Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
adventurous
slow-paced
It is obvious that a tremendous amount of research went into the writing of this book, unfortunately, the story got mired down in the historical detail.
****Please note I won this book as a Goodreads Giveaway*******
I feel somewhat bad for only rating this book as okay. I feel guilty that it took me so long to finish reading it, especially after winning it as a giveaway. I thought this book would be more fun than it was, being about the vaudeville era.
The main disappointment was the plodding pace of the book. I put this down after barely a hundred pages to read other things. It dragged on, and didn't really catch my interest until somewhere around page 350. And even then, half my reason for finishing it was for the sake of finishing it not necessarily because I wanted to know what happened.
It was just too somber for my liking. The characters seemed thrown together, just like the jumble of all the different chapters. Which weren't even chapters so much as headers. It reminded me of reading an article in a textbook or something. The format was meant, I think, to resemble the nature of vaudeville and have the approach of vignettes, and a show, but it didn't mesh for me.
I felt that the background was really lacking as well. Especially the parts of the story regarding the girls brother Harry, and their father. They all cared for the brother and father, that was obvious, but there was little explanation in the way of their deaths and I felt that a little more back story would have been helpful.
The whole courtship (or lack thereof?) of Aurora and Mr Ridgeway seemed to be pointless filler. The relationship with their uncle seemed that way too. It served the purpose of helping bind up the end of the story but the way that the past fight is brought up in thought only without any real mention is just useless, it could have been cut out entirely.
There were too many characters and too much crowding of them, for me to get pulled in by the story.
This author is new to me, but sadly after struggling so much to get through this I don't think I'll be trying to read anything else by her. At least not anytime soon.
I feel somewhat bad for only rating this book as okay. I feel guilty that it took me so long to finish reading it, especially after winning it as a giveaway. I thought this book would be more fun than it was, being about the vaudeville era.
The main disappointment was the plodding pace of the book. I put this down after barely a hundred pages to read other things. It dragged on, and didn't really catch my interest until somewhere around page 350. And even then, half my reason for finishing it was for the sake of finishing it not necessarily because I wanted to know what happened.
It was just too somber for my liking. The characters seemed thrown together, just like the jumble of all the different chapters. Which weren't even chapters so much as headers. It reminded me of reading an article in a textbook or something. The format was meant, I think, to resemble the nature of vaudeville and have the approach of vignettes, and a show, but it didn't mesh for me.
I felt that the background was really lacking as well. Especially the parts of the story regarding the girls brother Harry, and their father. They all cared for the brother and father, that was obvious, but there was little explanation in the way of their deaths and I felt that a little more back story would have been helpful.
The whole courtship (or lack thereof?) of Aurora and Mr Ridgeway seemed to be pointless filler. The relationship with their uncle seemed that way too. It served the purpose of helping bind up the end of the story but the way that the past fight is brought up in thought only without any real mention is just useless, it could have been cut out entirely.
There were too many characters and too much crowding of them, for me to get pulled in by the story.
This author is new to me, but sadly after struggling so much to get through this I don't think I'll be trying to read anything else by her. At least not anytime soon.
A splendidly researched story about vaudeville and the malleable notion of family. The characterization was very strong, and made me feel like I was part of the sisters' touring company. I enjoyed the plot development and found the ending satisfying, if a little anticlimatic. The book lopes and drags in parts, but the full realization of the characters in the story really offsets any issues with overlength.
I love Marina Endicott. Good to a Fault was one of the best books I have ever read. Closer to Hugh was also excellent. But The Little Shadows was a miss for me. If it was perhaps 200 pages shorter and less on the vaudeville acts and more on the sisters, I may have enjoyed it more. As is, I was 3/4 of the way through but found myself struggling and eventually gave up without finishing. A shame, because I love this writer so much. I may reread Good to a Fault as a palate cleanser!
Vivid depiction of the world of vaudeville. You can almost see some of the acts and characters described here; a great testament to the author's in depth research and ability to render that world in words. I enjoyed it, but it was way too long and while not tedious, was drawn out more than necessary.
I agree with comments others have made. The story does take some time to fully get into, but once you do get into it, it's hard to put the book down. The story is slow moving, but is an enjoyable read.
This book is fantastic, in a completely different way than my last 5-star book. Starting in Saskatchewan in the early 1910's, it tells the story of 3 young sisters working the vaudeville circuit, and the people they meet and how they change. Gorgeous writing, really fascinating characters, and I loved the look at a life in vaudeville.
Having been impressed by [b:Good to a Fault|8151093|Good to a Fault|Marina Endicott|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1273291442s/8151093.jpg|4732412] I was delighted to discover The Little Shadows on my doorstep one afternoon (Courtesy Allen & Unwin Australia}. The premise was particularity inviting, promising a backstage glimpse at the life of vaudeville performers in the beginning on 1900's.
Marina Endicott lifts the curtain to reveal Aurora, Clover, Belle and their mother auditioning to join a vaudeville house. The Avery sisters are young and pretty with sweet voices and their mother, once a performer herself, is prepared to lean on old acquaintances to encourage her daughters success. The life of all but the most successful and talented acts is difficult, performers must fight for their place in the line up to assure continued work but at the whim of the manager, or the audience, they can be dismissed and forced to move on. The Avery's grow up amongst a motley collection of performers, moving from theatre to theatre in search of their big break and the dream of earning $1000 a week. The Little Shadows follows their career from naive teenage girls to seasoned performers as they navigate their way through success and failure, joy and heartbreak.
With a complete lack of irony, what I loved about The Little Shadows is also what made this novel a bit of a slog to read. Endicott obviously spent a lot of time researching vaudeville at the turn of the 20th century, the details of absolutely everything are exquisitely rendered - from the dank, dusty dressing rooms to the intricacies of a slapstick routine and the fine stitching of delicate costumes. The author breathes life into this hidden world with beautiful imagery that illustrates both the setting and the period in which it takes place. I truly admired the author's ability to so finely create the Avery's sisters world, but I also felt that at times, all this detail overshadowed both the plot and the characters.
The story centers on the Avery sisters, Aurora, Clover and Belle who are just 16, 14 and 13 respectively, though lying about their ages, at the beginning of the book. The girls mature in this unusual setting where they must behave as adults even though they are still children.
Aurora is the prettiest with the finest voice and is also the most ambitious of the three. Clover is the quietest, an astute observer of the lifestyle and the characters she encounters. Belle, the youngest, has the personality of the performer, she is effervescent, curious and a bit of a dreamer. Despite their general appeal though, I struggled to connect to their characters. Endicott describes how they put on their makeup, labour over their costumes, learn to sing from their diaphragms but she rarely gives access to their inner thoughts. They are swamped some how but what they are rather than who they are.
Similarly, Endicott describes the other inhabitants of the world of vaudeville in detail, stepping us through their various routines or roles but again, rarely shows us what these characters think or feel.
Endicott intends for the story to be driven by character rather than plot but the lack of direction is frustrating at times. Mostly I felt the book moved from one beautifully described scene to another without really going anywhere at all. I assume the intention was to give the story the structure of a vaudeville show but largely the story failed to come to life when the curtain came down, which is when the real action should have happened.
I really wanted to be swept away by The Little Shadows, and it is fascinating for its historical detail and unique setting, but for me, it lacked soul.
Marina Endicott lifts the curtain to reveal Aurora, Clover, Belle and their mother auditioning to join a vaudeville house. The Avery sisters are young and pretty with sweet voices and their mother, once a performer herself, is prepared to lean on old acquaintances to encourage her daughters success. The life of all but the most successful and talented acts is difficult, performers must fight for their place in the line up to assure continued work but at the whim of the manager, or the audience, they can be dismissed and forced to move on. The Avery's grow up amongst a motley collection of performers, moving from theatre to theatre in search of their big break and the dream of earning $1000 a week. The Little Shadows follows their career from naive teenage girls to seasoned performers as they navigate their way through success and failure, joy and heartbreak.
With a complete lack of irony, what I loved about The Little Shadows is also what made this novel a bit of a slog to read. Endicott obviously spent a lot of time researching vaudeville at the turn of the 20th century, the details of absolutely everything are exquisitely rendered - from the dank, dusty dressing rooms to the intricacies of a slapstick routine and the fine stitching of delicate costumes. The author breathes life into this hidden world with beautiful imagery that illustrates both the setting and the period in which it takes place. I truly admired the author's ability to so finely create the Avery's sisters world, but I also felt that at times, all this detail overshadowed both the plot and the characters.
The story centers on the Avery sisters, Aurora, Clover and Belle who are just 16, 14 and 13 respectively, though lying about their ages, at the beginning of the book. The girls mature in this unusual setting where they must behave as adults even though they are still children.
Aurora is the prettiest with the finest voice and is also the most ambitious of the three. Clover is the quietest, an astute observer of the lifestyle and the characters she encounters. Belle, the youngest, has the personality of the performer, she is effervescent, curious and a bit of a dreamer. Despite their general appeal though, I struggled to connect to their characters. Endicott describes how they put on their makeup, labour over their costumes, learn to sing from their diaphragms but she rarely gives access to their inner thoughts. They are swamped some how but what they are rather than who they are.
Similarly, Endicott describes the other inhabitants of the world of vaudeville in detail, stepping us through their various routines or roles but again, rarely shows us what these characters think or feel.
Endicott intends for the story to be driven by character rather than plot but the lack of direction is frustrating at times. Mostly I felt the book moved from one beautifully described scene to another without really going anywhere at all. I assume the intention was to give the story the structure of a vaudeville show but largely the story failed to come to life when the curtain came down, which is when the real action should have happened.
I really wanted to be swept away by The Little Shadows, and it is fascinating for its historical detail and unique setting, but for me, it lacked soul.