Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
I liked this book but it was lacking. There were a lot of characters that I found well developed for the depth of this story but unfortunately, there wasn't much depth to the story. While I liked the characters, I wasn't invested in any of their storylines. It didn't matter to me which character thrived or didn't thrive. This book was like looking at a snapshot of a certain period in history (which I did find the historical aspect interesting) without going deeper into anything in the picture because there's too much in the picture. But again, I do think the characters were well done for what they were and someone clever could develop this ensemble into a good tv show.
A lovely summer read. Perfect for vacation or a hammock in the yard!
I don’t think this author is for me. I’m a little bored.
What the hell happened here?
I love Kate Atkinson, have read all except her most recent 3 books, and I can't believe that this was written by the author of 'A God In Ruins' (which had me completely broken down in tears at the end of it) or even the Jackson Brody novels.
This one reminds me of Ken Follet's 'Pillars of the Earth' in that everyone raves about it and I just don't get it. It's that same turgid prose and insistence on telling me the entire boring back-story of a hundred characters I really don't know well enough to care about yet.
Is Kate Atkinson now a catch-all name for a bunch of ghost writers? Or has an excellent editor left her service and this was what she was always like, unedited? Whatever the reason, this is not the Kate Atkinson I've come to know. It reads more like Martina Cole or Dorothy Koomson - but not as good. There's none of her beautiful turns of phrase and succinct delineation of a character in a sentence or an acutely observed action.
The evocation of period totally fails too - in my imagination I kept finding myself in Victorian England, not 1926. This is not a problem Kate Atkinson has ever had before.
I couldn't finish it - it has taken me over a week to get to page 42, I was dreading reading it every night and ended up mindlessly scrolling YouTube instead, so I've had to admit defeat.
I just don't care what happens to anyone, and by page 42, that's not a good book.
My first DNF in about 3 years, and not an author I thought that would ever happen with.
I love Kate Atkinson, have read all except her most recent 3 books, and I can't believe that this was written by the author of 'A God In Ruins' (which had me completely broken down in tears at the end of it) or even the Jackson Brody novels.
This one reminds me of Ken Follet's 'Pillars of the Earth' in that everyone raves about it and I just don't get it. It's that same turgid prose and insistence on telling me the entire boring back-story of a hundred characters I really don't know well enough to care about yet.
Is Kate Atkinson now a catch-all name for a bunch of ghost writers? Or has an excellent editor left her service and this was what she was always like, unedited? Whatever the reason, this is not the Kate Atkinson I've come to know. It reads more like Martina Cole or Dorothy Koomson - but not as good. There's none of her beautiful turns of phrase and succinct delineation of a character in a sentence or an acutely observed action.
The evocation of period totally fails too - in my imagination I kept finding myself in Victorian England, not 1926. This is not a problem Kate Atkinson has ever had before.
I couldn't finish it - it has taken me over a week to get to page 42, I was dreading reading it every night and ended up mindlessly scrolling YouTube instead, so I've had to admit defeat.
I just don't care what happens to anyone, and by page 42, that's not a good book.
My first DNF in about 3 years, and not an author I thought that would ever happen with.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved this book! So much fun, but tinged with sadness at the same time. I want to read more by Kate Atkinson now.
A fun and engaging novel with bright, almost real characters. It’s a good snapshot of 1926 London and entertaining from that perspective. The ending was a slight letdown, but for the most part the villains got their just deserts and the most likable characters came out on top.