The Invitation: A Novel

The lies were told in order to make the characters appear to be something that they were not. Maybe this is a true depiction of how it is to be an Indian immigrant coming to America for a better life but if it is, I honestly feel bad for them. Apr 23, Karen Klein rated it it was ok. This was just an ok read None of the situations that the characters are involved in ever seem to get resolved and everything is left hanging at the end. I had a hard time keeping up with which family I was reading about in each chapter there were 3 - things just didn't seem to flow together.

Jul 23, Mom2nine rated it it was ok. I guess we are supposed to see the power of friendship and that no family is as perfect as their fascade, but I just wanted the party to be over. Jul 18, Jane rated it it was ok. This book had some interesting moments, but the characters were very thin and the narrative seemed a bit too meandering at times. However, my biggest issue was with the ending, which seemed rushed and unfinished. Feb 06, Amy rated it it was ok Shelves: The book wasn't too bad until I got to the end which managed to be trite and puzzling at the same time: Jul 03, Phillygrrl rated it did not like it.

Honestly, this author is the worst. I have no idea who lets her keep writing books. Someone make it stop. Sep 27, Katy rated it did not like it Shelves: I did't like it, but I was too far into it to turn back. I skimmed maybe the last two chapters. May 05, Ilka rated it it was ok Shelves: Had potential, but the characters are all unlikeable and keep expressing the same thoughts over and over and over again.

Nov 30, Rosemary rated it liked it. This is a Bollywood soap opera,the story of 4 Indian friends who met at UCLA and are seeing each other again at a son's graduation party. They are competitive, jealous, insecure and full of secrets as they approach this gathering together after so many years. The touches of humor and humanity keep the story going. Nov 22, Mathis Bailey rated it it was ok.

DNF I was bored. The plot doesn't go anywhere. I really liked her other novel The Good Indian Wife, but this one didn't pull me in at all. Perhaps I wasn't in the mood. I might revisit it and give a proper review. Oct 19, Lucia Idiata rated it really liked it. Enjoyed the book but not as much the ending. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I am a cover page person. I do judge a book by its cover.

Though in this case, I was not drawn by its cover page, rather I picked this book on a whim, without any expectations. And this book sure took me by surprise. This immigrant fiction is about a group of four friends, complete with their imperfections, the hidden truths, their insecurities and everyday real issues about family.

The author takes time to dwell into the lives, I am a cover page person. The author takes time to dwell into the lives, present and past, of each of these characters. I was instantly drawn to their stories. Frances and Jay or Jayant Bakshi are college sweethearts who married right after finishing college. They have three children — Mandy, Lily and Sam. Frances is a real estate agent, while Jay works in the middle management for a computer company. The couple, who considered themselves the best during college, is struggling to provide a decent lifestyle to their family while also trying to understand the dramatic change in their first born, typical of teenage years.

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Vikram, the prodigious son of a farmer, starts his own computer company after completing his course at UCLA, and is a successful entrepreneur. Though successful in terms of money, he is battling his own childhood issues, imposing his aspirations on his MIT graduate son Nikhil. He is married to Priya; their marriage arranged by their parents. Lali married Jonathon, a cardiologist and has a son Aaron. She finds herself distanced from her husband due to his new-found passion. All of them are going to meet after 25 years, so they are apprehensive about their relative success or failure in their personal and professional lives while also extremely curious to know about each other.

For most of the book, I loved the way the author has let the characters unfold for her readers. I found the writing rich and nuanced, while the narrative was engaging.

The ending seemed a bit hurried though. There were quite a few unanswered questions and loose ends. A few questions which came to my mind at the end: I was sure he would decline. Why he never came back to marry Frances? Though he was not a major character in the book but his story remained incomplete. There should have been a logical closure. Somehow I got the feeling that he was a good guy but misunderstood.

We never get to know. Like Frances and Jay, we have to assume that she wanted to break the stereotype, as pointed out by Nikhil; but we never get to know for sure. I have pointed out a few points but those are really not the big issues when you read the book. I definitely loved the book for the level of engagement it provides. The first books are usually the best works. Feb 02, VaultOfBooks rated it liked it. They are more reluctant than enthusiastic to meet, however.

For, after leaving UCLA with dreams of success and vast ambitions for what their children might achieve, things have not turned out quite as they had imagined. As their lives are cracked open in the course By Anne Cherian. As their lives are cracked open in the course of an evening, the showmanship they anticipate from each other dissolves, revealing in its stead long suppressed vulnerabilities and betrayed hopes They pass out with their respective degrees, but do not remain in much contact with each other.

Until twenty five years later when Vic invites them to celebrate his son's graduation from MIT. They look at it as a reunion of sorts and accept the invitation, mainly out of curiosity about their friend's lives. The Invitation by Anne Cherian Jay, brought up in a rich Indian household, adapts to the American lifestyle more easily than the others, as he was more western and forward thinking.

Frances, a Goan, believed strongly in finding a match for herself.

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She did not ultimately complete her Ph. D after getting married to Jay, and getting pregnant. She ends up working as a Real Estate agent, and has not managed to sell even a single house in a year due to the declining economy. Meanwhile Jay works as a middle level manager. Neither of them achieved the success they had aspired for, and strive to make ends meet comfortably.

Vikram, hailing from a small Indian village, knew very clearly what he wanted from life. He started his own software company vikRAM Computers, and was an extremely successful businessman. Lali, who had an unfortunate sexual experience while at UCLA, had decided that there was to be no love in her life. However, after graduating, she met and got married to a Harvard-graduate Cardiologist.

The story has been narrated in three parts: I was instantly enthralled by the intertwining lives of the four friends. Their imperfect lives and daily problems; and also their moral conflicts between abiding to their Indian roots and culture, and adapting to the modern ways of America made for a very real read.

The events that were set in India were also very true - from the high expectations of Indian parents from their children, to the nosy neighbours who are forever interested in the problems of others. On the downside, though, umpteen books have been written on the confused Indian lost in the big America. The characters, too, are a bit stereotypical.

Moreover, the ending was too abrupt and vague, and a bit too melodramatic, a lot like a Bollywood movie. However, these are my only complaints from the book. Overall, it was an enjoyable and interesting read. Originally reviewed at www. May 02, Marnie Kaplan rated it really liked it. Cherian writes such thought-provoking and compelling accounts of the Indian immigrant experience in the United States. The Invitation, allows her the opportunity to present four different accounts of this experience.

Frances is a Goan who was raised to believe in love matches and who schemed to find a way to study in the US. Jay grew up in a wealth Cherian writes such thought-provoking and compelling accounts of the Indian immigrant experience in the United States. Jay grew up in a wealthy Indian family that wanted him to accept an arranged marriage and return to India to work for a family friend, and has struggled economically in the US. Jay and Frances had easier initial transitions to the US than their two friends but twenty-five years later the former "golden couple" which united the foursome is struggling both personally and professionally.

In contrast, Vikram, the nerd who was one of the first to leave his small village in India and who embraced an arranged marriage, has been wildly successful in America. Lali took a totally different path, after a youthful sexual experience made her believe she would not be a suitable match for an arranged marriage, and moved to San Francisco and married a white man. While she has the trappings of success-- a Harvard-educated cardiologist husband and a son enrolled at Harvard--she is at a cross roads as an empty nester and feels disconnected in her marriage when her husband rediscovers his Jewish roots.

The four friends are forced to examine their divergent choices when Vikram sends out an invitation to a graduation party for his oldest son. I love reading about different cultures especially Indian culture. I was particularly excited to read about the Goan experience, as my former roommate's family is from Goa and it is something I'd like to learn more about.

Cherian is able to explain so much about the different castes and cultures in India through this one constrained narrative. The novel also vividly depicts the varied experiences of first generation Indian Americans and the conflicts between their dual cultures.

For example, Vikram's son has followed the path his father has outlined for him. He studied hard, got into MIT and graduated with honors. But he has grown up in the US and wants to pursue his own passion. Jay and Frances's oldest, Mandy, was once a gifted student but is floundering academically as she faces the stereotype that all Indians perform well. That one idea was something I wanted to read more about. I wish the story had given even more attention to the experiences of the children, possibly providing some of their own voices. My other criticism is that I wanted more from the ending of the story.

It was wonderful to see the four friends interact with one another twenty-five years later. And I understand some of the choices the author makes in terms of why she chose her open-ended closing, but I still longed for more of a neat wrap-up. Overall, I highly recommend both of Cherian's novels.

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I was left wanting more closure for the characters, but I found them to be incredibly well-drawn and realistic. She does not complete her PhD, studies to become a real estate agent and starts working as one. They have three children Amanda, Lily and Sam. Lali Chacko is a Jacobite Syrian Christian from Cochin in Kerala, having studied in a girls school and college in Bangalore, studies to be a copywriter.

She starts working and advertising and quits it when her only child, Aaron, is growing up. Sixteen years later, starts working as a secretary in the English department of a college. Jonathan is a Jew who has rediscovered Judaism and is spending his free time attending classes or going to the synagogue. He gets married to Priya, a girl chosen by his parents and they have two sons, Nikhil and Nandan. He is a very successful person. When Vikram invites his friends to Santa Barbara to the graduation his son does not want a party , they accept. They feel it would be a reunion of sorts after 25 years.

It is time when they are undergoing crisis in their respective marries live, and deep inside, they all have something to hide from each other. When they go for the party, they come closer to their respective spouses and also open up to their friends. Each character has been described very well, I could actually picturise them and somewhere in each character, I felt there was a part that I could relate to.

Though, the book ends a little abruptly and left me wanting for more. A sequel would be apt and very welcome. But overall, a very interesting book. May 21, Larry H rated it liked it. All four had come to the U. All four expected to be tremendous successes in life and have even more successful children. Frances and Jay, who met during college, married shortly after graduation and had three children while Frances sold real estate and Jay worked in management.

Lali married an American cardiologist and the two had one son, and Vikram founded his own successful computer company and never stopped pursuing his desire to have colossal success. Twenty-five years later, Vikram has invited his old friends to attend a party celebrating his son Nikhil's graduation from MIT. And while Jay, Frances, and Lali decide to attend the party more out of curiosity than anything else, none of their lives have been as smooth as they believe Vikram's is. Frances, who abandoned the pursuit of her PhD when she started having children, now sells real estate, although she hasn't sold a house in more than a year, Jay's middle-management job isn't quite what he imagined he'd be doing, and their oldest daughter is failing 11th grade.

Lali's marriage is struggling as her husband begins to explore his neglected Jewish roots, and her son decides he wants to take a year off from college. And while Vikram is mostly concerned with the appearance of success, his son is not interested in pursuing the path Vikram feels he should. As the four prepare for the party and then meet at Vikram's mansion in Newport Beach, they need to decide how much truth they'll divulge to their friends, not realizing how the truth reveals itself in ways you never expect.

The plot of The Invitation is certainly familiar, but Anne Cherian's adept storytelling hooks you quickly and immerses you in each of the characters' lives and struggles. I felt like Cherian did a good job in trying not to have her characters adhere to cultural stereotypes, although you see how easy it is to slip back into old habits. Ultimately, however, the story veered a bit into melodramatic territory, which I felt undercut the book's effectiveness.

I think Cherian is a very good writer, but it seemed to me that she lost a little steam as the book neared its end, although it is still an enjoyable read. May 04, Laura rated it really liked it Shelves: Vik invites his three college friends to come celbrate his son's graduation from MIT. Vik is extremely proud of his some and sees this as proof of his success as well as his son's.

Unfortuantley, Nik does not want the party and has other plans for what he wants to do with his life and it doesn't include taking over his father's company. Frances and Jay accept with hesitation, they are excited to see thier friends but are afraid as well. They thought that success would come easily to them but ins Vik invites his three college friends to come celbrate his son's graduation from MIT.

They thought that success would come easily to them but instead they are struggling to make ends meet. The one area that they thought they could brag about - their children is also not going to work. Their oldest daughter, is struggling in high school and a top college for her is no longer a possibility. Lali is also apphensive. While financially she and her husband are doing well, her personal life is another story. Her son is unsure if he wants to return to Harvard and her marriage is going through a challenge as her husband is rediscovering his roots.

She reaches out to an old flame and makes arrangements to see him before the party so she can see if the romance is still there. If you are looking for a holiday from the comfort of your own home this summer, then I can highly recommend this book! Set mainly around the Italian Riviera, this is a stunning story of romance, secret pasts, glamour and chance meetings.

Some things are maybe just meant to be Hal and Stella are the two main characters of this book and we I was very lucky to receive a hardback - stunning cover photo! Hal and Stella are the two main characters of this book and we follow both their stories lines, both past and present, as their paths cross.

First in Rome for one night they both can't forget, and then 2 years later aboard a yacht set for Cannes. Hal has been invited along by the Contessa as a journalist to report for a magazine on the glamourous lives of those on the yacht, and Stella is there as the wife of one of the major investors in the film. As the lost souls find each other again, the story revolves around their pasts that they seem to be unable to shake, and their futures that they both seem unsure of whether they deserve happiness.

The settings described are stunning and really transports you aboard to experience the trip with all the characters. It is full of intrigue as their pasts are slowly revealed and how it has impacted on where they are heading with their lives and I found the flashbacks fascinating as they described much harder and darker times, which is the polar opposite of the wealth and glamour of the lives now. This is the first book i've read by Lucy Foley and will definitely be looking to read more from her as I found her style of writing so evocative and appealing.

Glamorous and gorgeously written - but improbable, repetitive and dare I say it? Having been relatively unimpressed by The Book of Lost and Found and Last Letter from Istanbul , I was dubious at first - but the temptation of the Italian Riviera was too good to resist. In this aspect, I was certainly not disappointed. The Mediterranean setting is wonderful and the ambience is stunning; Lucy Foley has an exquisite talen Glamorous and gorgeously written - but improbable, repetitive and dare I say it? The Mediterranean setting is wonderful and the ambience is stunning; Lucy Foley has an exquisite talent for elegant and immersive descriptive writing.

Where her work falls short for me is her plot and characterisation. This facet of the novel is what makes it compelling.

His sole function is to operate as a romantic distraction for the only vaguely interesting character in the entire novel, Stella. In short, the one dimensional characters and their romance are utterly uninspiring. A light and, I suppose, classy read, but my total lack of emotional investment undermined my enjoyment. Aug 31, Joanna Park rated it really liked it. The Invitation is definitely one of those books that takes you to another time and place. I really felt like I was travelling through post war Europe with the characters, experiencing all the sights with them.

I now really hope to travel through Europe at some point and visit all the countries they did. I loved the Countessa! I thought she was such a fantastic character, so full of life despite her age , welcoming, friendly and a tad mischievous. Her obvious care towards her guests and her meddl The Invitation is definitely one of those books that takes you to another time and place. Her obvious care towards her guests and her meddling in their lives to increase their happiness, was lovely to read about. All the characters go on a personal journey throughout the book and it was lovely to see how much they had changed towards the end.

The building relationship between Stella and Hal was brilliantly done and seemed very real. It would have been easy for the author to write the relationship a lot more like a Hollywood movie and I was very pleased that she resisted this urge and created a much more everyday relationship. This is not to say that the relationship was boring, far from it! The many twists and turns and oppositions to their relationship kept the story very interesting. I felt intimately involved, almost like I was a friend of the couple trying to look out for them, and wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next.

I was very pleased with how it ended and thought it was a very appropriate ending for the book. I believe her third book, Last Letters from Istanbul is available in March and I will very much be looking forward to reading it. If you are a fan of Victoria Hislop of Kate Morton you will very much enjoy this book. Jul 31, Liviu rated it it was amazing Shelves: A novel I picked up randomly in the bookstore to browse as the blurb seemed interesting and then I couldn't put down and had to read it until the end late in the evenings at home.

While it belongs to the "long ago" secrets sub-genre and it splits the action between the present Rome and the Ligurian coast , where the main characters meet and then go on a movie promotional trip on a yacht, he being an English expatriate, writer, journalist, though with an Italian mother and a brigadier father, A novel I picked up randomly in the bookstore to browse as the blurb seemed interesting and then I couldn't put down and had to read it until the end late in the evenings at home.

Given the above, I have to say that the book worked really, really well for me as I enjoyed everything - the prose, the characters, the description - and the ending was excellent though again I thought it would go that way despite the first pages which start the recollection of the main character a few years later Overall, a deeply personal book that worked superbly for me and the only thing I would add is to give it a try and see if it works for you too.

Aug 10, Sandra rated it it was ok Shelves: This book is so conflicting. I wanted to like this book a lot. The setting is interesting, the cover is stunning, the era is interesting, but there is just too much of could have been. But now we come to the two or two and a half star issue. The characters and especially Stella made this a 2 and a half star book. Despite her interesting background she couldn't but bore me.

I have a suspicion that she was likely broken beyond repair from the moment we met her in She managed to escape the Spanish civil war with the help of her husband and married him, but after that things turn stagnant. She is a rich wife first, second and third. If she had been a mother, if she had had a job, an activist for something, anything really. That would have helped to make her more interesting. As things stand she was a rich wife. Which brings me to why I don't get why Hal was so very into her.

He was willing to think the worst of her husband and see her as the embodiment of all that was good. Much good it did him in the end. That ending BTW was, well you'll have to read it for yourself. Let me just say it was a neat trick or not so neat at all depending which way you look at it. Apr 14, Artemiz rated it liked it Shelves: The Invitation by Lucy Foley for me is a mix on four stories - Hal's, Stella's, The old sea captains and then the story that includes those three stories.

It's an interesting story, an interesting and appalling story about war, how it affects relationships, families and hope, but I really did not understand the necessity of the old captains story and how come everyone on the yacht treated Hal, the journalist, as their confessor, and they all told him about their personal secrets and tragedy.

Tru The Invitation by Lucy Foley for me is a mix on four stories - Hal's, Stella's, The old sea captains and then the story that includes those three stories. True, Hal was a good listener, but he was an journalist! And the old sea captains story was also interesting, but it was Hal's fantasy! Do not get me wrong, it was a good story, it just had those small things, that did not make any sense to me.

Travel to the Italian Riviera with Lucy! What a woman Stella was! Hers was an intriguing story and I would have loved to know more about her time in Spain. I think there was even more to this story that the author let on and that in itself got me interested in finding Stella particularly interesting. The tension and attraction between Hal and Stella was nicely done and I liked the way that as the boat sailed into a new destination, there was even more baggage to offload.

The locations are evoked with sun and panache and you would be recommended to read it with your shades on and a lime slice and margarita nearby. I had to stay up and finish this one! I feel however that the blurbs on the back referencing this as a "dazzling romance" have missed the point entirely. To me this was more about obsession and the secrets kept - another summer read that deals with the deep scars they carry around and the quest for redemption, repair, creation of a new self.

I did find The Invitation a little difficult to engage with during the first couple of chapters; there are quite a few characters to get to know and I wasn't sure about lead character Hal at all. However, the beautiful writing and the incredible sense of place soon drew me in, and before I knew it, I w I read and reviewed Lucy Foley's debut novel, The Book of Lost and Found on Random Things in January and was looking forward to reading The Invitation on my holiday to Croatia a few weeks ago.

However, the beautiful writing and the incredible sense of place soon drew me in, and before I knew it, I was hooked. Hal is an English journalist who finds himself at a party where he feels very out of place. The other guests are wealthy and the rich glamour of his surroundings are alien to him. However, when he meets Stella, who is also alone, he finds a kindred spirit. They spend the evening together. When Hal is invited on a yacht bound for Cannes by a Countess, some time later, he's grateful for the opportunity to report on the lives of the rich and famous who are travelling to support a film.

Hal is also shocked, but surprised to find that Stella is a fellow passenger. This time she is not alone, she is accompanying her husband; a rich man who has invested in the film. And so begins the intrigue and mystery that Lucy Foley has so cleverly woven into this story. Hal and Stella's pasts are explored, along with the Countess and her guests. At it's heart, The Invitation is a seductive love story. Hal and Stella are fascinating characters with deep, rich histories. This is also a wonderfully researched, beautifully written historical story that incorporates the horrors of war, along with the brutish and controlling behaviour of powerful men.

The s Italian era is immaculately described, it's heady and breathtaking, and the story is compelling. Lucy Foley writes with elegance and charm. The Invitation is a vibrant, vivid story packed with characters who delight. This was an enjoyable and entertaining read. I was caught up in the story and liked how things were revealed through both the dual timelines and dual character perspectives.

This is a good choice if you want an easy flowing historical fiction read with a touch of intrigue and a bit of a romantic element. I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Sep 28, Alyssa Palombo rated it really liked it. Beautifully written; an almost dream-like story with different connected narratives woven together. Jun 08, Sarah Beth rated it liked it Shelves: I received an advance reading copy of this book as a giveaway on Goodreads. This novel opens in Rome in and follows Hal, a journalist struggling to make ends meet and recover from his experiences during the war.

One evening he finds himself a guest at a wealthy palazzo and meets the mysterious and beautiful Stella. For one night, they steal away, but Hal doubts he will see Stella again. But a year later, Hal is asked to serve as a reporter for a new film at the Cannes film festival. En rout I received an advance reading copy of this book as a giveaway on Goodreads.

En route, Hal discovers that Stella - and her husband - are among the ship's party. In alternating chapters, the reader gets glimmers of the story told from Stella's point of view, including flashbacks to her childhood in Spain in the s. Additionally, the novel follows the tale of the sea captain that inspires the film that brought Hal and Stella together.

The sea captain is bewitched by a mysterious and beautiful woman who appears out at sea, and seems to lose himself entirely in his devotion to her. The Invitation was easy to read and quickly reeled me in with Hal and Stella's impulsive plunge into the heart of Rome, which was reminiscent of Roman Holiday. The tension between Stella and Hal propels the reader onward, curious to see where the love triangle will lead. Furthermore, Foley uses unique turns of phrase that provided a vividness to the story.

For instance, the glass that has fallen from the hand of a drunk, sleeping man is described as rolling "gently back towards them, the slice of lemon flopping onto the deck like a tiny, dead fish" The view of the houses of Portovenere as seen from their ship are described as being "like the bright spines of so many books crammed together onto a bookshelf; a quiet spectacle" There is a haunting parallel between the love triangle of Hal, Stella, and her husband and the sea captain and his lady from the sea.

Just like the mystery woman from the sea, Stella is kept inside and treated like a beautiful possession by her family and hides her past from her husband. And like the mystery woman, Stella proves in the end that she cannot be owned; "you can't own another human being - least of all a woman like her.

You can only love her" In reading the sea captain's journal that inspired the film, Hal is unwittingly reading a foreshadowed rendition of how his own love triangle will unravel. I did feel as if Stella's final escape was improbable at best and Hal's response melodramatic. For that matter, Hal's invitation to serve as a reporter for the film seemed unlikely, as he was of a lower social and professional status than the rest of the film's party. Despite the undoubted attraction between the two, the book did not give me a sense that Hal and Stella had a deep connection or pull between them that would justify either's actions.

With the exception of Stella, who was aided by childhood flashbacks, the majority of the characters seemed shadowy and lacked depth. Despite these flaws, and a plot that dragged somewhat in the middle, this was an enjoyable work of a historical fiction with intriguing characters and lovely, poetic language. Sep 10, Maggie rated it it was amazing Shelves: The Invitation by Lucy Foley should be considered a classic.

I was immediately drawn in after reading the first few pages, and I never put it down. If you are looking for a true work of literature, an epic love story, and do not care for the tawdry detailed accounts of intimate moments that most contemporary books seem to be plagued by, then this is a must-read. The book is mainly set during the 's, with flashbacks to previous decades here and there.

It is centered around Hal Jacobs, a young journalist who has escaped to Italy to pursue writing, and to escape ghosts that he could not shake from England. Jacobs finds himself by chance caught up in a world of glamour, wealth and celebrity, all the while being drawn to a mysterious woman named Stella, who herself is more than meets the eye. Fate, or "other powers" intervene and Hal and Stella have a brief encounter and find themselves intertwined in each other's lives from then on.

I don't want to give any details or spoilers away, which makes it hard to continue to summarize the book, but at the same time, I don't want to stop! I can't remember the last time I read a book that contained such vivid descriptions of scenery and setting, so much so that I felt immersed in the world myself. Sounds, visuals, smells are described minutely and beautifully.

Supporting characters are given backgrounds, and are developed along with the main characters. The author leaves no character undeveloped or "flat.

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I genuinely liked and understood all of the characters despite their flaws, and walked away satisfied with an unexpected ending. I'm so glad I chose to read this book via NetGalley. This was an unbiased review. I just can't get down with books I can't relate to, ya know? I admit to reading some of the advance reviews and thought this book would be right up my alley.

However, I was disappointed. It was not a bad book. It just did not hold my interest. I found the characters to be unlikable and flawed, but interestingly.

The Invitation by Anne Cherian

After all the 5 star reviews, I feel like I must have missed something, but cannot bring myself to consider re-reading it. The one character I really enjoyed was the Contessa. She reminded me of a 's film star.