eroof514's review
2.0
I recieved a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. This book is set in 1792 and is set in the area of Clifton near Bristol. Lizzie grows up with a mother who is an author who has lots of artist friends poets and political activists included. This book later moves onto Lizzie's marriage and the fears of schemes leaving them bankrupt. The ending leaves much unanswered but I did enjoy the menacing feel this book had throughout. I have been told that Helen's books are either love them or hate them type of books so feel free to give this one a go and make your own conclusions. This one is for fans of historical fiction for sure.
crissyh's review
dark
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
2.75
monty27's review
2.0
I really wanted to like this story, but unfortunately it only started until the very end.
jmatkinson1's review
5.0
When Julia Fawkes, radical writer, dies after childbirth, her adult daughter Lizzie is left bereft. Newly married to a widower, Diner, Lizzie has to support her husband and raise her half-brother with only the help of her servant Philo. She comes into contact with a young poet but her suspicious husband thinks that more is going on than a mere friendship. Meanwhile Diner's business is collapsing, he has invested in the building of a row of houses in Bristol but the French Revolution means that no-one is interested in buying.
This is such a subtlety written book that both the minutiae of everyday Georgian life seems so much more important than the cataclysmic events across the channel and yet the ramifications are felt deeply. At one level the story is that of a young woman who discovers secrets about her husband that lead her into danger. At another level the radical followers of Thomas Paine are powerless to support their French friends as chaos reigns. The only jarring note for me was the modern day introduction. Whilst I know it was there to set the scene and introduce the reader to Julia Fawkes as a writer it was never revisited and felt superfluous.
This is such a subtlety written book that both the minutiae of everyday Georgian life seems so much more important than the cataclysmic events across the channel and yet the ramifications are felt deeply. At one level the story is that of a young woman who discovers secrets about her husband that lead her into danger. At another level the radical followers of Thomas Paine are powerless to support their French friends as chaos reigns. The only jarring note for me was the modern day introduction. Whilst I know it was there to set the scene and introduce the reader to Julia Fawkes as a writer it was never revisited and felt superfluous.
bericheri's review
4.0
There's a sense of constant doom throughout this novel however it's not exactly gripping. I almost gave up halfway through because hardly anything had happened. The plot didn't advance in anyway. But I stuck it out and found the ending to have been worth it. I won't be reading it again though.
sally_ann_t's review
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
chelseabarth's review
3.0
Set in 1792, Lizzie Fawkes has grown up among her mother's radical friends who support the French Revolution. But Lizzie is now married to a housing developer, John Diner Tredevant, who disagrees with the Revolution and believes that Lizzie's carefree spirit should be quelled. Diner see's Lizzie as his property and her independence as a threat, and his passion for her grows until Lizzie finds herself alone with a stranger who is not the man she married at all.
I was drawn to this book because of the time period in which it was set. However I found myself disappointed by this book. The story was well written and Helen Dunmore captured the tension of this era, however the story is set in Bristol where the characters are far removed from the political events taking place in France. The plot was sluggish and lacked any development throughout. The beginning of the story felt completely disconnected from the novel and I kept waiting to go back to that story but it was never mentioned again. So while the writing was elegant the plot was lacking too much for me to enjoy this story.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was drawn to this book because of the time period in which it was set. However I found myself disappointed by this book. The story was well written and Helen Dunmore captured the tension of this era, however the story is set in Bristol where the characters are far removed from the political events taking place in France. The plot was sluggish and lacked any development throughout. The beginning of the story felt completely disconnected from the novel and I kept waiting to go back to that story but it was never mentioned again. So while the writing was elegant the plot was lacking too much for me to enjoy this story.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
always_need_more_books's review against another edition
3.0
Set in 1792 Bristol, we follow Lizzie who is married to John Diner Tredevant a property developer. Lizzie was brought up in Radical circles where the French Revolution is followed with idealism. With the prospect of war, Diner looks to lose everything.
Described on the cover as a psychological thriller, I’m not sure that’s what it was. There is mystery and moments of thrill. I really enjoyed the historical aspects – I felt totally immersed in the period. There is childbirth and fantastic descriptions of Bristol and the social history of the time which I really enjoyed.
A book club read so it’ll be interesting to see what everyone else thinks when we discuss it.
Described on the cover as a psychological thriller, I’m not sure that’s what it was. There is mystery and moments of thrill. I really enjoyed the historical aspects – I felt totally immersed in the period. There is childbirth and fantastic descriptions of Bristol and the social history of the time which I really enjoyed.
A book club read so it’ll be interesting to see what everyone else thinks when we discuss it.
snoakes7001's review against another edition
5.0
Birdcage Walk begin in the present as a dog walker uncovers a gravestone with an enigmatic epitaph. The story then moves to the eighteenth century with a mysterious and clandestine burial. The next chapter jumps forwards another three years where we meet the main characters, Lizzie and her family. It's the time of the French Revolution and Lizzie's mother and stepfather are radicals, political pamphlet writers who are watching events over the channel with interest but at one remove. Lizzie herself recently married widower John Diner Tredevant, a property developer and speculator who has much to lose in the uncertainty of the times with the prospect of war on the horizon. As creditors start to circle, events take a darker turn and Lizzie begins to wonder what manner of man it is that she had married.
Helen Dunmore excels in taking an extraordinary period in history and spinning it into an everyday tale about ordinary folk. The French Revolution isn't the main event, but rather a backdrop to this story although its fallout dramatically affects the lives of Lizzie and her family.
It's lyrical and atmospheric with a slowly building sense of impending doom. The theme of lost voices, how even writers (and particularly women) can leave no trace of themselves after a few years have gone by is made particularly poignant by Helen Dunmore's early death.
Helen Dunmore excels in taking an extraordinary period in history and spinning it into an everyday tale about ordinary folk. The French Revolution isn't the main event, but rather a backdrop to this story although its fallout dramatically affects the lives of Lizzie and her family.
It's lyrical and atmospheric with a slowly building sense of impending doom. The theme of lost voices, how even writers (and particularly women) can leave no trace of themselves after a few years have gone by is made particularly poignant by Helen Dunmore's early death.
jac1nta's review
This book is very very boring. I only read 5 chapters as I am part of a book club and felt that I had to give a good stab at it. I really couldn't read any further. I wasn't enjoying it. It was like a history lesson and I hated history in school. I am not interested in violence against women, the French Revolution or property developers in Bristol and how the revolution may or may not have affected the business of the husband. If I wanted to know any of this I would get a factual history book!
I read books to escape and be entertained and to put a smile on my face and produce maybe tears of joy or sadness but unlltimately happiness. It wa a chore to read as far as I did!
I read books to escape and be entertained and to put a smile on my face and produce maybe tears of joy or sadness but unlltimately happiness. It wa a chore to read as far as I did!