Reviews

Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville

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nadia's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

I was excited when I started this book. I got on with the narrative voice and was so curious as to where the story was going...then it ended up being slightly underwhelming, boring, and repetitive.

I was rather disappointed come the end but when you learn of the context under which this book was written it adds some magic back to the whole thing, the knowledge of which contributed to my final rating.

Current Women's Prize 2024 Fiction Shortlist rankings:

1. Soldier Sailor
2. Restless Dolly Maunder

Content Warnings

feedon's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective fast-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? Yes

4.5

stevmwhite's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

readby_rach's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Perhaps I should be more generous, but Restless Dolly Maunder is a forgettable book. It feels off-putting to say that about a fictionalized account of the author’s grandmother, but I don’t want to be sentimental. Dolly Maunder is a character we all know: a woman born in the “wrong time” and chaffing at patriarchal restrictions. But that character and that story has become boring — is it really the story we need to be telling in 2023? What do we, as readers, gain from Dolly Maunder? It was enjoyable enough to read, but more interesting and more relevant stories have been told about restless women and reluctant mothers. Perhaps my real complain is that Restless Dolly Maunder is a Women’s Prize contender (short listed) when better books on similar themes (And Then She Fell, Nightbloom) were left off.

Sure, Dolly Maunder suffered the injustices of her time. And not every female protagonist needs to be revelatory or inspiring. She’s an ordinary, capable women. But for all that she wrestles against her constraints she is molded by them in the worst ways — she’s selfish and lacking in self awareness, mean-spirited to both her husband and children. Make your way in the world by all means, but you aren’t special just because you became a landlord instead of a schoolteacher.

3 stars because it was well-written and mostly enjoyable to read, but I wouldn’t recommend it, and I expect it will be forgettable.