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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Two things draw me to Jamie Ford's books; in this too, Love and Other Consolation Prizes is similar to his other books. The first is that the books envelop the reader in their world - the sights, the sounds, the smells. I feel as if I am there experiencing the history. The other is his ability to draw sympathetic characters and to elicit that emotion. That keeps me engaged in the story. For that, I look forward to the next book.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/12/love-and-other-consolation-prizes.html
Reviewed for NetGalley
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/12/love-and-other-consolation-prizes.html
Reviewed for NetGalley
Jamie Ford has done it again! I love how he brings the history of Seattle alive with novels that are based on lesser known events. The character development is amazing, and I love learning more about Seattle. Don't miss out on this gem!
The book is told in alternating time periods, starting off with an intriguing story of young Ernest (1909) and how he ended up in Seattle at the World Fair, events changing the course of his life. The story jumps to the present day (1959) and you know Ernest’s life has changed a lot, his wife Gracie seems to have Alzheimer’s and he’s just taking things on day at a time. The back story lays the ground work for the present story but after a while I just felt a bit restless, it seemed to take too long for the story to fuse together.
It usually doesn’t take me this long to finish a book.
Received ARC via @netgalley in exchange for honest review.
This is not quite a 4 star book for me. Closer to a 3.75. I enjoyed the story. I always appreciate well researched story as this most certainly was.
I enjoyed this story that went between past and present, enjoying the glimpses of the past more than the bits set today. I wish the sections had been longer as the quick chapters were choppy. I didn't like this as much as Hotel on the Corner but it was a solid 4 stars.
I was really excited for this book, I enjoyed it...but I don't know...it just didn't leave an impact on me. You know when a book really digs into your soul and makes an impression? Yeah, this one didn't do that for me. Still a good read though.
I picked up this book not knowing anything about the content, author or the era in which it was set and from that moment on it was an utter surprise in every way. It follows the life of a boy from 1908 China whose mother sold him to get him out of the country and to the US. He lands on the shores of Seattle, WA and from there he is raffled off to the highest bidder at the World's Fair. The highest bidder happens to be the madame of the most respectable brothel in Seattle.
This isn't a tawdry book however, it is about survival and finding love in an era when nearly everyone was uneducated and destitute and the lucky women who were beautiful could end up selling the only currency they had in a brothel where the madame encouraged their further education and independence, and be far wealthier than their contemporaries in workhouses.
I truly loved Ernest's quiet strength and the two girls whom he loved who were night and day. I loved guessing which girl he ended up with in the end (and my mind changed many times between the two throughout the book) and I love, love, loved the closure in the end. A beautifully and perfectly written book with such attention to detail that I often googled things that surprised me such as "he FOLDED DOWN the front car window". Folded? I never knew that car windows used to fold!
This isn't a tawdry book however, it is about survival and finding love in an era when nearly everyone was uneducated and destitute and the lucky women who were beautiful could end up selling the only currency they had in a brothel where the madame encouraged their further education and independence, and be far wealthier than their contemporaries in workhouses.
I truly loved Ernest's quiet strength and the two girls whom he loved who were night and day. I loved guessing which girl he ended up with in the end (and my mind changed many times between the two throughout the book) and I love, love, loved the closure in the end. A beautifully and perfectly written book with such attention to detail that I often googled things that surprised me such as "he FOLDED DOWN the front car window". Folded? I never knew that car windows used to fold!
Love and Other Consolation Prizes by J. Ford is literary fiction and also historical. It is set in Seattle. At the turn of the century (early 1900s), Asian children, especially girls, were sold as slaves to traders in the US under the pretense of finding potential husbands. Seattle was known for its red-light district where many of these girls discovered the truth of their fates. Interestingly, Seattle was also known for a strong suffragette community. Then in 1909 Seattle hosted the first world's fair, the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific (A-Y-P) Exposition bringing thousands of visitors to the city. A newspaper from that era reports that a baby boy would be raffled off at the fair. These true historical elements are woven into a compelling fictional love story.
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was excited to finally read this book. I got it from the OUABC advent calendar some time ago. I wanted to love this book but it just didn't hit it. The starting point was good but I felt like the storyline was a bit flat even though it was told from two different time periods POV. I like how Ernest actually met Fahn before on the boat and how they met again later on and built their relationship.
I like the love triangle between Ernest, Maisie and Fahn. We didn't know who his wife was between the two girls since she changed her name. I thought Gracie was Maisie for half the book since Maisie's mom had this mental illness. I figured it might be hereditary and Maisie may get it at her old age but apparently not. I was a bit annoyed with the repetitive theme of Ernest stating that he loves both girls and can't live without either one of them. I was glad that Maisie made the decision to leave even though it means leaving Ernest behind.
I like the chapters where they lived at Tenderloin. It's like everyone is becoming this big family. However, I still didn't understand why Fahn wanted to give up being a maid and become one of the upstairs girls! You are not gonna gain respect! I was frustrated with it. Overall, it was a decent read.
I like the love triangle between Ernest, Maisie and Fahn. We didn't know who his wife was between the two girls since she changed her name. I thought Gracie was Maisie for half the book since Maisie's mom had this mental illness. I figured it might be hereditary and Maisie may get it at her old age but apparently not. I was a bit annoyed with the repetitive theme of Ernest stating that he loves both girls and can't live without either one of them. I was glad that Maisie made the decision to leave even though it means leaving Ernest behind.
I like the chapters where they lived at Tenderloin. It's like everyone is becoming this big family. However, I still didn't understand why Fahn wanted to give up being a maid and become one of the upstairs girls! You are not gonna gain respect! I was frustrated with it. Overall, it was a decent read.
Reading the synopsis of this online, I knew immediately that I wanted to read this book. I was not disappointed. The characters were well-developed, all with their own flaws and baggage, and yet portrayed without judgment about their circumstances or their choices. The writing was quite lovely (other than a noticeable overuse of the word "ruddy," in my opinion) and it was clear that the author took time to do his research. I would definitely recommend this book to others.