Reviews

Old Baggage by Lissa Evans

coops456's review against another edition

4.0

As she did with [b:Crooked Heart|19546111|Crooked Heart|Lissa Evans|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403645702l/19546111._SY75_.jpg|27676536], Evans conjures a wonderful group of characters and evokes 1930s London with panache.

I enjoyed reading this book so much, I didn't want it to end - and the ending for one of the characters knocked this from 5 stars to 4.

Spoiler

Unrequired, lovelorn lesbian dies too young. That old trope for The (wonderful) Flea, really? Oh Evans. She was never going to get the woman she loved but you didn't have to kill her off!

Who am I kidding? We all know lesbians aren't allowed happy endings in fiction.

dianaparkes's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

Simply brilliant.
Immensely witty, informative, amusing and hopeful

sarah_harri5's review against another edition

3.0

Pleasant enough, but a bit short on plot. I particularly enjoyed how tenderly the women were written about, though.

jmatkinson1's review against another edition

4.0

Matilda Simpkin used to be a Suffragette, she was imprisoned for her cause and still fights for votes for women. However in the genteel Hampstead of 1928 Mattie is a bit of a rebel without much of a cause. She lives in company with a Health Visitor, Florence Lee (The Flea), and writes a column for the local newspaper. However when Mattie decides to fight for the education of young woman then she becomes impassioned. Forming a group called 'The Amazons', Mattie believes in health and education but her counterparts are influenced by Mussolini and nationalistic pride.
I really loved the majority of this book. Mattie is a complex character with a huge backstory and I loved the descriptions of the Suffragette movement. I also liked the fact that Mattie could not read other characters well, The Flea's unrequited passion, her brother's lechery and the presumed innocence of Major Lumb. My biggest issue with this book was that after the incident in the competition between the two youth groups on the Heath the book lost its way. Too many jumps and unheralded switches in plot made the last section confusing and it lacked the verve of the majority.

wildeaboutoscar's review against another edition

4.0

I really hope they do a stage adaptation of this. Great read.

rosellareads's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

2.5

mushypeasonearth's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing

5.0

ruthie_the_librarian's review

emotional funny hopeful informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Loved it.  Became fully invested in Mattie & the Flea's lives, and didn't want it to end. 

chills_multiply's review

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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

4.0

tobyyy's review against another edition

3.0

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. It was sad, but not, at the same time. Not a lot happened throughout the book — very much literary fiction with a hefty side of character introspection. I can’t help but wonder if I would have enjoyed this more had I read it 20 years in the future.