Reviews

Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift

lurdes_oliveira's review against another edition

2.0

For a short book, this felt very long…
Jane Fairchild is looking back at her life told in jagged flashbacks from her current age of 90, in particularly the 30 of March 1924, this would be a fine way to tell a story, if this was a full length novel, but due to the short-story format it became very confusing, I don't know if something was lost in translation (I read de Portuguese version), but I didn't like the way the story was told, at all.
This very repetitive. Too much about one day and not enough about any other moments of her life; too much discussion of bodily fluids and how they got there; too much confusing backwards and forwards in time, and a very pretentious writing style.

kate66's review against another edition

5.0

A short and interesting read. I've not read anything by Graham Swift before but this definitely made me want to read more.

The story (or tale) involves a maid called Jane Fairchild who, like the other household staff, has been given Mothering Sunday off. Jane is an orphan and so decides to spend the day reading. However her plans are changed and thus begins the start of a very different outcome to her day and, quite possibly, her whole life.

The writing is quite beautiful. It's a gentle look at life as it was for those above and below stairs in the early 1920's when the world had changed irreparably for so many families after the First World War.

panele_zi's review against another edition

5.0

Vienoje dienoje telpa visas gyvenimas. Taip ir šioje knygoje jis atskleidžiamas per našlaitės Džeinės Ferčaild paveikslą. Nuo šešiolikos ji dirba tarnaite Nivenų namuose bei yra slapta kaimyno Polo Šeringeno meilužė. Nesvarbu, kad po poros savaičių jo vestuvės, per Motinų sekmadienį, vienintelę tarnaitėms laisvą dieną, Džeinė pakviečiama susitikti jo namuose. Jie dar nežino, kad šis susitikimas paskutinis. Per vienos dienos atpasakojimą Džeinė prisimena visą savo gyvenimą: nuo našlaičių namų iki rašytojos karjeros.

Nors knygoje veiksmas vyksta 1924-aisiais, tarnaitė Džeinė parodoma kaip savo pačios šeimininkė. Čia atskleidžiama moters vidinė ramybė, susitaikymas su savo padėtimi, bet tuo pačiu su tuo ateinanti vidinė laisvė.

„Motinų sekmadienis“ mane stebino paprastumu, bet tuo pačiu ir stiliaus įmantrumu. Rekomenduoju knygą tiems, kurie nesitiki didesnės intrigos, bet ieško ramaus vakaro skaitinio. Ši knyga tokia trumputė, bet talpinanti daug išgyvenimų bei apmąstymų.

Visą apžvalgą galite rasti puslapyje: https://juoduantbalto.lt/?p=1461

alineh's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

rose_reads33's review against another edition

4.0

Maybe even a 4.5. This had a slow start but was beautifully written and thought-provoking book

mizpurplest's review against another edition

4.0

I (obviously) flew through this book, and not just because it is small and relatively short. I loved the way the story was written, flowing smoothly but hopping back and forth in time to tell so much more than just plot. I really loved that although there was a plot, it wasn't the driving force of the story. Jane's personal development, although told non-sequentially, and her reactions to the various environments, were much more important than what actually took place, and the other brief characters were written in a way to give them suggested depth even when their page time was severely limited.

mandyc1977's review against another edition

5.0

I randomly picked up this book from the library shelves based on the slimness of the book and the title. The cover let me know that I was a bit misled by the title and it was not a book on mothering. But what I had found was an utterly enchanting book that started with these words: "Once upon a time, before the boys were killed and when there were more horses than cars, before the male servants disappeared and they made do......"

And that was it, I was hooked. To call this book "a romance" as it is called on the cover of the book is to do it an injustice, I feel. Yes, there is romance but it feels small in light of the overall life lived by the main character, Jane Fairchild. I was carried along by her narration so much so that when, in the middle of her prose, a shocking tidbit of information was introduced - casually and without much fanfare - I would gasp.

There are the surprises, twists and turns of life that occur throughout the book. They aren't dwelled on rather they are just mentioned in the midst of a long and well-loved life. Whole stories and plot lines are teased out but not followed, you're given just glimpses of what was.

I fell in love with this character and with this enchanting book. Highly recommend. Also, don't be thrown by a few explicit words. It feels more textbook than graphic. I will definitely be reading other books by this author.

nyne's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

indiqoblue's review against another edition

Läst till littkurs // Tyckte om den här förvånansvärt mycket. Språket och händelserna gjorde att jag varken kunde sluta läsa eller sluta tänka på den. Däremot tyckte jag att det blev lite förvirrande att den nästan handlade om två ganska skilda, olika saker närmre slutet. Jane är i alla fall en karaktär jag inte kommer att glömma!

yasemin2's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

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

3.5