Reviews

The Far Cry by Emma Smith

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igru23's review

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

philippakmoore's review against another edition

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5.0

A beautifully written portrait of a young, inexperienced but intelligent and sensitive girl travelling to India with her overbearing father. The descriptions of India are sensuous and so evocative, I was back there, in the markets, on the crowded colourful streets. The ending is unexpected but very compelling. Emma Smith was an amazing writer (this was written and published in 1949, when she was 26!) and the depth of human understanding in this novel is quite extraordinary.

sloatsj's review against another edition

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2.0

I found this rather hard to engage with. It's the story of a 14-year old English girl named Teresa, who is whisked off to India by her father to escape his ex-wife, Lilian. Lilian plans to return from New York and potentially take Teresa to live with her. So though Teresa lives with an aunt, her father arrives and scoots off to his other daughter Ruth, who's married to a tea planter in India. By the time the journey ends we're more than halfway through the book. We find that Ruth is unhappy in India, though she loves her serious, earnest husband, Edwin. She misses various things like nice furniture and the attention of admirers.
To me the book seemed to go by jerks and starts. Or it never really seemed to begin. It's half finished before some main characters, Ruth and Edwin, show up, who are portrayed as negative vs. positive. There is an abrupt and convenient twist of plot at the end. To me the book seemed a vehicle for the author to describe the wonder involved in going from one culture to a very different one. Which is perfectly legitimate. But I didn't enjoy the story, which is why it took two months to read it.

katyrc's review against another edition

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4.0

A charming and funny little character study, super interesting to read and very vivid in its setting and description. Glad I found this gem.

marthabethanreads's review

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adventurous reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

elliegund's review

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mysterious reflective medium-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

anapaulab19's review

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4.0

4.5

Lo leí en pedazos por estar distraída pero, ufff. No esperaba encontrarme con esta lectura. Es un “coming of age” profundo, oscuro, sensorial.

Teresa tiene apenas catorce años cuando su padre decide llevarla de imprevisto a la India para escapar de un pasado lleno de angustias. Pero la travesía a estas tierras tan extremadamente distintas a la gris Inglaterra, es una constante prueba.

Lo que logra Smith—quien experimentó la India en carne propia durante su juventud—es analizar con ojos llenos de belleza, a personajes con afilados matices; con resentimientos, temores y una auto-percepción a veces dolorosa y siempre fascinante.

Éste es un libro perfecto para quien quiera sentir una tierra nueva en carne propia, a quien le gusten los personajes imperfectos y a quien quiera recordar un poco lo difícil que es crecer.

Encima, ésta ha sido una perfecta introducción a Persephone books, una editorial inglesa que reimprime obras de autoras del siglo XX. Una pequeña joya que rescata joyas.