Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
A nice story ( damning with faint praise ) and it provided some insights into England during French Revolution. But not a " great " novel and truthfully a bit bored at times as outcomes for characters were very self evident.
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good character development and well paced plot. The preface seemed a little clunky way into the novel. After finishing the book I was struggling to see what the preface added to the story.
The novel proper is set in the turmoil of Europe after the French Revolution. Lizzie is our protagonist and she’s likeable and somewhat cold. Her mother and stepfather are unexpectedly expecting another child. Lizzie’s has a troubling relationship with her husband. He’s under tremendous pressure in his building development. No one has confidence to buy houses when there’s a war looming. And his previous wife mysteriously died on a trip to France or did she. Quite a dramatic and chilling finale.
The novel proper is set in the turmoil of Europe after the French Revolution. Lizzie is our protagonist and she’s likeable and somewhat cold. Her mother and stepfather are unexpectedly expecting another child. Lizzie’s has a troubling relationship with her husband. He’s under tremendous pressure in his building development. No one has confidence to buy houses when there’s a war looming. And his previous wife mysteriously died on a trip to France or did she. Quite a dramatic and chilling finale.
This was a suspenseful historical story about a tense and distrusting marriage. I would have liked more history of Bristol and more visible threats from the Revolution - Lizzys suspicion and madness was boring to me by the end, and I wished for more time with the wise, gentle Julia.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I enjoyed some aspects of this novel, mainly the writing but felt it was a bit disjointed and used the situation in France as a tool without actually saying much about the revolution.
I love Helen Dunmore's work, but I felt this book was less natural and more constructed than the others. I enjoyed learning about the history of the radicals (about which I knew nothing) and Bristol's architectural past. But the characters left me sadly unmoved. Strangely, I read that Helen Dunmore felt more connected with them than with any characters in her other books. It makes me wonder if the connection felt by the author can get in the way of the reader's own version of the character. However, I am glad that she had such a satisfying experience of writing characters before she died. A great writer, and one I will sorely miss.
A superb book; a modern classic on a par with Atonement or Birdsong. A unique historical novel that sweeps us into a particular point of time with poetic lyricism and compelling narrative. Echoes of DH Lawrence in the depiction of male-female relationships and Thomas Hardy in the melancholy evocation of landscape. Excellent.
A naive young woman, Lizzie Fawkes, married to John Diner Tredevant, a widower who had murdered his first wife.
Set at the time of the French Revolution radical ideas permeated Lizzie’s life, from her mother’s circle of friends.
A lovely book. Helen Dunmore says she was fascinated by what little remains of a life after death and how quickly we are forgotten.
Set at the time of the French Revolution radical ideas permeated Lizzie’s life, from her mother’s circle of friends.
A lovely book. Helen Dunmore says she was fascinated by what little remains of a life after death and how quickly we are forgotten.