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A review by robinwalter
Vittoria Cottage by D.E. Stevenson
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Another gentle, easy read from D. E. Stevenson. I chose this one because it's the first of several featuring members of the same family, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the mini 'series' develops now that I've met all the key characters
The story itself is perhas just a touch TOO soft. In Spring Magic there was just the right amount of conflict and human foibles to add a sense of realism to the story. In this story set in early 50s Britain, the quiet village setting already feels so historical as to be nearly mythical, and the absence of any signifcant 'negative' elements made it a bit bland. I enjoyed reading it, it was pleasant and relaxing, but it was also unremarkable. One thing I did like was the depiction of Caroline's faith. In Charlotte Fairlie, the lead\'s personal faith was bit too near tub-thumping evangelism for my taste, in this story, Caroline is clearly devout, but in quiet way and focused on being a good person rather than preaching about it. This philosophy she put into words like this :
"I’ve sometimes thought, supposing everybody—every single person—decided to do their level best to make one small corner of the world happier. Would that help?”
We’re going about it the wrong way. . . . Passing laws and trying to make people happy and good . . . there’s only one way in which it can be done and that’s from inside outwards; starting with the individual and spreading outwards to others.
Another excellent example of this was in the scene where her god-daughter is christened. Caroline's wry reflections on the absurdity of the ritual expressions was both amusing and satisfying.
There were touches of the author's trademark humour too, This was my favourite - was the speaker conflating Victoria's Jubille with her Coronation, actually claiming to be close to 120 years old, or taking "everything was better back in the day" to hyperbolic extremes, I wonder?
“Ah! Ye should ’ave seen the bonfire we ’ad when Queen Victoria were coronated,” said old Mr. Mumper in his squeaky voice, which always reminded Robert of an ungreased wheel-barrow. “That there bonfire on Vee Jay Day weren’t a patch on it.
Another common feature of the Stevenson novels I've read is the breakneck speed with which the romantic arcs are wrapped up. This one was no exception, but the extreme passivity of the two characters involved made the end feel even more sudden. It also left me feeling very disappointed with the male lead. His own self-absorbed passivity created tension and potential conflict, but it only come to hhead in the last few pages. Had it been brought into the open a bit sooner, the whole book might have had a bit less nebulous softness to it. Overall, a pleasant read, but one that could have been better.
The story itself is perhas just a touch TOO soft. In Spring Magic there was just the right amount of conflict and human foibles to add a sense of realism to the story. In this story set in early 50s Britain, the quiet village setting already feels so historical as to be nearly mythical, and the absence of any signifcant 'negative' elements made it a bit bland. I enjoyed reading it, it was pleasant and relaxing, but it was also unremarkable. One thing I did like was the depiction of Caroline's faith. In Charlotte Fairlie, the lead\'s personal faith was bit too near tub-thumping evangelism for my taste, in this story, Caroline is clearly devout, but in quiet way and focused on being a good person rather than preaching about it. This philosophy she put into words like this :
"I’ve sometimes thought, supposing everybody—every single person—decided to do their level best to make one small corner of the world happier. Would that help?”
We’re going about it the wrong way. . . . Passing laws and trying to make people happy and good . . . there’s only one way in which it can be done and that’s from inside outwards; starting with the individual and spreading outwards to others.
Another excellent example of this was in the scene where her god-daughter is christened. Caroline's wry reflections on the absurdity of the ritual expressions was both amusing and satisfying.
There were touches of the author's trademark humour too, This was my favourite - was the speaker conflating Victoria's Jubille with her Coronation, actually claiming to be close to 120 years old, or taking "everything was better back in the day" to hyperbolic extremes, I wonder?
“Ah! Ye should ’ave seen the bonfire we ’ad when Queen Victoria were coronated,” said old Mr. Mumper in his squeaky voice, which always reminded Robert of an ungreased wheel-barrow. “That there bonfire on Vee Jay Day weren’t a patch on it.
Another common feature of the Stevenson novels I've read is the breakneck speed with which the romantic arcs are wrapped up. This one was no exception, but the extreme passivity of the two characters involved made the end feel even more sudden. It also left me feeling very disappointed with the male lead. His own self-absorbed passivity created tension and potential conflict, but it only come to hhead in the last few pages. Had it been brought into the open a bit sooner, the whole book might have had a bit less nebulous softness to it. Overall, a pleasant read, but one that could have been better.