evadis's review against another edition
2.0
Ik vond dit boek saai. En ik heb eigenlijk geen zin om erover na te denken waarom precies, maar ik ontdekte een paar relevante dingen toen ik het uit had en het interview met de auteur achterin las:
- Het is het eerste deel van een trilogie. Kan deels verklaren waarom er zo weinig aandacht is voor interessantere personages (Sophie, Gaskell en Christobel bijvoorbeeld, of de relatie tussen Mr en Mrs McCosh) en waarom er tegen het einde aan ineens allemaal nieuwe dingen gebeuren.
- De enige echt mooie, poëtische zin in het hele boek die ook nog de titel heeft voortgebracht ('I'm writing with my finger in the dust that falls from dreams') heeft de auteur in ruil voor een glas bier mogen overnemen van een vriend die singer-songwriter is.
Wel credits voor Louis voor alle research die in het schrijven van dit boek is gaan zitten, ik heb veel geleerd over de periode rondom WOI.
- Het is het eerste deel van een trilogie. Kan deels verklaren waarom er zo weinig aandacht is voor interessantere personages (Sophie, Gaskell en Christobel bijvoorbeeld, of de relatie tussen Mr en Mrs McCosh) en waarom er tegen het einde aan ineens allemaal nieuwe dingen gebeuren.
- De enige echt mooie, poëtische zin in het hele boek die ook nog de titel heeft voortgebracht ('I'm writing with my finger in the dust that falls from dreams') heeft de auteur in ruil voor een glas bier mogen overnemen van een vriend die singer-songwriter is.
Wel credits voor Louis voor alle research die in het schrijven van dit boek is gaan zitten, ik heb veel geleerd over de periode rondom WOI.
crewman1's review against another edition
2.0
"You've just had one week of your life sucked away. Tell me, how does it feel?"
This book seemed promising but fell flat. A character driven novel with too many characters who keep dying is not a novel I want to read, especially when it's 500 pages long! A few perfectly worded passages nestled between descriptions of war and airplanes saved this book from the did-not-finish shelf.
This book seemed promising but fell flat. A character driven novel with too many characters who keep dying is not a novel I want to read, especially when it's 500 pages long! A few perfectly worded passages nestled between descriptions of war and airplanes saved this book from the did-not-finish shelf.
gearhart_em's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. It was somewhat slow moving but all the plot point built on each other well. More importantly, it painted intimate portraits of all the characters in a subtle and relatable way. I enjoyed getting to know each of them.
jtlars7's review against another edition
4.0
Very good. The sad aspects of the story were tempered by the loving, witty, and eccentric characters. Reminded me a bit of an upper middle class Downton Abbey, only partly because of the era/setting.
dja777's review
4.0
Really enjoyed this story of a British family during WWI and the years after. Some of the characters speak in such an arch manner that I found it a little distracting -- did people really speak like that? But overall, I met a lot of people in this book that I was sad to say farewell to at the end.
soupy_twist's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, and War
Minor: Classism and Colonisation
tessaays's review against another edition
3.0
This was hugely underwhelming, mostly because I expect LDB to write as the titan of modern lit that he is, and this just wasn’t titanic in the slightest. It covers EXTREMELY well-trodden ground (idyllic rich family setting, war breaks out, all the young men leave, the women go to work as nurses, etc). Not to downplay the horror of war, but it just felt so unimaginative, especially compared to the other two of his I’ve read, which both shine in large part because he takes a super interesting historical event or setting that seems to have slipped under the mainstream radar, and then writes the absolute BEJEEZUS out of it. I kept waiting for this novel to really start, and the same hum-drum, predictable things kept happening. There were a few delightful tidbits to keep me going - I loved the Christabel/Gaskell relationship, Mr. McCosh is a delight, and Madame Pitt too (despite her oddly small role in the overall story). The story is also far too long - it felt like nothing much happened for a very long time and then a whole lot of neat endings were crammed in right at the end, so that the rhythm felt totally off.
Overall - disappointing, though I’d still recommend it (in a lukewarm sort of a way).
Overall - disappointing, though I’d still recommend it (in a lukewarm sort of a way).
jobatkin's review against another edition
3.0
This story spans the start of the 20th century surrounding the first World War. I managed to finish it right before Remembrance Day without even really planning it, which definitely helped me to appreciate the occasion more than usual. de Bernieres writes war so well that it's easy to immerse yourself in all of the contradictory aspects, from the horror and violence, to whirlwind romance and love, to grief and tragedy and loss, to adrenalin and friendship and purpose. He also illustrates the aftermath of war and what it's like to hold onto life in the face of so much death. I had lots of favourite characters, including Sophie and Reverend Fairhead, Mme Pitt, Gaskell, Millicent and Mr McCosh. The main character Rosie was less interesting and very conflicted, which spoiled the story for me a little as did the meandering plot with its lack of purpose. I loved the honesty and transparency of faith from the characters in the book, even when it is seemingly lost or reduced. There were so many funny and entertaining scenes too that made this worthwhile reading.