Benjamin Markovits

Ben is a shy twelve-year-old boy whose whole world is turned upside down when his dad takes a job in London. To make matters worse, his parents decide to get a divorce and Ben goes to live with his mom in her home state of Texas. He does not know what to do being the new kid and his best friend is miles and miles away. Ben meets Mabley who becomes the bright spot in his day, but that is soon changed when his mom takes a job at his school and takes a romantic interest in one of the teachers. To make matters worse, he joins the basketball team, but Mabley’s best friend is the star and there is conflict and Ben must learn to come out of his shell and stand up for himself and what he believes. I would recommend this any collection for teens who are dealing with parents and separation and divorce and moving and being taking out of your comfort zone.… (meer)

This book disappointed me as I expected more of a story than an introspective about family dynamics. Much of this tale hinges on whether our hero, Paul, plays well in the U.S. Open. Family members from around the globe descend on New York to watch him play. Does he win? The book ends with him playing his first round, so the reader never finds out.

Each family member has his own story, each of which we learn in depth. This detail went too far for me – I enjoy tennis and anticipated more of a game centered tale than a family centered saga. But even their stories are incomplete and left this reader unsatisfied. The author uses the names of some real players to lend authenticity to the text, but it doesn’t work when you know that Paul is a fictitious character and never played any of them.

I cannot argue that this is a poorly written book, because it does the job of bringing this caring, but disjointed, family to life. But it is very slow moving and I could not make myself read very many pages at one sitting.

Thank you to the LibraryThing Early Reviewers for the complimentary copy I received in a giveaway. Any opinions expressed are my own.… (meer)

A novel that focuses on character relationships over plot, A Weekend in New York is about the Essinger family as they come together in New York City for their youngest son/brother's tennis tournament. I enjoyed navigating the complex relationships throughout, and trying to better understand the characters and their motivations. The characters were realistic and complex to the point that the reader does not feel they can fully understand any of them by the end. Speaking of the end, the sudden ending left me dissatisfied. It resolved nothing and left me with a lot of questions about what was next for this family. With a more satisfying ending, I would have given it four stars, because I found it otherwise engaging and interesting.… (meer)

A Weekend in New York by Benjamin Markovits

An upper middle class family gets together in NYC to support Paul who is competing in the USTA Open Tennis Championships. As he contemplates retiring from tennis as he nears the end of his competitive years, aged 33, married with a baby son , Paul and his wife interact with 3 generations of his family.

The Essingers are well educated and employed, consisting of 4 siblings, 2 brothers and 2 sisters. The book is written in a breezy style, easy to read yet also revealing as it captures the rivalries and pecking orders of the family dynamics. Much of what is described and depicted ring true.

Both parents and siblings are drawn with a variety of self-doubts and neurotic characteristics; only the younger generation, 4 grandchildren appear untainted as they either ignore or critique the adults in this family.

An enjoyable read yet in the end of little substance. Reminds me of a TV series or light adult comedy of errors. I do commend Markovitz on his easy writing style and nailing the cultural and concrete landscape of the Upper West Side of Manhattan.… (meer)