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marybeth494's review against another edition
3.0
I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie and this is the first book I've read of hers writing as Mary Westmacott. I enjoyed the book but the back has this blurb: "Joan thought her marriage a happy one, her husband a man she could depend on always. But step by step the veils of illusion were stripped from her terrified eyes - and suddenly she was in the midst of a waking nightmare, wed to a man she realized was a stranger .... a man who dreamed of getting rid of her, by whatever means were necessary ...."
That is a little misleading, trying to draw in more of the Agatha Christie murder crowd. To me, this book was an interesting dive into self-reflection and not necessarily liking what you found. It doesn't diminish the book for me at all but I prefer a little murder with my Christie :)
That is a little misleading, trying to draw in more of the Agatha Christie murder crowd. To me, this book was an interesting dive into self-reflection and not necessarily liking what you found. It doesn't diminish the book for me at all but I prefer a little murder with my Christie :)
deniqd's review against another edition
2.0
My first and most probably last Mary Westmacott book!
I picked this up because I'm going through a kind of midlife crisis and I keep thinking about my life and that's what the cover said about this book; I knew it would be slow and devoid of action, however...it is just a mumble jumble of stories that Joan remembers while she is alone stranded in the middle of nowhere; the stories don't stitch together and we jump from one to the other without any sense.
We just get to realised that most of times (or probably all the times) perfect lives are not so perfect and I thought it would have some kind of revelation at the end, some kind of life-changing realisation but nope... nothing like that happens.
I picked this up because I'm going through a kind of midlife crisis and I keep thinking about my life and that's what the cover said about this book; I knew it would be slow and devoid of action, however...it is just a mumble jumble of stories that Joan remembers while she is alone stranded in the middle of nowhere; the stories don't stitch together and we jump from one to the other without any sense.
We just get to realised that most of times (or probably all the times) perfect lives are not so perfect and I thought it would have some kind of revelation at the end, some kind of life-changing realisation but nope... nothing like that happens.
bingereading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lilcoppertop's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
abbierca's review against another edition
5.0
Joan is so painfully unaware of the reality of her life, quite a depressing character. This is a cautionary tale for who I don’t want to be.
janedallaway's review against another edition
5.0
I learned of Agatha Christie's books under a pseudonym through a podcast and wanted to investigate. This seemed to be a good choice as it was the book Christie said she'd always wanted to write. I found this story fascinating and frustrating. And I found the main character, Joan, described well enough that I wouldn't want to spend any time with her. It's a great premise for a story, and left me wondering about what I'd discover in the same circumstances
vavita's review against another edition
4.0
Agatha Christie said that Absent in the spring was the most personal book she published. – Extract from her biography: “Shortly after that, I wrote the one book that has satisfied me completely. It was a new Mary Westmacott, the book that I had always wanted to write, that had been clear in my mind. It was the picture of a woman with a complete image of herself, of what she was, but about which she was completely mistaken.”
I wonder if that is how she felt about her first marriage. If she thought they were completely happy and in love, had the perfect family… If she, years after her divorce, realized how nothing really was as she had assumed, how she had missed details, how she had “known” things and had “forgotten” them.
I don’t think I would have enjoyed this book without having read her bio first. The main character is a pain. She has only one chapter of absolution, only one chapter when you root for her. But still, the book is wonderfully written. I was never bored.
I wonder if that is how she felt about her first marriage. If she thought they were completely happy and in love, had the perfect family… If she, years after her divorce, realized how nothing really was as she had assumed, how she had missed details, how she had “known” things and had “forgotten” them.
I don’t think I would have enjoyed this book without having read her bio first. The main character is a pain. She has only one chapter of absolution, only one chapter when you root for her. But still, the book is wonderfully written. I was never bored.
beautifulminutiae's review against another edition
1.0
I never DNF books quickly, but this one had literally nothing going for it. In my notes while I was reading, I said that Joan is completely unlikable. I realize that’s the point, but it’s not very fun to spend your time with a character who basically has no choice but to face who she really is. Especially when there’s no real back story going into that. In addition, there were some pretty gross (and unnecessary) references to rape that were jarring. I also accidentally read spoilers when I was trying to gage whether or not to continue and that made me realize it’d be pointless for me to continue. I love Agatha Christie’s writing, but this one was just
nexttoabook's review against another edition
4.0
Mais uma leitura concluída e mais um recanto encontrado na escrita da querida Agatha Christie, desta vez um livro de romance!!