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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
informative
medium-paced
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This novel, the first in the Cazalet Chronicles, is set in 1937-1938 just before the Second World War. I went into the book having NO idea what it was about and I really loved it.
There were so many moments in this book which made me laugh out loud. I especially loved the emotions and thoughts of the young children in the Cazalet family. Elizabeth Jane Howard really captures their childhood innocence but also their fears and more difficult emotions. Please note before reading there were also a few darker story lines throughout the book. I think the range of emotions, both good and bad really made me understand the family and feel immersed in the family dynamics.
I have to admit, I took me a second to get into the writing format - there are SO MANY family members and not "conventional" chapters. Rather, it continually flicks between the different members perspectives.
The Cazalet family...
Once I understood the different perspectives, I was thoroughly gripped by this book and felt totally transported and nostalgic of a life so drastically different from mine.
This is a great family saga and one I highly recommend :)
There were so many moments in this book which made me laugh out loud. I especially loved the emotions and thoughts of the young children in the Cazalet family. Elizabeth Jane Howard really captures their childhood innocence but also their fears and more difficult emotions. Please note before reading there were also a few darker story lines throughout the book. I think the range of emotions, both good and bad really made me understand the family and feel immersed in the family dynamics.
I have to admit, I took me a second to get into the writing format - there are SO MANY family members and not "conventional" chapters. Rather, it continually flicks between the different members perspectives.
The Cazalet family...
Once I understood the different perspectives, I was thoroughly gripped by this book and felt totally transported and nostalgic of a life so drastically different from mine.
This is a great family saga and one I highly recommend :)
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-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
I was really impressed with the portrayal of the cahracters in this book and I can't wait to continue the series. There are so many characters, all so excellently, complexly and thoroughly presented, which I found really remarkable. Their concerns and growing pains all felt realistic, and even though some do not get that much page time they all came alive for me while I was reading.
Lately I find myself borderline obsessed with books set in 1930s and 40s Europe, and this was really enjoyable as an image of what life was like for people watching Hitler from semi-afar and wondering what would happen next. I also found this book did a nice job of showing how people impacted by WWI watched the shadow of fascism spreading over Europe in a way I have often heard about but never been able to feel the way this book made me feel it.
There are lots of tiny pleasures and joyful moments as well as plenty of horrors. I won't give any spoilers but suffice it to say that at one point you are just happily floating along with the characters, but by the second half you see so much more sinister behavior, occasionally skin-crawling things mixed in with the normal ups and downs of life. One in particular left me a bit shocked, and that is a part of this book that will stick with me.
I am really curious to see how this world continues to grow and how the family will be impacted by WWII.
Lately I find myself borderline obsessed with books set in 1930s and 40s Europe, and this was really enjoyable as an image of what life was like for people watching Hitler from semi-afar and wondering what would happen next. I also found this book did a nice job of showing how people impacted by WWI watched the shadow of fascism spreading over Europe in a way I have often heard about but never been able to feel the way this book made me feel it.
There are lots of tiny pleasures and joyful moments as well as plenty of horrors. I won't give any spoilers but suffice it to say that at one point you are just happily floating along with the characters, but by the second half you see so much more sinister behavior, occasionally skin-crawling things mixed in with the normal ups and downs of life. One in particular left me a bit shocked, and that is a part of this book that will stick with me.
I am really curious to see how this world continues to grow and how the family will be impacted by WWII.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Miscarriage
There are a lot of moderate references to things that people will find unpleasant, and in many cases, triggering. Because their is a broad cast of characters, and it portrays a lot of the hard things in life in general, you will find a lot of these references here.
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes