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domicspinnwand's review against another edition
3.0
Naja... Hörbuch aus der Bücherei, ganz ok. Zeitweise auch ganz unterhaltsam und ansatzweise spannend, aber nix, was mich jetzt verleiten würde, mehr von Frau Pennicott zu hören/lesen.
kellygoesgeocaching's review against another edition
4.0
An easy read, nice little mystery that has some turns you see coming and others you don't. The setting of the book is picturesque and darling, the characters are interesting and complex and I quite enjoyed this one.
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
4.0
Josephine Pennicott has written three dark fantasy novels, and won three Scarlet Stiletto Awards from the Sisters in Crime Australia, so it's no surprise that her latest offering, POET'S COTTAGE has a little of the sensibility of both genres.
Set in the small, fictional town of Pencubbit in Tasmania, POET'S COTTAGE is really a story about generational memory. Sadie, and her teenage daughter move to Poet's Cottage after Sadie's mother Marguerite dies. The house, childhood home to Marguerite and her older sister Thomasina, and their parents Pearl and Maxwell is also the place where Pearl was brutally murdered. Pearl was a children's writer, an eccentric and erratic woman, capable of profoundly shocking behaviour particularly in that time and that place, remembered very differently by her two daughters - Marguerite with affection, Thomasina with loathing.
Sadie returns to her mother's childhood home to write a book about her grandmother, to uncover the truth of her death, to recover from her own divorce and grief at the death of her mother. Along the way she finds why Thomasina loathed the mother that Marguerite loved, and why the locals were so shocked and scandalised by Pearl.
The book moves backwards and forwards between the time of Pearl's life and her antics and the current day. The conduit for much of this movement is Birdie Pinkerton. Childhood friend and then long-time lover of Maxwell after Pearl's death, Birdie is still alive, albeit nearly 100. Her connection is multi-part. She was part of Pearl and Maxwell's circle during the time that they lived in Poet's Cottage, part of Maxwell's life post Pearl and the writer of an earlier book about Pearl that was part of what set Sadie on her path. She still lives in Pencubbit and has a connection with the town, the architecture and the people that is informed by her interest as a historian, and also because she has been there for such a significant period of time.
I understand that part of the plot line of POET'S COTTAGE was inspired by the story of children's author Enid Blyton, whose own daughters have conflicting opinions on Blyton as a mother. Whilst that might be an inspiration, the process of revealing the reason for the differences is interesting in this book, and Thomasina, who still lives in the vicinity, is a complex portrayal both in childhood and as an adult. In fact there are a lot of vaguely unpleasant characters littered throughout the book - some of whom go onto be revealed as maybe just a little misunderstood, some of whom remain unrepentant.
POET'S COTTAGE was a most unexpected reading experience, and one of the problems with writing a review of a book like this is avoiding revealing much of the detail - as this is a very detailed, complicated but extremely readable story. It is really less about solving any mystery around who murdered Pearl, although that is eventually revealed, but more about 4 generations of women in the family, and the women and to a lesser extent, the men, around them. The concentration is very much on the worlds that those women inhabit. Influenced by war, judged by society norms within all the generations, tempered by the isolation and tightness of a small community, connected to each other via flawed and accurate family recollection, POET'S COTTAGE uses a lot of threads to build a beautifully woven story.
Set in the small, fictional town of Pencubbit in Tasmania, POET'S COTTAGE is really a story about generational memory. Sadie, and her teenage daughter move to Poet's Cottage after Sadie's mother Marguerite dies. The house, childhood home to Marguerite and her older sister Thomasina, and their parents Pearl and Maxwell is also the place where Pearl was brutally murdered. Pearl was a children's writer, an eccentric and erratic woman, capable of profoundly shocking behaviour particularly in that time and that place, remembered very differently by her two daughters - Marguerite with affection, Thomasina with loathing.
Sadie returns to her mother's childhood home to write a book about her grandmother, to uncover the truth of her death, to recover from her own divorce and grief at the death of her mother. Along the way she finds why Thomasina loathed the mother that Marguerite loved, and why the locals were so shocked and scandalised by Pearl.
The book moves backwards and forwards between the time of Pearl's life and her antics and the current day. The conduit for much of this movement is Birdie Pinkerton. Childhood friend and then long-time lover of Maxwell after Pearl's death, Birdie is still alive, albeit nearly 100. Her connection is multi-part. She was part of Pearl and Maxwell's circle during the time that they lived in Poet's Cottage, part of Maxwell's life post Pearl and the writer of an earlier book about Pearl that was part of what set Sadie on her path. She still lives in Pencubbit and has a connection with the town, the architecture and the people that is informed by her interest as a historian, and also because she has been there for such a significant period of time.
I understand that part of the plot line of POET'S COTTAGE was inspired by the story of children's author Enid Blyton, whose own daughters have conflicting opinions on Blyton as a mother. Whilst that might be an inspiration, the process of revealing the reason for the differences is interesting in this book, and Thomasina, who still lives in the vicinity, is a complex portrayal both in childhood and as an adult. In fact there are a lot of vaguely unpleasant characters littered throughout the book - some of whom go onto be revealed as maybe just a little misunderstood, some of whom remain unrepentant.
POET'S COTTAGE was a most unexpected reading experience, and one of the problems with writing a review of a book like this is avoiding revealing much of the detail - as this is a very detailed, complicated but extremely readable story. It is really less about solving any mystery around who murdered Pearl, although that is eventually revealed, but more about 4 generations of women in the family, and the women and to a lesser extent, the men, around them. The concentration is very much on the worlds that those women inhabit. Influenced by war, judged by society norms within all the generations, tempered by the isolation and tightness of a small community, connected to each other via flawed and accurate family recollection, POET'S COTTAGE uses a lot of threads to build a beautifully woven story.
ciska's review against another edition
3.0
I got this book in the cutest second hand bookshop in Apeldoorn. It is one of those stores where the proprietor is walking around handing out tea or coffee and opening the door which makes that you just have to buy a book.
This story holds great mysteries, family secrets and weird characters. I enjoyed the switching between the past and the present. I cannot imagine moving into a house where my grandmother has been murdered though, specially with a teenager. The developments are done nicely with past and present stories grabbing back im eachother. It was fun to search for clues, trying to figure out what exactly happened.
The story is character driven. In the now we have Sadie and her daughter. There are some characters too that were alive back when it all happened which created interesting intersctions. I liked Sadie, she is trying hard to get a grip on her life after some life altering things happened. Pearl her grandmother obviously is interesting but I missed more story on her motivation. Though that might have disrupted the rest of the story. There are a bunch of other characters having their own influence on the story. They are placed where needed. The only ones I could have done without were the love interest guys for Sadie. She had enough on her plate and I would not have missed when there would have been no need for her to fall in love again.
A geeat reqd for a sunny or rainy afternoon.
This story holds great mysteries, family secrets and weird characters. I enjoyed the switching between the past and the present. I cannot imagine moving into a house where my grandmother has been murdered though, specially with a teenager. The developments are done nicely with past and present stories grabbing back im eachother. It was fun to search for clues, trying to figure out what exactly happened.
The story is character driven. In the now we have Sadie and her daughter. There are some characters too that were alive back when it all happened which created interesting intersctions. I liked Sadie, she is trying hard to get a grip on her life after some life altering things happened. Pearl her grandmother obviously is interesting but I missed more story on her motivation. Though that might have disrupted the rest of the story. There are a bunch of other characters having their own influence on the story. They are placed where needed. The only ones I could have done without were the love interest guys for Sadie. She had enough on her plate and I would not have missed when there would have been no need for her to fall in love again.
A geeat reqd for a sunny or rainy afternoon.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
‘Something was wrong.
The fictional Tasmanian fishing town of Pencubitt provides the setting for this novel. Sadie inherits Poet’s Cottage when her mother dies, and moves from Sydney with her teenaged daughter Betty. Sadie wants to make a fresh start after her marriage break-up, and she also wants to find out as much as she can about her notorious grandmother, Pearl Tatlow. Pearl, a children’s author, was brutally murdered in the cellar of Poet’s Cottage in 1936, and her murderer was never arrested.
Sadie’s mother Marguerite had very good memories of her mother, but her older sister Thomasina (who still lives in Pencubitt) did not. Sadie has always dismissed her aunt’s views as reflecting her particular bitterness and eccentricity, but Pearl’s contemporary Birdie Pinkerton confirms that Pearl was a woman given to extremes in behaviour. A beautiful woman, living a bohemian lifestyle in a small Tasmanian town in the 1930s is bound to ruffle at least some feathers. With Betty’s help, Sadie is determined to find out what really happened in Poet’s Cottage in 1936.
‘The cry of blood will pursue him to terrible but righteous judgement.’
Strange things keep happening in Poet’s Cottage, it’s almost as though the ghosts of the past have taken up residence and refuse to let go. And the more Sadie discovers about her grandmother, the more complex she realises the story of Pearl’s life really is. Can Sadie trust Birdie Pinkerton’s account of events? After all, Sadie was in love with Pearl’s husband.
‘When we can’t let go of the past, we resurrect what should be at rest.’
The novel is written as a parallel story, moving between the present day and the 1930s, and Pearl’s murder is not the only mystery to be solved. I enjoyed this novel, especially the physical setting of the fictional town (which draws on both Stanley and Oatlands for some of its elements). The beautifully restored cottage has an appropriately oppressive atmosphere, and while many of the locals are not surprised that Sadie has returned to the island, not everyone is happy about the fact. While the novel is a clever combination of historical murder mystery, atmospheric ghost story and family drama, the plot becomes quite complicated by the end. Still, for me, solving the mystery became secondary to enjoying the story as it unfolded. I can only hope that the real ‘Poet’s Cottage’ in Stanley has a less macabre history.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
The fictional Tasmanian fishing town of Pencubitt provides the setting for this novel. Sadie inherits Poet’s Cottage when her mother dies, and moves from Sydney with her teenaged daughter Betty. Sadie wants to make a fresh start after her marriage break-up, and she also wants to find out as much as she can about her notorious grandmother, Pearl Tatlow. Pearl, a children’s author, was brutally murdered in the cellar of Poet’s Cottage in 1936, and her murderer was never arrested.
Sadie’s mother Marguerite had very good memories of her mother, but her older sister Thomasina (who still lives in Pencubitt) did not. Sadie has always dismissed her aunt’s views as reflecting her particular bitterness and eccentricity, but Pearl’s contemporary Birdie Pinkerton confirms that Pearl was a woman given to extremes in behaviour. A beautiful woman, living a bohemian lifestyle in a small Tasmanian town in the 1930s is bound to ruffle at least some feathers. With Betty’s help, Sadie is determined to find out what really happened in Poet’s Cottage in 1936.
‘The cry of blood will pursue him to terrible but righteous judgement.’
Strange things keep happening in Poet’s Cottage, it’s almost as though the ghosts of the past have taken up residence and refuse to let go. And the more Sadie discovers about her grandmother, the more complex she realises the story of Pearl’s life really is. Can Sadie trust Birdie Pinkerton’s account of events? After all, Sadie was in love with Pearl’s husband.
‘When we can’t let go of the past, we resurrect what should be at rest.’
The novel is written as a parallel story, moving between the present day and the 1930s, and Pearl’s murder is not the only mystery to be solved. I enjoyed this novel, especially the physical setting of the fictional town (which draws on both Stanley and Oatlands for some of its elements). The beautifully restored cottage has an appropriately oppressive atmosphere, and while many of the locals are not surprised that Sadie has returned to the island, not everyone is happy about the fact. While the novel is a clever combination of historical murder mystery, atmospheric ghost story and family drama, the plot becomes quite complicated by the end. Still, for me, solving the mystery became secondary to enjoying the story as it unfolded. I can only hope that the real ‘Poet’s Cottage’ in Stanley has a less macabre history.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
shelleyrae's review against another edition
4.0
Set in Pencubbit, a fictional fishing town in Tasmania, Poet's Cottage is a story of scandal, intrigue and family. Pearl Tatlow, an eccentric children's author, was brutally murdered in Poet's Cottage in 1936, while her young daughters Thomasina and Marguerite, played in the garden. Her killer was never identified. Seventy or so years later Marguerite's daughter, Sadie along with her teenage daughter Betty, moves into Poet's Cottage to write a book about Pearl, the woman revered by her mother but reviled by many. As the story moves between the past and present the truth of Pearl's life, and death, is revealed.
While there is a mystery at the core of Poet's Cottage, the story is about much more than Pearl's grisly end. In life Pearl was a polarising force, despised by her daughter Thomasina who was the target of her mother's physical and emotional rages, she was put on a pedestal by Marguerite, whose memories of Pearl are far more rosy. Sadie has always taken her mother, to whom she was devoted, at her word, dismissing Thomasina, who still lives in Pencubbit, as a bitter and eccentric woman. It is Birdie Pinkerton, a contemporary of Pearl, who confirms that Pearl was indeed a disturbed woman. In an unpublished manuscript, Birdie reveals a narcissistic woman who openly had affairs, scandalised the small and conservative community with outrageous behaviour and delighted in careless cruelty. Sadie is unsure if she can trust Birdie's memories, which could be biased by her relationship with Pearls husband, but it paints a damning portrait of a sadistic, albeit, mentally ill woman. Still, Pearl had a strangely magnetic personality, attracting lovers and admirers easily, many of whom were willing to forgive her her faults.
As Sadie learns more about her grandmother, Pearl's shadow seems to loom over the present. Despite the amount of time that has elapsed it seems Pearl still haunts the town.
Poet's Cottage has a touch of the gothic about it. The house, though beautifully restored, has an oppressive atmosphere, there are hidden passageways, a creepy, perhaps haunted, basement and a hooded figure lurks in the grounds. Thick fog rolls across the town which is populated by enigmatic characters, many of whom are unpleasant. There is a brusque and brooding romantic interest for Sadie, who is threatened by unseen forces, and though she may not be the fainting type, she succumbs to the unease that envelops the Cottage.
Poet's Cottage is a beautifully written, atmospheric mystery with surprising depth. A literary novel that offers many surprises, it is sure to capture your imagination and have you reading long into the night.
While there is a mystery at the core of Poet's Cottage, the story is about much more than Pearl's grisly end. In life Pearl was a polarising force, despised by her daughter Thomasina who was the target of her mother's physical and emotional rages, she was put on a pedestal by Marguerite, whose memories of Pearl are far more rosy. Sadie has always taken her mother, to whom she was devoted, at her word, dismissing Thomasina, who still lives in Pencubbit, as a bitter and eccentric woman. It is Birdie Pinkerton, a contemporary of Pearl, who confirms that Pearl was indeed a disturbed woman. In an unpublished manuscript, Birdie reveals a narcissistic woman who openly had affairs, scandalised the small and conservative community with outrageous behaviour and delighted in careless cruelty. Sadie is unsure if she can trust Birdie's memories, which could be biased by her relationship with Pearls husband, but it paints a damning portrait of a sadistic, albeit, mentally ill woman. Still, Pearl had a strangely magnetic personality, attracting lovers and admirers easily, many of whom were willing to forgive her her faults.
As Sadie learns more about her grandmother, Pearl's shadow seems to loom over the present. Despite the amount of time that has elapsed it seems Pearl still haunts the town.
Poet's Cottage has a touch of the gothic about it. The house, though beautifully restored, has an oppressive atmosphere, there are hidden passageways, a creepy, perhaps haunted, basement and a hooded figure lurks in the grounds. Thick fog rolls across the town which is populated by enigmatic characters, many of whom are unpleasant. There is a brusque and brooding romantic interest for Sadie, who is threatened by unseen forces, and though she may not be the fainting type, she succumbs to the unease that envelops the Cottage.
Poet's Cottage is a beautifully written, atmospheric mystery with surprising depth. A literary novel that offers many surprises, it is sure to capture your imagination and have you reading long into the night.
bristoni74's review against another edition
3.0
This is a gothic style mystery shifting between past and present. I enjoyed the range of characters and how Pearl and Tomasina are quite complex and at times not likeable. I preferred the story set in the 1930's rather than present day and I did enjoy reading an Australian novel set in Tasmania. The ending though just wasn't satisfying, but overall an enjoyable read.
hannahmayreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. It (and they) are mysterious and haunting. There are many "I can't put it down" moments. These are damaged people who cannot let go of the past. There are so many twists and turns, sometimes I struggled to keep up. The writing could have made things more clear.
This is meant to be set in Tasmania, and in many ways, it is very Australian. However, I did find myself slipping towards a more British setting. This book really is gothic, and to me, gothic is a very British genre.
A perfect read if you've got a few days spare to curl up and immerse yourself.
This is meant to be set in Tasmania, and in many ways, it is very Australian. However, I did find myself slipping towards a more British setting. This book really is gothic, and to me, gothic is a very British genre.
A perfect read if you've got a few days spare to curl up and immerse yourself.
lisa_setepenre's review against another edition
2.0
The story is decent, the characters have enough little twists to keep them interesting and I love mysteries. However, I found the mystery of Poet's Cottage lacking in suspense and its solution a bit too neat and out of the blue.
I honestly thought there was going to be something more to the mystery. Pennicott has all the ingredients for a truly awesome, thrilling tale with a cast of tricksy characters that might just be the murderer, plus a horrifically fascinating revelation about the murderer – but it never quite lives up to that promise. It might have been the speed that I read the closing chapters, but I felt the solution was never made explicit enough – there was a scene in which the murderer was revealed, not named, and I had to keep reading on to get confirmation.
Well, to find out who did it since he/she were such an insignificant, forgettable character in a book stuffed with characters that demanded attention.
The style of writing wasn't really my cup of tea and I did struggle to keep track of the more minor characters. Ultimately, I felt that there was a lot of potential that Poet's Cottage didn't live up to.
I honestly thought there was going to be something more to the mystery. Pennicott has all the ingredients for a truly awesome, thrilling tale with a cast of tricksy characters that might just be the murderer, plus a horrifically fascinating revelation about the murderer – but it never quite lives up to that promise. It might have been the speed that I read the closing chapters, but I felt the solution was never made explicit enough – there was a scene in which the murderer was revealed, not named, and I had to keep reading on to get confirmation.
The style of writing wasn't really my cup of tea and I did struggle to keep track of the more minor characters. Ultimately, I felt that there was a lot of potential that Poet's Cottage didn't live up to.