mortality and the mortality of those they love. There's considerable humor here as well!

Those looking for a plot-driven, action-packed story should look elsewhere. As the description makes clear, the novel takes place over a single weekend. The three protagonists are women in their early 70s.

I rarely write reviews for Audible. Having just finished this excellent novel and seen the terrible reviews, I wanted to say something to encourage the people who might enjoy this book to listen to it.

The dog

The plot was not sufficient to keep it interesting and the characters lacked luster. Just not a compelling read.

mediocre novel

The pace was so very very slow. The story did not progress. Why did these people stay friends is the great unanswered question. The dog is the best character of the bunch and it was excruciating to listen to the poor dog's struggles. I couldn't stand it. Save your credit for a better book. Ugh...

A bit lacking

The story moves very slowly with tangents that don't enrich the story. I kept anticipating more than what actually developed.

Sad and dull

Very depressing book. I didn’t find a character I liked or a redeeming feature. The dog doesn’t die, but the endless passages about it being old and sad were relentless.