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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
I didn't find this book to be especially wonderful. It was sweet enough, but also rather banal. At the end of the book, in the chapters set in the theater of war, I saw that the sweetness and banality at the beginning of the book was representative of life before the war, but I never found I was surprised by the way things unfolded.
I used to dislike reading historical fiction. Being in a book club taught me to enjoy this genre. This book was a beautifully written story of a small town affected by the approach of WWI. The repartee between the characters surprised me as I didn’t think the interaction between men and women and between generations would have been so quick witty. It made the book more enjoyable.
This was definitely a page turner. I will say it started slow but really picked up. I learned so much about that historical period.
If only the first part of this book had been ruthlessly axed.
I was lucky to get this popular title from the library without a wait. I enjoyed the book and the setting, as it is a time and place about which I enjoy reading. It's a fairly recent book and it was well reviewed. Which is why I guess I expected more.
Don't get me wrong - it is a perfectly fine book. But it doesn't offer anything new or different. The characters were straight out of central casting and the plot line was predictable.
That said, the period of time before, during, and after the Great War is such a period of societal tumult that we can't help but be intrigued. It's fascinating to see how accepted norms begun to be questioned and how priorities shift in the face of world-wide chaos.
For those who haven't gotten over Downton Abbey....
Don't get me wrong - it is a perfectly fine book. But it doesn't offer anything new or different. The characters were straight out of central casting and the plot line was predictable.
That said, the period of time before, during, and after the Great War is such a period of societal tumult that we can't help but be intrigued. It's fascinating to see how accepted norms begun to be questioned and how priorities shift in the face of world-wide chaos.
For those who haven't gotten over Downton Abbey....
Just couldn't make it through this one. gave it a good try but kept starting and finishing other books before this one. I eventually gave up. it was OK but slow and only semi interesting.
Soft and meandering historical fiction set against the backdrop of the first world war. The scene building is superb and character development masterful.
Too long, not what I expected. A lot of detail of upper class life in the English countryside before WWI.
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes