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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
I expected to like this book a lot more than I did. I certainly didn't dislike it, but I wasn't very engaged, and felt that it dragged a bit. I'm not sure what I missed that so many of my friends enjoyed.
I received my copy from Net Galley. I totally adored [b:Major Pettigrew's Last Stand|6643090|Major Pettigrew's Last Stand|Helen Simonson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320539020s/6643090.jpg|6837577], and was thrilled to see the author had another book out. On the surface, you would not think the two books had much in common, but you would be wrong. Both works are concerned with characters who are bound by rules of society, until they find the power to break through the bindings. Sadly, some characters never do.
Up until say, the half-way point, I could put it down easily enough, but not long after that, it was very hard. I cried big time toward and through the end. I do have a criticism though. Some of the characters seemed a little exaggerated, more a caricature than a character. Daniel could have been presented a little more subtly, and Mr. Poot, my word, where does a name like that come from? I can't even stand to hear it in my head! Celeste was a puzzle to me - hardly a word spoken, seemingly still devoted to her father, suffering from PTSD, and then bam!, she grows a backbone and lets her father have it.
That bit of criticism aside, I really did enjoy the book, and I think you will too. I think there is plenty here for book clubs to discuss in terms of the motivations, strengths and weaknesses of the various characters. Enjoy!
Up until say, the half-way point, I could put it down easily enough, but not long after that, it was very hard. I cried big time toward and through the end. I do have a criticism though. Some of the characters seemed a little exaggerated, more a caricature than a character. Daniel could have been presented a little more subtly, and Mr. Poot, my word, where does a name like that come from? I can't even stand to hear it in my head! Celeste was a puzzle to me - hardly a word spoken, seemingly still devoted to her father, suffering from PTSD, and then bam!, she grows a backbone and lets her father have it.
That bit of criticism aside, I really did enjoy the book, and I think you will too. I think there is plenty here for book clubs to discuss in terms of the motivations, strengths and weaknesses of the various characters. Enjoy!
War novels often shine a light into the human condition in very special ways. The characters talk of how war strips life down to its meanest essentials where you can actually appreciate the little blessings anew. I thank this book for that reminder. And the laughs. I enjoyed the humor here amid the harsh realities, which are not explored too much but are definitely there. Much of the book is, as the title implies, set before the war begins and that makes your heart sink as you share those last days of normalcy with the characters. Characters who, by the way, have clearly romanticized what war will mean and who find out soon it is not at all that way. This gives the book a bittersweet taste that somehow still goes down smoothly.
4.5 stars easy.
The prose in here is just beautiful. There were so many sentences or entire paragraphs that I had to write down in my quote book for the sheer provocative thought or character development displayed. I am usually extremely hesitant to the point of avoiding any and all war-related books. I'm just not interested in reading about trench life or gore-splattered scenes. But only 80 or so pages of this book are in any way shape or form actual war scenes. The rest is the build up and the downfall of a town as it realizes just what it means to live during wartime. It's the shedding of social niceties, the harsh and jarring reality of our humanity, and the steady rise of contradictions of how one perceives oneself and how one actually is when all masks via riches and name-dropping are stripped of importance.
And I couldn't love Snout more if I tried <3 <3 <3
The prose in here is just beautiful. There were so many sentences or entire paragraphs that I had to write down in my quote book for the sheer provocative thought or character development displayed. I am usually extremely hesitant to the point of avoiding any and all war-related books. I'm just not interested in reading about trench life or gore-splattered scenes. But only 80 or so pages of this book are in any way shape or form actual war scenes. The rest is the build up and the downfall of a town as it realizes just what it means to live during wartime. It's the shedding of social niceties, the harsh and jarring reality of our humanity, and the steady rise of contradictions of how one perceives oneself and how one actually is when all masks via riches and name-dropping are stripped of importance.
And I couldn't love Snout more if I tried <3 <3 <3
A great novel. I really want to know more about these characters and wanted to keep reading after the last page.
Really enjoyable story of family, love, acceptance, and independence set in England prior to WWI. Beatrice is a woman before her time. The story has shades of Downton Abbey and Pride and Prejudice.
I liked this book so much better than "Major Pettigrews last stand". Although the title misleading as the best part of the story happens after the war has started. The middle of the plot dragged on for me but the resolution was satisfying. The start of the epilogue was one of the best examples of poetic fiction I've ever read.
slow-paced
Having been to Rye, this story held a special place for me. How fun to read about small time life before WWI. While slower paced than the charming Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, I LOVED the character development. Charming read.
The "before" part of the title was so interesting. But there was such heaviness and heartache in this story. I felt like I was being pulled down into more sadness and darkness as the book went on. And yet, how true was that of those who lived in the time of the war? It was extraordinarily well written. Just be forewarned it's not a lighthearted read.