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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
If you like this book you will enjoy the author's other book, which also has wonderful characters. A great audio read.
There was a lot I liked about this novel. I would have liked more focus on the characters of Beatrice and Agatha (or maybe less other material, which seemed to detract from their stories). For example, Beatrice's teaching begins at the halfway point and then the novel quickly moves away to other things. I also had moments when I thought the author is trying too hard to teach us about life in Edwardian England.
It starts slow and cheesy. Then, cute but predictable.
I found this book to drag on for a lot longer than necessary. It got to the point that towards the end, I was frequently skipping portions of text that I scanned and saw were just large paragraphs of description. I also felt the ending was a bit abrupt and not smooth considering how long we had taken to get there. The ending was also quite lackluster in my opinion. It just kind of...stopped. I did enjoy the characters and the little town of Rye. I found myself identifying with the main character and wanting to meet some of the others.
Lovely, lovely read about a small town before WWI erupts. Beatrice Nash was a perfect character - with just the right amount of independence, but still shackled by society's view of women. It was great to read how the war changed each individual, maturing even one character I assumed I was supposed to hate. I love historical fiction that feels as if it could have been written in the time period that it depicts, and that is what Helen Simonson has done here. If you are hoping for another Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, this isn't it. I'm thankful for that. Instead, we have a completely new storyline in a different time.
Unique -- before WWI. Characters were different than usual -- authors, teachers, poets, etc. Not much plot until the end. predicted David's death Main character didn't really stand out, love interest was obvious. Good book, but the events are pretty random. Overall, not too much drama, light version of WW1. Good.
Didn't want it to end. Definitely see this as a BBC/Masterpiece production.
I would give 2.5 stars if I could. The book was promising at the beginning, and it read like a classic, so I thought I would enjoy it. However, it quickly began to drag. Then it picked up so quickly towards the end that it felt like it was skimmed over (as if there was so much time wasted earlier that the author ran out of book space and had to quickly tie up all loose ends). Also, there was some shocking information revealed in the epilogue that didn't have a chance to be explained or resolved.
Loved this sweet story of life in a small English town on the eve of World War I. Perfect for Downton Abby fans going through withdrawal.
Wow, this book was not what I expected. While the story unfolds at a leisurely pace, I had a hard time putting this down. Layered over the narrative is an exploration of the ways class and gender shaped lives and expectations in pre WWI in England.