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robert1234's review
2.0
This book is the English cousin of What's Wrong With America by Scott Bradfield. While I liked What's Wrong..., this novel just left me cold. The only thing more boring than the heroine's life was the hallucinations she used to escape that life. Good writer / weak story.
carola's review against another edition
5.0
Gelezen in het Nederlands: Hoogachtend, Eliza Peabody
Ja ik ben gewoon fan van Jane Gardam. Punt, zou ik eigenlijk willen zeggen. Wat kan zij fascinerende personages neerzetten, wat kan zij prachtige verhalen schrijven. Het ene moment droogkomisch en het andere moment hartverscheurend. En dan nog de vraag wat je allemaal moet geloven van dit verhaal.
Koop dit boek bij je lokale boekhandel, zet het op je december-verlanglijstje, leen het bij de bieb, doe IETS om dit te lezen. Echt doen. En haar andere boeken ook. Punt.
Ja ik ben gewoon fan van Jane Gardam. Punt, zou ik eigenlijk willen zeggen. Wat kan zij fascinerende personages neerzetten, wat kan zij prachtige verhalen schrijven. Het ene moment droogkomisch en het andere moment hartverscheurend. En dan nog de vraag wat je allemaal moet geloven van dit verhaal.
Koop dit boek bij je lokale boekhandel, zet het op je december-verlanglijstje, leen het bij de bieb, doe IETS om dit te lezen. Echt doen. En haar andere boeken ook. Punt.
carola's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
Nederlandse versie gelezen: Hoogachtend, Eliza Peabody
Ja ik ben gewoon fan van Jane Gardam. Punt, zou ik eigenlijk willen zeggen. Wat kan zij fascinerende personages neerzetten, wat kan zij prachtige verhalen schrijven. Het ene moment droogkomisch en het andere moment hartverscheurend. En dan nog de vraag wat je allemaal moet geloven van dit verhaal.
Koop dit boek bij je lokale boekhandel, zet het op je december-verlanglijstje, leen het bij de bieb, doe IETS om dit te lezen. Echt doen. En haar andere boeken ook. Punt.
Ja ik ben gewoon fan van Jane Gardam. Punt, zou ik eigenlijk willen zeggen. Wat kan zij fascinerende personages neerzetten, wat kan zij prachtige verhalen schrijven. Het ene moment droogkomisch en het andere moment hartverscheurend. En dan nog de vraag wat je allemaal moet geloven van dit verhaal.
Koop dit boek bij je lokale boekhandel, zet het op je december-verlanglijstje, leen het bij de bieb, doe IETS om dit te lezen. Echt doen. En haar andere boeken ook. Punt.
aepirate0's review
loved it, want to read more of her. pv of woman, by reactions of neighbors we come to understand she's hallucinating and not well, eventually we hear the horrific tale of her miscarriage since when she's never been quite right. dark humor and a lot of great writing.
booktwitcher23's review
4.0
7.5 out of 10. Weirdly funny but also quite sad- a black comedy about manic depression.
dynamo170's review
4.0
I love Jane Gardam's writing. The people are so interesting and she is a great story teller too. This is a lovely story and one of my favourite lines concerns her neighbour who is marking exam results, "Dulcie Baxter...Her beautiful white hair springs up from her head enraged by what it sees on the page." (p130).
andreairashea's review against another edition
2.0
Rather disappointing after reading the "Old Filth" trilogy.
readingwithclaire's review against another edition
5.0
Masterfully crafted. Gardam truly captured the unreliable narrator, drawing out suspense in an almost painful way and then spinning the story on its head every time I thought I'd figured it all out.
chemicalgirl's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
I swore this year I would keep better track of how I find the books I read. I can't remember what made me pick up Jane Gardam right now. I am pretty sure an author referenced her, but I may never remember the circumstances and the Internet seems unwilling to help me.
I usually enjoy epistolary novels and so I was excited when I realized that The Queen of the Tambourine was letters written by Eliza to her friend Jane. However, after awhile the correspondence seemed a bit off. What exactly is happening in this story?
I found myself off center for most of this novel. Eliza seemed to have a good life, but she wasn't happy. Most of the time, she seemed crazy, but then Gadam wrote scenes that were all too sane.
I don't think I will fully appreciate and understand this novel until I have read some other books by Gadam. Are all her stories so hard to follow? Is this her style? Does she have special insight into British middle class women? I just don't know what to make of this whole book.
I gave this three stars because I did like it while I was reading it. But now, as I try to review Eliza Peabody's tale, I am confused. I am not sure I can recommend this to anyone.
I usually enjoy epistolary novels and so I was excited when I realized that The Queen of the Tambourine was letters written by Eliza to her friend Jane. However, after awhile the correspondence seemed a bit off. What exactly is happening in this story?
I found myself off center for most of this novel. Eliza seemed to have a good life, but she wasn't happy. Most of the time, she seemed crazy, but then Gadam wrote scenes that were all too sane.
I don't think I will fully appreciate and understand this novel until I have read some other books by Gadam. Are all her stories so hard to follow? Is this her style? Does she have special insight into British middle class women? I just don't know what to make of this whole book.
I gave this three stars because I did like it while I was reading it. But now, as I try to review Eliza Peabody's tale, I am confused. I am not sure I can recommend this to anyone.