lorimichelekelley's review
4.0
Audible edition: I'm drawn to books with older protagonists lately, so when I saw this, I had to listen. While it is all about death and dying, it is not at all depressing. Poignant at times, but not gloomy. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and I think listening makes that harder, but that didn't really matter so much. The main character of the book was really death and the many ways in which people look at it, fear it, welcome it, prepare for it, etc. I'd never heard of Margaret Drabble before. I'll be checking out more of her books. Narrator was excellent!
madreadsbooks's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.5
caroparr's review
4.0
In a rambling narrative Drabble introduces and eventually links people and families around Britain and in the expat community in the Canary Islands, all getting on in years and doing better or worse with life in their seventies or eighties. Keep your phone handy to find out more about the many people, books and works of art that engage the characters along the way. I do like to be back in Drabble's mind and the lack of plot or action didn't bother me a bit. Yes, the dark flood of death is rising but there are still pleasures along the way.
bettyvd's review against another edition
4.0
Voor wie snakt naar een roman over een mens die niet meer in de fleur van zijn/haar leven is. Veel mooie beschouwingen over hoe het is om ouder te worden, om de donkere vloed te voelen stijgen. Minpuntje: Margaret heeft wat al te veel research gedaan over Lanzarote en die moest er allemaal in. Maar heel onderhoudend.
pharmdad2007's review
4.0
Two invisible but ever-present protagonists drive all the interwoven narratives of this novel: aging and death. Very well written.
mazza57's review against another edition
1.0
If anyone can discern a storyline in this book please let me know. It is a diatribe that goes nowhere and says nothing. One thing it has made me do is take the other two books i had on my TBR off I have alive to lead instead
wendoxford's review
2.0
Rather like The Marriage of Figaro - I felt this was the literary parallel.."too many notes". Interesting subject matter about ageing but made rather tedious by containing no dialogue (all reported speech). It was more of a fictional tract than a novel.
Great, well-drawn, nuanced characters is the best I can say about it. Depressing, albeit realistic, backdrop of modern day ageing and what's in store, or worse.
Great, well-drawn, nuanced characters is the best I can say about it. Depressing, albeit realistic, backdrop of modern day ageing and what's in store, or worse.
itsgg's review
1.0
It’s rare that I don’t finish even a terrible book, but this was just too pointless and too British — I forged ahead through the first 1/3 based on its placement on the NYT Notable Books of 2017 list, but just couldn’t keep going. When I say “too pointless,” what I mean is that it’s a detailed account of the lives of multiple elderly people without much plot to tie it together. When I say “too British,” I mean it’s rife with discussions about British government-supported options, like a “PPD” and details of the nationalized health care system, which are never explained (and even if they were, would probably be boring to read about).
bookpossum's review against another edition
4.0
A book about living life, dealing with old age and the difficulties it brings, and what makes a "good death".
Margaret Drabble is always worth reading, and this book is no exception. I had only a couple of minor quibbles: one character's surname was sometimes England and sometimes English, and the ending was a bit rushed, almost as if there was a deadline looming, so that there was a quick sweeping up of whatever needed sorting out.
Margaret Drabble is always worth reading, and this book is no exception. I had only a couple of minor quibbles: one character's surname was sometimes England and sometimes English, and the ending was a bit rushed, almost as if there was a deadline looming, so that there was a quick sweeping up of whatever needed sorting out.
jengennari's review
5.0
A complex and literary exploration of multiple lives coping with aging and dying. A very British book (which at times stymied me), I was still drawn to each person's struggle with how to live and age. Immigrants, rising floods, and earthquakes loom at the same time everyone worries old memories.