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teaandlibri's review
4.0
A surprisingly quick read about how one event can affect the lives of many people, even if many of them never meet. I suppose it's a sort of "Butterfly Effect" as a book, and I found it quite enjoyable. The book introduces a cast of characters, starting with Charlotte, the woman who is mugged and must go live with her daughter and son in law temporarily, setting off a chain of events that will affect the lives of several people.
These people include a married couple, the woman who is having an affair with the husband, the uncle of the woman, and the uncle's assistant, who happens to be Charlotte's daughter. Also in the mix is a student of Charlotte's, who is she teaching how to read English. Their lives change, some for the better, some for the worse. Some are more sympathetic (Charlotte) than others (the husband, Jeremy is shallow and I kinda wished he had a different ending).
While not life-changing or a classic, I thought overall it was a good read. The book takes on various perspectives of different point in each chapter without being too abrupt or cliff-hanger-ee. I recently read 'The Yoga Studio' which tries to do the "changing POVs" but definitely not as well and lacked from character development. The author Lively did a pretty good job in establishing each of the characters here, whether they were the "main" ones or more of the supporting ones like Charlotte's son-in-law or the new assistant the uncle hires.
I suppose the book is a little too "wrapped up"--as I got towards the end I thought there might be some plot threads that might be left open, but instead the author tells us the eventual futures (long and short-term) of the characters. The reader even finds out the fate of the cat of Charlotte's daughter and son-in-law. However, overall I was fond of the book and of Charlotte. Although not the "main" character, she is a bookworm and that definitely scored points with me.
I was lucky to catch this as a bargain, but I think I wouldn't have minded picking it up at the airport for a plane ride at full price. It won't change your life, but it was a pleasant read for a few hours.
These people include a married couple, the woman who is having an affair with the husband, the uncle of the woman, and the uncle's assistant, who happens to be Charlotte's daughter. Also in the mix is a student of Charlotte's, who is she teaching how to read English. Their lives change, some for the better, some for the worse. Some are more sympathetic (Charlotte) than others (the husband, Jeremy is shallow and I kinda wished he had a different ending).
While not life-changing or a classic, I thought overall it was a good read. The book takes on various perspectives of different point in each chapter without being too abrupt or cliff-hanger-ee. I recently read 'The Yoga Studio' which tries to do the "changing POVs" but definitely not as well and lacked from character development. The author Lively did a pretty good job in establishing each of the characters here, whether they were the "main" ones or more of the supporting ones like Charlotte's son-in-law or the new assistant the uncle hires.
I suppose the book is a little too "wrapped up"--as I got towards the end I thought there might be some plot threads that might be left open, but instead the author tells us the eventual futures (long and short-term) of the characters. The reader even finds out the fate of the cat of Charlotte's daughter and son-in-law. However, overall I was fond of the book and of Charlotte. Although not the "main" character, she is a bookworm and that definitely scored points with me.
I was lucky to catch this as a bargain, but I think I wouldn't have minded picking it up at the airport for a plane ride at full price. It won't change your life, but it was a pleasant read for a few hours.
christinafrancisgilbert's review against another edition
4.0
This collation of mixed narratives holds storytelling as its connecting theme. It's also an exploration of how lives of distinctly different people intersect through chance incidents.
The novel opens with a mugging of an elderly lady Charlotte, which means she must reside with her daughter Rose and her husband Gerry, meaning Rose cannot attend a work conference with her boss Lord Henry, thus he must go with his niece Marion who sends a message to cancel a date with Jeremy who is cheating on his wife Stella, who finds out, thus wanting a divorce ... and so on.
These normal, relatable characters are simple and understandable in their actions. We are drawn along with them with woven interior monologue of characters making their decisions based on what life has dealt them.
One character who steals the show is Anton, a Polish 'economic migrant' learning English with Charlotte as his teacher. His observations of language, life and what is right is charming and he is a beautiful optimistic voice in the novel. His stilted dialogue as he gradually unpicks English expressions and colloquialisms is also a cute highlight in the plot.
Themes include money, social status, love and responsibility.
I do love Lively's choice of topics and I value how she uses simple questions to form a skeleton structure for her character studies. As much as I enjoy happy endings, the way Lively confirms that the novel is an open-ended construct is superb. She sends her characters and their storylines off on their natural journeys in various directions...just like life!
The novel opens with a mugging of an elderly lady Charlotte, which means she must reside with her daughter Rose and her husband Gerry, meaning Rose cannot attend a work conference with her boss Lord Henry, thus he must go with his niece Marion who sends a message to cancel a date with Jeremy who is cheating on his wife Stella, who finds out, thus wanting a divorce ... and so on.
These normal, relatable characters are simple and understandable in their actions. We are drawn along with them with woven interior monologue of characters making their decisions based on what life has dealt them.
One character who steals the show is Anton, a Polish 'economic migrant' learning English with Charlotte as his teacher. His observations of language, life and what is right is charming and he is a beautiful optimistic voice in the novel. His stilted dialogue as he gradually unpicks English expressions and colloquialisms is also a cute highlight in the plot.
Themes include money, social status, love and responsibility.
I do love Lively's choice of topics and I value how she uses simple questions to form a skeleton structure for her character studies. As much as I enjoy happy endings, the way Lively confirms that the novel is an open-ended construct is superb. She sends her characters and their storylines off on their natural journeys in various directions...just like life!
brndnwrght's review
reflective
slow-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? No
3.0
dcmr's review against another edition
3.0
Well, that was a delight!
I can't wait to read more from this new-to-me writer.
I can't wait to read more from this new-to-me writer.
nancyinoregon's review against another edition
4.0
Masterful insights into human nature and human experience, one sentence at a time.
keri5707's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting story, written in an unconventional manner.
sueann's review against another edition
3.0
How one incident affects the lives of other, even those the main character doesn't know. I enjoyed spending time with these folks, even with their flaws and foibles. The male characters, except for Anton, are pompous, narcissistic or dull. So believable. Poor Rose, stuck in her comfort zone.
judenoseinabook's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Very enjoyable. The story glides seamlessly from character to character, all linked in some way to the mugging of Charlotte, some directly, others more circuitous.
Very well written and some wonderful insights. Charlotte especially has brilliant stuff to say about reading and worrying.
Very well written and some wonderful insights. Charlotte especially has brilliant stuff to say about reading and worrying.
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
4.0
When an elderly woman is mugged in Londin, her assault sets off a chain of events that changes many lives. I really enjoyed this funny, humane story.
Recommended by Jo. A 2012 staff favorite.
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Show%20it%20all%20began%20lively__Orightresult__U1?lang=eng&suite=pearl
Recommended by Jo. A 2012 staff favorite.
Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Show%20it%20all%20began%20lively__Orightresult__U1?lang=eng&suite=pearl
judyward's review against another edition
3.0
I have often thought about how a simple act or a quick decision has ended up having the most profound impact on my life--if I hadn't volunteered here, I never would have met a certain individual, who told a friend about me, which caused the friend to offer me a part-time job. And that job ended up being the best job that I ever had. If my husband hadn't broken his leg after leaping out of a perfectly good airplane, he never would have gone to law school. You know, it's the old "if you give a mouse a cookie" routine. Penelope Lively takes this concept and runs with it. Charlotte Rainsford, aged 77, is a retired teacher who stays involved in the field of education by tutoring in a literacy program and is she is currently teaching English to the speakers of other languages. One day she is mugged on a London street and during the event, she is pushed to the pavement and her hip is broken. Because her hip is broken, she can't go home, so she moves temporarily into the home of her daughter and son-in-law. And this incident creates a ripple effect of change that affects a number of lives quite unexpectedly. I really liked this book for a number of reasons. First is the invesigation into how lives can be significally impacted by decisions that other people make or events outside of an individual's control. Second, I really liked how some of the characters were developed as the novel unfolded and even some of the more unsympathetic characters caught my attention as they worked through the cards that Charlotte's broken hip had unknowingly dealt them. And, most enjoyable, Penelope Lively highlighted how important books and reading are to many people. My favorite quote was when Charlotte mused, "Forever, reading has been central, the necessary fix, the support system." Those are words that sum up my approach to a literary life.