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3.25 AVERAGE
3.25 AVERAGE
Wow, this book has one of the most beautiful paragraphs I’ve ever read. I’m not going to quote it, just keep your eyes peeled during the beach scene. I had to re-read it again and again, so utterly astonished was I.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This felt almost like a play such is the power of the speech in this novel that I hardly remember the few lines inbetween them. No need for lengthy descriptions or internal monologues or motivations - just speak! Following the lives and trials of a country manor in neutral Ireland during WWII there's not all that much that happens apart from the building up of these varied characters on the stage of our book. I found it a little hard to follow what was going on sometimes but it felt worthwhile persevering and I laughed out loud at sheer amazement (and a bit of disbelief) and the very ending of the novel.
Read my full thoughts on this book and hundreds more over at Read.Write.Repeat.
This book reminded me a lot of Downton Abbey. It has a very Upstairs/Downstairs vibe despite its focus on the staff of the country estate. It was just fun to read and a nice break from some of the more stiff books from this list.
This book reminded me a lot of Downton Abbey. It has a very Upstairs/Downstairs vibe despite its focus on the staff of the country estate. It was just fun to read and a nice break from some of the more stiff books from this list.
I had a hard time settling into this novel about the lives of the English servants at an Irish estate during World War II.
The story takes place in a threatening atmosphere: the servants are English, worried about the safety of their families being bombed in the Blitz, about whether they'd be drafted if they tried to go back home, and also about the possibility of Ireland being invaded by the Germans. Closer to home, they worry about the hidden threat of the IRA, rumored to be as close as the local deliverymen, the insurance agent who comes to investigate a claim, and even one of the property caretakers who speaks with an Irish accent so thick (or is he speaking Irish?) that only one of the English girls can understand him. They are inconvenienced and appalled by the actions of their employers, but their own behavior is pretty capricious-- mischievous, playful, wilfully deceptive, selfish. There's a lot of comedy in this book. A Midsummer Night's Dream came to my mind--there's no actual enchantment, but the players are wandering around an old, empty estate that has an air of suspended animation about it.
At first I struggled to keep track of who was who, because a couple of the servants were called by the names of their predecessors, presumably because it was too hard for the employing family to remember new names. One of these servants was about to become the new butler, where he would be called by his real name, provoking discussion among the other servants and confusing me as to why Charley was being called Arthur but would henceforth be called Mr. Raunce. Also, there are two Mrs. Tennants in the employing family, the matriarch and her daughter in law. There is action in fits and starts, but it is represented more by dialogue than by description.
Once I settled in, I enjoyed reading this, but the ending came as a shock and caused me to question whether I had really understood what I was reading. I'm still wondering about that. A challenging read.
The story takes place in a threatening atmosphere: the servants are English, worried about the safety of their families being bombed in the Blitz, about whether they'd be drafted if they tried to go back home, and also about the possibility of Ireland being invaded by the Germans. Closer to home, they worry about the hidden threat of the IRA, rumored to be as close as the local deliverymen, the insurance agent who comes to investigate a claim, and even one of the property caretakers who speaks with an Irish accent so thick (or is he speaking Irish?) that only one of the English girls can understand him. They are inconvenienced and appalled by the actions of their employers, but their own behavior is pretty capricious-- mischievous, playful, wilfully deceptive, selfish. There's a lot of comedy in this book. A Midsummer Night's Dream came to my mind--there's no actual enchantment, but the players are wandering around an old, empty estate that has an air of suspended animation about it.
At first I struggled to keep track of who was who, because a couple of the servants were called by the names of their predecessors, presumably because it was too hard for the employing family to remember new names. One of these servants was about to become the new butler, where he would be called by his real name, provoking discussion among the other servants and confusing me as to why Charley was being called Arthur but would henceforth be called Mr. Raunce. Also, there are two Mrs. Tennants in the employing family, the matriarch and her daughter in law. There is action in fits and starts, but it is represented more by dialogue than by description.
Once I settled in, I enjoyed reading this, but the ending came as a shock and caused me to question whether I had really understood what I was reading. I'm still wondering about that. A challenging read.
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Can't seem to move from this page on iPad unless I post a review. Did not like books. No action
Can't seem to move from this page on iPad unless I post a review. Did not like books. No action
challenging
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An upstairs/downstairs story at a castle in Ireland during WW2. Think Downton Abbey a couple decades in the future and more focused on the servants. Particularly on a newly-promoted butler and another servant.
Not a whole lot happens in this book: small squabbles among the staff, a misplaced piece of jewelry. Somehow it impresses upon you that these low stakes mean a great deal to the staff, though.
The prose has a velocity to it with some missing punctuation and limited exposition. An interesting cast of characters in a usual combination of setting and time period. Modernist tendencies, but still quite approachable. Not the best thing I’ve ever read, but I’m glad I did.
Not a whole lot happens in this book: small squabbles among the staff, a misplaced piece of jewelry. Somehow it impresses upon you that these low stakes mean a great deal to the staff, though.
The prose has a velocity to it with some missing punctuation and limited exposition. An interesting cast of characters in a usual combination of setting and time period. Modernist tendencies, but still quite approachable. Not the best thing I’ve ever read, but I’m glad I did.
really would be 3.5 stars. i think that the writing was great but, silly american me, i couldn't really get into the whole upstairs/downstairs very, very british thing. i'm looking forward to reading more green and seeing what i think.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not as terrific as I had heard, but Green's ear for dialogue is quite extraordinary.