Reviews

Offshore by Penelope Fitzgerald

davethescot's review against another edition

4.0

Penelope Fitzgerald's 'Offshore' is a beautifully crafted novel that immerses readers in the lives of those living on houseboats along the Thames. Fitzgerald's skillful prose brings the characters and their unique challenges to life, creating a vivid and engaging narrative. The setting of the river adds a dynamic backdrop to the story, mirroring the characters' own ebbs and flows in life. 'Offshore' is a poignant exploration of human connection, resilience, and the complexities of belonging, making it a captivating read for those who enjoy literary fiction with depth and heart.

mariakm's review

3.75

Quirky, great characters

the_villager's review

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

tinydumptruck's review

3.75

Charming and nothing really happened!

karinlib's review against another edition

4.0

Offshore is a tale of disparate people that live in houseboats on Battersea Reach of the Thames River. This eccentric group come together as a family, as the tides of the river and their relatives shape their lives. Fitzgerald's writing is spare and lovely.

bethanye92's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

northerly_heart_reads's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

supertenn115's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

patriciajoan's review against another edition

It wasn't very interesting and lots of characters that were just names without any character introduction or personality descriptions to build and support the story. the book was only 140 pages long so it was really a short story or the bare bones  description of a novel.

sarahcwalton's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75