Reviews

Consequences by Penelope Lively

swatswatwhat's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I love a generational story but this one just didn’t hit for me. The writing was not powerful enough. I wish she sink in deeper into events instead it felt like she showed us a snapshot image and quickly moved onto the next. Some very important events were skimmed making me lose interest in the characters.                           

Lorna’s section was probably the best. Molly’s didn’t feel flushed out and wasn’t given the depth she deserves. By the time they got to Ruth, I felt I had to really power through. Sometimes the protagonist felt undefined and almost like the same person in a different circumstance. 

Blah.

dja777's review against another edition

2.0

The first 75 pages were great, but I was bored by the rest.

rojaed's review against another edition

3.0

Not the kind of book I really enjoy. I prefer a plot, rather than a series of events. But well written and readable

ljjohnson8's review against another edition

3.0

Interesting story and characters. Well-told.

msjenne's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This isn’t the kind of book I usually like, but Penelope Lively is just really good at making a story about ordinary people into something immersive and interesting. 

kdhanda's review against another edition

1.0

Skip it. Utterly dry and one-dimensional.

sweetpeppah's review against another edition

3.0

Charming wander through a family history.. It bothered me that everyone who fell in love did it about 3 minutes after meeting each other. Guess it makes for a quicker story :p

misslezlee's review against another edition

I loved this book! One of Penelope Liveley's enduring themes is the palimpsest - in fact she used that word obsessively in many of her early books. Although the word itself is absent from this delightful novel, that's what it's about - the layering of present experiences over faded pasts.



All those love stories in such a short book! And I, too, want those frescoes!

mdd12's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

ejmiddleton's review against another edition

4.0

I loved that each of the stories of these women was put into the context of the times of their lives - their parents, the historical period in which they lived, the options available to them at the time. I don't think I would have been able to appreciate any of these sketches without having a marriage and children, which makes me wonder, again, why we ever study literature in high school before most life has happened to us.