Modern Lovers

By: Emma Straub

Narrated by: Jen Tullock

Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

From the author of the New York Times best sellers All Adults Here and This Time Tomorrow, a smart, highly entertaining novel about a tight-knit group of friends from college - and what it means to finally grow up, well after adulthood has set in.

Friends and former college bandmates Elizabeth and Andrew and Zoe have watched one another marry, buy real estate, and start businesses and families, all while trying to hold on to the identities of their youth. But nothing ages them like having to suddenly pass the torch (of sexuality, independence, and the ineffable alchemy of cool) to their own offspring.

Back in the band's heyday, Elizabeth put on a snarl over her Midwestern smile, Andrew let his unwashed hair grow past his chin, and Zoe was the lesbian all the straight women wanted to sleep with. Now nearing 50, they all live within shouting distance in the same neighborhood deep in gentrified Brooklyn, and the trappings of the adult world seem to have arrived with ease. But the summer that their children reach maturity (and start sleeping together), the fabric of the adult lives suddenly begins to unravel, and the secrets and revelations that are finally let loose - about themselves, and about the famous fourth band member who soared and fell without them - can never be reclaimed.

Straub packs wisdom and insight and humor together in a satisfying book about neighbors and nosiness, ambition and pleasure, the excitement of youth, the shock of middle age, and the fact that our passions- be they food, or friendship, or music - never go away, they just evolve and grow along with us.

©2016 Emma Straub (P)2016 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“It’s Friends meets Almost Famous meets the beach read you’ll be recommending all summer.” (TheSkimm)

“The humorous insight Straub brings to the page about how everyday lives are lived will make for immersive reading and rich conversation...Straub recounts her characters' yearnings with love and empathy, which makes the book's wit - and Modern Lovers is screamingly funny - glow with warmth." (USA Today)

"Straub serves up a perfect slice of the zeitgeist with this entertaining novel about former college bandmates raising their precocious children while grappling with marital tensions and midlife crises." (People)

Oh I loved this book!

The author did a a bang up job on both the young and the getting-older. Two married couples and their kids have an eventful summer that leads to a bit of upheaval in everyone's lives, but not so much drama that it becomes a soap opera. The balance of love, betrayal, rebellion, friendship, sex, lies, foolishness, and dreams was just perfect. And the narrator did such a good job on the different voices of everyone. An all-around enjoyable listen!

Narrator is fabulous and Emma Straub is always wonderful

I’ve been devouring Emma Straub’s books lately, and thoroughly enjoying her beautiful writing end immersing myself in the every day lives of real life New Yorkers as well as learning about cool niche neighborhoods in manhattan and Brooklyn. I am very very picky about narration, and Jen Tulloch is one of the best I’ve heard!

Completely engrossing

Loved it and hated for it to end. Thank you. Hope you’re busy writing the next one!

Very enjoyable!

Good choice as audible book. Easy to follow story and pick up where you left off. Interesting story and good characters.

Perfect Summer read

I loved this book! The characterization in the book was impeccable. It was a light and fun read. Very interesting people who always managed to have hope.

Multi generational telling is hard to do well. This is done well

Great story, well written book. Treats characters with the complexity they deserve, except perhaps Lydia.

Great book with a different tone

Overall, the book was great. At times, it was hard to follow as it switched from person to person narrative telling each character's story. After a few chapters, it was much easier to follow understanding who was who. The performance was pretty good. I feel as if it started a little monotone, but once the characters spoke more, it was much better. A fun read and fun story overall!

Great book!

I loved this book. I got somewhat distracted by the woman reading the book. Her male voices were so odd, but I persisted and I am glad I did. Really enjoyable book.

Disappointing

I loved reading “All Adults Here” and was eager to read more from Emma Straub. As a major ‘Friends’ fanatic, after reading a review that compared this book to the show, I figured it would be a slam dunk. Not so much. Here is how the story compares to ‘Friends’: It takes place in the state of New York. End list. I found the story kind of dull and didn’t really love any of the characters. If you are an adult with older children and have been married for a long time perhaps you would appreciate it more.

A place in my heart

I am surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book. I thought it sounded pretty cute, but the way everything is entwined so nicely. It all makes so much sense and it’s beautifully written characters are human and real. I so enjoyed this book!