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yvonne_aaf's review against another edition
There's definitely an audience for this book, but it felt like Sadie Jones knew where she wanted to get to, and then had to backfill with some set up/plot. The first and second half (i skim read to the end) feel like entirely different stories, in a way that just doesn't work for me.
debtat2's review
4.0
A novel that shed’s it’s skin taking it from 3 star to 4 star read that has readers as divided over its controversial ending as they are over their love of snakes themselves!
With some dark themes, this is an in-depth look into an anything but typical dysfunctional family as they come together for a holiday getaway in the hills of rural France. This is a slow burner that will slither under your skin and nest in your brain as it leaves you with a huge pause for thought.
Beatrice Temple and husband Dan live a fairly run of the mill life in their little flat in London, money is tight but things are good. Dan knew that his wife’s family have money but the topic of her family has always been out of bounds. The only member of her family that she actually likes is her deeply troubled brother, Alex.
After a stint in rehab Alex is now the proud owner of a run down hotel in rural France and after renting out their flat, Bea and Dan each pack a suitcase, jump into their beat up car and decided to make Alex’s hotel their first stop on their extended holiday.
Not knowing what to expect their first sights on the hotel is more than either could have imagined. They are the sole occupants of the building, unless you count the nest of snakes residing in the attic. That is until the unexpected arrival of Bea and Alex’s parents. And so begins the beginning of the end for our troubled family as this holiday getaway ends with one member of the family dead and the other members of the family with more questions than answers, pulling them further apart and more deeply divided than before.
This book delves into some dark and emotional topics and shows that money cannot buy happiness and isn’t the answer to everything. As I said earlier, this is a real slow burner and is a more character exploration as opposed to a murder mystery, interspersed with metaphorical as well as the physical snakes and is an utterly stark take on society and the evils that inhabit peoples lives.
This book has divided its readers so it is definitely one of those books that you have to read and decided for yourself and although it is a slow burner it is 100% worth sticking with it and seeing it through, right up to its bitter end!
The Snakes was published back on March 7 2019 and was published in paperback on 20 Feb 2020 so no matter what your preferred format, all formats are now available for you to grab your own copy and decided for yourself.
With some dark themes, this is an in-depth look into an anything but typical dysfunctional family as they come together for a holiday getaway in the hills of rural France. This is a slow burner that will slither under your skin and nest in your brain as it leaves you with a huge pause for thought.
Beatrice Temple and husband Dan live a fairly run of the mill life in their little flat in London, money is tight but things are good. Dan knew that his wife’s family have money but the topic of her family has always been out of bounds. The only member of her family that she actually likes is her deeply troubled brother, Alex.
After a stint in rehab Alex is now the proud owner of a run down hotel in rural France and after renting out their flat, Bea and Dan each pack a suitcase, jump into their beat up car and decided to make Alex’s hotel their first stop on their extended holiday.
Not knowing what to expect their first sights on the hotel is more than either could have imagined. They are the sole occupants of the building, unless you count the nest of snakes residing in the attic. That is until the unexpected arrival of Bea and Alex’s parents. And so begins the beginning of the end for our troubled family as this holiday getaway ends with one member of the family dead and the other members of the family with more questions than answers, pulling them further apart and more deeply divided than before.
This book delves into some dark and emotional topics and shows that money cannot buy happiness and isn’t the answer to everything. As I said earlier, this is a real slow burner and is a more character exploration as opposed to a murder mystery, interspersed with metaphorical as well as the physical snakes and is an utterly stark take on society and the evils that inhabit peoples lives.
This book has divided its readers so it is definitely one of those books that you have to read and decided for yourself and although it is a slow burner it is 100% worth sticking with it and seeing it through, right up to its bitter end!
The Snakes was published back on March 7 2019 and was published in paperback on 20 Feb 2020 so no matter what your preferred format, all formats are now available for you to grab your own copy and decided for yourself.
lorrietruck's review
4.0
An excellent slow burn of a novel that was also a quick and compelling read.
beastreader's review against another edition
3.0
I had mixed feelings about this book. It is one that you kind of have to ponder on what you just read. Not that I am saying that this is a bad book but that the whole concept of the story is more then just skin deep. It has many layers like an onion.
There are the characters, their relationships, roles in the story, and the metaphysical aspect. Bea and her brother's relationship with their parents is what shaped them to be who their were now. Dan learned this the longer that he was around Bea's parents.
The metamorphic aspect of the "snakes" was a good one. It really fit with the story and getting the point across. Also, there is the seven deadly sins aspect as well. Woven within the pages of this book is the dynamics of family.
While, I liked this book; I struggled some with finding anything that engaging about any of the characters. They were just "fine" for me. However, if I had established a stronger bond with the, this story would have come alive more for me. There is a downfall that I will point out to this book. This is the ending. I was not a fan of it. In fact, I was disappointed by it.
There are the characters, their relationships, roles in the story, and the metaphysical aspect. Bea and her brother's relationship with their parents is what shaped them to be who their were now. Dan learned this the longer that he was around Bea's parents.
The metamorphic aspect of the "snakes" was a good one. It really fit with the story and getting the point across. Also, there is the seven deadly sins aspect as well. Woven within the pages of this book is the dynamics of family.
While, I liked this book; I struggled some with finding anything that engaging about any of the characters. They were just "fine" for me. However, if I had established a stronger bond with the, this story would have come alive more for me. There is a downfall that I will point out to this book. This is the ending. I was not a fan of it. In fact, I was disappointed by it.
ridgewaygirl's review
5.0
Bea and Dan are that most rare of literary couples, they are happily married. And Bea is happy. She's left her family behind and while she and Dan don't have much money, she loves her job as a therapist, their tiny flat and especially she loves Dan. Dan, who went to art school, is far less content with their life. He hasn't been able to create anything in some time as his tedious job as an estate agent means long hours and returning home in the evening drained. He convinces Bea that they should take their small savings, sublet their flat and go travel in Europe for a few months. He has a list of places he wants to see, but first they go to France where Alex, Bea's brother and only family member she cares about, runs a small hotel in the countryside.
But the hotel isn't what they thought it would be. For one thing, Alex isn't capable of running any sort of business, for another, it's almost entirely unfurnished. And there are apparently vipers in the attic, drawn there by the many mice. And this is where Bea and Dan's solid relationship begins to fray, because when Bea's parents arrive, Bea is tense and withdrawn, overwhelmed with interacting with her dysfunctional family and Dan is startled to discover that when Bea described her family as well-off, what she actually meant was very, very wealthy. And he begins to feel that Bea's peace of mind, the peace of mind she has from refusing to use a penny of that wealth, is paid for with his ability to do his art. When Alex disappears and the French police show up, all the fracture lines are laid bare.
No one writes about the dysfunctional families of the British upper crust quite like Sadie Jones. And this is perhaps her best novel so far. Both Bea and Dan are complex and sympathetic, even when they are in direct conflict. Dan, who was raised in a council flat in a rough part of London, has no defense against the casual luxuries of the wealthy. And Bea, raised in a stifling, love poor environment, treats that wealth with casual familiarity and distain. And those differences of outlook make what is going on with the police and Bea's family more difficult until the entire situation spirals out of control. The writing is very fine, but what really makes this novel worthwhile are Jones's razor-sharp observations.
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
5.0
Bea and Dan are that most rare of literary couples, they are happily married. And Bea is happy. She's left her family behind and while she and Dan don't have much money, she loves her job as a therapist, their tiny flat and especially she loves Dan. Dan, who went to art school, is far less content with their life. He hasn't been able to create anything in some time as his tedious job as an estate agent means long hours and returning home in the evening drained. He convinces Bea that they should take their small savings, sublet their flat and go travel in Europe for a few months. He has a list of places he wants to see, but first they go to France where Alex, Bea's brother and only family member she cares about, runs a small hotel in the countryside.
But the hotel isn't what they thought it would be. For one thing, Alex isn't capable of running any sort of business, for another, it's almost entirely unfurnished. And there are apparently vipers in the attic, drawn there by the many mice. And this is where Bea and Dan's solid relationship begins to fray, because when Bea's parents arrive, Bea is tense and withdrawn, overwhelmed with interacting with her dysfunctional family and Dan is startled to discover that when Bea described her family as well-off, what she actually meant was very, very wealthy. And he begins to feel that Bea's peace of mind, the peace of mind she has from refusing to use a penny of that wealth, is paid for with his ability to do his art. When Alex disappears and the French police show up, all the fracture lines are laid bare.
No one writes about the dysfunctional families of the British upper crust quite like Sadie Jones. And this is perhaps her best novel so far. Both Bea and Dan are complex and sympathetic, even when they are in direct conflict. Dan, who was raised in a council flat in a rough part of London, has no defense against the casual luxuries of the wealthy. And Bea, raised in a stifling, love poor environment, treats that wealth with casual familiarity and distain. And those differences of outlook make what is going on with the police and Bea's family more difficult until the entire situation spirals out of control. The writing is very fine, but what really makes this novel worthwhile are Jones's razor-sharp observations.
skidd's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
mwgerard's review against another edition
2.0
Bea, a psychologist, and Dan, a struggling artist, are eking out a life in London. Bea has a strained relationship with her family, which seems to be putting pressure on their own marriage. They two decide to ditch the stress, sublet the apartment, cash out the savings and go on an extended trip on the continent. Perhaps the change of scenery will re-inspire Dan and Bea can find a new position when they return — or set up elsewhere.
The roadtrip begins with a stop at Bea’s brother’s in Burgundy. Always the schlub of the family, he has been set up as the proprietor of a sagging bed-and-breakfast. In a constant state of (dis)repair, it would seem that Alex has spent more time pretending there have been guests than fixing the place up. The younger generation then prepares for a visit from the parents with dread.
As much as I wanted to, I didn’t much like The Snakes. I loved Sadie Jones’s previous novel, The Uninvited Guests. I didn’t expect a repeat but I did hope for the same sense of the slightly surreal. Instead, the uneasiness I felt was from the construction of the book. I don’t think that authors have to follow conventions of a genre, but this one did feel a bit lost. Dysfunctional family drama, police procedural, romance, crime thriller.
Read my full review: https://mwgerard.com/the-snakes-by-sadie-jones/
The roadtrip begins with a stop at Bea’s brother’s in Burgundy. Always the schlub of the family, he has been set up as the proprietor of a sagging bed-and-breakfast. In a constant state of (dis)repair, it would seem that Alex has spent more time pretending there have been guests than fixing the place up. The younger generation then prepares for a visit from the parents with dread.
As much as I wanted to, I didn’t much like The Snakes. I loved Sadie Jones’s previous novel, The Uninvited Guests. I didn’t expect a repeat but I did hope for the same sense of the slightly surreal. Instead, the uneasiness I felt was from the construction of the book. I don’t think that authors have to follow conventions of a genre, but this one did feel a bit lost. Dysfunctional family drama, police procedural, romance, crime thriller.
Read my full review: https://mwgerard.com/the-snakes-by-sadie-jones/
cassiewbee's review
4.0
4/5
This was a thoroughly engrossing read. The only things that stopped me giving it 5 stars were the lack of commitment to a particular genre and THAT ending.
The majority of the novel felt like a complex family drama. But it also had this distinctly unsettling and malicious undertone that felt more like a thriller. Each of these elements were done really well but it often felt like I was reading two different stories with two very different tones.
It also lacked closure on a lot of story threads that felt somewhat unsatisfying. And OMG that ending!
With all that being said, however, I would still highly recommend it!
This was a thoroughly engrossing read. The only things that stopped me giving it 5 stars were the lack of commitment to a particular genre and THAT ending.
The majority of the novel felt like a complex family drama. But it also had this distinctly unsettling and malicious undertone that felt more like a thriller. Each of these elements were done really well but it often felt like I was reading two different stories with two very different tones.
It also lacked closure on a lot of story threads that felt somewhat unsatisfying. And OMG that ending!
With all that being said, however, I would still highly recommend it!