Reviews

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

taylor394's review

5.0

Kate Morton has this constant ability to make me cry. I deeply connect with her novels, and (most of) her characters. I will admit, The House at Riverton is certainly the least complicated of her novels, and it is evident that it is her first work; however, it was such a simple pleasure to read that I see no less value in it. The novel does not contain as many twist and turns as other Morton works, but I found myself deeply wanting more at the ending (in a good way, not a lacking way). I thought to myself, "This can't be the end of the story! There is more to know!" and then my heart fluttered, leading to a sense of stillness as I accepted the beauty of the ending; and that, is the beauty of Kate Morton's story telling ability.

The characters shine in this novel. Grace is a pliant, hard working young girl, and to watch her transformation as Morton flips through time, as an old and stubborn woman: it is compelling to me how Morton captures the changing essence of a person. I'm not a fan of first person novels (especially considering Grace was an old woman) but I thoroughly enjoyed the story Grace weaved, and like her, I longed to be a part of Hannah, and Emmeline's life.

I would 100% recommend this book.

sophronisba's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

4.0

It's probably best not to read Kate Morton novels back to back because you begin to spot the flaws -- the melodrama, the thin characterization, the neat bows at the end, did I mention the melodrama? -- but still in a time of stress it's oddly soothing to know that people living in huge English country houses with only a loose need for income _also_ seem to have significant stressors in their lives. I still enjoyed it! But I needed a break from the English countryside afterwards.

katiegilley's review

5.0

The main parts of this story flash back and forth between present day (or the late 90s) and the 1920s. It is mostly told by Grace, a young girl who worked at Riverton as a housemaid. Grace shares with us the events that lead up to the death of a young poet at a party on the shores of the lake at Riverton. Grace's story touches on wealth and privilege, the lives of soldiers after they've been to war, feminism and the role of women, and how love touches our lives.returnreturnRiverton is like many of the wealthy English homes in the 20s - it is beautiful, it is full of beautiful people, it almost seems to have a life of it's own, and it is full of secrets. These secrets are whispered about in town by the commoners and are rarely mentioned within the house's own walls.returnreturnThe mysteries of this novel unfold beautifully, as does Grace's story, which shows us the importance of living our lives fully and surrounding ourselves with those that we love. I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about the effects of war on Europe and who enjoys tragic mysteries.

choclover's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

schofield24's review against another edition

4.0

Really liked it! I didn't see the ending coming... did you?

gabriela_dreams's review against another edition

5.0

Romanul acesta este uluitor. Abia astept sa va povestesc despre el pe blog. Dupa ce ma intorc din concediu vreau sa ii fac o recenzie pe masura.

mailovely's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This one is a slow burn for sure. But I didn’t really mind the pace. The historical backdrop of the novel is so descriptive that I loved immersing myself in the world. I felt an uncomfortable shift in the tone of the novel going from the pre-WWI era to the more modern 1920’s just as Grace felt experiencing it, which I personally liked. The passage of time is haunting, sad, and beautiful all at once in this book as it is in real life. For a book as long as this one I do wish more time was spent on the end of the story and the mystery of it all. But I will be picking up another Kate Morton book after this because her prose is lovely.

jul_web's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Takes very long before it gets exciting, and even then most the characters fait was partly known already. Didn't like the sudden changes of time levels in the writing style

valerielaine's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

caro_vanille's review against another edition

4.0

Parfois un peu brouillon, mais plutôt sympa. La fin sauve clairement le livre. J'ai failli l'abandonner parce que le début est un peu long, mais le rythme prend peu à peu