379 reviews for:

Light Perpetual

Francis Spufford

3.64 AVERAGE

dreesreads's review against another edition

4.0

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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This book was so close to being a 5-star read for me. The end really needed to loop back to the beginning, or maybe the beginning should have been the end. Spufford based this novel on the actual German 1944 bombing of a Woolworth's in South London, which he sets in Bexford (which does not exist). 

rob_l's review against another edition

3.5

reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

abookishtype's review against another edition

3.0

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For me, reading Francis Spufford’s Light Perpetual, was a strange juggling act. On the one hand, the premise of the book got me thinking about all the millions of lives that might have been if they hadn’t ended because of World War II. Where would we be if those millions had been able to finish their fourscore years and ten? On the other, I needed to stay focused on the rather ordinary lives of the protagonists who—in one version of history—were killed by a V-2 rocket. The juggling act made me constantly question Spufford’s choices. Why these five people? What are we to learn from seeing scenes from their possible lives over the decades? Is there a lesson to be learned from a book that always prances away from stating its message?

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.

hannahballard's review against another edition

3.25

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

swishing's review against another edition

4.25

emotional hopeful 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

barnitka's review against another edition

2.0

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The brilliant beginning I thought would set the tone of the book. On the contrary, the rest of the story feels too dull.

booking_along's review against another edition

4.75

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

familiarr_strangerr's review against another edition

1.5

challenging slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

jillj's review against another edition

4.0

reflective tense medium-paced

harlequingemma's review against another edition

2.5

emotional 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