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sarahhhhh242's review against another edition
1.0
I read a review on this book on NPR (I think) and it sounded wonderful. Then I read it. It was so frustrating! The characters do all sorts of things that just make me nuts. Thankfully this was a short book so I was able to get through it quickly.
sarahemi's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bethnellvaccaro's review against another edition
5.0
This was an engrossing, read in one sitting beautiful book. Thoughts of this book kept creeping up all day and I think I will have a hard time falling asleep thinking about this story.
made_by_suus's review against another edition
1.0
Honestly, I did not enjoy this. The prose is quite beautiful, but to me it comes across as quite unfeeling. I suppose that's the author's intent, this harrowing unsettledness, but the beauty of it was lost on me as it wasn't supported by anything else; the characters all read pretty much the same, there is a distinct lack of any sort of action. The story revolves around Coral, a live-in nurse with no family or friends and a past of loss and sexual abuse she hasn't much fought against. Plot-thread one is her marriage to Clement, son to one of her patients, who is scarred both physically and emotionally; it ends when he prompts her to leave town on their wedding night as she's suspected of murder. Plot-thread two is the murder; however, it only facillitates Coral's escape to London and is utterly uninteresting in and of itself. There is a gay subplot between Clement and his best friend, Robin, which leads Robin to prevent a possible reunion of Coral and Clement, and it made me like Robin more than any other character because he is the only one who seems to not only feel, but act upon his feelings and follow his heart, misguided as it is. Coral ends up marrying some random bloke we never hear much about; after a fifteen year gap in the narrative, we find out she's married him and Clement has married Robin's ex-wife and everyone's married but no one actually seems happy. The novel drags immensely, for me. I cannot discount the possibility that it might just be a case of an acquired taste, as most reviews of it seem to be hit-or-miss; some wax lyrically, some feel dissatisfied and disappointed and like reading it has been a waste of time - like me. I won't be recommending this book to anyone, and while I've heard better things about some of Cameron's other novels, it's unlikely I'll revisit his writing.
dnauvrg's review against another edition
3.0
I was surprised to find this was published just recently. It reads authentically old fashioned and very British. As it is, it's a wonderful homage to 1950s domestic fiction and Jane Eyre gothic elements.
The book is essentially about the things that keep people from each other. The way we hide parts of ourselves and unknowingly harm one another. I'm so used to reading books where the characters make huge and powerful decisions, so this was interesting because it's mostly about the fallout of ordinary misunderstanding and inaction and things left unsaid.
I've not read anything else by Cameron (yet), but his writing here is gorgeous and deft. And sometimes so subtle-- big events happen in a line or two without any show. I think this might be why some of the character development at the end was a little sudden for me, so I'll have to go back and reread a bit. Otherwise, though, the way the story slowly and very quietly unfolds was captivating. Still need to process my thoughts.
The book is essentially about the things that keep people from each other. The way we hide parts of ourselves and unknowingly harm one another. I'm so used to reading books where the characters make huge and powerful decisions, so this was interesting because it's mostly about the fallout of ordinary misunderstanding and inaction and things left unsaid.
I've not read anything else by Cameron (yet), but his writing here is gorgeous and deft. And sometimes so subtle-- big events happen in a line or two without any show. I think this might be why some of the character development at the end was a little sudden for me, so I'll have to go back and reread a bit. Otherwise, though, the way the story slowly and very quietly unfolds was captivating. Still need to process my thoughts.
alba_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Dopo "Un giorno questo dolore ti sarà utile" e "Quella sera dorata", questo è il terzo libro di Peter Cameron che leggo.
Avevo grandi aspettative, alcune sono state esaudite, altre no.
Il libro mi è piaciuto parecchio, ma mancava qualcosa per essere all'altezza degli altri libri di Cameron. Mi ha lasciata in parte soddisfatta, in parte con l'amaro in bocca. Molte cose avrei voluto fossero descritte meglio, un po' come il finale inaspettato, che mi ha lasciato un senso di incompiuto.
Nel complesso, comunque, il libro è bello, di lettura scorrevole, come gli altri libri dell'Autore... le vite descritte si intrecciano inesorabilmente, creando quella suspence che non ti permette, alle 3 del mattino, di posare il libro per aandare finalmente a letto.
La protagonista, dalla quale il libro prende il nome, non mi ha molto soddisfatta: ho avuto come l'impressione che fosse una ragazza che si lascia trasportare troppo dagli eventi, che prende le sue decisioni senza pensare troppo alle conseguenze, nonostante nel corso del romanzo, ella si sofferma a lungo a pensare alla scelta, difficile, da prendere.
Avrei voluto un finale diverso, ma questo, forse, era il miglior finale che il libro potesse avere. Nonostante non abbia apprezzato alcune cose, consiglio vivamente di leggere questo libro perché Peter Cameron, ancora una volta, ha saputo scavare a fondo dentro la personalità dei personaggi, creando un intreccio complesso e magico, che, a fine lettura, ti costringe a pensare un attimo alle conseguenze della vita, a come un incidente, una banalità, possa in un attimo stravolgere il corso della tua intera esistenza.
Avevo grandi aspettative, alcune sono state esaudite, altre no.
Il libro mi è piaciuto parecchio, ma mancava qualcosa per essere all'altezza degli altri libri di Cameron. Mi ha lasciata in parte soddisfatta, in parte con l'amaro in bocca. Molte cose avrei voluto fossero descritte meglio, un po' come il finale inaspettato, che mi ha lasciato un senso di incompiuto.
Nel complesso, comunque, il libro è bello, di lettura scorrevole, come gli altri libri dell'Autore... le vite descritte si intrecciano inesorabilmente, creando quella suspence che non ti permette, alle 3 del mattino, di posare il libro per aandare finalmente a letto.
La protagonista, dalla quale il libro prende il nome, non mi ha molto soddisfatta: ho avuto come l'impressione che fosse una ragazza che si lascia trasportare troppo dagli eventi, che prende le sue decisioni senza pensare troppo alle conseguenze, nonostante nel corso del romanzo, ella si sofferma a lungo a pensare alla scelta, difficile, da prendere.
Avrei voluto un finale diverso, ma questo, forse, era il miglior finale che il libro potesse avere. Nonostante non abbia apprezzato alcune cose, consiglio vivamente di leggere questo libro perché Peter Cameron, ancora una volta, ha saputo scavare a fondo dentro la personalità dei personaggi, creando un intreccio complesso e magico, che, a fine lettura, ti costringe a pensare un attimo alle conseguenze della vita, a come un incidente, una banalità, possa in un attimo stravolgere il corso della tua intera esistenza.
lizzicrystal's review against another edition
2.0
I always go for the gothic romances and this is a quick, engaging read, but turns out to be an utterly pointless story, with vapid and one-dimensional characters. You never begin to care, because you never get to know anyone. This is everything I want my gothic romance not to be.
jennicakes's review against another edition
3.0
This began with many trappings of a ripping gothic yarn (Big House! Cancer! Unwanted pregnancy! Homosexuality! Weird children! Mrs. Danvers-lite! A torn wedding dress!) but, perhaps in a masterful rejection of melodrama, everything works itself into a pleasant - but not quite happy - normality.
Entertaining enough for fans of Big House books (though she leaves the Big House partway through, sigh), and fans of T.S. Eliot's literary criticism: Coral Glynn is a veritable Objective Correlative Slideshow.
Entertaining enough for fans of Big House books (though she leaves the Big House partway through, sigh), and fans of T.S. Eliot's literary criticism: Coral Glynn is a veritable Objective Correlative Slideshow.
wildflower37's review against another edition
3.0
Coral Glynn is a character that things happen to and around, which strikes me as odd for a title character, for most of the book, she is at the whim of available positions (for in home nursing care) and is fairly powerless in personal situations. She struggles to make decisions and then seems to make them rashly. I found I was as uncertain of her as she was of herself. Some lovely writing.