emerion's review
I always include major spoilers (hidden), to help with my memory issues. Read them at your peril!
Imogen, third wife of an eminent professor, has been widowed, and it’s not clear how grief stricken she is.There is certainly an ambivalence towards her far from faultless husband sometimes. Her acerbic thoughts, whilst saying all the right widowy things, are funny. Someone phones in the middle of the night to accuse her of murder. Then his family start to descend on her, and seem to be intent on staying put, for no clear reason. Odd things start happening, which make Imogen wonder if the house is haunted.
thursday_nxt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
zeldazonk's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
zukythebookbum's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
shelfofunread's review
3.0
Although there is nothing particularly innovative about the mystery element of The Long Shadow, the tone is something quite unique. Fremlin has given her main character, the newly widowed Imogen, a sharp, wry tone completely at odds with her role of the grieving widow. It’s the source of a great deal of dark humour within the book, as in this scene, where Imogen and her widowed neighbour, Edith, discuss the new year:
“‘Not a happy New Year, Imogen, because we both know hat cannot be,’ Edith was saying, her lined, indoor face haggard and hungry-looking in the silvery winter sunshine. ‘Not a happy, but a peaceful year, that’s what I shall wish for you, my dear: I pray that you may discover what I discovered: that even though happiness is at an end, you may still win through to a kind of peace….’
I won’t. If they try to palm me off with peace, I’ll throw it at them. Happiness is where I’m going and I shan’t stop till I get there. If Peace comes and gets in the way, I shall kick it.
‘Thank you, Edith, and the same to you,’ was what she said aloud: and five minutes later, found herself wondering whether Peace hadn’t, after all, something to be said for it.”
Brilliant isn’t it?! So sharp yet without acid. To me, Fremlin perfectly captures the exact thoughts that often go through our heads during a polite conversation, but which we would never dare to say out loud! It makes Imogen a very different kind of narrator and gives the tone of the book a feel of Patricia Highsmith, filled with sharp observations on human nature and character.
This isn’t to say that the plot is in any way lacking, however. There is a well-crafted mystery here, with plenty of subtle clues that require astute reading to unravel. I feel though that Fremlin is more interested in the psychological aspects of crime that the method and means. Her focus in The Long Shadow is what makes her characters tick – the nuances of human behaviour and personal circumstance that might lead someone to do something desperate. In pursuit of this, she succeeds in crafting a tense and suspenseful domestic setting, filled with acutely observed characters with plenty of secrets to hide.
The Christmas link is, if I’m honest, a little tenuous. Although Christmas is the occasion that results in the deceased Ivor’s eclectic friends and family descending on Imogen, only part of the action takes place over the festive season and I think if you were seeking a specifically festive flavour complete with oodles of mince pies and snow at every corner, you might be a tad disappointed here. That said, I can’t blame Faber for seeing the marketing opportunity and if it brings more readers to this excellent writer, then I think we should forgive the slight over-emphasis on the holiday that the cover suggests.
Astute, well-observed, and cleverly crafted, The Long Shadow is a clever and compelling mystery with a side order of domestic noir. It’s clearly the product of a writer with a talent for observation and a wry, dark sense of humour. I can certainly recommend it to fans of Patricia Highsmith, as well as those who enjoyed more recent domestic chillers such as Kate Muray Browne’s The Upstairs Room.
This review first appeared on my blog, The Shelf of Unread Books, at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com/2018/11/13/blog-tour-the-long-shadow-by-celia-fremlin/ as part of the blog tour for The Long Shadow. My thanks go to the publisher, Faber & Faber, for providing me with a copy of the book and inviting me to take part in this tour in return for an honest and unbiased review.
meggyroussel's review
5.0
Thank you to Joanna at Faber & Faber for this wonderful surprise and for inviting me to be part of the tour.
I am not a friend of Christmas. I don’t enjoy the holiday, I don’t like the compulsory family reunion, I steer clear of themed books with cinnamon rolls and happy endings.
In a nutshell, whenever I read the word “Christmas”, I run the other way.
So why am I reviewing a book with “Christmas” written in red on the cover? Because of the difference. Of course, when I began reading, I had no idea what was awaiting me, but I had faith in the author and the lovely team at Faber & Faber. And you know what? It was the best decision I took regarding Christmas! (Oh my, I have written this word too many times already!!!)
So, what does “A Christmas Story with a Difference” means?
It means a widow, a big house, snow, family… and ghosts. Ghosts of lost people, lost loves, lost lives, lost pasts. The Long Shadow is a haunted and haunting addictive read served by one of the sharpest writing styles I have ever had the chance to lay eyes on.
The opening had me choking on my muffin. I could feel the coldness of the words and the silence brought by the simple words that separated Imogen, our main character, from the rest of the world. A new widow. Is there a handbook for widows? Apart, obviously from the right-minded people’ words who all know better. How long are you supposed to show a sad and makeup-free face? How long people can support and be there for you before life calls them back to their own business? I just loved how down-to-earth, darkly hilarious, and I imagine true, many of Imogen’s thoughts and reactions were. Her world has been turned upside down, and I could feel the veil between her and everyone else.
Far from being a depressing and long read, this novel is powerful and chillingly poetic thanks to the small paragraphs forming each chapter, held by a multi-layered granny (yes, granny!) who is so much more than an old lady with weird slippers and cakes to offer.
Dot, Robin, Vernon… Each supporting character brings their light and their shadow to the family house, while a bigger one is looming over Imogen’s head as she is accused of having killed her husband. Take this for a happy Christmas read!! This is MY KIND OF CHRISTMAS! I don’t want details about snowballs, I want details about people, I want fog and suspicions, I want mystery and creaking stairs, I want strangers and goosebumps. I got it all. I loved it all.
The author brought to life a different kind of Christmas magic. Unwanted guests and a big accusation who could once again shatter Imogen’s life? Yes, please! If the beginning of the novel possesses the familiar psychological side of my favorite genre, it soon turned to be much more than just another creepy story.
I empathized with Imogen, I rolled my eyes at her guests, and promised myself I’d never have a house big enough for so many people, so I could be left in peace! Because how do you deal with your feelings and someone out after you when you have to serve three meals a day to a really colorful bunch of people?!
Several times, I found myself questioning my sense of reality, and I wondered how reliable Imogen was. All my senses were called to make me truly feel this read. The draft (draught for my UK people) triggered by an open door, the lack of light, the emptiness. By the time I reached the end of the novel, I felt like having had the best Christmas diner ever!
I really have no words to express how fascinating and intense the plot is. I feel I haven’t said anything about it, and it is probably true. But the fact of the matter is you don’t need to know more than this to give The Long Shadow a try. There is beauty in the writing, there is mystery on every page, there is gossip, there is a dead guy who sounds very alive throughout the novel, there is food for the characters’ stomach and for your brain. Brace yourself for a freezing winter!
Celia Fremlin manages to engross the reader into a world where brain, eyes, truths and reality don’t make sense. The world she creates is one of pure exploration of human beliefs and condition, and her acute attention to a vivid Christmas nightmare makes The Long Shadow a chilling and fantastic book!
lottelikesbooks's review against another edition
4.0