abbeylewis's review
2.0
Started off ok but went downhill fast. Need to stop reading books about British people
wendy458's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-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
5.0
tinareynolds's review against another edition
4.0
Melancholy. I found it hard to put down but not sure if I enjoyed it very much because it was so sad. Well written and worth reading.
sassenak's review against another edition
2.0
Des choses intéressantes mais trop lent et trop long et des personnages que je n'ai pas forcément appréciés. Et puis, c'est un peu trop "romance" pour moi !
eloiset's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
earthmuses's review against another edition
3.0
Un début assez long, voir ennuyeux mais une fois prise dans les histoires des habitants de Skylark je ne pouvais plus décrochée. Une histoire aussi triste que belle qui traverse les générations. En refermant ce livre, on remet nos décisions en perspectives pour n'avoir aucuns regrets.
ginnygrde's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
eileen9311's review against another edition
4.0
A sense of place was central to this multigenerational novel of a farming family on the beautiful Cornish coast. It was literally brimming with vivid descriptions of Cornwall and surroundings! You could almost smell the sea air! However, the dark sides of this challenging life were difficult for me. I literally had to skip over pages which set forth in detail the grim fates of the farm animals. Harsh was the existence also, of the farming families themselves, as they were very much subject to the whims of nature.
‘And then she thinks of the loneliness, the harshness of farming on the moor: the way in which a rogue cloud can drench you to the bone and leave you quaking with cold, when the sun goes in: the bogs that suck you down to your knees, or even thighs; the carcasses of elderly or ill sheep, lying, scavenged. The isolation of a farmhouse, circled by rocks, whipped by the wind.’
Fortunately, the glorious physical backdrop did provide a welcome contrast. Sarah Vaughan says in a note at the end that her inspiration to write the book ‘emerged from her love of a specific area’. That is not surprising, as one considers her obvious passion for the setting. This is a major strength of the novel.
‘She turns to look back at the moor. The weather really does change everything. It glows today, almost luminous: as different to the bleak landscape of her memory as the becalmed estuary is to the Atlantic churned by a storm. The brilliant sunshine makes the hill benign; softens their colours. And the whole is framed by the tendrils of a hedgerow, burgeoning in late summer with unripe blackberries, rosehips, and the dulled black marbles of sloes’.
The plot, presented effectively in dual timelines, was quite engaging but at times approached melodrama. It’s fair to say that the well written book did contain a few syntax errors, but overall is deserving of a robust three stars, or maybe four....
‘And then she thinks of the loneliness, the harshness of farming on the moor: the way in which a rogue cloud can drench you to the bone and leave you quaking with cold, when the sun goes in: the bogs that suck you down to your knees, or even thighs; the carcasses of elderly or ill sheep, lying, scavenged. The isolation of a farmhouse, circled by rocks, whipped by the wind.’
Fortunately, the glorious physical backdrop did provide a welcome contrast. Sarah Vaughan says in a note at the end that her inspiration to write the book ‘emerged from her love of a specific area’. That is not surprising, as one considers her obvious passion for the setting. This is a major strength of the novel.
‘She turns to look back at the moor. The weather really does change everything. It glows today, almost luminous: as different to the bleak landscape of her memory as the becalmed estuary is to the Atlantic churned by a storm. The brilliant sunshine makes the hill benign; softens their colours. And the whole is framed by the tendrils of a hedgerow, burgeoning in late summer with unripe blackberries, rosehips, and the dulled black marbles of sloes’.
The plot, presented effectively in dual timelines, was quite engaging but at times approached melodrama. It’s fair to say that the well written book did contain a few syntax errors, but overall is deserving of a robust three stars, or maybe four....
komet2020's review against another edition
5.0
"[b:The Farm at the Edge of the World|29454461|The Farm at the Edge of the World|Sarah Vaughan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457462012l/29454461._SY75_.jpg|49729104]" is the second Sarah Vaughan novel I've had the pleasure of reading. It is a generational story spanning a little more than 70 years - from the earliest days of the Second World War to the summer of 2015 - that faithfully evokes the essence and spirit of an era fast receding into history, as well as a tangible look and feel of contemporary Cornwall.
The novel begins with the evacuation of a brother and sister - Will, 13 and his younger sister, Alice, 9 - from London to Cornwall in Southwest England shortly after Britain had declared war on Germany in September 1939. Many families with young children in London, fearful of being bombed by the Luftwaffe, entered into a government plan which relocated children from the urban areas of the country judged likely to be subjected to bombing to the countryside. Children were considered to be in places of greater safety in the countryside. So it was that Will and Alice Cooke were put in the care of the Retallick family, who owned and lived on a granite farm (Skylark) near the Cornish cliffs.
As I said, this novel is a story that spans the generations. And thus, the reader is provided in alternating chapters, views of the life Will and Alice had with the Retallicks at Skylark through most of the war to Skylark some 7 decades later. In the latter period (i.e. the summer of 2014), Maggie - who had befriended Will and struck up what began as a close friendship with him -- is nearing her 90th birthday. Her granddaughter Lucy, a nurse by training, has left London, where she lived with her husband Matt, to return to Cornwall to help her family from losing Skylark. She had lived many years in London, but in light of her father's death, feels the need to reconnect with her family. The author skillfully brings to life the struggles and divisions within the family in light of Skylark's troubles. This is wonderfully contrasted with life there during the war, which brought Will and Maggie Retallick closer together as both neared adulthood-- before Fate cruelly separated them.
The more I read this novel, the more the story grew within my imagination. There is something about Cornwall that is both evocative and mesmerized, situated as it is hard by the Atlantic Ocean. (Ever since I read the Poldark novels over 10 years ago, I have become utterly enchanted with Cornwall. I hope someday to visit there.) Vaughan has a knack for creating characters with whom the reader can relate to because they become real people. I love the way she writes.
"THE FARM AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD" is a novel the reader will find him/herself reflecting upon long after he/she has read it, for it is very well told and has elements of love, loss, nostalgia, hope, and rediscovery.
The novel begins with the evacuation of a brother and sister - Will, 13 and his younger sister, Alice, 9 - from London to Cornwall in Southwest England shortly after Britain had declared war on Germany in September 1939. Many families with young children in London, fearful of being bombed by the Luftwaffe, entered into a government plan which relocated children from the urban areas of the country judged likely to be subjected to bombing to the countryside. Children were considered to be in places of greater safety in the countryside. So it was that Will and Alice Cooke were put in the care of the Retallick family, who owned and lived on a granite farm (Skylark) near the Cornish cliffs.
As I said, this novel is a story that spans the generations. And thus, the reader is provided in alternating chapters, views of the life Will and Alice had with the Retallicks at Skylark through most of the war to Skylark some 7 decades later. In the latter period (i.e. the summer of 2014), Maggie - who had befriended Will and struck up what began as a close friendship with him -- is nearing her 90th birthday. Her granddaughter Lucy, a nurse by training, has left London, where she lived with her husband Matt, to return to Cornwall to help her family from losing Skylark. She had lived many years in London, but in light of her father's death, feels the need to reconnect with her family. The author skillfully brings to life the struggles and divisions within the family in light of Skylark's troubles. This is wonderfully contrasted with life there during the war, which brought Will and Maggie Retallick closer together as both neared adulthood-- before Fate cruelly separated them.
The more I read this novel, the more the story grew within my imagination. There is something about Cornwall that is both evocative and mesmerized, situated as it is hard by the Atlantic Ocean. (Ever since I read the Poldark novels over 10 years ago, I have become utterly enchanted with Cornwall. I hope someday to visit there.) Vaughan has a knack for creating characters with whom the reader can relate to because they become real people. I love the way she writes.
"THE FARM AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD" is a novel the reader will find him/herself reflecting upon long after he/she has read it, for it is very well told and has elements of love, loss, nostalgia, hope, and rediscovery.
tinareynolds's review
4.0
Melancholy. I found it hard to put down but not sure if I enjoyed it very much because it was so sad. Well written and worth reading.