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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
challenging
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
For those of you who loved Downton Abbey, this one’s for you. The first instalment of a quintet, this is the introduction to the Cazalet family and some surrounding characters - and they are quite numerous! We follow about (and I’m estimating wildly here) about 12-15 different characters in the years leading up to World War 2.
I listened to this on audio, but I think I possibly would have enjoyed it more if I read a physical copy. As it was it was quite difficult keeping track of who all the characters were (and yes, at one point I did google the family tree to try to get a grasp on things), and since not a lot actually happens - it’s more of a day to day kind of family saga - I guess the characters also didn’t have enough room to make big impressions and so were not easy to differentiate between.
However, I did find it delightful in its own way, and Howard writes well about a time I’ve always had a cozy kind of feeling about. By the end, when I finally had some understanding of who was who (well, for the most part) I did find myself feeling warmly towards some of the characters.
I also enjoyed the quite modern themes set in a not-so-modern high class British society setting. It made for some interesting contrasts, as well as discussions that wouldn’t have been had back then but seems very relevant today.
I think I probably will continue on with the series at some point, and hope I can follow along more in the next one.
I listened to this on audio, but I think I possibly would have enjoyed it more if I read a physical copy. As it was it was quite difficult keeping track of who all the characters were (and yes, at one point I did google the family tree to try to get a grasp on things), and since not a lot actually happens - it’s more of a day to day kind of family saga - I guess the characters also didn’t have enough room to make big impressions and so were not easy to differentiate between.
However, I did find it delightful in its own way, and Howard writes well about a time I’ve always had a cozy kind of feeling about. By the end, when I finally had some understanding of who was who (well, for the most part) I did find myself feeling warmly towards some of the characters.
I also enjoyed the quite modern themes set in a not-so-modern high class British society setting. It made for some interesting contrasts, as well as discussions that wouldn’t have been had back then but seems very relevant today.
I think I probably will continue on with the series at some point, and hope I can follow along more in the next one.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-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
reflective
medium-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
I love an intergenerational drama!
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard
Book 1 of 5 of the Cazalet Chronicle series
Read in Braille
Pub. 1990, 448pp
___
I’ve seen this beloved series mentioned online many times over the past few years by bloggers who enjoy similar books to me, and so when the first two books came up on a hardcopy Braille book swap list I snapped them up. It wasn’t till they arrived that I realised just how long they are. I’m slower when reading Braille so was a little intimidated by 16 booklets to get through! Thankfully I needn’t have worried as I raced through it in about a month which is a similar length of time a 300 page Braille book typically takes me.
What I found so engaging was the brilliant characterisation and masterful handling of so many characters and stories. I thought I’d get lost so made a note of the main characters on my phone to refer back to but found I didn’t really need it. it’s perhaps because I read it over Christmas so had more time than usual for reading and was able to curl up with it for long stretches of time. this meant I didn’t lose track of the story by setting it down for days on end.
the story is set over the summers of 1937 and 1938 as the threat of war is building and that sense of unease, rumour and disbelief came across very powerfully. this is a story of an upper middle class family who’re in the timber trade. the head of the family, William (nicknamed The Brig) rules the family alongside his wife, Kitty (nicknamed The Duchy). But their stories are the less interesting of the many perspectives in this book. the lives of their four children; Hugh, Edward, Rachel and Rupert take centre stage. I loved getting to know them all, including their own children who’re depicted particularly well throughout.
my favourite characters are probably Villy (who gave up her glamorous career as a ballet dancer to marry Edward), Rupert and Zoe ( who have a very interesting story that will hopefully continue to develop as strongly in the next books) and all of the children whose inner lives are written so beautifully and realistically which is rare. Their games, squabbles and inner thoughts and anxieties were excellently written and often so funny. Neville wanting to keep a jellyfish as a pet was so sweet!
the depiction of women’s lives at this point in history is so interesting and we also get to see the stories of some of the servants’ lives too, adding another dimension. The governess, Miss Milliment, is another notably well written character; she understands the children she teaches and recognises something special in Clary which I very much enjoyed reading about. None of it felt corny or stereotypical. the writing sweeps you along and doesn’t shy away from the realities of life as a woman back in the mid 20th century. Access to contraception, the dangers of childbirth, appalling behaviour from men, control over women’s careers and education and the covert nature of lesbian relationships are all included. The men are also very well drawn, with the shadow of the First World War affecting them in very different ways. I’m going straight on to the next book now, Marking Time, which begins in 1939 and I just know this series will be heartbreaking!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-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
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
Complicated
Il primo libro della saga dei Cazalet, un titolo, una conferma! Infatti si può dire che in questo romanzo non succede nulla! Tuttavia è un nulla scritto così bene che non si può fare a meno di continuare a leggere!
Proseguendo nelle pagine emerge chiaramente che questo romanzo serve semplicemente a spalancarci le porte di casa Cazalet, a farci conoscere i vari personaggi con la prospettiva di vederli affrontare vere difficoltà nei libri successivi.
Per chi ha amato Downton abbey sarà una lettura piacevole!!
Proseguendo nelle pagine emerge chiaramente che questo romanzo serve semplicemente a spalancarci le porte di casa Cazalet, a farci conoscere i vari personaggi con la prospettiva di vederli affrontare vere difficoltà nei libri successivi.
Per chi ha amato Downton abbey sarà una lettura piacevole!!
An absorbing family saga. Howard's skill is to have numerous characters and make you care about all of them. Though, I could have done without a fourth set of cousins being introduced in the second part. While they were all individually interesting, they meant I started to lose track of who was who - I did have to keep flipping back to the family tree at the start of the book to remind myself who was a sibling, who was a cousin, and how old they they were.
However, there is a disturbing incident that happens early on in the secondary part. While Howard clearly indicates this incident is wrong, she doesn't mention it again. An underlying theme of the book is the sacrifices and compromises we make for our families. But this particular incident shouldn't be seen as something that someone has to put up with for the sake of familial harmony. Therefore, I was concerned that it wasn't addressed further. (In fairness to Howard, she may deal with it later in the series.)
However, there is a disturbing incident that happens early on in the secondary part. While Howard clearly indicates this incident is wrong, she doesn't mention it again. An underlying theme of the book is the sacrifices and compromises we make for our families. But this particular incident shouldn't be seen as something that someone has to put up with for the sake of familial harmony. Therefore, I was concerned that it wasn't addressed further. (In fairness to Howard, she may deal with it later in the series.)
emotional
reflective
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Sexual assault
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Pregnancy
Minor: Incest, War