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meganclark1111's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Interesting characters to some extent. Think more could have been explored with Talbot's sexuality and Anny's reliance on drugs in the same way Elfrida's alcoholism was explored.
doobyus's review against another edition
4.0
I’d forgotten what a great writer William Boyd is. Whatever he is writing about, he is tight, clever, and wise. This has a real sense of time and place and yet, at the same time, is timeless.
Fantastic.
Fantastic.
ronne's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
lydia_arvidsson's review
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
susie_m's review
4.0
A film set in Brighton in the 1960s. The book focuses on three characters whose paths cross to a greater or lesser extent but whose interactions may affect decisions that are subsequently made. We follow the married producer who is grappling with his closet homosexuality; the young female lead in the film who is juggling two boyfriends and an ex husband who is on the run from a conviction for terrorism; and the wife of a director, an alcoholic novelist who has been unable to write for the last ten years. Relationships are varied and subtly drawn and the pace feels unhurried despite the major life problems the characters are dealing with.
jmatkinson1's review
4.0
It's the Summer of 1968 and a disparate group of characters have landed in Brighton to make a film. Amongst them are three at a crossroads in their lives. Anny, the glamorous American filmstar having an affair with her co-star as well as a French philosopher but chased by the FBI as her terrorist ex-husband has absconded. Elfrida, an alcoholic novelist who has published nothing for ten years but is suddenly inspired by the tragic end to the life of Virginia Woolf. Talbot, the filmmaker who hides a guilty secret as he lives an alternative life in London. For all three the summer will force changes for good or ill.
Boyd is a fantastic writer about the human condition and this book is no exception. It took me a while to find the rhythm but once I did I started to really feel for the characters. I found Anny's ending the least satisfying as it jarred a little with the character developed over the course of the book, but it made sense in the bigger picture of the three main individuals - three different escapes. Having said all that, it's still a terrific book!
Boyd is a fantastic writer about the human condition and this book is no exception. It took me a while to find the rhythm but once I did I started to really feel for the characters. I found Anny's ending the least satisfying as it jarred a little with the character developed over the course of the book, but it made sense in the bigger picture of the three main individuals - three different escapes. Having said all that, it's still a terrific book!
eloise_thompson's review against another edition
2.5
This book wasn’t by any means bad but I didn’t find it good either, it sits somewhere in the middle. The characters’ storylines are interesting but I wish they’d been told more in depth as the change in pov made it hard for me to be invested in each person’s life
Also I found the historical aspect of it quite lacklustre
Also I found the historical aspect of it quite lacklustre
rebecky14's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0