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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
For those of you missing Downton Abbey this book just may be the fix for you. A slow start at first, but once the pace picked up, the characters became beloved. The writing style of this author is enchanting, making even World War I a easier to read about.
This book was perfect. I couldn't put it down because I wanted to know what happens, but at the same time I never wanted it to end! In the end I was happy but I still cried like a baby!
The book has an Austen-like feel. Quite a few times a character or a line or something that happened reminded me of a Jane Austen book. This was definitely a contributing factor to why I loved this book so much.
The book has an Austen-like feel. Quite a few times a character or a line or something that happened reminded me of a Jane Austen book. This was definitely a contributing factor to why I loved this book so much.
Probably more like a 3.5. A little slow, but not necessarily boring.
This novel is a poignant vignette of a small village in Sussex at the onset of World War I. The reader knows of the horrors awaiting the characters, from the soldiers to those left behind, including lovers and parents and friends. Notions of bravery and valor are quickly suspended on the deadly battlefield and in the miserable trenches. All involved are left empty and bereft. Notwithstanding this somber subject, the author creates characters who are kind, sensible and sensitive and some antagonists who are selfish, prejudiced and small minded. For those who miss Downton Abbey, the book might be an antidote to the pain of the loss of the series.This is an England of strict roles, gender related and socioeconomic, and beautiful country mansions and quaint villages.
A sweet / poignant story set in southern England as the world shifts.
Simonson’s second novel, after her debut Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, is set in 1914 in the seaside town of Rye. Championed by Agatha Kent, 23-year-old Beatrice Nash has been hired to be the Latin teacher at the local school. Beatrice arrives, more free thinking and attractive than expected, and becomes involved in the social life of the town. She encounters many colourful characters but becomes especially close with Agatha and her two nephews: Hugh Grange, a medical student, and Daniel Bookman, a bohemian poet.
This is a comedy of manners; à la Jane Austen, it is full of dry wit and sparkling dialogue. Beatrice, left penniless after her father’s death, decides she will live like a spinster earning her financial independence by pursuing teaching and writing. Of course, the possibility of romance is introduced early on though there are complicating factors. There is one potential suitor, the odious Mr. Poot, who is very similar to Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice.
The novel certainly has its light moments. Class snobbery and small-town intrigue are often rendered with a comic touch; the scenes involving various women manipulating for power are wonderful. Agatha in particular is very eloquent when verbally fencing with others, especially Mrs. Fothergill who is the model of a small-minded, small-town gossip who yearns for status and power.
But the book also examines serious issues. It focuses on gender, class and social mores. We see society’s reaction to ethnic background, divorce, pregnancy outside marriage, the feminist movement, and homosexuality. Most strongly, we see how social constructs limit people. Beatrice, like other women of the time period, has difficulty getting a job and maintaining her independence; the slightest rumour of the scantest association with scandal risks her job security. Another example of society constraining potential is evidenced in Snout, an exceptionally intelligent boy whose future is limited because of his Gypsy blood.
As the title suggests, the setting is England at the cusp of World War I. What is disturbing is that the townspeople idealize war as an adventure. Of course the reader knows what horrors await the men who enlist; I often found myself cringing at phrases like “civilized warfare” and shaking my head at the naivety of both civilians and the military. Hugh’s mentor envisions a specialist hospital as close to the front lines as possible, offering “the opportunity to catalog every possible type and severity of brain injury”! A brigadier insists on holding a drill and parade “only a couple of miles from the German lines,” not thinking that the enemy could use the sound of the full brass band to recalibrate “the range and direction of their artillery”!
It is the female characters who steal the show. Agatha, Beatrice’s patron, stands out as an intelligent, diplomatic woman who loves life and enjoys verbal jousts with the pretentious. She is not perfect, however, and, though more progressive than most, is, as she admits herself, “as small-minded as the next woman.” Beatrice finds a soul-mate in Agatha; she is intelligent and determined and feisty, so she has “to work harder to cultivate an appropriate attitude of grateful subordination.” Beatrice is also a dynamic character who learns “what it meant to be of limited income” and re-examines her relationship with her beloved father.
Though the novel is set one hundred years in the past, its discussion of refugees seems timely. The town decides to shelter some Belgian refugees and the attitudes of the various residents remind me of comments I have heard and read with regard to the refugee crisis in Europe and whether Syrians should be welcomed so openly to Canada.
This is quite a lengthy novel and at times is very slow-paced but, nonetheless, I enjoyed it. It needs to be approached leisurely. It will undoubtedly be described as a gentle, quiet read but its charm is not a disguise for fluff. The book has its comic moments, but it also accurately recreates a time of innocence before a major cataclysm which ushered in the age of experience.
Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Please check out my reader's blog (http://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
This is a comedy of manners; à la Jane Austen, it is full of dry wit and sparkling dialogue. Beatrice, left penniless after her father’s death, decides she will live like a spinster earning her financial independence by pursuing teaching and writing. Of course, the possibility of romance is introduced early on though there are complicating factors. There is one potential suitor, the odious Mr. Poot, who is very similar to Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice.
The novel certainly has its light moments. Class snobbery and small-town intrigue are often rendered with a comic touch; the scenes involving various women manipulating for power are wonderful. Agatha in particular is very eloquent when verbally fencing with others, especially Mrs. Fothergill who is the model of a small-minded, small-town gossip who yearns for status and power.
But the book also examines serious issues. It focuses on gender, class and social mores. We see society’s reaction to ethnic background, divorce, pregnancy outside marriage, the feminist movement, and homosexuality. Most strongly, we see how social constructs limit people. Beatrice, like other women of the time period, has difficulty getting a job and maintaining her independence; the slightest rumour of the scantest association with scandal risks her job security. Another example of society constraining potential is evidenced in Snout, an exceptionally intelligent boy whose future is limited because of his Gypsy blood.
As the title suggests, the setting is England at the cusp of World War I. What is disturbing is that the townspeople idealize war as an adventure. Of course the reader knows what horrors await the men who enlist; I often found myself cringing at phrases like “civilized warfare” and shaking my head at the naivety of both civilians and the military. Hugh’s mentor envisions a specialist hospital as close to the front lines as possible, offering “the opportunity to catalog every possible type and severity of brain injury”! A brigadier insists on holding a drill and parade “only a couple of miles from the German lines,” not thinking that the enemy could use the sound of the full brass band to recalibrate “the range and direction of their artillery”!
It is the female characters who steal the show. Agatha, Beatrice’s patron, stands out as an intelligent, diplomatic woman who loves life and enjoys verbal jousts with the pretentious. She is not perfect, however, and, though more progressive than most, is, as she admits herself, “as small-minded as the next woman.” Beatrice finds a soul-mate in Agatha; she is intelligent and determined and feisty, so she has “to work harder to cultivate an appropriate attitude of grateful subordination.” Beatrice is also a dynamic character who learns “what it meant to be of limited income” and re-examines her relationship with her beloved father.
Though the novel is set one hundred years in the past, its discussion of refugees seems timely. The town decides to shelter some Belgian refugees and the attitudes of the various residents remind me of comments I have heard and read with regard to the refugee crisis in Europe and whether Syrians should be welcomed so openly to Canada.
This is quite a lengthy novel and at times is very slow-paced but, nonetheless, I enjoyed it. It needs to be approached leisurely. It will undoubtedly be described as a gentle, quiet read but its charm is not a disguise for fluff. The book has its comic moments, but it also accurately recreates a time of innocence before a major cataclysm which ushered in the age of experience.
Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Please check out my reader's blog (http://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
3.5 stars.
This book was approximately 200 pages too long. It meanders -- beautifully! Simonson's writing style is very charming -- almost devoid of plot until the third act. I could forgive the insane length of the book if those extraneous 200 pages were spent on characterization, but no deep truths about any of the characters were revealed. Their personalities are established nearly as soon as they are introduced and remain static throughout the book.
As for the main "romance", it's not the slow burn that I think Simonson hopes for. The characters are tropes; anyone who's watched a gentle British drama set in the same time period knows exactly what will happen and when.
I'm putting a small plot point behind spoiler tags but really, it's not a spoiler so much as a nitpick.
If you really, really miss 'Downton Abbey' and want all the atmosphere with half the drama, you'll probably enjoy this.
This book was approximately 200 pages too long. It meanders -- beautifully! Simonson's writing style is very charming -- almost devoid of plot until the third act. I could forgive the insane length of the book if those extraneous 200 pages were spent on characterization, but no deep truths about any of the characters were revealed. Their personalities are established nearly as soon as they are introduced and remain static throughout the book.
As for the main "romance", it's not the slow burn that I think Simonson hopes for. The characters are tropes; anyone who's watched a gentle British drama set in the same time period knows exactly what will happen and when.
I'm putting a small plot point behind spoiler tags but really, it's not a spoiler so much as a nitpick.
Spoiler
Again, these characters are well-established from go, so the most minimal reading-between-the-lines makes it obvious that Daniel is gay. However, none of the characters actually comes out and says it: they make the most oblique references to "that playwright" without actually saying the name, mentioning rumours of the author (whose name I forget) preferring the company of handsome men, Craigmore's father's reaction, etc. This book tackles so much else -- and with much, much less subtlety -- that I found myself annoyed at the lack of acknowledgement of Daniel's relationship with Craigmore.If you really, really miss 'Downton Abbey' and want all the atmosphere with half the drama, you'll probably enjoy this.
There's little more to say about this book other than charming. The characters are charming, the while the plot itself is humorous but also tinged with the despair of an English hamlet whose residents ponder the onset of the Great War and the responsibilities of those with the facilities to those without, which includes unexpected (but not unwelcome) refugees.
This is more Herriott than Wodehouse, with more subtlety than not, and less attention on the eccentricities of the characters in order to stay away from unnecessary slapstick and guffaws. A delight to read.
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free advance reading copy. This in no way impacted by rating or review.
This is more Herriott than Wodehouse, with more subtlety than not, and less attention on the eccentricities of the characters in order to stay away from unnecessary slapstick and guffaws. A delight to read.
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free advance reading copy. This in no way impacted by rating or review.
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson has the elements to make me fall in love with the book. I enjoy it, but I don't fall in love with the story. Helen Simonson's beautiful writing submerges the reader into the world of East Sussex, England; but the story is slow and feels as if I have read it before. I wait for a unique twist on the theme, but that seems missing.
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2016/02/the-summer-before-war.html
Reviewed based on a publisher’s galley received through NetGalley
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2016/02/the-summer-before-war.html
Reviewed based on a publisher’s galley received through NetGalley