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johannalm's review against another edition
5.0
Ozick is such an intelligent writer and this is such a well crafted book. This novel is her retelling of Henry James the Ambassadors, and focuses on post war Paris and a middle aged high school teacher sent by her estranged brother to seek out her nephew and niece, both of whom have fled their father's overbearing demands and expectations. The vision of Paris and all the displaced persons seeking new lives but living like ghosts after surviving Hitler is chilling. The fleeing American's pathetic and clueless, as they should be since raised in sunny California. Ozick's sentences are beautiful and her word choices breathtaking at times. She masterfully infuses the book with subtle humor and an astounding unfolding that keeps you reading and absorbed.
sophronisba's review against another edition
3.0
I revere Cynthia Ozick (although sometimes I think I like the idea of her more than I like her actual work). This was just okay for me. I think I would have liked it more if I'd read it in tandem with The Ambassadors. Oddly, I found it less can't-put-it-down compelling than the other two books I read last week (The Irresistible Henry House and The Art Student's War), but it's the only one of the three I would ever want to reread.
eleong's review against another edition
2.0
I've never read Ozick before although I know her name. Brief, spare novel about a family whose existence is fragile.
smartipants8's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book in a swift haze of being in love with the English language. After almost two years of being in Asia, I went to London for 10 days and fell back in love with my own language (even if I'm a hybrid UK-US woman).
I felt the following things while reading this:
Anger at the passivity and victim-hood that the different characters displayed.
Disgust at almost all of the male characters and their weakness and pompous use of the women in the book.
A desire to return to paris if only to sit about in cafes that she writes about so beautifully.
A sort of longing for California of the 60s as seen through the Mad Men lens.
Irrational anger at a large grand piano.
Admiration for the heroine for fucking up everyone's lives.
A desire to read Henry James in the original.
I felt the following things while reading this:
Anger at the passivity and victim-hood that the different characters displayed.
Disgust at almost all of the male characters and their weakness and pompous use of the women in the book.
A desire to return to paris if only to sit about in cafes that she writes about so beautifully.
A sort of longing for California of the 60s as seen through the Mad Men lens.
Irrational anger at a large grand piano.
Admiration for the heroine for fucking up everyone's lives.
A desire to read Henry James in the original.
nickelini's review
challenging
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? No
3.0
chocolatelady1957's review against another edition
5.0
When Bea reluctantly agrees to get involved in getting her nephew to return home, she ends up traveling far more afield than just from her solitary life in 1950s New York. Read my review of this Orange Prize winning novel here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2015/07/03/overtures-with-a-nightingale/
readingisadoingword's review
3.0
This book started well and I found Bea quite a compelling character. As the plot progresses and she becomes more and more ensnarled in Marvin'd children's lives I slightly lost track of her motivation.
I found Paris describes quite well and the idea of displaces people after the war came across very well.
Overall however, at the end, I was a little disappointed.
I found Paris describes quite well and the idea of displaces people after the war came across very well.
Overall however, at the end, I was a little disappointed.
pturnbull's review
3.0
Beautifully written novel with gorgeous sentences. I was interested in Bea Nightingale, the main character, who becomes involved with her brother Marvin's children in 1954 Paris, after he commands her to bring them back home. Divorced schoolteachers working with low income students have got to have an interesting story to tell. But the novel does not belong to Bea. Instead, the point of view shifts among multiple family members and assorted acquaintances. The story is entertaining, but lacks depth. Characters are vivid, but we don't see into them closely enough to care deeply. Privately held European anti-Semitic and anti-refugee attitudes are convincingly conveyed.
kbc's review
3.0
It was beautifully written and captures the sorrows of Europe after WWII. However, I think I missed a whole couple of layers of meaning because I had never read Henry James' The Ambassadors. Oops.
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