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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
In a country still recovering from the Great War, London is the focus for a delirious nightlife. In Soho clubs, peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets, foreign dignitaries with gangsters, and girls sell dances for a shilling a time.
There, Nellie Coker is a ruthless ruler, ambitious for her six children. Niven is the eldest, his enigmatic character forged in the harsh Somme. But success breeds enemies. Nellie faces threats from without and within. Beneath the gaiety lies a dark underbelly, where one may be all too easily lost.
I veered between 3 and 4 stars for this as it's well written and an enjoyable read but I felt it lacked depth, I never really got involved in the story and could pick it up and put it down at will. Some of the characters seemed quite superfluous, the ending was confusing and too swift and the whole book seemed strangely superficial. Having said that there were many witty moments and many hugely enjoyable conversational scenes.
There, Nellie Coker is a ruthless ruler, ambitious for her six children. Niven is the eldest, his enigmatic character forged in the harsh Somme. But success breeds enemies. Nellie faces threats from without and within. Beneath the gaiety lies a dark underbelly, where one may be all too easily lost.
I veered between 3 and 4 stars for this as it's well written and an enjoyable read but I felt it lacked depth, I never really got involved in the story and could pick it up and put it down at will. Some of the characters seemed quite superfluous, the ending was confusing and too swift and the whole book seemed strangely superficial. Having said that there were many witty moments and many hugely enjoyable conversational scenes.
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Murder
Moderate: Abortion
Atkinson is one stellar author. The plots are complicated having many story threads that almost miraculously come together in the end. It is always in her conclusions that you realize every small detail in the story had a purpose.
This is about the roaring 20s in London. Based loosely on a real woman who commanded the nightclub scene, this features numerous strong independent young women and either bumbling or rotten men, both rich and poor. This reveals a lot about why the 1920s were "roaring" due to the after effects of WW-I. Most of the violence is not graphic, and this new age of sexual openness is implied. What is straightforward though are the issues facing women: abortion and poverty.
Excellent enjoyable portrayal of an era that made a name for itself.
This is about the roaring 20s in London. Based loosely on a real woman who commanded the nightclub scene, this features numerous strong independent young women and either bumbling or rotten men, both rich and poor. This reveals a lot about why the 1920s were "roaring" due to the after effects of WW-I. Most of the violence is not graphic, and this new age of sexual openness is implied. What is straightforward though are the issues facing women: abortion and poverty.
Excellent enjoyable portrayal of an era that made a name for itself.
A really engaging novel that kept me reading way too late into the night. This is the best of Atkinson's books since "Life After Life."
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Enjoyable read. Had me googling the woman that Nellie is based on. I Loved how Kate Atkinson can immerse you into another time and place.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Genre: Historical Fiction
Where: London, England
When: 1926
Thoughts/Reflections: This one was tough. It starts off really slowly, and I had a hard time connecting with the characters (and probably because of that, a hard time keeping track of them). But I kept going, because I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. It took me a month to get through 500 pages, but I’m glad I did. While I suspect this isn’t going to be my favorite of her stories, when she gets to it this author is an amazing storyteller. I will definitely keep an eye out for her other novels.
My favorite words:
“Crime paid, fighting it didn't.”
“He caught a high keening from the women's cells up on the floor above - grief or madness, it was hard to say. A fine line divided them.”
“The war was history, and history didn't interest Freda, she'd had no part in it. She was vibrant with the present and hungry for the future.”
“Many things were lost - wars and keys and hearts and boys at sea - but family fortunes, even modest ones, were stolen.”
“A man in an office saw nothing, a man on the street saw much, especially a suspicious man.”
“Nothing was free in Nellie's world, not even love. Perhaps especially not love.”
“Lying came easily to Niven, he thought of it as a means of protecting the truth.”
“Life was for absorbing, not recording. And in the end, it was all just paper that someone would have to dispose of after you were gone. Perhaps, after all, one's purpose in this world was to be forgotten, not remembered.”
“The law exists to be broken, you of all people must know that.”
“What you don't know can't hurt you,' she said to Maddox. She did not believe that. What you didn't know was almost always bound to hurt you.:
“He had saved her, and in doing so he had lost himself.”
“You cannot profit from your own vices, only those of others.”
“He was not good at theatrics. Honest men rarely are.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Alcohol
Minor: War
Really struggled to get into it and was a little disappointed by the ending too. Just about scraped 4 ⭐️’s
This one just didn't quite take me in terms of style or character
Reading Kate Atkinson is always a treat. This was wry, clever, twisty, suspenseful and an utterly delightful romp.