Scan barcode
juliarebeccaj's review against another edition
4.5
Gobbled it up - propels you through the different stories among a family. There’s a twist in there that will make you gasp
megfindlay's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
caoilinreads's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful, intricate and insightful. This is a story of a woman (wife, mother, sister, friend) who has an affair. However, the real story and beauty of this work is in the unspooling of the relationships and family that both precede and surround her. This slightly fragments the story but presents a dizzying web of humanity, with a palpable pulse at its centre.
stacyculler's review against another edition
2.0
Too slow and subtle for my tastes
I get the point that Hadley was trying to make...that marriage is complicated, that underlying frustrations and quiet selves exist in the relationship that spouses are u aware of In each other, and that the lives of children are forever shaped by the course of their parents marriage. But really, these ideas are not any kind of epiphany, and I was annoyed by the fact that the characters in this book never seem to respond in any way to the events that occur. This book was all observations, all dawning awareness, and no corresponding reaction.
I get the point that Hadley was trying to make...that marriage is complicated, that underlying frustrations and quiet selves exist in the relationship that spouses are u aware of In each other, and that the lives of children are forever shaped by the course of their parents marriage. But really, these ideas are not any kind of epiphany, and I was annoyed by the fact that the characters in this book never seem to respond in any way to the events that occur. This book was all observations, all dawning awareness, and no corresponding reaction.
nocto's review against another edition
3.0
This all fell a bit flat for me. It's the first book by an author whose later books I've loved. I think it was a case of the problem being me rather than the book though. It's a novel in the form of a series of short stories, all about members of the same extended family, and though this is a format I have loved in other books I never really got deeply engrossed with the characters here. Usually I like it when you think a character's an idiot seen through one set of eyes, but then an alternative viewpoint makes you think differently. Here I just felt that people were acting nonsensically a lot of the time. But also I've picked the book up and put it down over a period of three months rather than giving it a good read, and the world is rather distracting right now, so my lacklustre reaction probably says more about me than the book!
danibear's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
flogigyahoo's review against another edition
4.0
It seems as if every adult in Tessa Hadley's excellent novel is an adulterer in some way. We are introduced to Clare, married and mother of three, planning an extramarital affair with her best friend's lover; Clare is the daughter of Graham who has apparently been unfaithful to two wives and is now married to a third whom he suspects of carrying on an adulterous affair. Other adults are involved in adultery throughtout this intelligent book, which portrays each adulterer from their individual viewpoints so one feels and accepts their actions as right and correct. This is a subtle book of fine writing and extremely enjoyable. I recommend it and look forward to reading more by Tessa Hadley
flomc's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
msliz's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Classic case of cover blurb not accurately representing the contents of the book. I thought this was about a woman who re-encounters someone from her past, and this chance meeting sets in train a chain of events, when actually this is just one minor story line amongst many. There is a lot going on in this book, with various family and relationship dramas, and although Hadley's writing is good, I struggled to relate to or empathise with any of the characters.