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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Excellently written, as ever, and very funny in parts. A gentle read with some heartstrings pulled.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Just what I want from a new Jonathan Coe.
A social history of postwar Britain with a framework of significant broadcasts, from VE Day to Covid VE commemorations, with a touch of Brussels, and our obsession with the war. The story focused on Mary Lamb, who is based on Coe’s mother, and her family. Felt both universal and personal.
“Everything changes, and everything stays the same”
Enjoyed the little references and connections with other of his books.
And the description of our ex PM in the author’s note - “whether he’s a fictional character or not remains hard to determine with any certainty”
A social history of postwar Britain with a framework of significant broadcasts, from VE Day to Covid VE commemorations, with a touch of Brussels, and our obsession with the war. The story focused on Mary Lamb, who is based on Coe’s mother, and her family. Felt both universal and personal.
“Everything changes, and everything stays the same”
Enjoyed the little references and connections with other of his books.
And the description of our ex PM in the author’s note - “whether he’s a fictional character or not remains hard to determine with any certainty”
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A ‘state of the nation’ story following a family in the Midlands from VE Day to the pandemic lockdowns. It seemed inconsequential at first but I really got interested. The descriptions of the difficulties faced by families from March 2020 were beautifully written and rather struck a chord with me.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
It starts off as an easy read and seemingly inconsequential. Nostalgia porn. It does evolve though into a meditation on modern British culture. In places it feels a bit like different ideas sown together and you can see the joins but the whole is much greater than the sum of the parts.
A(nother) brilliant state of the nation book from a talented writer fast climbing his way up my list of favourite authors.
I enjoyed all of it, but two excerpts stand out in particular. The description of a EU Environment and Consumer Affairs meeting in the 1990s had me howling with laughter on a packed commuter train, and the chapter entitled "the top of my mother's head" is delicate, beautiful and full of love, while also perfectly evoking the challenges of connecting with loved ones during COVID-19. What a talent!
Some will say that the characters are a bit fungible, which I can accept. Others will complain about the author's point of view about the monarchy. I don't think that detracts from a fascinating insight into ordinary British lives.
I enjoyed all of it, but two excerpts stand out in particular. The description of a EU Environment and Consumer Affairs meeting in the 1990s had me howling with laughter on a packed commuter train, and the chapter entitled "the top of my mother's head" is delicate, beautiful and full of love, while also perfectly evoking the challenges of connecting with loved ones during COVID-19. What a talent!
Some will say that the characters are a bit fungible, which I can accept. Others will complain about the author's point of view about the monarchy. I don't think that detracts from a fascinating insight into ordinary British lives.
emotional
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Het knappe van Bournville is dat de ontwikkeling van een land aan de hand van grote gebeurtenissen van de afgelopen 75 jaar zowel parallel als tegengesteld loopt met de ontwikkelingen die de personages doormaken. De generaties Lamb ondergaan op hun eigen manier, de bevrijding, de kroning van Elizabeth, de WK winst op Duitsland, de bruiloft van Charles en Diana, haar dood in Parijs, de Brexit en de viering van 75 jaar bevrijding die middenin de Covid lockdown plaatsvindt. Het persoonlijke en het Britse wordt steeds tegen elkaar aangehouden zonder dat het een truc wordt. Het is een heel menselijk boek waarin duidelijk wordt dat de keuzes die een mens (welke huwelijkspartner, hoe om te gaan met de keuzes van je kinderen) en de keuzes die een land maakt (Brexit, koningshuis, Coronamaatregelen) allemaal een zekere willekeur hebben, maar wel met grote gevolgen. En dan loopt ook de persoonlijke betrokkenheid van de schrijver er nog doorheen. Ik ben een liefhebber van Jonathan Coe omdat ik zoveel over de Britten leer en omdat ik ze persoonlijk lijk te leren kennen.