Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Started out a little slow but then it totally enthralled me. The ending is completely heartwrenching.
"Think about today, not tomorrow. Dance over the cracks so you don’t fall into them. Drink champagne in the afternoons and invent ridiculous cocktails to make the ruined world glitter again. Keep going, one foot in front of the other. Don’t look down."
I loved the way this book is written, it's so beautiful and poetic but not overly flowery, and the way the different protagonist voices come together to unravel the story works so well. Alice's perspective gave me 'Secret Garden' vibes, with her feeling sort of lost and alone in a big cold house, and the contrast of her life with that of her mother as one of the 'Bright Young People' a decade earlier worked in a way that let the pieces connect gradually, while I was really invested trying to work out all the connections between the dual storylines. I also liked that Lawrence's voice came through in parts, because he saw Selina so differently to how she saw herself it added a whole other layer.
I loved the London setting, and even though I've read and enjoyed many books set in the roaring 20s, the way the impact of the war was related to the behaviours and lives of excess that these young people lived was so well done, it felt like it added a lot of complexity to a setting that can sometimes come across as just glitzy and fun and like one big party. There is a thread of grief throughout the whole book, as Selina and Lawrence and Alice all deal with loss in different ways, but also of hope, as they all come together to heal.
Towards the end, I ugly cried for a good 40 minutes, but I just LOVED this book so much. It will make you cry, but read it anyway because it's beautiful and worth the tears.
I loved the way this book is written, it's so beautiful and poetic but not overly flowery, and the way the different protagonist voices come together to unravel the story works so well. Alice's perspective gave me 'Secret Garden' vibes, with her feeling sort of lost and alone in a big cold house, and the contrast of her life with that of her mother as one of the 'Bright Young People' a decade earlier worked in a way that let the pieces connect gradually, while I was really invested trying to work out all the connections between the dual storylines. I also liked that Lawrence's voice came through in parts, because he saw Selina so differently to how she saw herself it added a whole other layer.
I loved the London setting, and even though I've read and enjoyed many books set in the roaring 20s, the way the impact of the war was related to the behaviours and lives of excess that these young people lived was so well done, it felt like it added a lot of complexity to a setting that can sometimes come across as just glitzy and fun and like one big party. There is a thread of grief throughout the whole book, as Selina and Lawrence and Alice all deal with loss in different ways, but also of hope, as they all come together to heal.
Towards the end, I ugly cried for a good 40 minutes, but I just LOVED this book so much. It will make you cry, but read it anyway because it's beautiful and worth the tears.
'The war lay between them; an obscenity that the younger people were keen to forget and the older ones doomed to remember.'
This book ruined me; I knew it was all coming but that didn't stop me from ugly crying for half the book. That said, this is beautiful. I adored the writing- it's gorgeous and evocative and poetic. It felt a lot like The Secret Garden with a little bit of The Great Gatsby. I love the 1920s in general, and I especially loved the London setting, because a lot of what I have read with a 20s setting has been American.
There was a deep undercurrent of loss and grief throughout this book, but because of the language it somehow still seemed beautiful and romantic. I enjoyed the way it was all broken up, between the time shifts, different POVs and the letters, it was a very entangled, parts-of-a-whole sort of story that wove everything together perfectly.
I just loved it. This is one of those books that feels like it has a soul, and it's beautiful and heartbreaking, and I can't even express how much I loved it. Just read it. Cry a lot, but read it.
This book ruined me; I knew it was all coming but that didn't stop me from ugly crying for half the book. That said, this is beautiful. I adored the writing- it's gorgeous and evocative and poetic. It felt a lot like The Secret Garden with a little bit of The Great Gatsby. I love the 1920s in general, and I especially loved the London setting, because a lot of what I have read with a 20s setting has been American.
There was a deep undercurrent of loss and grief throughout this book, but because of the language it somehow still seemed beautiful and romantic. I enjoyed the way it was all broken up, between the time shifts, different POVs and the letters, it was a very entangled, parts-of-a-whole sort of story that wove everything together perfectly.
I just loved it. This is one of those books that feels like it has a soul, and it's beautiful and heartbreaking, and I can't even express how much I loved it. Just read it. Cry a lot, but read it.
slow-paced
3.5 -3.75
I didn't mind the wordiness or slow development of the plot, though those are certainly fair criticism to some readers - but I didn't feel much for Selina as a character, which made the grand emotional moments fall a little flat. Still quite an enjoyable read.
I didn't mind the wordiness or slow development of the plot, though those are certainly fair criticism to some readers - but I didn't feel much for Selina as a character, which made the grand emotional moments fall a little flat. Still quite an enjoyable read.
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Set in England in the 20s and 30s, The Glittering Hour is the perfect combination of glitz, glam and drama.
Selina is a “Bright Young Thing”, a partying socialite with no desire to conform as her parents desire. One night she meets Lawrence, a painter/photographer, and thus starts the tale of their love.
It may feel like the story drags but hold onto your hats because you’ll get in deep and fall head over heels in love with them all. And then you’ll cry. Buckets and buckets of emotional tears. If you don’t, you don’t have a heart ♥️
You’ll end love the characters who you don’t quite like and sympathise with them - The War changed everyone in different ways and some people couldn’t move past those horrors
Iona Grey has completely won me over with her writing skills and I can’t wait to read more from her!
Definitely recommend for any fan of the 1920s who loves a slow burn romance
Selina is a “Bright Young Thing”, a partying socialite with no desire to conform as her parents desire. One night she meets Lawrence, a painter/photographer, and thus starts the tale of their love.
It may feel like the story drags but hold onto your hats because you’ll get in deep and fall head over heels in love with them all. And then you’ll cry. Buckets and buckets of emotional tears. If you don’t, you don’t have a heart ♥️
You’ll end love the characters who you don’t quite like and sympathise with them - The War changed everyone in different ways and some people couldn’t move past those horrors
Iona Grey has completely won me over with her writing skills and I can’t wait to read more from her!
Definitely recommend for any fan of the 1920s who loves a slow burn romance
I loved this sweeping, dramatic, ultimately heartbreaking historical novel set in the midst of the Bright Young Things.
It was a good story. It was a little slow and I figured out how it was going to end early on.
I really loved the bouncing between perspectives, just didn’t care a whole lot for the ending. Overall, really good book.