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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Loved it! She's so funny and has such a way w words.
With a stronger, less rushed ending, this could have been a five. The Roaring Twenties is one of my favorite decades to read about in fiction (Gatsby, Brideshead) and it's fun to dip into the time period from the angle of the "dens of iniquity."
There are so many characters that it takes awhile to keep up, but once you're in the thick of it, it's great fun to read.
The truth is that I will read anything Kate Atkinson writes. Her characters tend to be witty, complicated, and hard to judge. This historical fiction novel takes place in the 1920s with some minor time-hopping, and the cast will have you rooting for the ladies no matter who you sympathize with the most. Part family drama, part crime novel, I was intrigued from start to finish. My only complaint is that some of the threads of this story didn't tie off in a satisfying way.
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I always love her work - this was an interesting one, just after the end of the First World War in London. I always like how she ties things together at the end of her novels.
I went through distinct phases with this book. It started off very slow for me, perhaps because I didn't find Ma Coker and her brood all that interesting. It picked up quite a bit when Gwendolen entered the scene: I liked reading about her and about her interactions with DCI John Frobisher. Along the way, observations on London after WWI and how it affected the lives and personalities of so many different people piqued my interest.
The ending, though, seemed designed to flout the expectations of the mystery reader: even though we find out what happened and why, justice is never done--in fact, in one case it is miscarried--and many things just happen because, well, things happen. Just like in real life.
In fact, I wondered if that was Kate Atkinson's intent. She is too good a writer to let them happen without meaning to, so perhaps she is purposefully exploding the conventions of the mystery novel? It's cynical, though, to expect us to care about people and then watch them lose the plot.
The ending, though, seemed designed to flout the expectations of the mystery reader: even though we find out what happened and why, justice is never done--in fact, in one case it is miscarried--and many things just happen because, well, things happen. Just like in real life.
In fact, I wondered if that was Kate Atkinson's intent. She is too good a writer to let them happen without meaning to, so perhaps she is purposefully exploding the conventions of the mystery novel? It's cynical, though, to expect us to care about people and then watch them lose the plot.
Really enjoyed this one. Well written, witty. Murder, intrigue, the roaring 20s…what’s not to like?
i'm a huge Kate Atkinson fan, that's why this come as such a disappointment. i've loved all of the other books i've read of hers. i was delighted to learn she had a new one out and couldn't wait for my turn to read it. the problem here is the story...or should i say stories. there's just too many of them. the writing is terrific, as always. but i kept finding myself bogged down when the main story meandered off into one of the tangent stories. sometimes less is more.