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msmisal's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a fairly easy read. The premise was promising but it failed to really follow through on it. Characters fell flat, the historical aspect was delved into far too indulgently, and I felt no real love between Ferney and Gally. Rather, their story felt forced rather than born of actual admiration for each other. But it was an enjoyable, relatively fast read. So I’ll give it that.
alexisveloz's review against another edition
4.0
I finished reading Ferney on Sunday, but I've been so busy with giving my class their final and Christmas shopping that I haven't had time to do a review. This book is another that was in the bag of random books my mother-in-law gave us a couple of years ago. I don't quite know what to say about it. I guess I liked it, but it's kind of not a book you LIKE.
Ferney is about a woman named Gally and her husband, Mike. They are looking for a new home, somewhere out in the country, somewhere outside of London. Gally has suffered from debilitating panic attacks and crippling nightmares - the burnman and the boilman. She's never understood the origin of the dreams, but they intrude upon her sleep nevertheless. When Mike and Gally come across a little, run-down stone house in Penselwood, Gally knows this is the place. After they buy the house and start renovating it, her nightmares subside, and they meet an elderly neighbor man named Ferney. Ferney tells Gally an unbelievable story about why the house seems so familiar to her, where her dreams come from, and who she is. Will she choose to believe his yarns, or will she stay firmly rooted in her present? What will she do if forced to choose between Mike and Ferney?
I knew nothing about this book before reading it, but I'm glad I did. At first, it was really hard for me to get into the book - it was atmospheric, but the atmosphere was primarily foreboding. I didn't want to go back to it, because I felt sure something terrible was going to happen. But the story ended up sucking me in, and I flew through the rest of it. For me, finishing a book in a week or less is almost impossible, so I must have really liked this one!
Four out of five Whatevers. I took off one Whatever for the sense of foreboding that initially kept me at bay. Recommended for those who like historical fiction, for fans of magical realism, and for those who enjoy a good Gothic read (I don't know that it's strictly Gothic in nature, but it had that feel to it).
Ferney is about a woman named Gally and her husband, Mike. They are looking for a new home, somewhere out in the country, somewhere outside of London. Gally has suffered from debilitating panic attacks and crippling nightmares - the burnman and the boilman. She's never understood the origin of the dreams, but they intrude upon her sleep nevertheless. When Mike and Gally come across a little, run-down stone house in Penselwood, Gally knows this is the place. After they buy the house and start renovating it, her nightmares subside, and they meet an elderly neighbor man named Ferney. Ferney tells Gally an unbelievable story about why the house seems so familiar to her, where her dreams come from, and who she is. Will she choose to believe his yarns, or will she stay firmly rooted in her present? What will she do if forced to choose between Mike and Ferney?
I knew nothing about this book before reading it, but I'm glad I did. At first, it was really hard for me to get into the book - it was atmospheric, but the atmosphere was primarily foreboding. I didn't want to go back to it, because I felt sure something terrible was going to happen. But the story ended up sucking me in, and I flew through the rest of it. For me, finishing a book in a week or less is almost impossible, so I must have really liked this one!
Four out of five Whatevers. I took off one Whatever for the sense of foreboding that initially kept me at bay. Recommended for those who like historical fiction, for fans of magical realism, and for those who enjoy a good Gothic read (I don't know that it's strictly Gothic in nature, but it had that feel to it).
booktwitcher23's review against another edition
3.0
This was a slow burner at first, but I got into this time travelling story.
silverthistle5b786's review
5.0
I picked up Ferney as the third book in my '3 for 2' offer at Waterston's, without knowing the first thing about it. The cover drew me and the blurb on the back sounded interesting so I thought I'd give it a whirl.
I'm so glad I was tempted because it's such a fantastic book. It's A love story spanning countless years (and lifetimes. It's not exactly reincarnation, but it's a variation of it....kinda), and I really, really felt for Gally and Ferney, imagining how they must have struggled to find each other in some of their lifetimes. I loved when they managed to get together at the same time in their lives and hated when they overshot each other through no fault of their own. Their very first lifetime together actually moved me when it was revealed exactly what caused them to be so intertwined.
I had a real problem with Gally's husband though. What a misery he was. But then I wonder how my own spouse would be if I were in Gally's position. Probably no different. However, still don't like him *shrug*. I just wanted Gally and Ferney to be together forever and it pained me when they weren't or had interruptions.
I didn't see the 2 big revelations at the end coming though. It came as such a shock. I almost wept when I found out where Gally had been prior to being 'this' Gally (that makes no sense, I know......you'll HAVE to read it) and the end twist was so beautiful but bittersweet at the same time. It left me thinking how that would work out for them both, for days on end after finishing the book.
Such a beautiful, thought provoking book and one that is definitely worth the read, even if it's not your usual type of reading material.
I keep wondering now if I share my present life with loved ones I've spent time with in other lifetimes. I'd like to hope so.
I'm so glad I was tempted because it's such a fantastic book. It's A love story spanning countless years (and lifetimes. It's not exactly reincarnation, but it's a variation of it....kinda), and I really, really felt for Gally and Ferney, imagining how they must have struggled to find each other in some of their lifetimes. I loved when they managed to get together at the same time in their lives and hated when they overshot each other through no fault of their own. Their very first lifetime together actually moved me when it was revealed exactly what caused them to be so intertwined.
I had a real problem with Gally's husband though. What a misery he was. But then I wonder how my own spouse would be if I were in Gally's position. Probably no different. However, still don't like him *shrug*. I just wanted Gally and Ferney to be together forever and it pained me when they weren't or had interruptions.
I didn't see the 2 big revelations at the end coming though. It came as such a shock. I almost wept when I found out where Gally had been prior to being 'this' Gally (that makes no sense, I know......you'll HAVE to read it) and the end twist was so beautiful but bittersweet at the same time. It left me thinking how that would work out for them both, for days on end after finishing the book.
Such a beautiful, thought provoking book and one that is definitely worth the read, even if it's not your usual type of reading material.
I keep wondering now if I share my present life with loved ones I've spent time with in other lifetimes. I'd like to hope so.
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