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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Dot Watson works in a Lost Property office, but while working amongst the lost items, she realises that it’s herself that’s actually lost. When a customer comes in looking for his lost bag that contains something very important to him, Dot makes it her mission to reunite the bag with its owner, but along the way she realises that maybe she needs to find out where she belongs.
This book really has me torn. It definitely wasn’t exactly what I was expecting; I thought it would be a little more light-hearted, especially after reading the blurb. That being said, I didn’t not enjoy it, and it does have some funny moments. However, I also did find it difficult at times due to the issues it focuses on such as dementia, missed opportunities and grief. Having my own personal connections to dementia, I found that quite hard to read and feel that some others might also struggle, especially if they don’t know what they’re getting in to.
I liked the cast of quirky characters and enjoyed reading it for the most part, but it contained a bit too much waffle in places and had too much description at times. It made the story stagnate a little because sometimes the author used too many words when they weren’t needed which made sentences overly long and tad dull.
The character of Dot felt a little muddled, and I wasn’t quite sure how I was supposed to feel about her. I think she was quite difficult to pin down and therefore it was hard to really grow attached. Her actions weren’t always too believable and felt the author was trying too hard to create an Eleanor Oliphant type character.
There was a lot of heart in this book though, and it did make me think about my own life and experiences. I could see the author’s intentions and appreciate a lot of what was written, if only it could have been streamlined a little.
At the minute there seems to be a lot of books that follow this similar idea of an unconventional person’s journey (The Seven Rules of Elvira Carr, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, The Lost Letters of William Woolf, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, Where’d You Go Bernadette etc). Lost Property fits easily into that genre, and is more enjoyable than many of the others, just not the top pick.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this novel in exchange for an honest review.
This book really has me torn. It definitely wasn’t exactly what I was expecting; I thought it would be a little more light-hearted, especially after reading the blurb. That being said, I didn’t not enjoy it, and it does have some funny moments. However, I also did find it difficult at times due to the issues it focuses on such as dementia, missed opportunities and grief. Having my own personal connections to dementia, I found that quite hard to read and feel that some others might also struggle, especially if they don’t know what they’re getting in to.
I liked the cast of quirky characters and enjoyed reading it for the most part, but it contained a bit too much waffle in places and had too much description at times. It made the story stagnate a little because sometimes the author used too many words when they weren’t needed which made sentences overly long and tad dull.
The character of Dot felt a little muddled, and I wasn’t quite sure how I was supposed to feel about her. I think she was quite difficult to pin down and therefore it was hard to really grow attached. Her actions weren’t always too believable and felt the author was trying too hard to create an Eleanor Oliphant type character.
There was a lot of heart in this book though, and it did make me think about my own life and experiences. I could see the author’s intentions and appreciate a lot of what was written, if only it could have been streamlined a little.
At the minute there seems to be a lot of books that follow this similar idea of an unconventional person’s journey (The Seven Rules of Elvira Carr, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, The Lost Letters of William Woolf, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, Where’d You Go Bernadette etc). Lost Property fits easily into that genre, and is more enjoyable than many of the others, just not the top pick.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this novel in exchange for an honest review.
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m really not sure how I feel about this book, as it had a lot of serious themes in it, suicide, sexual assault, an elderly parent with dementia, homelessness, sibling rivalry, and depression. I enjoyed the stories of the lost property items and customers that Dot tried to help, but I found some of the story quite hard going at times. It’s supposed to be an uplifting book, and although I found a few parts laugh out loud funny, it was mostly a sad book for me. I loved the narration by Joanna Scanlan, she really brought Dot and all the cast of characters to life perfectly, and I’d definitely listen to other audiobooks narrated by her.
Thanks so much NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK Audio for my digital copy via the NetGalley app.
Thanks so much NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK Audio for my digital copy via the NetGalley app.
“Lost Property itself has something of the past about it, like a museum, a depository of memories, a library of loss. I think that is why I have always felt at home here.”
Dot Watson has worked at the London Transport Lost Property office for twelve years where she finds satisfaction in taking care of lost items and reuniting them with their owners. Though once she planned to have a busy globe-trotting career, now she only travels vicariously via guidebooks saved from the Pit.
“You see, I know about loss. I know its shape, its weak spots, its corners and sharp edges. I have felt its coordinates. I have sewn its name into the back of its collar.”
A story of love, grief and guilt, we slowly learn how it is that Dot lost the future she dreamed of, instead finding herself living alone, never venturing further than the few miles it takes her to commute to work, or visit her bossy sister when summoned, or her mother’s care home. Dot is a sympathetic character, it’s clear she suffers from some anxiety and carries a heavy burden. She sees herself as abandoned and unwanted like many of the items in the lost property that remain unclaimed.
‘They . . . objects are time machines, in a way; they can recall . . . the people we have lost.’
Something is triggered in Dot when a Mr. John Appelby comes searching for his late wife’s holdall, accidentally left behind on the number 73 bus. In combination with her sister’s insistence that they sell their mother’s maisonette where Dot is living, her mother’s worsening dementia, and changes at work, Dot begins to lose her grip on herself. Paris handles Dot’s increasing emotional distress with sensitivity, and the major events she confronts with genuine compassion.
"There's a difference though, between being lost and being left".
Paris makes astute observations about memory, family dynamics, and of course the emotional value of objects. There is more tragedy in Lost Property than I expected, though ultimately there is also forgiveness, acceptance, and hope. There’s some humour, and even a little romance.
“Found: Holdall Details: Leather (golden syrup) Woman’s purse (bluey-lilac) Bulbs (tulip) Trowel Place: 73 bus”
Told with warmth and tenderness, each chapter is headed with a tag, like those Dot attaches to the lost objects in her care, bearing the details of something lost, or found, not just objects like Appleby’s holdall, but also people, and intangibles. I found it a little slow and seemingly directionless to start with, but was soon drawn in by Dot.
“...ordinary objects, extraordinary objects, objects that contain in their bodies a memory, a moment, a trace of a life lived, a person loved.”
An accomplished debut from Helen Paris, Lost Property is a touching and poignant novel.
Dot Watson has worked at the London Transport Lost Property office for twelve years where she finds satisfaction in taking care of lost items and reuniting them with their owners. Though once she planned to have a busy globe-trotting career, now she only travels vicariously via guidebooks saved from the Pit.
“You see, I know about loss. I know its shape, its weak spots, its corners and sharp edges. I have felt its coordinates. I have sewn its name into the back of its collar.”
A story of love, grief and guilt, we slowly learn how it is that Dot lost the future she dreamed of, instead finding herself living alone, never venturing further than the few miles it takes her to commute to work, or visit her bossy sister when summoned, or her mother’s care home. Dot is a sympathetic character, it’s clear she suffers from some anxiety and carries a heavy burden. She sees herself as abandoned and unwanted like many of the items in the lost property that remain unclaimed.
‘They . . . objects are time machines, in a way; they can recall . . . the people we have lost.’
Something is triggered in Dot when a Mr. John Appelby comes searching for his late wife’s holdall, accidentally left behind on the number 73 bus. In combination with her sister’s insistence that they sell their mother’s maisonette where Dot is living, her mother’s worsening dementia, and changes at work, Dot begins to lose her grip on herself. Paris handles Dot’s increasing emotional distress with sensitivity, and the major events she confronts with genuine compassion.
"There's a difference though, between being lost and being left".
Paris makes astute observations about memory, family dynamics, and of course the emotional value of objects. There is more tragedy in Lost Property than I expected, though ultimately there is also forgiveness, acceptance, and hope. There’s some humour, and even a little romance.
“Found: Holdall Details: Leather (golden syrup) Woman’s purse (bluey-lilac) Bulbs (tulip) Trowel Place: 73 bus”
Told with warmth and tenderness, each chapter is headed with a tag, like those Dot attaches to the lost objects in her care, bearing the details of something lost, or found, not just objects like Appleby’s holdall, but also people, and intangibles. I found it a little slow and seemingly directionless to start with, but was soon drawn in by Dot.
“...ordinary objects, extraordinary objects, objects that contain in their bodies a memory, a moment, a trace of a life lived, a person loved.”
An accomplished debut from Helen Paris, Lost Property is a touching and poignant novel.
emotional
sad
slow-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicide attempt
This is the story of Dot who works in the lost property office. She lives alone, in a maisonette eating tinned soup. Dot’s Mother has dementia and has been moved into a care home, Dot’s sister Phillippa is married with kids. Phillippa wants to find Dot a husband, to sell the maisonette which was their mother’s and find Dot a more reputable job. Lost Property has become Dot’s life - uniting various objects, clothing, baggage with their owners her mission. Dot’s life is unravelling. Changes are afoot at work and her home may be sold, some nights she doesn’t leave the office and increasingly she is haunted by events from the past and her father’s death.
There is so much of this story that I loved. I loved the descriptions of the objects, the sense of their belonging beyond simple ownership, the way they defined their owner. I loved the relationship between Phillippa and her sister. Dot feels that Phillippa has always owned the older sister role, humiliated her as a child. Phillippa and Dot disagree about how to support their Mother. Dot feels that she was the ‘mistake’. I loved the strong sense of the family - the two little girls, the Mum who used to sing on stage and now sings over the washing, the Father who retreats into his imagination, who loves to create adventures, who loves their uncle, who finds this world too hard. The feeling of grief and loss is tangible and the scenes of Dot and her Mother in the care home are beautifully evoked as Dot tries to help her Mother re-connect.
I did feel that the middle section of the book lost its grip on me and I am not entirely sure why but I struggled with the latter half of the book. With thanks to Netgalley and Random House for a digital copy of this book
There is so much of this story that I loved. I loved the descriptions of the objects, the sense of their belonging beyond simple ownership, the way they defined their owner. I loved the relationship between Phillippa and her sister. Dot feels that Phillippa has always owned the older sister role, humiliated her as a child. Phillippa and Dot disagree about how to support their Mother. Dot feels that she was the ‘mistake’. I loved the strong sense of the family - the two little girls, the Mum who used to sing on stage and now sings over the washing, the Father who retreats into his imagination, who loves to create adventures, who loves their uncle, who finds this world too hard. The feeling of grief and loss is tangible and the scenes of Dot and her Mother in the care home are beautifully evoked as Dot tries to help her Mother re-connect.
I did feel that the middle section of the book lost its grip on me and I am not entirely sure why but I struggled with the latter half of the book. With thanks to Netgalley and Random House for a digital copy of this book
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
emotional
sad
slow-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
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
sad
slow-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
To be honest when I started this book I thought it was going nowhere fast. I’m the type that finishes a book once I’ve started Incase it gets better. Well this one did once the bits started clicking into place!! Once the penny started to drop I could finally figure out what was happening and could enjoy it more. It started off with me just thinking what on earth is meant to be happening!!!
I had trouble picturing what Dot would look like as shes kind of two different people. I think I needed to understand her a bit more to truly see what she looks like.
I think the author uses a few too many unusual words when describing things, meaning you have to either just guess or stop reading and look it up which is slightly annoying!!!
Overall a pretty good good read.
I had trouble picturing what Dot would look like as shes kind of two different people. I think I needed to understand her a bit more to truly see what she looks like.
I think the author uses a few too many unusual words when describing things, meaning you have to either just guess or stop reading and look it up which is slightly annoying!!!
Overall a pretty good good read.