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strutty27's review
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
horsley123's review against another edition
4.0
!960s Britain - some of the country are living it up whilst the vast majority are still living socially constrained 1950s lives. I very much enjoyed the writing - great characters, descriptions of their frustrations as well as the day to day living and the settings of middle class suburbia contrasting with bohemian London. The teenage daughter, Colette, was a highlight for me, seizing the opportunities presented by her wayward mother.
The plot slowed a little in the middle - but then a twist propels the tale on to a bittersweet ending. All in all a good read.
The plot slowed a little in the middle - but then a twist propels the tale on to a bittersweet ending. All in all a good read.
jessicasummer91's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
rhr's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lauha_aaltonen's review
2.0
Oisin halunnut tykätä tästä kauniin kielen ja mielenkiintoisen alkuasetelman takia, mutta mulle tää jäi kaukaiseksi ja pintapuoliseksi tarinaksi ja halusin vaan saada tän nopeesti luettua alta pois...
kealki's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
certifiedmalpal's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
rosekk's review against another edition
3.0
I bought this because I fancied trying something I would normally look straight past, and this was on offer. I liked it, in the end - but not so much that I'll be seeking more like it.
One issue I had with the book is the cover - it gives away nothing of what the book is actually about or it's setting. The women on the front looks roughly like the main character, and that's it. And nothing about her appearance suggests the era she's living in, which feels particularly relevant to the story, because it's the time period that dictates the position she starts in, and allows her to change towards the end. It just seemed odd to have such a blank cover.
A more important/story relevant issue - what is wrong with quotation marks?!? I get that people try avoiding them in the hope of making speech feel more immediate, but what you gain in style you loose in clarity. We spent ages developing punctuation for the language, spend years teaching it to children, and then writers keep trying to reinvent the wheel for reasons that are never worth it.
With those complaints aside, I found plenty to appreciate in the book. The characters feel recognisable and real. The pace was good. The writing generally easy to follow (lack of quotation marks notwithstanding). The sense of what the world feels like to the characters living in it, and the way their experiences limit their perspective comes across well. The plot, while stretching credulity a little bit, worked well.
What stopped me liking it more, ultimately, was it just wasn't the kind of story I really want to be immersed in. It's realism was off-putting to me; I have to deal with reality all the time, I don't need extra portions of it. Phyllis' plight was explained well in the book, but I still struggled to really care about her need to escape, or her desire for a baby, or her 'finding herself' in confused politics and pretentious art scenes. The book did all it could to make me empathise with her, but it couldn't overcome my inherent disinterest.
One issue I had with the book is the cover - it gives away nothing of what the book is actually about or it's setting. The women on the front looks roughly like the main character, and that's it. And nothing about her appearance suggests the era she's living in, which feels particularly relevant to the story, because it's the time period that dictates the position she starts in, and allows her to change towards the end. It just seemed odd to have such a blank cover.
A more important/story relevant issue - what is wrong with quotation marks?!? I get that people try avoiding them in the hope of making speech feel more immediate, but what you gain in style you loose in clarity. We spent ages developing punctuation for the language, spend years teaching it to children, and then writers keep trying to reinvent the wheel for reasons that are never worth it.
With those complaints aside, I found plenty to appreciate in the book. The characters feel recognisable and real. The pace was good. The writing generally easy to follow (lack of quotation marks notwithstanding). The sense of what the world feels like to the characters living in it, and the way their experiences limit their perspective comes across well. The plot, while stretching credulity a little bit, worked well.
What stopped me liking it more, ultimately, was it just wasn't the kind of story I really want to be immersed in. It's realism was off-putting to me; I have to deal with reality all the time, I don't need extra portions of it. Phyllis' plight was explained well in the book, but I still struggled to really care about her need to escape, or her desire for a baby, or her 'finding herself' in confused politics and pretentious art scenes. The book did all it could to make me empathise with her, but it couldn't overcome my inherent disinterest.
linc8's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
lottieroddis's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
although the twist was shocking and fascinating, i felt the novel fell into tropes which to put it simply, had been done better