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gengardiner's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
domelama's review
5.0
Bought at a second hand books sale, this is an absolutely compelling book about the hidden story of an old woman across three generations of mothers and daughters. It tells us how inevitably parents' mistreatment towards their children can reflect from one generation to another until it's stopped by unselfish love
tancrni's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jason_pym's review
4.0
A tale of grandmother and mother (and narrator) told through a series of photographs.
This did nothing for me for the first 100 or so pages, and I almost gave up on it. I'm glad I didn't, it is a very powerful and real portrayal of a dysfunctional family. Unfortunately, knowing someone who is very much like Beatrice (the grandmother), the story had a particular resonance for me.
Not in any way an up book, so I wouldn't recommend it as entertainment.
This did nothing for me for the first 100 or so pages, and I almost gave up on it. I'm glad I didn't, it is a very powerful and real portrayal of a dysfunctional family. Unfortunately, knowing someone who is very much like Beatrice (the grandmother), the story had a particular resonance for me.
Not in any way an up book, so I wouldn't recommend it as entertainment.
emmalena_a's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
psykokiwi's review against another edition
4.0
Mi è piaciuto il modo in cui è narrata la storia, l'ho trovato originale. La trama è molto malinconica. Il libro per me è stato scorrevole e interessante.
nickeal1's review
5.0
I read this book in one night as I couldn't put it down. Entralling tale of mother / daughter relationships.
drlark's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
I picked this up for a reading challenge/scavenger hunt only knowing that this author tends to write political fiction, and his more well known stuff is about boys coming of age. I like the former, want no part of the latter. But The Rain Before It Falls is a historical novel about four generations of women over a century in England, told primarily by a grumpy/sad lesbian, Rosamund, who has just died but who starts her story being evacuated to her cousin's farm during the London Blitz in WWII. And this, it happens, is right up my alley.
Rosamund's niece is the executor of her estate, so she discovers this story in the form of audio recordings and photographs. I've said before that I don't super enjoy stories narrated in retrospect, and this was certainly that. Rosamund goes through a series of 20 photographs and narrates her memories of them. On the face of it, this does not seem like it would be my cup of tea, but I enjoyed Rosamund SO MUCH, her perspective, her humor, her heartache, that the story just bops right along, despite the lengthy narration and infrequent dialogue. A solid, if very sad, read about cycles of abuse and the enduring thread of love that still manages to bind generations and families together.
Rosamund's niece is the executor of her estate, so she discovers this story in the form of audio recordings and photographs. I've said before that I don't super enjoy stories narrated in retrospect, and this was certainly that. Rosamund goes through a series of 20 photographs and narrates her memories of them. On the face of it, this does not seem like it would be my cup of tea, but I enjoyed Rosamund SO MUCH, her perspective, her humor, her heartache, that the story just bops right along, despite the lengthy narration and infrequent dialogue. A solid, if very sad, read about cycles of abuse and the enduring thread of love that still manages to bind generations and families together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
manthareads's review
3.0
It's taken me a while to write the review for this book as I couldn't work out whether I enjoyed it or not.
I enjoyed the story being told in flashbacks but if felt like we were building up to something more than what we got in the end.
The ending confused me slightly. It felt like there was supposed to be a big *gasp* "Oh, I get it now" moment but I didn't get that...was it supposed to feel like a cliffhanger? I honestly don't know what ti make of it.
I enjoyed the story being told in flashbacks but if felt like we were building up to something more than what we got in the end.
The ending confused me slightly. It felt like there was supposed to be a big *gasp* "Oh, I get it now" moment but I didn't get that...was it supposed to feel like a cliffhanger? I honestly don't know what ti make of it.
suchasuckerforbooks's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0