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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected to. I thought I might be bored by the information about bicycle racing, but it was really interesting.
I listened to the audio recording of this book, so hearing the story in the appropriate British and Scottish accents added to the story.
A few of the devices were distracting, like stating the street address of the location for each section, as opposed to the name of each location (like Kate's House). And it took a little too long to get to the exact relationships between each of the main characters; some of the flashbacks that filled in the details should have come sooner in the novel. Occasionally, the soaring metaphors soared for a bit too long, but overall, the writing was excellent.
It's always hard to read about sick children, but the characters in the story were well developed and real -- real enough that I wanted to shake some sense into a couple of them more than once! And any book that gets you to care that much about the characters is a good one.
I listened to the audio recording of this book, so hearing the story in the appropriate British and Scottish accents added to the story.
A few of the devices were distracting, like stating the street address of the location for each section, as opposed to the name of each location (like Kate's House). And it took a little too long to get to the exact relationships between each of the main characters; some of the flashbacks that filled in the details should have come sooner in the novel. Occasionally, the soaring metaphors soared for a bit too long, but overall, the writing was excellent.
It's always hard to read about sick children, but the characters in the story were well developed and real -- real enough that I wanted to shake some sense into a couple of them more than once! And any book that gets you to care that much about the characters is a good one.
Enjoyed this novel very much. Great plot, fascinating characters. Plus, bike racing about which I don't know much, but which was a nice change of pace for me. Another excellent read from Chris Cleave.
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
That was an intense read. Such great storytelling. At some point I just felt maybe trying a slight bit too hard.
I think this deserves 3 1/2 stars. Much of it is just plain unrealistic and hard to swallow, but some of the characters are well written, complex, and fascinating. It is a quick, compelling read which isn't going to win any awards but is entertaining and emotionally wrenching.
Zoe and Kate are cyclist at the very top of their game, with almost nothing to choose between them in their chosen discipline of the sprint. They have been rivals and friends ever since they were on the elite training scheme together.
Kate is married to Jack, another British cycling star who has been a gold medal holder in the past. With Kate they have a daughter Sophie, who is a Star Wars nut, but she is tragically suffering from Leukaemia. Kate and jack are flat out with her care and training and the strain is beginning to tell.
All three of these athletes have a complex personal relationship with each other. Jack is physically and mentally strong, Kate is a top performing cyclist who has missed medal opportunities because of Sophie's health, and Zoe is strong and uses psychological intimidation on her rivals to beat them before turning a pedal.
With the rule changes from the IOC it means that only Zoe or Kate can be selected for the Olympic sprint. As Sophie's health deteriorates, the personal pressure builds and the tension between them increases to almost breaking point in the race off they have to hold.
Cleave has written a completely believable story based around three athletes in the velodrome. He has managed to capture the thrills, tactics and brutal speed that the sprint competition has. The complicated relationships between the thee characters means that the plot has the same slow moments of a race, along with awesome speed at certain points. Parts of the story are where he looks back at past events in the characters lives, filling in the detail for the narrative that is unfolding. It is very nicely done, as these sometime don't work well.
Overall all it reads like the sprint race that the book is centred around; slow at times, moments of tension, and a truly breathing finale.
Kate is married to Jack, another British cycling star who has been a gold medal holder in the past. With Kate they have a daughter Sophie, who is a Star Wars nut, but she is tragically suffering from Leukaemia. Kate and jack are flat out with her care and training and the strain is beginning to tell.
All three of these athletes have a complex personal relationship with each other. Jack is physically and mentally strong, Kate is a top performing cyclist who has missed medal opportunities because of Sophie's health, and Zoe is strong and uses psychological intimidation on her rivals to beat them before turning a pedal.
With the rule changes from the IOC it means that only Zoe or Kate can be selected for the Olympic sprint. As Sophie's health deteriorates, the personal pressure builds and the tension between them increases to almost breaking point in the race off they have to hold.
Cleave has written a completely believable story based around three athletes in the velodrome. He has managed to capture the thrills, tactics and brutal speed that the sprint competition has. The complicated relationships between the thee characters means that the plot has the same slow moments of a race, along with awesome speed at certain points. Parts of the story are where he looks back at past events in the characters lives, filling in the detail for the narrative that is unfolding. It is very nicely done, as these sometime don't work well.
Overall all it reads like the sprint race that the book is centred around; slow at times, moments of tension, and a truly breathing finale.
I enjoyed this book. Was really caught up in the cycling competition and the interpersonal drama between the competitors. The voice of the sick daughter definitely pulled at the heart strings and gave an appropriate contrast to the quest for the gold.
I have really enjoyed Chris Cleave's other two books which have both touched on areas of life that interest me particularly and have been relevant to my work. This novel is about sport, cycling and the Olympics - which aside from being an occasional spectator - are as far from my world as Star Wars. However, the novel is adjust as readable as the others and I finished it in under 24 hours. It was totally absorbing and each character and incident totally believable. Why didn't I give it 5*? Well for me, that has to be a novel that challenges my perceptions and maybe changes the axis of my world slightly. This didn't do that, but it is a great book.
I'm really not sure how I feel about this book. I was sitting on the couch with my boyfriend when I finally finished it, and when he asked me if it was a good book I said, "I don't think so, no." Something about this book felt extremely forced and Jack, Kate, and Zoe just felt... gross and unreal, made up for only by the awesomeness of Sophie, a Star-Wars-obsessed tomboy who reminded me so much of myself and my own love of Star Wars that I finished the book for her and her alone. It was extremely difficult for me to feel any kind of sympathy for everyone else in the book when they seemed to be suffering from regret over their own damn choices and living a life of tremendous privilege. I basically had to ignore every other plot point and character to get something positive out of this book, which was a message I'd gotten long before this book was ever written: Star Wars is amazing and can touch a life in a profound way that leaves it changed for the better. The end.
I listened to this one on audiobook. After the beautiful "Little Bee," I was hoping for something a little lighter from Chris Cleave. I just wasn't expecting it to be this light! With all the twists and turns between the two main characters' lives, it starts to seem a little too implausible the way it all works out. I liked the book, but I could have done with a little less predictability.
Wary after the intense experience of reading LIttle Bee, I flirted around the edges of Gold, but ultimately I committed to reading it, and I'm glad I did. Cleave is a skilled and intriguing author, and this novel about the competing demands of family and top level athletic competition is powerful and good. The sport (short track bike racing?) is esoteric, but once I got into the book, it became a backdrop for the deeper questions and issues. Cleaves's characters are unique and sympathetic (I especially liked Tom, the coach, and Jack and Kate's relationship) and the story as a whole is suspenseful and interesting. Recommended.
A few of his riffs on modern culture (usually delivered from Tom's perspective) are really brilliant: he has one about young men who have to post everything on line and who make fun of everything, including themselves, while taking themselves incredibly seriously. Snap.
A few of his riffs on modern culture (usually delivered from Tom's perspective) are really brilliant: he has one about young men who have to post everything on line and who make fun of everything, including themselves, while taking themselves incredibly seriously. Snap.