Scan barcode
fransbooks's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
nderiley's review against another edition
2.0
I like coming of age stories so I was excited to read this book - it even came recommended. Alas. This opened with a torrid love affair, one of the steamiest I've read as I don't generally dip into romance - but I couldn't get over the characters age gap. 41 and 15?! PEDOPHILE. I don't care that it's in the past. Gross.
So that affair does what it does and we follow her through some years of consequences. The last section of the book follows her in a trial where her stance does not elicit my empathy. Olympia ends up redeeming herself in the end, but for me, it wasn't worth the journey.
Read Shreve's Pilot's Wife and skip this one.
So that affair does what it does and we follow her through some years of consequences. The last section of the book follows her in a trial where her stance does not elicit my empathy. Olympia ends up redeeming herself in the end, but for me, it wasn't worth the journey.
Read Shreve's Pilot's Wife and skip this one.
booksbeaches's review against another edition
5.0
Despite any negative comments about the behavior of the characters in this book, I did really enjoy this read. I found it more captivating that Shreve’s The Pilot’s Wife. If I had to put a description to the type of captivation that was felt, I would say it was the train wreck sort. You see the tracks are damaged and you see the train coming at full speed, but you just can’t look away. Here comes Olympia and she’s going to crash hard.
The book begins in 1900. I admire authors who can spin a story from an era in which they did not exist. Even though many things were perceived differently at that time (examples: when a girl becomes a woman, when a woman should marry, how much older can a gentleman be to still acceptably court a younger woman), you will find characters are still astonished about this relationship.
After meeting the charming Dr. Haskell, the fifteen year old Olympia ‘falls madly in love’ with him as he does with her. The torrid love affair begins and before you know it they are copulating in his carriage, at his hotel room, in the marshes, in the unfinished cottage he is building for his wife and four children.
Did I mention the good doctor is forty one years old?
Yes, like most readers, this is where I found myself about to throw in the towel and say, “You have to be freaking kidding me.”
And somehow these two are completely shocked about how hurt everyone (her parents, his wife, his in-laws, his children) is when they discover Haskell has been playing doctor with the teenager. Everyone packs their bags and leaves from what I’m sure would be the worst summer vacation in history. I admit that I held on because of the Train Wreck Scenario. You can’t look away when this is going down. I spent twenty minutes telling my cat, “I saw this coming.”
As the book moves on from Olympia and Haskell’s affair, you follow as she tries to find some inner peace from her broken heart. At times, I wanted to high-five her and say, “Yeah, get your life back together!” Other times I wanted to jump in the pages and beat her with a frying pan because she was falling right back into a ridiculous rut.
When I finished reading this book, I consulted with other reviews that have been posted. I have to disagree with readers who said the love affair was not plausible or “what man would cheat on his wife with a fifteen year old.” I’m sure it happens more than we would ever want to know about. Yes, I strongly disagree with infidelity and forty one year old men having intercourse with fifteen year old girls. And do I think the characters were truly in love? Probably not. To enjoy a book doesn’t mean that you have to agree with every circumstance of the plot. I don’t know about you, but I occasionally like a book that ruffles my feathers.
An interesting fact I would like to mention before closing this review, Shreve has written four books that have taken place in the very same house. As I started reading Fortune’s Rocks, I noticed immediately that the summer cottage owned by Olympia’s family was the very same house that belonged to Kathryn in The Pilot’s Wife. They all take place at different periods in time. What an amazing idea! (Almost Stephen King-ish, dare I say?) I hope when I complete my You Bought It, You Read It Mission I can come back and read the other two books in that series.
www.melaniejomoore.com
The book begins in 1900. I admire authors who can spin a story from an era in which they did not exist. Even though many things were perceived differently at that time (examples: when a girl becomes a woman, when a woman should marry, how much older can a gentleman be to still acceptably court a younger woman), you will find characters are still astonished about this relationship.
After meeting the charming Dr. Haskell, the fifteen year old Olympia ‘falls madly in love’ with him as he does with her. The torrid love affair begins and before you know it they are copulating in his carriage, at his hotel room, in the marshes, in the unfinished cottage he is building for his wife and four children.
Did I mention the good doctor is forty one years old?
Yes, like most readers, this is where I found myself about to throw in the towel and say, “You have to be freaking kidding me.”
And somehow these two are completely shocked about how hurt everyone (her parents, his wife, his in-laws, his children) is when they discover Haskell has been playing doctor with the teenager. Everyone packs their bags and leaves from what I’m sure would be the worst summer vacation in history. I admit that I held on because of the Train Wreck Scenario. You can’t look away when this is going down. I spent twenty minutes telling my cat, “I saw this coming.”
As the book moves on from Olympia and Haskell’s affair, you follow as she tries to find some inner peace from her broken heart. At times, I wanted to high-five her and say, “Yeah, get your life back together!” Other times I wanted to jump in the pages and beat her with a frying pan because she was falling right back into a ridiculous rut.
When I finished reading this book, I consulted with other reviews that have been posted. I have to disagree with readers who said the love affair was not plausible or “what man would cheat on his wife with a fifteen year old.” I’m sure it happens more than we would ever want to know about. Yes, I strongly disagree with infidelity and forty one year old men having intercourse with fifteen year old girls. And do I think the characters were truly in love? Probably not. To enjoy a book doesn’t mean that you have to agree with every circumstance of the plot. I don’t know about you, but I occasionally like a book that ruffles my feathers.
An interesting fact I would like to mention before closing this review, Shreve has written four books that have taken place in the very same house. As I started reading Fortune’s Rocks, I noticed immediately that the summer cottage owned by Olympia’s family was the very same house that belonged to Kathryn in The Pilot’s Wife. They all take place at different periods in time. What an amazing idea! (Almost Stephen King-ish, dare I say?) I hope when I complete my You Bought It, You Read It Mission I can come back and read the other two books in that series.
www.melaniejomoore.com
filiparferreira's review against another edition
3.0
Trouxe este romance de casa dos meus pais e resolvi pegar nele no início desta Quarentena, pensando que era um daqueles livros de levar para a praia,faceis de ler e meio inconsequentes. Pois afinal não era bem isso. É uma história bastante trágica de uma queda valente na sociedade dada por uma promissora miúda de 15 anos, que é bastante madura para a idade mas mesmo assim é um bocado perturbante. E depois da luta que tem que fazer para se reerguer e encontrar maneira de conseguir viver com tudo aquilo que fez e as suas consequências.
katemoxie's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing. Emotional. Very satisfactory ending. Loved it.
jjjwright's review against another edition
5.0
This book thoroughly captured me. I could barely put it down - which is unusual for me.
kim_chelf's review against another edition
3.0
I find myself very conflicted about this book. The romance bothered me the entire time, but passages were so beautifully written that I had to keep reading. Especially in the first dew chapters, there were some passages that were just stunningly beautiful. The story was interesting, but hard to read at times. Overall a solid book, but I don't know if I would read it again.
rachelevolve's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite novels of all time! I owned it for years before even reading it, and was glad when I finally did. Just to think it could've still been sitting on my shelf, unread, and un-experienced. I've been meaning to read it again but I have too many other books on my to-reads list. It's difficult for me to review a book I read years ago. I can only remember the feeling I felt when reading it, the feeling I felt when I finished it. It felt nostalgically dreamy.