bookishlybeauty's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.0
No likable characters. Boring. Awful. Not worth it.
caroparr's review
3.0
Isabel, a kind but sentimental and stubborn woman, takes in her distant cousin Tilly because, years ago, she wronged her and has felt guilty ever since. Everyone in the household - her brother-in-law, nephew, companion, cook - can tell that Tilly is nothing but trouble but Isabel is adamant that she will not only take her in but turn over her fortune to her. A diverting character study with a couple twists that are unexpected but satisfying. For some reason I own a first edition of this, sans dust jacket, marked 10 cents.
lilias's review
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
My grandmother’s initials sit on the corner of one of the first pages of this book, and I thought of her a lot as I read it. It’s a very funny book but also quite sad for subtle reasons. Sharp’s characters remind me a lot of Wodehouse’s, and I have missed his writing a lot since I haven’t been able to pick up a book of his in years, since learning of his anti-semitism. Like, Wodehouse, Sharp’s characters are quite complex, and their inner thoughts and impressions of one another are at the center of their development. Sharp is best known for her Rescuers series for kids, but I have to say I think I will be reading more of her novels written for adults.
austen_to_zafon's review
4.0
In the first couple of chapters of this book, I thought, "Oh no, this is going to be like an Angela Thirkell book. Classist snobs I find it difficult to care about. Money being hoarded." But then it picks up and I found that it was a more of a psychological study of how people cope with one another. Sort of like a country-house mystery, but without the murder. You learn about people's backgrounds and why they do the sometimes weird or malicious things they do. Her sharp (pun intended) observations about motives reminded me more of Muriel Spark (whose last name also reflects her writing) than Thirk. Sharp is best known for her children's series, The Rescuers, about mice who complete heroic rescues. It was fun to read her writing for adults.
blankgarden's review against another edition
4.0
I wrote about this book here: https://theblankgarden.wordpress.com/2016/02/10/the-melancholy-of-change/
blankgarden's review
4.0
I wrote about this book here: https://theblankgarden.wordpress.com/2016/02/10/the-melancholy-of-change/
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