Reviews

The Thoughts & Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals by Wendy Jones

katykelly's review

3.0

I couldn't really like Wilfred very much for most of the book - proposing then taking back his proposition, marrying when forced to, not speaking to his wife. But I warmed to him a little near the end.

I really felt for Grace and wish we'd known what happened to her after the close of the story.

Not as warm or whimsical as I was expecting.

bluestarfish's review

3.0

Rather sweet and gentle little novel set in a 1920s Welsh village. It starts off with an accidental proposal and ends slightly bittersweetly with truth telling and blackberries. I got slightly impatient with Wilfred Price at times, but Da was lovely throughout.

machadofam8's review against another edition

3.0

I couldn't put this down - fun and quick, if a bit predictable.

catiew's review

3.0

Ehhhhhhh.

I mean, it wasn't actively bad really, but nothing really felt like it happened. This was definitely a "gentle" novel.

Also, some of the references to brand names felt a bit forced. Nobody thinks "ooh, I'll use my new Elizabeth Arden mascara".

lakesbecky's review

4.0

An evocative tale from 1920s Wales when Wilfred accidentally proposes and finds himself in a fix...

trees75's review against another edition

2.0

A friend sent me this book to read, so this is outside of my normal selection for books. The writing was good (which kept it from being a 1), but at times the author spent too much time describing the mundane at the expense of moving the story forward. There were several pages where I skimmed and when I started to read for details, nothing had changed. I couldn't relate or connect to the characters in the book. The best part was when the main character started to learn and apply new words/vocabulary - that actually made me laugh out loud.

softasapanda's review

dark emotional sad 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Pregnancy, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

gl_mrtnl's review

2.0

I feel like this book would have a higher rating if it were a short story instead. Like many others, I was drawn in by the beautiful cover and the quirky title, but what this book had to offer was a plain love story and a definite lack of action. The whole plot could be summarised in a couple of lines, and the inner monologues slowed everything down in a painful way. I wish there was more of Grace's character and her story, and less repetitions of Wilfred and his da, of how they care for each other and live together and are happy to be in each other's company.

kelsey99's review against another edition

lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No

3.25

I enjoyed the characters in this book and reading about all of their struggles. The book was slow paced and felt quite comforting. Overall nice, but a bit forgettable.

jscypinski's review against another edition

3.0

This story is written in a style that comes from another age, which is part of the charm and quirkiness of the book. Wilfred is a very likable, yet naive character that I found myself mentally coaching and cheering on until the end.