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sallyavena's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting book, with the whole upstairs/downstairs drama of a great house in England. The story was well written and drew you in. However, I just didn't feel connected to the characters. Not a bad book, just not moving like I expected.
ruthlessly's review against another edition
3.75
I enjoyed this, but I will say it is very Typical of the Genre! The Genre being: old lady looking back on her life where there has been some Big Events that are Shrouded in Secrecy and Slowly Revealing the Mystery (in an English country house). NOW! I really enjoy that very specific niche genre a lot, but if it's not your thing then you might not like this.
But I did! There's a couple of mysteries/secrets at the centre of this book and I will say that I absolutely guessed them ages in advance. I don't necessarily think some of them are meant to be Big Surprises for the reader, even though they are for Grace, our narrator, so at least there's that. I liked how this was written, too. It's a longer, slower-paced kind of historical fiction: it asks you to give it time and trust it. I think that this is Kate Morton's debut maybe and I know she's written a bunch of books since -- I suspect she's probably got even better. But I did find this enjoyable and I did like the writing. Her knowledge of the time period and the research she'd done was here, but I also think it was fun, in that way it often is when we get to peek at a time gone by through the eyes of someone Discovering the World and Themselves.
The cast of characters in here were interesting and varied. Within it, there's a movie being made of the past (although this isn't overly lingered on, so don't worry too much if that's not your thing bc it's also not mine) and I can totally see why someone would want to. This has a broad, dramatic scope and it definitely has the ring of one of those BBC/ITV adaptations to it. But you know what? I fucking eat that shit up like it's manna.
There were some cliches and some of this felt a bit too drawn-out, a bit too predictable. I can't say I loved this, but I really enjoyed my time with it and I thought that it was entertaining af. I've kind of put off reading some of Kate Morton's stuff because her books are SO LONG? I lifted her newest one a few months back in the supermarket and was like damn you could knock someone out with this (it was hardback). However, this was long but I felt like it flew by! I'm excited to try more from her! I don't want to go into what this book is really about because I'll just probably spoil it but it was a good enough time.
But I did! There's a couple of mysteries/secrets at the centre of this book and I will say that I absolutely guessed them ages in advance. I don't necessarily think some of them are meant to be Big Surprises for the reader, even though they are for Grace, our narrator, so at least there's that. I liked how this was written, too. It's a longer, slower-paced kind of historical fiction: it asks you to give it time and trust it. I think that this is Kate Morton's debut maybe and I know she's written a bunch of books since -- I suspect she's probably got even better. But I did find this enjoyable and I did like the writing. Her knowledge of the time period and the research she'd done was here, but I also think it was fun, in that way it often is when we get to peek at a time gone by through the eyes of someone Discovering the World and Themselves.
The cast of characters in here were interesting and varied. Within it, there's a movie being made of the past (although this isn't overly lingered on, so don't worry too much if that's not your thing bc it's also not mine) and I can totally see why someone would want to. This has a broad, dramatic scope and it definitely has the ring of one of those BBC/ITV adaptations to it. But you know what? I fucking eat that shit up like it's manna.
There were some cliches and some of this felt a bit too drawn-out, a bit too predictable. I can't say I loved this, but I really enjoyed my time with it and I thought that it was entertaining af. I've kind of put off reading some of Kate Morton's stuff because her books are SO LONG? I lifted her newest one a few months back in the supermarket and was like damn you could knock someone out with this (it was hardback). However, this was long but I felt like it flew by! I'm excited to try more from her! I don't want to go into what this book is really about because I'll just probably spoil it but it was a good enough time.
pugreads's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
midnightowl36's review against another edition
Book club pick I just couldn't get through in time
mfraise05's review against another edition
3.0
I give The House At Riverton a solid 3.5 stars. Although it took me nearly a month to muster through the first 100 pages, my determination paid off. Grace's narration is nothing without Hannah which explains why the first third of the story is pretty blah. I agree with other reviewers in that this is not as good as Forgotten Garden but it does hold its own, especially towards the end. I appreciated the way the narration slips more and more into the past as Grace increasingly loses touch with the present. Ultimately, this is a story of secrets, some of which we are never fully let in on, and the price we pay for them.
malvord27's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
5.0
tinycaredance's review
4.0
i had a hard time getting into the characters and wasnt always sure where the plot was going, but i still found it a lovely read. rhe ladt quarter if the book was particularly good. very 'dowton abby-esq'
hnbb's review against another edition
2.0
I tried really, really hard to read this. After 4 weeks I am giving up. I am more than halfway through but I have many many other books I would rather be reading right now. I really enjoy The Forgotten Garden and The Secret Keeper. I will struck with those books by this author.
ndbeyer's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It is definitely historical fiction, which I love, but it moves slowly and continues to dangle a carrot in front of the reader. In my opinion- it was a bit long with places that definitely could have been shortened or omitted.
lilac_cottage_library's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0