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rhodered 's review for:

Past Imperfect by Julian Fellowes
2.0

This is part social history and part novel. I enjoyed the latter tremendously, being a history buff. But the latter was a depressing account of failed hopes; and, youth eclipsed by dreary middle age with no attendant satisfactions whatsoever.

My reaction to this may be particularly American - wanting to see some sort of sunny side. A novelist friend of mine in the US was once amused to see the British edition of his book used the exact same cover art of a couple leaning against a car... Except the British publisher had altered their smiles into gloomy expressions and the sunny sky into a cloudy one.

Anyhow I got 100 or so pages into this book, and then laid it aside. I don't know if I'll finish it or not. For now I'll pop it in the guest room.