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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I got this book as an advanced reading copy. The title immediately caught my eye, being an art history student.
I was surprised by how great this book was. By the end of the first chapter I was hooked. This book has a twist of mystery that I was not expecting, but was pleased with.
Because I got so drawn up into the plot, I read it very quickly. Easy to read, but the writing and story were deep enough that the book wasn't boring or predictable.
I was surprised by how great this book was. By the end of the first chapter I was hooked. This book has a twist of mystery that I was not expecting, but was pleased with.
Because I got so drawn up into the plot, I read it very quickly. Easy to read, but the writing and story were deep enough that the book wasn't boring or predictable.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a beautifully woven book. There are many characters, but instead of weaving the chapters by character or characters, Vickers weaves them by town. And the towns have their own character: Chartres, as you might expect, is chief among them. The characters are sparingly but beautifully drawn: I loved disliking Madame Beck, felt for Jean Dupere (Vickers' characters' names often add to their identity), was appalled by the non-sisterly Sister and loved Agnes. I was surprised and touched by the way the ending affects Madame Beck and hoped Agnes would fare well.
Vickers' books often have a spiritual dimension (see this interview with Joan Bakewell for her background, atheist parents but a belief of her own: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010749p) and her writing is lucid but full of meaning that could, if I read too quickly, escape me.
I loved this, from page 15: 'Since the world is known to us only through our experience of it, does its existence not, in some crucial way, come to an end when we do? And is not heaven, then, merely the fact of non-existence? The loss of the fear of loss, which haunts and casts its shadow over so much of human life.'
Vickers' books often have a spiritual dimension (see this interview with Joan Bakewell for her background, atheist parents but a belief of her own: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010749p) and her writing is lucid but full of meaning that could, if I read too quickly, escape me.
I loved this, from page 15: 'Since the world is known to us only through our experience of it, does its existence not, in some crucial way, come to an end when we do? And is not heaven, then, merely the fact of non-existence? The loss of the fear of loss, which haunts and casts its shadow over so much of human life.'
I am a HUGE Salley Vickers fan and so I was crestfallen when I started this book.. it was not pulling me in with her usual sly insightful style. Thank god I stuck with it - this is another brilliant glass-bottom boat of a book, looking into the mysteries of being a human - both kind and incredibly petty - the mysterious of love, connection, faith and lack of it. The ending might be a tad tidy but I ate it up. Read her books!!
It was a good read. I liked the way things tied up at the end and am happy Agnes got her happy ending. There was even a surprise twist!
I liked this for being both whimsical and wise. OK, so it's not obviously deep and there are some tropes, but I left it satisfied and happier for having read it.
I think it was adult Agnes' (must learn to do accents on here) unwitting centrality to the life of others appealed: she wants to keep her head down and get on with her life, but in doing so can't help but have an impact on those around her. Her history is only gradually revealed and all the people in her past - even the 'evil' Mme Beck, the 'heartless' Brigitte and the 'distant' Mere Veronique (aargh! must learn those codes, that looks so wrong) - are given enough backstory and context to feel credible and evoke some sympathy.
So you may or may not think it says something profound about guilt or redemption or family, but it is a good story, well told and what more could you want?
I think it was adult Agnes' (must learn to do accents on here) unwitting centrality to the life of others appealed: she wants to keep her head down and get on with her life, but in doing so can't help but have an impact on those around her. Her history is only gradually revealed and all the people in her past - even the 'evil' Mme Beck, the 'heartless' Brigitte and the 'distant' Mere Veronique (aargh! must learn those codes, that looks so wrong) - are given enough backstory and context to feel credible and evoke some sympathy.
So you may or may not think it says something profound about guilt or redemption or family, but it is a good story, well told and what more could you want?
This book was a slow burner, which sped up with every page, until I couldn't put it down. I had to know what was going to happen to dear Agnes.
We all know a woman like the busybody in the book - she embodies everything bad about people who can't mind their own business and who dwell on their own failures.
What a beautifully written story. Such lovely full characters woven into one engrossing story - heartbreaking at times, but also honest.
I really and truly loved this book. Slow, simple, engrossing. No swaggering heroes or bodice ripping in sight. No convenient 'easy for the writer' happy coincidences. Very cleverly plotted.
Well done to the author.
We all know a woman like the busybody in the book - she embodies everything bad about people who can't mind their own business and who dwell on their own failures.
What a beautifully written story. Such lovely full characters woven into one engrossing story - heartbreaking at times, but also honest.
I really and truly loved this book. Slow, simple, engrossing. No swaggering heroes or bodice ripping in sight. No convenient 'easy for the writer' happy coincidences. Very cleverly plotted.
Well done to the author.