Reviews

Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks

jcariwa's review against another edition

2.0

I had mixed feelings about this book. It shares many similarities with Birdsong, lovers, war, etc etc. The language is gorgeous, Faulks writes in a way that really engages the you. You feel as though you really know Charlotte, you almost feel what she feels. For me it felt as if all that was missing from this novel was a good story. For huge sections of the novel nothing happens at all. Faulks has seemed to have just focused on the travelling between places and writing out many conversations in which Charlotte describes, and in my view, exaggerates her love for Gregory. She seems to view love as one person exploiting another through a wound. Read into that what you will. And I guess one could agree with her. Charlotte is a strange character, at points in the book she seems very wise and strong willed, and at others almost infantile. I think beneath it all she is still a child and seeks from Gregory the love that was never/rarely bestowed on her as a child. That's another thing I dislike about this book, it's transparency. The ending is obvious from the moment you open the book. All the other components(everything but the story) however, were perfect. If you read this expecting another Birdsong, you will probably, like me, be disappointed.

roseofoulesfame's review against another edition

4.0

Fascinating to read this after reading about Agent Rose (seriously, look her up).
Every bit as good as Birdsong, with the added pathos of the Holocaust (seriously, NEVER AGAIN).
Must read The Girl at the Lion d'Or now!

boehmek's review against another edition

3.0

missing something that I can't quite put my finger on

earlgreybooks's review

3.0

This has got to be one of the only books that I actually preferred the movie of. This was so much more boring and the ending wasn't nearly as good as the ending of the film. Kind of disappointed with this.

nikitasbookhaven's review against another edition

3.0

I would normally have rated it a lowly two stars if not for the (in my view) unique itinerary of a young female spy roaming around the Nazi-occupied French countryside in search of her lover as well as in search of a purpose. I share the opinion that other reviewers have also expressed that this was very boring and the part of Charlotte - Gregory romance is super lengthy and irritating. This not a great novel neither is it good. It is a tad bit below mediocre. Also I read about the concentration camps and Jewish deportations for the first time in a fictional setting which made them even more sinister and vivid. Though I have read about those happenings countless times on Holocaust websites and watched countless movies, the way Faulks has described them was a very sad and different experience still. I thought the plot about Charlotte and her father if it was given as much dedication and space as the Charlotte-Gregory affair would have elevated the novel to a whole new level. But alas we will never know because Faulks is not a really good novelist.
(P. S. - I was very much disappointed that the movie and the book are so different about who Charlotte ends up with, I was reading the Gregory part thinking about how the movie treats him and I was very very disappointed with how Julien's involvement ends.)

pussreboots's review against another edition

3.0

Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks is another of the many historical fictions I've been reading this summer. It follows a young British woman's trek through occupied France to find her RAF pilot boy friend after he's shot down during a mission. She is sent on a mission for a fictional "G Section" but chooses to stay after she complete her mission so that she can find the pilot.

Besides following Charlotte's path from receptionist to hero, Faulks includes a few members of the French resistance. They are probably there to round out the novel and perhaps flesh it out but I found these extra scenes distracting. It would have been more suspenseful to not know about Gregory's whereabouts during Charlotte's search.

On a side note, the book won the 1998 Bad Sex Award.

laura_dreams_of_literature's review against another edition

3.0

I enjoyed this book, it was a good story and quite well researched.

I don't really have too much to say about this book, it's similar to other WWII literature out there. Despite the title this book does switch between several different perspectives which I enjoyed and didn't "smooth over" the more painful parts of that era too much. It can however get a bit long-winded so be prepared to dedicate some time to finishing it, or in my case, put it down and pick it back up again at a later date.

gemmabelle's review against another edition

5.0

I could not put this down. I enjoyed the writing so much that I just wanted to stay in that world. There is some uncomfortable reading in this book though but the reality is that war was uncomfortable and parts of this really made me cry. Just throw yourself into the book, be entertained and possibly (as I did) learn something or want to learn more. I am also quite keen to read many more books by Faulks.

jsnyder's review

adventurous emotional reflective medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

libraryjunkie's review

2.0

The novel was very slow moving, it took me a while to get through. While the author tried to give the main character some complexity, she lacked depth, as did the supporting characters. The story line was appealing, but the pace was just too slow to keep my interest.