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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
This is a book that packs a serious emotional punch, thanks mainly to Spufford’s masterly writing. He has a remarkable ability to link the minutiae of everyday life to universal concerns, and he knows exactly how to use his descriptive powers to maximum effect. The book traces the lives of five Londoners who died as children during the Blitz, dropping in at various points during their lives to imagine how things might have turned out for them. Along the way, it ponders what it means to be human, and it tackles mental illness with perhaps more genuine insight and power than any contemporary novel I have read. Certain passages deserve to be read and reread.
What works less well is the author’s attempt at social history. As we follow the characters through the 60s, cliche after cliche pops up (the flash footballer, the girl group, the decline of the unions) but at no point do you feel Spufford has understood working class London life. It feels like he has watched a few documentaries and pieced together a vague fabric from their scraps - contrast this with a book like Graham Swift’s Last Orders, which deals with the same sort of characters in a far more authentic way. When Spufford sticks to the interiors of his characters and their mortality, he is on far safer ground.
What works less well is the author’s attempt at social history. As we follow the characters through the 60s, cliche after cliche pops up (the flash footballer, the girl group, the decline of the unions) but at no point do you feel Spufford has understood working class London life. It feels like he has watched a few documentaries and pieced together a vague fabric from their scraps - contrast this with a book like Graham Swift’s Last Orders, which deals with the same sort of characters in a far more authentic way. When Spufford sticks to the interiors of his characters and their mortality, he is on far safer ground.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Racism, Vomit
Moderate: Drug use, Sexism, Violence
Minor: Pedophilia
It took me a very long time to read this novel. Premise was interesting but I just couldn't connect with some characters and at times the novel felt disjointed.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
challenging
emotional
reflective
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:
Complicated