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frankatzenzungen's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
foggy_rosamund's review against another edition
4.0
Christina is an orphan, sent from relation to relation, without any control over her life. But worst of all is Flambards: a huge, ramshackle house owned by her choleric uncle, and the home of her two cousins. Her uncle was injured in a riding accident, but still cares only for horses and hunting. Christina gradually finds a space for herself at Flambards, discovering that she is a talented rider and lovers horses. But living with her capricious uncle is hard for everyone, and when Christina tries to save an injured horse, she ends up hurting Dick, the groom and her only true ally. This is a fast-paced story but full of depth, touching on issues of loss, disability, war, child abuse, class and social and technological change. It has the more depth than most horse stories, but is also a beautiful portrait of riding and countryside.
mat_tobin's review against another edition
4.0
Set within the grounds of a slowly-aging Essex Manor (Flambards), Peyton's novels sets the grounds for the end of an era and celebration of a class and the age of a new dawn which heralds cars and planes but also war. When twelve-year old Christina Parsons is sent to live with her uncle and two sons she feel that her destiny has already been written. When she comes of age, she will run into her family's fortune and will be expected to marry Mark, the eldest of the Flambard family who is as cold, brutal and selfish and his drunken father.
Yet the horses of the manor, and a stablehand, Dick as well as the youngest Flambard, William offer her hope of escape and a sense that her life could be different should she choose to escape that which has already been written for her. What comes across in the novel, for me, is the physicality. The horses, their tempers and the physical challenges of the characters set a power and strength in here that I find fascinating. There is also, in Christina, a sense of a young woman steadily challenging the gendered norms that her society expects. It is slight but it is there. I am left to wonder how much is grows in other Flambards novels.
Yet the horses of the manor, and a stablehand, Dick as well as the youngest Flambard, William offer her hope of escape and a sense that her life could be different should she choose to escape that which has already been written for her. What comes across in the novel, for me, is the physicality. The horses, their tempers and the physical challenges of the characters set a power and strength in here that I find fascinating. There is also, in Christina, a sense of a young woman steadily challenging the gendered norms that her society expects. It is slight but it is there. I am left to wonder how much is grows in other Flambards novels.
mirajohans's review
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bibielle's review
emotional
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
elisabethshanahan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
3.75
letsreadwithcats's review against another edition
3.0
I did enjoy reading Flambards and am planning on reading the sequels. It has a an engaging plot and some interesting characters. The reason I didn't rate the book higher was because, though I found it enjoyable, I also felt a distance between myself and the characters. There is a disconnect that I think comes from the writing style.
There is a lot of "telling" instead of "showing", perhaps due to the time period it was written. For example, at the end It is a real weakness in the story. I also thought William, though a visionary, was rather prickly and boring. Dick was infinitely more appealing. I even liked Mark better. Yes, he's a jerk. But as a character I thought he was more charismatic and complex than William.
The writing style also left me confused of the genre this book is supposed to be. The writing style itself is very juvenile/middle grade; however, the content is more young adult. I'm marking it as young adult.
There is a lot of "telling" instead of "showing", perhaps due to the time period it was written. For example, at the end
Spoiler
when Christina realizes she loves William and runs away with him, it seemed to come out of nowhere. There really wasn't any build up in their relationship to make it feel like it was taking a romantic turn. It just kind of happens at the end. But I never really FELT that Christina's feelings for William were any stronger than they had been for Dick or even Mark.The writing style also left me confused of the genre this book is supposed to be. The writing style itself is very juvenile/middle grade; however, the content is more young adult.
Spoiler
Mark does get one of the servant girls pregnant after all!seadaz's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed this short novel.
It gave me quite a dark feeling. The old man was a right b*****d, so very cruel to Will.
The ending wasn't an ending at all, just an abrupt stop.
Luckily I do have Flambards in Summer to read (in fact I'm now about 100 pages in).
So the books are very quick and easy to read, in the first one there is no sex nor swearing. There is obviously sex behind the scenes, as Mark gets the parlour maid pregnant (unmarried so sent away in embarrassment).
Mark sounded handsome (until he got beaten to a pulp for getting the young lass up the duff), was quite brave, but alas he was a brute to people and the horses.
Will was by all accounts a weak, infirmed dreamer, he hates horses and is scared of hunting with a passion, he really only wants to fly planes.
The young Christina is an orphan that is moved around a lot during her first 12 yrs. it appears that her uncle has eyes on her inheritance, that she will get at 21, until then, she is a poor young lass. Uncle and possibly the aunt want to marry her off to the handsome but brutish Mark.
She moves to Flambards, learns to horse ride, is good at it and loves to hunt, she seems to be constantly in a battle with Mark.
She has teenage love feelings for the horse handler at Flambards, Dick.
Unfortunately she ends up getting Dick fired from his job, when she tries to save her loved horse Sweetbriar from being shot and fed to the hounds, following a nasty hunt fall that Mark causes, making the mare pretty much useless.
The story ends soon after the hunt ball, where she is proposed to by both Mark and Will, I won't say who she ends up, if at all, so I won't spoil it for others.
It gave me quite a dark feeling. The old man was a right b*****d, so very cruel to Will.
The ending wasn't an ending at all, just an abrupt stop.
Luckily I do have Flambards in Summer to read (in fact I'm now about 100 pages in).
So the books are very quick and easy to read, in the first one there is no sex nor swearing. There is obviously sex behind the scenes, as Mark gets the parlour maid pregnant (unmarried so sent away in embarrassment).
Mark sounded handsome (until he got beaten to a pulp for getting the young lass up the duff), was quite brave, but alas he was a brute to people and the horses.
Will was by all accounts a weak, infirmed dreamer, he hates horses and is scared of hunting with a passion, he really only wants to fly planes.
The young Christina is an orphan that is moved around a lot during her first 12 yrs. it appears that her uncle has eyes on her inheritance, that she will get at 21, until then, she is a poor young lass. Uncle and possibly the aunt want to marry her off to the handsome but brutish Mark.
She moves to Flambards, learns to horse ride, is good at it and loves to hunt, she seems to be constantly in a battle with Mark.
She has teenage love feelings for the horse handler at Flambards, Dick.
Unfortunately she ends up getting Dick fired from his job, when she tries to save her loved horse Sweetbriar from being shot and fed to the hounds, following a nasty hunt fall that Mark causes, making the mare pretty much useless.
The story ends soon after the hunt ball, where she is proposed to by both Mark and Will, I won't say who she ends up, if at all, so I won't spoil it for others.
rajesh_bookrider's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5 Stars
Flambards is a YA novel by K. M. Peyton, first published in 1967. Alternatively, "Flambards" is the trilogy (1967–1969) or series (1967–1981) named after its first book. The series is set in England just before, during, and after World War I.
A twelve years old Cristina Parsons has been shunted around the family since she was orphaned at the age of five. Now she is sent to live with her uncle Russell and his two sons in their decaying mansion, Flambards.
Her uncle is a fierce man drinks pretty heavily. He was a horse rider and loves to hunting fox until he broke his leg in an accident. He is deeply obsessed with horses.
His elder son Mark is more like his father and the other son William is kind and has a great interest in flying machines but hates horse riding and hunting
When Cristina will turn 21 she will get money which her parents left for her. But uncle Russell has a plan to get that money for finance the upkeep of the Flambirds estate.
There, Cristina forced to ride horse, later on she starts to like it, also she feels a little bit crush on a stable boy.
I felt like this book is weak at the point of unfolding Cristina's relationship with William. It feels like just told, rather then describe.
But I appreciate this book because it's really engaging to read Cristina's arrival at the Flambards, her attachment with her mare which she rides, William's passion about flying machines and friendship with Cristina, Cristina's feelings and crush, and also this book end for new beginning.
Flambards is a YA novel by K. M. Peyton, first published in 1967. Alternatively, "Flambards" is the trilogy (1967–1969) or series (1967–1981) named after its first book. The series is set in England just before, during, and after World War I.
A twelve years old Cristina Parsons has been shunted around the family since she was orphaned at the age of five. Now she is sent to live with her uncle Russell and his two sons in their decaying mansion, Flambards.
Her uncle is a fierce man drinks pretty heavily. He was a horse rider and loves to hunting fox until he broke his leg in an accident. He is deeply obsessed with horses.
His elder son Mark is more like his father and the other son William is kind and has a great interest in flying machines but hates horse riding and hunting
When Cristina will turn 21 she will get money which her parents left for her. But uncle Russell has a plan to get that money for finance the upkeep of the Flambirds estate.
There, Cristina forced to ride horse, later on she starts to like it, also she feels a little bit crush on a stable boy.
I felt like this book is weak at the point of unfolding Cristina's relationship with William. It feels like just told, rather then describe.
But I appreciate this book because it's really engaging to read Cristina's arrival at the Flambards, her attachment with her mare which she rides, William's passion about flying machines and friendship with Cristina, Cristina's feelings and crush, and also this book end for new beginning.