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A review by ylvasorli
Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers
5.0
"'I eat less when I'm busy, I suppose. And more when I'm miserable.'
'And at the moment you are overworked but happy?'"
It has been a while since I've read a book that I have enjoyed this much. Wow, 5 stars from me! I loved every aspect of it (except I would like to change the ending). This book gave me so much, and it was a story I wasn't expecting.
Main plot:
The book is set in the 1950's and the main character, Jean, is a female journalist at "The Echo" in London. When jean is not at work, she is tied to her home to take care of her mother. Until one day she starts working on an interesting case. Gretchen Tilbury has submitted a letter claiming she had a virgin birth. After Jean gets to know Gretchen and her family, she is dragged into their life, but as a journalist she has to remain professional. Right?
My thoughts about the plot (spoilers):
I want to start of with saying that I did not see any of the plot twists coming. Gretchen running away from her marriage because she is lesbian, Jean having an abortion at 29, Jeans mother falling, finding out the truth about the "virgin" birth, the train crash.
There were so many things I loved about this book. I loved seeing the relationship between Jean and her mother. How after her mother was submitted into hospital, Jean still longed for her prescense, even though she got easily annoyed with her mother at home. The guilt Jean felt when she came home to see her mum cold on the ground, after having such a lovely evening with Howard. The fact that this happened, only proved to her that she has to stay at home at all times, because her mother is not capable of being alone.
Jean only had her mother as a family, because her sister lived too far away and only sent letters in the mail. So when the Tilburys invited her into their home and life, she finally had someone. But I could tell that she was longing for a family of her own. Especially because she thought they had the perfect marriage. And also, she had the chance at 29, but chose to abort the baby. So the fact that she now wanted a family and maybe a kid of her own - but was now too old to get pregnant (maybe, she's only 39), must have felt sad.
The only thing I maybe would have changed about the book was the ending, but at the same time I can understand why the author wrote the ending she did. For a bit more drama I would have liked to see Gretchens, Marthas and Howards reaction to the truth. The truth is harsh and awful, but are they better off not knowing? Getting raped while drugged asleep, and then getting pregnant... The only "good" thing that would have come out of telling Gretchen the truth, would be to know what condition Margaret may have. Her biological father having the same mental issues as her. Maybe future troubles could be saved? Although this was the 1950's so who knows.
I was very confused when I read the afterword, because I couldn't remember reading about a traincrash, but it was right there on the first page. So a nice start and finish to the book.
"I'm only sorry you had to live through it all to become her". THIS is my favorite sentence of the whole book. Howard has my whole heart. And I really hope he wasn't killed in the train crash, because I really want a happy ending for them :(
'And at the moment you are overworked but happy?'"
It has been a while since I've read a book that I have enjoyed this much. Wow, 5 stars from me! I loved every aspect of it (except I would like to change the ending). This book gave me so much, and it was a story I wasn't expecting.
Main plot:
The book is set in the 1950's and the main character, Jean, is a female journalist at "The Echo" in London. When jean is not at work, she is tied to her home to take care of her mother. Until one day she starts working on an interesting case. Gretchen Tilbury has submitted a letter claiming she had a virgin birth. After Jean gets to know Gretchen and her family, she is dragged into their life, but as a journalist she has to remain professional. Right?
My thoughts about the plot (spoilers):
I want to start of with saying that I did not see any of the plot twists coming. Gretchen running away from her marriage because she is lesbian, Jean having an abortion at 29, Jeans mother falling, finding out the truth about the "virgin" birth, the train crash.
There were so many things I loved about this book. I loved seeing the relationship between Jean and her mother. How after her mother was submitted into hospital, Jean still longed for her prescense, even though she got easily annoyed with her mother at home. The guilt Jean felt when she came home to see her mum cold on the ground, after having such a lovely evening with Howard. The fact that this happened, only proved to her that she has to stay at home at all times, because her mother is not capable of being alone.
Jean only had her mother as a family, because her sister lived too far away and only sent letters in the mail. So when the Tilburys invited her into their home and life, she finally had someone. But I could tell that she was longing for a family of her own. Especially because she thought they had the perfect marriage. And also, she had the chance at 29, but chose to abort the baby. So the fact that she now wanted a family and maybe a kid of her own - but was now too old to get pregnant (maybe, she's only 39), must have felt sad.
The only thing I maybe would have changed about the book was the ending, but at the same time I can understand why the author wrote the ending she did. For a bit more drama I would have liked to see Gretchens, Marthas and Howards reaction to the truth. The truth is harsh and awful, but are they better off not knowing? Getting raped while drugged asleep, and then getting pregnant... The only "good" thing that would have come out of telling Gretchen the truth, would be to know what condition Margaret may have. Her biological father having the same mental issues as her. Maybe future troubles could be saved? Although this was the 1950's so who knows.
I was very confused when I read the afterword, because I couldn't remember reading about a traincrash, but it was right there on the first page. So a nice start and finish to the book.
"I'm only sorry you had to live through it all to become her". THIS is my favorite sentence of the whole book. Howard has my whole heart. And I really hope he wasn't killed in the train crash, because I really want a happy ending for them :(