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busyreading's review against another edition
3.0
Charlotte is finding it difficult to do the things she once enjoyed before she had children, her husband, Henry is struggling with having to face another winter in England. When he comes across a leaflet in the letter-box, he decides this could be just what he and his family need. Going to Australia was going to be a big move, but one which Henry thought would be good for the whole family. Escaping those dreadfully cold winters and creating a fresh start for a warmer place like Perth could only be good or so Henry thought.
Not long after arriving in Perth it is clear to both Henry and Charlotte that moving to the other side of the world may not have been a good idea after all. Charlotte begins to wonder if she will ever feel like she belongs anywhere.
I was truly looking forward to reading this book, but unfortunately I didn’t connect with the story or the characters for that matter. Whilst reading about how Charlotte was feeling I was thinking I should be feeling sorry for her, but I didn’t and I just wanted her to get over it and move on so to speak. This book has been enjoyed by many, so don’t let my thoughts stop you from reading this book. Give it a go because you never know, you may just end up enjoying it. Recommended.
Not long after arriving in Perth it is clear to both Henry and Charlotte that moving to the other side of the world may not have been a good idea after all. Charlotte begins to wonder if she will ever feel like she belongs anywhere.
I was truly looking forward to reading this book, but unfortunately I didn’t connect with the story or the characters for that matter. Whilst reading about how Charlotte was feeling I was thinking I should be feeling sorry for her, but I didn’t and I just wanted her to get over it and move on so to speak. This book has been enjoyed by many, so don’t let my thoughts stop you from reading this book. Give it a go because you never know, you may just end up enjoying it. Recommended.
shelleyrae's review against another edition
3.0
Stephanie Bishop's novel, The Other Side of the World, is garnering much praise amongst critics and readers alike.
Exploring the themes of home, longing, identity and love Bishop presents the story of a Charlotte, a wife and new mother who reluctantly agrees to emigrate from England with her husband, Henry, a British Indian, in search of a fresh start in the sunny promise of Australia.
I admired Bishop's poetic descriptions of both the physical and emotional landscape experienced by her characters. The writing is lyrical and evocative creating a close atmosphere that envelops the reader.
But this is a character driven novel and I failed to connect with Charlotte in particular. Rather than developing empathy for her longing for England, or more honestly for the life she had before children, I was irritated by her self absorption, horrified by her behaviour towards her daughters, impatient with her self pity.
"But that is all she has; there is the brightness of the outside world and then the starved, dark space of her own consciousness"
I found Henry to be a more likeable and interesting character, his struggle with his identity, of his yearning to belong, well articulated.
"Once more no one knows quite who, or what he is meant to be. He experienced this in England, but it was worse here - with his Queen's English and his strange-coloured skin....his voice and appearance do not fit. Not here. Perhaps not anywhere."
Though I appreciate the elegance of Bishop's writing, the insightful exploration of themes, and finely wrought characterisation, I have to admit I didn't really enjoy The Other Side of The World.
mandi_m's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this new literary fiction from Stephanie Bishop. The novel is beautifully written and captures the emotions of Charlotte who feels dislocation, a post natal depression of some kind and seems to be drowning. She struggles to go back to her painting and cannot feel at home in her new land.
The novel looks at the relationship of Charlotte and Henry and how their move to The Other Side of the World impacts on their lives.
The novel looks at the relationship of Charlotte and Henry and how their move to The Other Side of the World impacts on their lives.
bookeboy's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved The Other Side of the World. It reminded me of the writing of Rosamond Lehmann and of Elizabeth Bowen.
Psychologically accurate, moving, brave and honest, withThe Other Side of the World author Stephanie Bishop peers unflinchingly into the abyss that can form in the very heart of a marriage, in the soul of a mother. This is a beautiful, sad, revealing novel, something I hadn't realised I had been yearning for in my reading.
If you love to read while listening to music, the perfect accompaniment is Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' No More Shall We Part. Need I say more?
Psychologically accurate, moving, brave and honest, withThe Other Side of the World author Stephanie Bishop peers unflinchingly into the abyss that can form in the very heart of a marriage, in the soul of a mother. This is a beautiful, sad, revealing novel, something I hadn't realised I had been yearning for in my reading.
If you love to read while listening to music, the perfect accompaniment is Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' No More Shall We Part. Need I say more?
katheastman's review against another edition
4.0
So very good. A dreamlike elegy to home. Full review to follow soon.
lisa_setepenre's review against another edition
3.0
Charlotte has just given birth to her first child and it has changed her world completely, leaving her absent-minded and distracted. Her husband, Henry, blames the cold misery of their home in England and uproots his family to move them to Western Australia with it's hot, dry heat. But despite superficial improvements to his life, Charlotte is still struggling. Things reach a head when Henry returns to his birthplace of India, leaving Charlotte alone with their two young children.
This is a strange book to think about. There's something precise and graceful about the prose, but it feels very deliberately done, like it's physically trying to hold the reader at a distance. The story is intensely emotional, but I never could immerse myself fully in it.
The diverse settings of England, Australia and India are vividly drawn, allowing the reader to feel the damp chill of England, the dry heat of Australia and the sweaty, riotous environment of India.
The characters are complex, but distant and somewhat nebulous. We might infer that Charlotte is suffering from post-partum depression, but it is never explicit. We only discover that is a novel about a woman abandoning her family on the very last page. I found Charlotte quite sympathetic and, sometimes, quite horrible. But I wanted to feel something a bit more concrete and real about her.
On the other hand, I spent a lot of time having very little patience for Henry, for his grim determination that he knows best and, thus, Charlotte must surrender to him, plus his expectations of her behaviour and the way he thinks moving his young family literally to the other side of the world will solve all their problems. Bishop, however, does a good job in capturing his isolation and struggles as an Anglo-Indian in a white-dominated society – easily something that could have been explored in more detail or even the subject of its own novel.
The ending is vague, so much so that I began to glaze over before I realised I had no idea what was happening and had to re-read it.
And this is the problem I had with the book, when it comes down to it. Bishop shows herself as a writer of great potential – beautiful prose, complex characters and a great conflict – but everything just feels a bit too nebulous and a bit too distant to truly sell it.
This is a strange book to think about. There's something precise and graceful about the prose, but it feels very deliberately done, like it's physically trying to hold the reader at a distance. The story is intensely emotional, but I never could immerse myself fully in it.
The diverse settings of England, Australia and India are vividly drawn, allowing the reader to feel the damp chill of England, the dry heat of Australia and the sweaty, riotous environment of India.
The characters are complex, but distant and somewhat nebulous. We might infer that Charlotte is suffering from post-partum depression, but it is never explicit. We only discover that is a novel about a woman abandoning her family on the very last page. I found Charlotte quite sympathetic and, sometimes, quite horrible. But I wanted to feel something a bit more concrete and real about her.
On the other hand, I spent a lot of time having very little patience for Henry, for his grim determination that he knows best and, thus, Charlotte must surrender to him, plus his expectations of her behaviour and the way he thinks moving his young family literally to the other side of the world will solve all their problems. Bishop, however, does a good job in capturing his isolation and struggles as an Anglo-Indian in a white-dominated society – easily something that could have been explored in more detail or even the subject of its own novel.
The ending is vague, so much so that I began to glaze over before I realised I had no idea what was happening and had to re-read it.
And this is the problem I had with the book, when it comes down to it. Bishop shows herself as a writer of great potential – beautiful prose, complex characters and a great conflict – but everything just feels a bit too nebulous and a bit too distant to truly sell it.
samstillreading's review against another edition
5.0
The Other Side of the World attracted me for several reasons. One, the cover – to me it yells, ‘AUSTRALIA’ (the whole down under thing). Two, I love stories about fish out of water and three, the hype pre-release was intense in a ‘this is wonderful’ kind of way. So I sat down on a Sunday night to read this and had it finished Monday night. Not only is it an intense story with beautiful prose, it’s a page turner. It’s not too often you see that combination but The Other Side of the World has it in spades.
Once you start reading the book, it feels like it is pulling you into its world until you are sitting in the story. It envelopes you and was always somewhere on my mind as I was reading it. This book has an all-consuming power that will make you part of it, yet it’s quite a simple story. We meet main character Charlotte as she’s walking through the woods to the little cottage she shares with her husband and child. She’s just found out she’s pregnant again and it’s not a happy feeling. Life is hard with a child, an all-consuming drudgery in a cold land. What options are there for Charlotte? Not much in 1960s England until a brochure through the letterbox suggests Australia might be a sunny alternative. Henry, who grew up in India and has fond memories of it, seizes on the opportunity to relocate. Charlotte gives in and plans are set in motion to move to Perth, Western Australia.
Unfortunately for Charlotte, arrival in Perth is not easy. It’s the middle of summer and everything is bright and too intense. (I am the firm – albeit biased – believer that Perth has the brightest, clearest light in the world and I adored how Stephanie Bishop captured that feeling of intense light as the family arrived in Fremantle). It’s hot, there are bugs everywhere and life is the same round of drudgery. Everything starts brilliantly for Henry until the effects of the White Australia policy start making some snide comments. Perth is not the utopia either of the couple thought, but their relationship begins to break down as they lead increasingly separate lives. Charlotte wants to go back to England, but Henry does not want to pay the fare, so she is reduced to desperate measures…
The Other Side of the World is incredibly atmospheric. I could feel the sense of claustrophobia and damp that permeated Charlotte’s life in England. Perth was much more anonymous – there’s hardly any reference that identifies it as Perth. The mentions of the university near the river and the river itself lack detail – perhaps because Charlotte didn’t want to search for it herself. While as a West Aussie, I was a little annoyed initially, I changed my mind for several reasons. One, because Perth wasn’t more than a big country town in the 1960s that didn’t really have many unique features. Two, because the anonymity and open spaces is what got to Charlotte – she’s even more lost here than at home. Henry’s time in India too felt damp, clingy and humid as he waits for his mother to die. All the settings are distinct in how they feel to the characters, which is then passed on to the reader.
As for the characters – both Charlotte and Henry have sides that are distinctly unlikeable. They’re not people who are warm and engaging but standoffish and reluctant to ‘get involved’. To use an Aussie turn of phrase, I wouldn’t invite them over for a barbeque! They are both responsible for the upheaval in their lives. I found it difficult to like Charlotte because she stubbornly refused to even attempt to adapt to life in Perth (hometown pride may get in the way here) but there were times I felt sorry for her. I didn’t always understand her actions, but I felt a grudging admiration for her ability to obtain what she thought she wanted. Did she achieve it? Well, that’s up to the reader to decide.
The prose of The Other Side of the World is absolutely beautiful. It’s lyrical and evocative in the images and feelings it raises. Where is home? What is home? As the characters struggle to answer these questions, you’ll be carried along as part of the story. I would not be surprised to see The Other Side of the World in a number of prize shortlists over the next year.
Thank you to Hachette Australia for the eARC. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Once you start reading the book, it feels like it is pulling you into its world until you are sitting in the story. It envelopes you and was always somewhere on my mind as I was reading it. This book has an all-consuming power that will make you part of it, yet it’s quite a simple story. We meet main character Charlotte as she’s walking through the woods to the little cottage she shares with her husband and child. She’s just found out she’s pregnant again and it’s not a happy feeling. Life is hard with a child, an all-consuming drudgery in a cold land. What options are there for Charlotte? Not much in 1960s England until a brochure through the letterbox suggests Australia might be a sunny alternative. Henry, who grew up in India and has fond memories of it, seizes on the opportunity to relocate. Charlotte gives in and plans are set in motion to move to Perth, Western Australia.
Unfortunately for Charlotte, arrival in Perth is not easy. It’s the middle of summer and everything is bright and too intense. (I am the firm – albeit biased – believer that Perth has the brightest, clearest light in the world and I adored how Stephanie Bishop captured that feeling of intense light as the family arrived in Fremantle). It’s hot, there are bugs everywhere and life is the same round of drudgery. Everything starts brilliantly for Henry until the effects of the White Australia policy start making some snide comments. Perth is not the utopia either of the couple thought, but their relationship begins to break down as they lead increasingly separate lives. Charlotte wants to go back to England, but Henry does not want to pay the fare, so she is reduced to desperate measures…
The Other Side of the World is incredibly atmospheric. I could feel the sense of claustrophobia and damp that permeated Charlotte’s life in England. Perth was much more anonymous – there’s hardly any reference that identifies it as Perth. The mentions of the university near the river and the river itself lack detail – perhaps because Charlotte didn’t want to search for it herself. While as a West Aussie, I was a little annoyed initially, I changed my mind for several reasons. One, because Perth wasn’t more than a big country town in the 1960s that didn’t really have many unique features. Two, because the anonymity and open spaces is what got to Charlotte – she’s even more lost here than at home. Henry’s time in India too felt damp, clingy and humid as he waits for his mother to die. All the settings are distinct in how they feel to the characters, which is then passed on to the reader.
As for the characters – both Charlotte and Henry have sides that are distinctly unlikeable. They’re not people who are warm and engaging but standoffish and reluctant to ‘get involved’. To use an Aussie turn of phrase, I wouldn’t invite them over for a barbeque! They are both responsible for the upheaval in their lives. I found it difficult to like Charlotte because she stubbornly refused to even attempt to adapt to life in Perth (hometown pride may get in the way here) but there were times I felt sorry for her. I didn’t always understand her actions, but I felt a grudging admiration for her ability to obtain what she thought she wanted. Did she achieve it? Well, that’s up to the reader to decide.
The prose of The Other Side of the World is absolutely beautiful. It’s lyrical and evocative in the images and feelings it raises. Where is home? What is home? As the characters struggle to answer these questions, you’ll be carried along as part of the story. I would not be surprised to see The Other Side of the World in a number of prize shortlists over the next year.
Thank you to Hachette Australia for the eARC. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
janerel's review against another edition
3.0
I could understand this book in my head but not in my heart and therefore could not connect with Charlotte on any level. I read it from a distance, and while appreciating the writing, did not feel any empathy or sympathy for Charlotte on any level. I do understand that people suffer from depression but I have great trouble understanding how a mother could leave her children. It's actually beyond my comprehension. Not a feel good story but I am glad I persevered and finished it.
fruity999's review against another edition
3.0
This is beautifully written but not my sort of thing. Rather melancholic. Often left me feeling anxious observing the relationship fall apart. Lots of themes about identity and belonging.