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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
Just what you think it will be - the story of how the outbreak of the First World War effects the people of a small country down in England. Interesting, charming, well researched.
I don't know if this book was OK or not. I honestly was turned off by the voluminous nature of the writing by page 5. The sentences were so long I just couldn't follow along. It was too much work.
Not only did I laugh and cry (repeatedly) throughout this book. Not only did I learn about aspects of WWI Britain that I didn't know before, even though I've read all the Peter Wimsey and Bess Crawford and Maisie Dobbs books I could get my hands on (to say nothing of the[b:Regeneration|5872|Regeneration (Regeneration, #1)|Pat Barker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1365925619s/5872.jpg|9250] trilogy). No, beyond that, I think I am a better man for having met Agatha and Hugh and Daniel and Beatrice and young Snout, and there are not many books I think can inspire me that way.
If you didn't see the characters develop, you have read too much chick lit and not enough Jane Austen. And if you can't marvel at the good that even unadmirable human beings like Tillingham can do, I hope you learn to appreciate them by reading and not by hard experience.
This is a most humane book, as well as a lovely one.
If you didn't see the characters develop, you have read too much chick lit and not enough Jane Austen. And if you can't marvel at the good that even unadmirable human beings like Tillingham can do, I hope you learn to appreciate them by reading and not by hard experience.
This is a most humane book, as well as a lovely one.
slow-paced
Beatrice Nash is the new Latin teacher in a coastal town in Sussex. As she settles in to her new position, she learns more about the town and all the people politely vying for power within its various groups, organizations, and classes. When the war breaks out in the summer of 1914, the town has to band together, despite its differences, in order to assist refugees and support one another as the nation's men head to the Continent. The landscapes of the relationships Beatrice formed before the war are suddenly shifting as she and those around her attempt to grapple with the true depth of the war.
A friend and mentor of mine first told me about this book, and I ended up borrowing her copy. She mentioned how it was a sweet book, and while I somewhat agree, I felt like the story wasn't nearly as lighthearted as she portrayed it. In fact, the reason I struggled to get into this book was because many of the characters appear to always be gossiping about one another or plotting someone else's overthrow. Everyone seems petty, but that could also be a factor of the times: women's rights were severely restricted, so many wives scrambled for influence and control in other ways. (At least Agatha and Lady Emily's relationship wasn't a toxic female relationship.)
It wasn't until the war began that the story picks up a little, and we see the townspeople reacting the refugee crisis and call to arms. I felt like it gave the characters purpose and something to do other than gossip.
Despite this, there were many aspects of the book I did enjoy. Beatrice, Agatha, and Hugh are all great characters, and I enjoyed meeting some of the eccentrics in their circle. I also enjoyed the history; I don't know a lot about England pre-WWI, and it was interesting to read about how life was or could have been before the war, especially compared to how societal values and culture shifted so massively after the war.
Although not necessarily a lighthearted read, I think it a good imagining of Edwardian England and could help some people better understand how our world became what it is today.
A friend and mentor of mine first told me about this book, and I ended up borrowing her copy. She mentioned how it was a sweet book, and while I somewhat agree, I felt like the story wasn't nearly as lighthearted as she portrayed it. In fact, the reason I struggled to get into this book was because many of the characters appear to always be gossiping about one another or plotting someone else's overthrow. Everyone seems petty, but that could also be a factor of the times: women's rights were severely restricted, so many wives scrambled for influence and control in other ways. (At least Agatha and Lady Emily's relationship wasn't a toxic female relationship.)
It wasn't until the war began that the story picks up a little, and we see the townspeople reacting the refugee crisis and call to arms. I felt like it gave the characters purpose and something to do other than gossip.
Despite this, there were many aspects of the book I did enjoy. Beatrice, Agatha, and Hugh are all great characters, and I enjoyed meeting some of the eccentrics in their circle. I also enjoyed the history; I don't know a lot about England pre-WWI, and it was interesting to read about how life was or could have been before the war, especially compared to how societal values and culture shifted so massively after the war.
Although not necessarily a lighthearted read, I think it a good imagining of Edwardian England and could help some people better understand how our world became what it is today.
I loved Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and was looking forward to this new release. The author didn't disappoint. The characters and sense of place and time were pitch-perfect.
Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres because you can learn about different times and cultures, even through a fictional novel. The premise of The Summer Before the War is something that I will enjoy, but the story's execution felt flat, in my opinion. The author had too many storylines and characters, which made the story drag. Yes, The Summer Before the War is a novel that whisks you away to the idyllic English town of Rye on the eve of World War I. At the same time, it manages to explore the complexities of small-town life and how the arrival of outsiders can disrupt the status quo while also delving into the themes of love, loss, and the human cost of war. (For animal lovers, there is a trigger warning for a scene with the execution of an animal. I know people want to know about that kind of information).
emotional
slow-paced
A charming novel, due chiefly to its warm and sensible main character and its appealing character portraits of Edwardian rural England. The last third of the novel, when the war actually begins, seems hurriedly told and unfortunately diminishes the social comedy of the first two-thirds, as Simonson falls back on easy sentiment in describing the horror and grief of war. She is much more successful with the Austenian style of her descriptions of provincial class-consciousness, education, food, and rural traditions. But this is a satisfying read for Downton Abbey fans who want to revisit the beloved pre-WWI English manor house world.