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poachedeggs's review against another edition
3.0
I'd been wanting to read Rose Tremain for a while - an extract from one of her books was used for an unseen passage in the O-level, and I found the prose quite hypnotic (the passage was about a girl having to pick up stones for her farmer father). But this was quite a let-down. Lev, the Eastern European immigrant, is quite an unlikeable character - and yet we are supposed to sympathise with his travails.
I understand that Tremain is trying to make the point that we are all human, that no one is totally good or bad, blah blah, but these lessons felt a little heavy-handed, and the characters don't seem too three-dimensional. Every time something momentous happened, I couldn't quite reconcile it with my understanding of what they were like. Some of the secondary characters are written better - e.g. Rudi, Lev's foul-mouthed, loud best friend.
Spoiler
I mean, he actually rapes his ex-girlfriend (who's no angel either, but still!!) in one part of the book, and before that, nearly strangles her in a public (concert) venue!I understand that Tremain is trying to make the point that we are all human, that no one is totally good or bad, blah blah, but these lessons felt a little heavy-handed, and the characters don't seem too three-dimensional. Every time something momentous happened, I couldn't quite reconcile it with my understanding of what they were like.
Spoiler
(Seriously, Lev goes to London for a few months and becomes a master chef?? And volunteers in an old folks' home?)dmje's review against another edition
4.0
My first Tremain. Absolutely loved it - beautifully moving, captivating story. Recommended.
rebsreadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
siria's review against another edition
4.0
This is such a beautifully written book—Tremain recounts the tale of Lev, an economic migrant to London from Eastern Europe, in prose that is crisp and precise. The delicacy of the characterisation allows for a very subtle examination of what it means to be an immigrant, an outsider, within English society—how hard it is to leave behind your own past and create a present in a country which needs but does not truly want your presence. The ending is, I think, as ambivalent as it needs to be, with Lev caught between success and failure, both personal and economic.
(There was only one small thing that niggled at me—Lev's family seems to be Eastern Orthodox, yet they are shown celebrating Christmas on the same day that it is celebrated in the UK. That threw me a little, and did make me question a little the authenticity of the rest of what Tremain told us about Lev's world.)
(There was only one small thing that niggled at me—Lev's family seems to be Eastern Orthodox, yet they are shown celebrating Christmas on the same day that it is celebrated in the UK. That threw me a little, and did make me question a little the authenticity of the rest of what Tremain told us about Lev's world.)
kazzhiggs's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
The protagonist wasn't the most sympathetic to me, I found him misogynistic and outright violent towards women. Many stereotypes used to describe the main characters. I read the audio book and thought the choice of narrator was not the best considering the pretty offensive accent work they adopted.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Xenophobia
lucyy1205's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
beriboo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
snoakes7001's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this engaging tale of Lev - an Eastern European economic migrant trying to earn enough money in the UK to realise his dreams back home. Made even more touching in the light of recent events, it's a great story to humanise the people behind the statistics. It might not be perfect (I see some pedants' complaints regarding slight details that aren't quite factually correct), but for the sake of the lives it illuminates it should be required reading for everyone privileged enough to be born here.