People Who Lunch by Sally Olds is a sharp, insightful novel that explores themes of social dynamics, personal identity, and the complexity of human relationships. Set against the backdrop of upscale social settings, the story delves into the lives of a group of women navigating their roles in a world defined by privilege, expectations, and subtle tensions. The novel’s witty, yet poignant tone captures the disconnection often masked by surface-level interactions and the unspoken struggles that come with maintaining appearances.

While the pacing may feel a bit slow at times, the introspective nature of the book allows for a deeper exploration of the characters’ inner lives. Fans of contemporary fiction will appreciate Olds’ ability to capture the nuances of modern life and the complexities of friendships and societal expectations.

Overall, People Who Lunch is a thoughtful novel that I would recommend. Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC.

This was tough to read and not really a fit for my library space. The book would have been better marketed as a complete memoir with shorter essays rather than trying to equate one person’s experience to the culture at large

I liked People Who Lunch more as a memoir or group of essays than an actual critical look at the topic. Very interesting though!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really struggled with this book. It seems a little disorganized and I was having trouble figuring out where it was even going. Having said that, there were a few good spots.

I unfortunately don’t think this book was for me. There was some interesting commentary on different things that I was intrigued by, but I couldn’t really follow the thread that strung them together. It felt to me like random facts piled into an essay that didn’t quite flow into the next.

Where I think the author shines is in the personal anecdotes. I enjoyed reading the parts of the essays where she was weaving each topic into her own life, friendships and relationships.

Overall I think I was expecting something different from this book than what I got.