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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
medium-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
After reading “The Shell Seekers” as part of a summer reading list and since this book is the next one in he collection, I decided to include it in my Monthly Reading Program (an informal plan to read at least one book named for each month).
Technically this book starts in May when Verena decides that she wants to host a “dance” (ie ball) to celebrate her daughter Katy’s 21st birthday and hold it on September 16th. This sets off a 5 month race to plan and implement the dance. We follow a slice-of-life presentation of the planning while life goes on with other village citizens involved including Violet Aird (dowager mother), her son, Edmund, and daughter-in-law, Virginia, their 8 year old son, Henry, and Edmund’s daughter from an earlier marriage, Alexa, a chef in London. Alexa has a burgeoning relationship with Noel Keeting (see “The Shell Seekers” for a younger Noel). We meet the Blairs, the family of Lord Archibald Balmerino, whose adult daughter, Lucilla, seems to have rejected her privileged life and gone backpacking in Europe with a boyfriend. In her travelers, she visits her vagabond aunt, Pandora, and teases her into coming home for the dance. These are only the characters of the central families. The story also has rich American tourists seeking a “Scottish” experience, the servants, shop owners, friends and other relatives who make appearances. I feel that you have to include the location as an additional character. The forests, fields, mountains, grand houses and cozy cottages are as much a focus as the people who live there.
This book does not have as much drama or strange characters as in “The Shell Seekers”, but it’s daily life formula is better developed. There are many characters in both and in the early part of each book, you spend a lot of effort to get and keep them straight. Although Pilcher was widely known as a “romance” writer, her books are really more like literary fiction and family dramas. I find her books a nice change of pace from some more contemporary works so I will continue to drop in on one of them occasionally. But given that she wrote over 30 novels and many essays and short stories. Recommend to readers of literary fiction, family drama, historical fiction and, of course, romance.
emotional
reflective
relaxing
medium-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:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-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
I read this while sick on my couch and it was so absorbing and satisfying that I could almost forget I was coughing like a Victorian consumptive. It's another big, juicy family saga from Pilcher, full of complicated characters, long-buried secrets, and wonderful descriptions of the Scottish countryside. There's a warmth and detail to Pilcher's writing that just wraps you up in the story and makes you feel like you're in safe hands. The character arcs are all complete and satisfying and there's even a bit of a surprising (but very welcome) redemption for a character from another of her books. I think I might have to read Winter Solstice this winter and have a Pilcher for all seasons.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
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
Beautiful story!
adventurous
dark
sad
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:
Yes
I just finished my first reread of this book, and wow it’s got all the things I love about an RP novel, with just a few things I haven’t seen in other novels. I was engrossed in this novel. I usually have two books going at the same time, but could focus on nothing but this book and it’s characters.
Favorite Character: Virginia — she showed a full range of emotions
Least Favorite: Lottie
I was surprised by Henry’s actions at age 8. My son’s are 8, and I was just horrified that he walked nearly five miles alone.
I’m more endeared to Noel after really listening to his thoughts and conversation with Pandora.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Favorite Character: Virginia — she showed a full range of emotions
Least Favorite: Lottie
I was surprised by Henry’s actions at age 8. My son’s are 8, and I was just horrified that he walked nearly five miles alone.
I’m more endeared to Noel after really listening to his thoughts and conversation with Pandora.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love this book with all my heart! This is my second time reading and I fell in love with the story once again, because Pilcher really knows how to handle a lot of interesting characters, she has a talent for storytelling and her writing is simple, yet rich at the same time.
This novel takes place in Scotland and know I have an incredible urge to pack my bags and just visit this country, I want to see all the places described in the book and I'm a way, pay homage to Pilcher's novels, because the majority of them take place in Scotland!
This book feels like one of those old 70s-80s family series, where a wealthy family would live in a huge estate and have balls and go hunting and romance would always be in the air... It feels so nostalgic, that makes me long for places I've never been to and people I've never met!
All in all, I love all Pilcher's works and "September" couldn't be an exception. Just do yourselves a favor and read this book!
This novel takes place in Scotland and know I have an incredible urge to pack my bags and just visit this country, I want to see all the places described in the book and I'm a way, pay homage to Pilcher's novels, because the majority of them take place in Scotland!
This book feels like one of those old 70s-80s family series, where a wealthy family would live in a huge estate and have balls and go hunting and romance would always be in the air... It feels so nostalgic, that makes me long for places I've never been to and people I've never met!
All in all, I love all Pilcher's works and "September" couldn't be an exception. Just do yourselves a favor and read this book!
Finally Finished this and pleased I have. Whilst I overall liked it, I have found it has dated badly, in some places finding it very 80's. At first I would get who was related to whom muddled up and really wasn't sure who was parent or child, but by the end I was paying more attention to the story and characters.
The overwhelming thing I took from reading this is how much I miss rural life. The sense of freedom, quiet and darkness at night. Living in town can be so exhausting with noise and street lights sensory overload.
The overwhelming thing I took from reading this is how much I miss rural life. The sense of freedom, quiet and darkness at night. Living in town can be so exhausting with noise and street lights sensory overload.
A good old fashioned read with a straightforward plot and some entertaining characters.
For a complete review click on the link:
http://onerightword.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/september-rosamunde-pilcher.html
For a complete review click on the link:
http://onerightword.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/september-rosamunde-pilcher.html