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beccamc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
eve19's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
angelamichelle's review
4.0
I like this much better than Swimming Lessons. A slow-building simmer that doesn’t feel contrived. I hate when I feel a Book is messing with me, manipulating me, holding things back just to toy with my emotions. In this one, each turn or revelation felt right. Annoying characters all, but fun to read.
thebobsphere's review against another edition
4.0
Claire Fuller is one of my favourite authors. I like the way she is able to create a tense atmosphere and yet there is something cozy about her writing. Mansions, forests and run down cottages usually feature. I guess psychological dramas are good ways to describer her novels but there’s something very British aspect to them.
Bitter orange is her third novel (which means I have now read all her books) and one can feel Daphne du Maurier’s spirit running through it in a bit way.
The novel takes the form of a flashback by Frances, who is now an old woman and seems to be in some sort of care facility. She is recounting a moment in her 40’s when she was sent to survey a crumbling mansion. Once she’s there Frances meets Cara and Peter, a couple who have a lot of secrets. As Frances manages to unearth them, her destiny changes and we readers start seeing some of her own hidden past.
Unreliable narrators, lots of twists and turns and intense relationships form the basis of Bitter Orange. This is a book where everything is revealed slowly with each denouement more surprising than the last. This makes a satisfying read. If one does like the more psychological aspects of Claire Fuller’s novels then Bitter Orange as all those aspects are amped up.
Bitter orange is her third novel (which means I have now read all her books) and one can feel Daphne du Maurier’s spirit running through it in a bit way.
The novel takes the form of a flashback by Frances, who is now an old woman and seems to be in some sort of care facility. She is recounting a moment in her 40’s when she was sent to survey a crumbling mansion. Once she’s there Frances meets Cara and Peter, a couple who have a lot of secrets. As Frances manages to unearth them, her destiny changes and we readers start seeing some of her own hidden past.
Unreliable narrators, lots of twists and turns and intense relationships form the basis of Bitter Orange. This is a book where everything is revealed slowly with each denouement more surprising than the last. This makes a satisfying read. If one does like the more psychological aspects of Claire Fuller’s novels then Bitter Orange as all those aspects are amped up.
lorrared's review
4.0
The narrator of this novel is Francis Jellico. She is telling the story from her death bed. It begins with her arrival at Lyntons, an English Country Estate in the summer of 1969. At the time, she is 39 years old and has spent a large amount of her adult life caring for her now deceased mother and because of this is socially awkward and without friends. She is there to assess the architecture of the estate for the buyer of the property and here she meets a couple, one of whom is also working for the buyer.
It’s a dark, atmospheric story which is beautifully written, although none of the characters were very likeable. The house gave me gothic, haunted house feels which I loved. I wish I’d had the time to read in one go, as I think I would have been more immersed. It also seemed to suit the heatwave we are having at the moment. All in all, I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more from this author.
It’s a dark, atmospheric story which is beautifully written, although none of the characters were very likeable. The house gave me gothic, haunted house feels which I loved. I wish I’d had the time to read in one go, as I think I would have been more immersed. It also seemed to suit the heatwave we are having at the moment. All in all, I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more from this author.