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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
Has the same light and funny feel as the author's previous book, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand.
Towards the end it became a bit heavy, and was disappointed with one character's conclusion.
Towards the end it became a bit heavy, and was disappointed with one character's conclusion.
This was perfectly enjoyable, but didn't grab me as much as I hoped it would. I would put it down for a week and forget about it. Good story, though, and well written
This was perfectly enjoyable, but didn't grab me as much as I hoped it would. I would put it down for a week and forget about it. Good story, though, and well written
Well this book had my name stamped all over it. Small English villages undergoing big change is the hallmark of a great British novel and I loved these characters and how war changed them and their ideals. I will say this book was supremely predictable, obviously as it's a World War I novel set in Britain, people are going to die and it was obvious right from the start who that would be. Maybe because of that I didn't feel the same sense of emotional turmoil that I think was meant by that moment but it was still a lovely story that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book grew on me over time. It had a Jane Austen quality to it -- here are all these characters in complicated societal settings thinking about relationships and marriage and such while the world is swirling around them. I liked that part of the book better than the ending section that actually follows a character off to the war front. I haven't read [b:Major Pettigrew's Last Stand|6643090|Major Pettigrew's Last Stand|Helen Simonson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320539020s/6643090.jpg|6837577], so I can't make a comparison with this book. Judging by some of the other reviews, perhaps I should read that if I liked this one.
The narrator for the audiobook has a pleasant British accent that fit well with the book. Unusually for me, I listened to this one only slightly speeded up -- usually I end up at around 1.8x reading speed, but I stuck at 1.3 here. I think that speaks to the enjoyment that I felt in hearing the language here rather than just reading along for the characters or plot.
The narrator for the audiobook has a pleasant British accent that fit well with the book. Unusually for me, I listened to this one only slightly speeded up -- usually I end up at around 1.8x reading speed, but I stuck at 1.3 here. I think that speaks to the enjoyment that I felt in hearing the language here rather than just reading along for the characters or plot.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“The Summer Before the War” by Helen Simonson ⭐️⭐️.5
“The Summer Before the War” follows the story of a small village in Essex during the summer of 1914.
For me, this novel is meh. I’m really disappointed in its existence to be honest. I feel like the novel should have started earlier and been about one person or two people. The multiple POVs really don’t add anything to the novel.
I thought this novel was going to be more of a romanticized, fictionalized story of “Testament of Youth,” but I was very much mistaken. The characters don’t feel like they are developed in the right way and everything feels either half baked or forced.
Examples:
one character is a poet and wants to spread his poetry—but why? I understand that you want him to be like a Robert Brooke or Wilfred Owen, but all he does is complain about not being seen for his art. WHAT ART??
the female protagonist is being shit in because she’s a woman and men are pigs, okay? Yeah this is first wave feminism and pre-vote during the height of the movement, but I don’t see the women banning together to be suffragettes and tearing the place down. Given that most of these women are upper-middle class, they could teach our female POV that there’s more to being a feminist than being chained to the post and using her female prowess to manipulate men into giving them what they want.
There also definitely should have been a time jump, and a lot more people should have died, but there’s no character development, so it’s not like the deaths would have mattered anyway.
This is one of those books that you wish just kept going but then are somewhat glad it ends because of all of the emotions you need to digest. The first third of the book or so is mainly character development but the characters are so well written you can see them clearly in your head. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am looking forward to another one by Simonson.
Very satisfying historical fiction, with vivid characters. Perfect for readers who appreciate character and setting, but not for anyone who wants a fast-paced plot.