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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
I have had mixed experiences with Kate Atkinson's books: - some I love, some I got bored with.
Shrines of Gaiety is one of the good ones, but the ending was a bit abrupt. It almost felt like Ms Atkinson received a call from her publisher asking when her book would be finished and reminding her that it was already well overdue. Very much along the lines of "ok, we're done here. Let's wrap it up"
Shrines of Gaiety is one of the good ones, but the ending was a bit abrupt. It almost felt like Ms Atkinson received a call from her publisher asking when her book would be finished and reminding her that it was already well overdue. Very much along the lines of "ok, we're done here. Let's wrap it up"
Kind of hard to say I liked this book. It's gritty and grim. Everything glittery is false gold and every motivation is selfish (or is it?). The characters are mostly hard to like, but surprisingly not hard to root for, at least somewhat. "The War" (WW1) is almost a character in the story and its effects are long-reaching and reverberating throughout the plot.
This is multiple POV and that occasionally manipulates the timeline, but not overly so, generally not more than a chapter or a few paragraphs. (So no long tracks of parrallel narratives to keep track of.)
Poor Frobisher seems to be in the vein of Jackson Brodie
In the end, this is another well-written outing by Atkinson. She is gifted at dialogue and setting and she will keep you turning the pages long after you should have gone to bed. (Just me?)
Probably should say trigger warnings would apply here (assault, language, abuse, drugs, etc.) although most of it is not spelled out. You know bad -very bad, in fact - things are going on but Atkinson doesn't describe all of them in lurid detail. Also, just have to say I'm glad I visited London in 2009 and 2019, not in 1926. Because to me the city was beautiful, full of life, and fascinating, NOT crime-ridden, dank, and hateful.
This is multiple POV and that occasionally manipulates the timeline, but not overly so, generally not more than a chapter or a few paragraphs. (So no long tracks of parrallel narratives to keep track of.)
Poor Frobisher seems to be in the vein of Jackson Brodie
Spoiler
in that he makes mistakes, but is earnest and fundamentally good. But it doesn't matter because he is doomed to pay both for his own foibles and the sins of others.In the end, this is another well-written outing by Atkinson. She is gifted at dialogue and setting and she will keep you turning the pages long after you should have gone to bed. (Just me?)
Probably should say trigger warnings would apply here (assault, language, abuse, drugs, etc.) although most of it is not spelled out. You know bad -very bad, in fact - things are going on but Atkinson doesn't describe all of them in lurid detail. Also, just have to say I'm glad I visited London in 2009 and 2019, not in 1926. Because to me the city was beautiful, full of life, and fascinating, NOT crime-ridden, dank, and hateful.
Part of the Great Readers Block of 2024.
I like Kate Atkinson a lot, but just couldn't get through this. will try again
I like Kate Atkinson a lot, but just couldn't get through this. will try again
fast-paced
Very readable - interesting insight (if true) into the mood of the country in the 20s. Bit thin and I didn’t really care about any of the characters. Not Kate Atkinson’s best, and could have used some better editing, but it got me out of a reading slump.
I look forward to each new Kate Atkinson novel. This one did not disappoint. It was a bit slow to start, but more than made up for it as events rushed to a close.
I'm not really sure what the point of 70% of these pages was - this could have easily been a short story instead of 400 pages of detailed (and are they ever detailed!) backstories, thoughts, and opinions of 23 characters (none of whom are particularly compelling or distinct). Yes, the imagery is vivid, and the writing is rich, but it's a bit like throwing delicious, decadent frosting on a cake made of sawdust - it doesn't disguise the fact that I'm being served sawdust. Atkinson constructs a beautiful world but desperately needs an editor.
LOVE at first page!
This is post war London in the roaring 20s full of glitter and grime, criminals and cocktails. Nellie Coker is a nightclub owner in Soho with a penchant to ignore silly laws when it suits her.
Her children are a constant headache to her and with the police sniffing at her door as dead girls keep piling up, Nellie needs to make sure her legacy is protected. Each child also has their own issues which we get to know from Niven, Edith, Betty, Shirley, Ramsay and Kitty's perspective.
Then we have inspector Forbisher, a melancholy character with a drug addicted wife and a career that is going nowhere slowly but he is determined to bring Nellie to book.
Enter Gwendolyn, a former librarian who cannot wait to grab life by the armful. She is in New York looking for two runaways and gets unofficially recruited in Forbisher’s plans to infiltrate the Coker domain.
So many characters but they are all incorporated seamlessly into the story. It’s a tale of murder and mayhem told through sly humor and dazzling writing.
If you liked [b:Fingersmith|8913370|Fingersmith|Sarah Waters|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1545241494l/8913370._SY75_.jpg|1014113] you will love this too.
Highly recommended.
This is post war London in the roaring 20s full of glitter and grime, criminals and cocktails. Nellie Coker is a nightclub owner in Soho with a penchant to ignore silly laws when it suits her.
Her children are a constant headache to her and with the police sniffing at her door as dead girls keep piling up, Nellie needs to make sure her legacy is protected. Each child also has their own issues which we get to know from Niven, Edith, Betty, Shirley, Ramsay and Kitty's perspective.
Then we have inspector Forbisher, a melancholy character with a drug addicted wife and a career that is going nowhere slowly but he is determined to bring Nellie to book.
Enter Gwendolyn, a former librarian who cannot wait to grab life by the armful. She is in New York looking for two runaways and gets unofficially recruited in Forbisher’s plans to infiltrate the Coker domain.
So many characters but they are all incorporated seamlessly into the story. It’s a tale of murder and mayhem told through sly humor and dazzling writing.
If you liked [b:Fingersmith|8913370|Fingersmith|Sarah Waters|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1545241494l/8913370._SY75_.jpg|1014113] you will love this too.
Highly recommended.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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:
Yes