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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
This book was difficult to read It had a stilted narrative, jumping in time from now to then and even before that. Its story telling was clunky and had a wandering POV. There were good ideas hiding but the author really failed to portray them in any meaningful way
Some novels are less than what they appear, others are more so. Some can be read as entertainment only, while some can be read that way but have other things to say. Salley Vickers writes novels that are unassuming yet have wise observations about people and how they like to judge others. The Cleaner of Chartres is such a novel.
Agnes Morel is one of those quiet women who appear as if they are going through life trying to be undetected. She arrived one day in Chartres, no one remembers exactly when, and has made a meager living for herself cleaning and occasionally watching children.
One priest tries to turn Agnes into his confessor, not of crimes, but of his crisis of faith. Two catty old women who employ Agnes use her in their game of oneupsmanship. A lonely professor turns his life around when Agnes begins to organize his messy office. A psychiatrist worries whether he helped Agnes or made her life worse. And a man involved in a cleaning project within the cathedral finds her fascinating.
Perhaps because she is quiet and makes no demands of her own, others either want her to listen to them or assign all sorts of activities to her. She is often regarded by others are a character not unlike that of Chauncey Gardner in Being There, in which others mistake simplicity for being profound. But in the case of this novel, there is no satire involved.
There is, however, past tragedy and that is used against Agnes when it becomes known. And that's when the narrative becomes really rather interesting. Vickers is good at pointing out what the foibles of each character mean in terms of what kind a character each is. She also is good at slipping in some asides that showcase what's behind what some people do and what's behind their thinking.
In this exchange. Abbe Paul is speaking first while Agnes responds:
"...But since no one knows what it quite was there's no reason why you wouldn't be the one to uncover the mystery."
"Maybe it is better left uncovered."
The Abbe Paul looked at Agnes rather as Alain had, with respect. "How sensible. People are desperate to probe mysteries which for the most part are best left unprobed. It is the modern curse: this demented drive to explain every blessed thing. Not everything can be explained. Nor should be, I think."
"Some things should be, though." She was thinking of the riddle of her own birth.
"To be sure. I often wonder if happiness isn't knowing what should and what should not be explained."
"But how can we tell which is which?"
"Hmmm," said the Abbe Paul. "That, I suppose, is wisdom."
This exchange encapsulates what I like about Vickers's writing -- my initial reaction is to question what's wrong with trying to explain every blessed, and cursed, thing. At first, Vickers's plot seems to suggest that this dashing about trying to explain things, especially when not equipped with all the necessary information, can lead to trouble and hurt people.
But then something else happens, just when it looks like the entire plot is going to collapse upon itself as the smaller-minded characters ascend. As more characters find out what actually happened in the past and what recently happened, things don't just straighten themselves out. Situations actually improve for several characters.
The results are plausible but, depending on one's outlook about other human beings, either likely or barely possible. How one responds to fiction is largely a matter of what one brings to it, and responses could be viewed as a Rorschach Test of sorts. Reading a novel by Vickers, who is a Jungian psychotherapist, it's possible to take a step back from reading and reacting to see what one's own reaction might mean.
Or whether it's just an entertainment.
Agnes Morel is one of those quiet women who appear as if they are going through life trying to be undetected. She arrived one day in Chartres, no one remembers exactly when, and has made a meager living for herself cleaning and occasionally watching children.
One priest tries to turn Agnes into his confessor, not of crimes, but of his crisis of faith. Two catty old women who employ Agnes use her in their game of oneupsmanship. A lonely professor turns his life around when Agnes begins to organize his messy office. A psychiatrist worries whether he helped Agnes or made her life worse. And a man involved in a cleaning project within the cathedral finds her fascinating.
Perhaps because she is quiet and makes no demands of her own, others either want her to listen to them or assign all sorts of activities to her. She is often regarded by others are a character not unlike that of Chauncey Gardner in Being There, in which others mistake simplicity for being profound. But in the case of this novel, there is no satire involved.
There is, however, past tragedy and that is used against Agnes when it becomes known. And that's when the narrative becomes really rather interesting. Vickers is good at pointing out what the foibles of each character mean in terms of what kind a character each is. She also is good at slipping in some asides that showcase what's behind what some people do and what's behind their thinking.
In this exchange. Abbe Paul is speaking first while Agnes responds:
"...But since no one knows what it quite was there's no reason why you wouldn't be the one to uncover the mystery."
"Maybe it is better left uncovered."
The Abbe Paul looked at Agnes rather as Alain had, with respect. "How sensible. People are desperate to probe mysteries which for the most part are best left unprobed. It is the modern curse: this demented drive to explain every blessed thing. Not everything can be explained. Nor should be, I think."
"Some things should be, though." She was thinking of the riddle of her own birth.
"To be sure. I often wonder if happiness isn't knowing what should and what should not be explained."
"But how can we tell which is which?"
"Hmmm," said the Abbe Paul. "That, I suppose, is wisdom."
This exchange encapsulates what I like about Vickers's writing -- my initial reaction is to question what's wrong with trying to explain every blessed, and cursed, thing. At first, Vickers's plot seems to suggest that this dashing about trying to explain things, especially when not equipped with all the necessary information, can lead to trouble and hurt people.
But then something else happens, just when it looks like the entire plot is going to collapse upon itself as the smaller-minded characters ascend. As more characters find out what actually happened in the past and what recently happened, things don't just straighten themselves out. Situations actually improve for several characters.
The results are plausible but, depending on one's outlook about other human beings, either likely or barely possible. How one responds to fiction is largely a matter of what one brings to it, and responses could be viewed as a Rorschach Test of sorts. Reading a novel by Vickers, who is a Jungian psychotherapist, it's possible to take a step back from reading and reacting to see what one's own reaction might mean.
Or whether it's just an entertainment.
It was hard to get into at first, it didn't grab my attention, but by page 30+ I was hooked. With 10 pages to go, I didn't see that twist coming. Really enjoyed it in the end.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have mixed feelings about Salley Vickers' writing. I loved Mr. Golightly's Holiday, Instances of the Number 3 and enjoyed Miss Garnett's Angel, but didn't care much for Dancing Backwards or The Other Side of You. But The Cleaner of Chartres seemed to be in a vein similar to Mr. Golightly's Holiday, so I was excited to read it.
I was disappointed. While it does have the constant sense of warmth and good will that makes me love Vickers in the first place, it was too simplistic for me to put much stock into its characters. For example, why make Madame Beck so one dimensional? Why not present her from her own point of view, rather than from the point of view of one who's constantly judging her? It would be much more effective to see her try to convince herself of her own motives and desires, then act on them, than it is to see her as this cartoonish villain who provides the plot of the story.
SPOILERS: Also, the ending of the story felt so very rushed. It felt like it should've been another 50 pages or so, but the publisher told her they were out of paper so she had to stick on this afterword. Why even lace Dr. Deman throughout the whole book if we're not even going to get to see them reunited? Why even have that be Madame Beck's earring if there's ultimately no denouement between them? I felt cheated by missing out on some of the conclusions I thought we'd be getting, as well as by a quick happy ending pasted on to it.
Finally, as others have said, I didn't feel like I really knew Agnes at all. It kept shocking me when men seemed to find her desirable - I pictured her as some ancient bag lady. I just couldn't get a handle on her.
I was disappointed. While it does have the constant sense of warmth and good will that makes me love Vickers in the first place, it was too simplistic for me to put much stock into its characters. For example, why make Madame Beck so one dimensional? Why not present her from her own point of view, rather than from the point of view of one who's constantly judging her? It would be much more effective to see her try to convince herself of her own motives and desires, then act on them, than it is to see her as this cartoonish villain who provides the plot of the story.
SPOILERS: Also, the ending of the story felt so very rushed. It felt like it should've been another 50 pages or so, but the publisher told her they were out of paper so she had to stick on this afterword. Why even lace Dr. Deman throughout the whole book if we're not even going to get to see them reunited? Why even have that be Madame Beck's earring if there's ultimately no denouement between them? I felt cheated by missing out on some of the conclusions I thought we'd be getting, as well as by a quick happy ending pasted on to it.
Finally, as others have said, I didn't feel like I really knew Agnes at all. It kept shocking me when men seemed to find her desirable - I pictured her as some ancient bag lady. I just couldn't get a handle on her.
My heart sank when I saw this was our next book for book club. I've crossed paths with Salley Vickers before, and I didn't enjoy the experience, so I was pleasantly surprised when this book wasn't total pap.
It's a few weeks now since I finished this book, but I did enjoy it. I liked the unearthing of the story, the ending and especially the postscript that Vickers indulged the reader with. Very satisfying.
I did marvel at the number of English connections the characters in this book had. *Really*, or this artistic licence? (I think the latter, but don't know France very well, so could be wrong.)
I also was dissatisfied at the lack of dialogue from the main character. I found it hard to relate to her and know her true feelings and motivations, but that was part of her enigma. Wouldn't have been much of a book at all, I suppose, if everyone could easily understand her.
Loved the relationship with the conservator. Fab. And the final twist about the earring. Fantastic. A very well crafted novel.
It's a few weeks now since I finished this book, but I did enjoy it. I liked the unearthing of the story, the ending and especially the postscript that Vickers indulged the reader with. Very satisfying.
I did marvel at the number of English connections the characters in this book had. *Really*, or this artistic licence? (I think the latter, but don't know France very well, so could be wrong.)
I also was dissatisfied at the lack of dialogue from the main character. I found it hard to relate to her and know her true feelings and motivations, but that was part of her enigma. Wouldn't have been much of a book at all, I suppose, if everyone could easily understand her.
Loved the relationship with the conservator. Fab. And the final twist about the earring. Fantastic. A very well crafted novel.
I won this book as part of the goodreads giveaway, giving me the fabulous opportunity to discover Sally Vickers. For me, the highlight of the book is its characterisation, alongside a colourful french ambience.
The story is about Agnes who just turns up in Chartres, a cathedral town and takes up cleaning for a living. She is ready to put her past behind her when it soon catches up with her, threatening the new life that she had made for herself. Vickers does a good job of revealing the past and present to great effect through alternative chapters. A great device that builds up the story well and takes it to the point when the past merges into the present.
The reason for giving three stars is that although the storyline was good the pace was a bit slow. Perhaps that was to endear the characters to the reader, but too much time is spent on the characters, at the cost of the storyline.
All in all, it is a feel good story with some colourful characters whipped up in an chocolat-style French setting. An enjoyable read.
The story is about Agnes who just turns up in Chartres, a cathedral town and takes up cleaning for a living. She is ready to put her past behind her when it soon catches up with her, threatening the new life that she had made for herself. Vickers does a good job of revealing the past and present to great effect through alternative chapters. A great device that builds up the story well and takes it to the point when the past merges into the present.
The reason for giving three stars is that although the storyline was good the pace was a bit slow. Perhaps that was to endear the characters to the reader, but too much time is spent on the characters, at the cost of the storyline.
All in all, it is a feel good story with some colourful characters whipped up in an chocolat-style French setting. An enjoyable read.
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes