With the recent rise in Tudor fiction filling our bookshelves, it is easy for excellent reads to get lost in the confusing mixture of novels already available. However I would hate for this book to be one of those that was missed as it is an enjoyable and thrilling addition to the collection.
Focussing on the later years of Kind Henry VIII’s reign, The Queen’s Gambit looks at the life of his last wife, forever immortalised in history as the one who “Survived”. Katherine Parr is a strong lady, who marries a notoriously temperamental king and manages to keep her head in more than one way.
The novel starts with the death of Katherine’s second husband and her return to court. The novel captures the twists and turns of court life, and all the concerns within in. At the time of the book, the court is in turmoil and has been for years. With the rise and fall of each of Henry’s previous wives and his sudden changes in religious beliefs, many of the people who are part of the court are hanging on tenuously, scared to think too much in case it becomes the wrong thing to do. Katherine tries to rise above this and wants to be more involved in the decisions that Henry makes about his country and their religious beliefs.
The beauty of this book is that it brings to life the later period of Henry’s reign and the key players who later rise to power and try and benefit from the chaos after his death. Many of the Tudor themed novels I have read previously have tended to focus on the early years, with Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn so it was a breath of fresh air to see a different point of view and a different time period.
Henry VIII’s reign will also remain a source of fascination for us and there are countless stories of him and his wives, of the court scandals that followed them around and the queens (Mary and Elizabeth) who played such important roles later on. The Queen’s Gambit is a worthy piece of this fascination and is well worth a read.
Sunday, 10 February 2013
The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway
1812 and a battlefield in Spain. Lord Nicholas Falcott, Marquess of Blackdown is fighting for his life, literally. A Frenchman bears down on him, sword in hand and Nicholas knows that this is the end. Only… seconds later Nicholas has jumped forward into the future, by 200 years and has been picked up by a mysterious organisation called the Guild. Nicholas has to learn how to live in the 21st century and accept he has left his family and friends behind in the past. The Guild supports Nicholas in his new life and by 2013 Nicholas is now living in America and has created a new life for himself. That is until the Guild summons him and asks him to do what he had previously been told was impossible – go back to the past.
The River of No Return is a thoroughly absorbing and fascinating time travel story. Without going into too many confusing stories, it casually and carefully weaves a tale between two centuries and allows the reader to become fully involved in the story. All the characters are well written and believable. The story runs along smoothly and doesn’t become too bogged down in historical details. Alongside the time travel, political intrigue and general sense of adventure, the author has managed to fit in a love story as well, one which fits gently into the rest of the story.
Overall it was a fascinating novel, with a real sense of enjoyment. The pace of the novel is strong and the action moves along at a steady pace, without a sense of dragging it out. Nor is there the sense of everything happening too quickly, even towards the end of the novel when some books seem to rush to get everything sorted in the final chapter. I also liked the fact that there is a conclusion to the story, and some loose ends have been tied, meaning it works well as a stand alone story. However, should the author wish… there could be scope of a second novel without it taking away from this one.
The River of No Return is a thoroughly absorbing and fascinating time travel story. Without going into too many confusing stories, it casually and carefully weaves a tale between two centuries and allows the reader to become fully involved in the story. All the characters are well written and believable. The story runs along smoothly and doesn’t become too bogged down in historical details. Alongside the time travel, political intrigue and general sense of adventure, the author has managed to fit in a love story as well, one which fits gently into the rest of the story.
Overall it was a fascinating novel, with a real sense of enjoyment. The pace of the novel is strong and the action moves along at a steady pace, without a sense of dragging it out. Nor is there the sense of everything happening too quickly, even towards the end of the novel when some books seem to rush to get everything sorted in the final chapter. I also liked the fact that there is a conclusion to the story, and some loose ends have been tied, meaning it works well as a stand alone story. However, should the author wish… there could be scope of a second novel without it taking away from this one.
Saturday, 26 January 2013
The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion
Don Tillman lives a perfectly ordered and structured life. He has a weekly timetable of food (lobster on Tuesdays) and goes jogging every day to purchase the fresh ingredients for it. He works at his local university and happily goes about his day to day business with painstaking attention to detail. The only thing missing in his life is another person, a wife to be more specific, and after a few unsuccessful dates, Don decides to put his attention to detail to work and designs a questionnaire to allow him to select the most perfect candidate to become his wife. His best friend, Gene, a womaniser of the world, decides to help him out by screening the candidates. Therefore Don is touched when Gene sends Rosie to Don. However it quickly becomes clear that Rosie is far from wife material and ticks very few boxes on the questionnaire. Indeed she is almost the complete opposite of what Don was looking for. And yet, there is something about Rosie which means that Don finds ways and means of staying friends with her. Searching for Rosie’s real father is ideal, since Don’s background is genetics.
For fans of the Big Bang Theory, the best way I can describe the protagonist is that Don Tillman is like Sheldon Cooper. That is where the similarities start and end, and in some ways, Don seems more real than Sheldon is. Although Don is never overtly described as Autistic or having Asperger’s syndrome, it’s more than obvious that he does suffer from some version of it. The story is written in the first person and Don’s thoughts and emotions are captured perfectly. It is easy to bring Don to life and to see him as a socially inept professor, attempting to maintain the order in his life. It is hard not to like Don and especially towards the end of the book, I found myself feeling quite protective of him. Innocent and childlike in many respects, Don is taking baby steps to having a “normal” life, and it’s hard not to feel like a proud parent as he begins to make those moves.
Rosie is slightly harder to bring to life, but she is described beautifully through Don’s eyes, and although we know about her through what she chooses to tell Don, the reader is still able to see her actions and thoughts separately from Don.
There are many funny moments in the book, although they tend to occur at the expense of Don and his mis-interpreting of a situation. But you never feel that you are laughing at Don.
The interesting thing about the book is that it does make you look at things differently. Don reads social situations in a completely different way to most people, and his interpretation of events, and what people say, makes you realise how much in communication is taken for granted and that not everyone picks up on the social nuances and behaviours that we assume everyone has.
The books has some lovely sweet moments in, and a few sad moments that were very bitter-sweet. But the ending was wonderfully written and definitely not what I was expecting. This book was refreshingly enjoyable and as well as a good read, makes you think a little bit more about the day to day parts of our lives which pass by us and we don’t notice.
Rosie is slightly harder to bring to life, but she is described beautifully through Don’s eyes, and although we know about her through what she chooses to tell Don, the reader is still able to see her actions and thoughts separately from Don.
There are many funny moments in the book, although they tend to occur at the expense of Don and his mis-interpreting of a situation. But you never feel that you are laughing at Don.
The interesting thing about the book is that it does make you look at things differently. Don reads social situations in a completely different way to most people, and his interpretation of events, and what people say, makes you realise how much in communication is taken for granted and that not everyone picks up on the social nuances and behaviours that we assume everyone has.
The books has some lovely sweet moments in, and a few sad moments that were very bitter-sweet. But the ending was wonderfully written and definitely not what I was expecting. This book was refreshingly enjoyable and as well as a good read, makes you think a little bit more about the day to day parts of our lives which pass by us and we don’t notice.
A Passionate Love Affair with a Total Stranger, by Lucy Robinson
A Passionate Love Affair with a Total Stranger is a well written, funny and modern offering to the rom-com/chick lit genre. It doesn’t attempt to upset or change the genre and it sticks to the successful formula that has kept these kind of books going for so long. Although completely predictable, it still entertains and amuses the reader and is definitely worth a read.
Like many other heroines before her, Charley Lambert is a highly successful workaholic. At the start of the book we find her exhausted, but happy, having just arranged an engagement picnic for her best friend Sam. She has just been asked out on a date by her boss, who she has fancied for 7 years, and her company is about to enter into a highly successful launch, which she has organised. In short, everything was perfect until she falls over, breaking her leg in three (or wait, is it two) places.
Unable to go into work, she is forced to hand over to her second in command, who has made it obvious she wants Charley’s job. And just to really make things hurt, John, her boss, arrives at her hospital bed to announce he’s just got married. Used to scheduling every minute of her day, Charley is unable to relax during her enforced confinement and so settles for setting up her own business to keep herself busy. The business, is writing internet dating messages for people who are too busy, or who find themselves unable to communicate. The business quickly picks up and she finds herself writing letters to a man called William on behalf of her client Shelley. The only problem is, she begins to feel that William is more suited to herself than Shelley and when William wants to meet Shelley, Charley finds herself trying to sabotage the date.
I did enjoy this book, and the fact it ends so predictably doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of reading it. The character of Charley is written well, and with thoughtfulness. Her family are slightly more two-dimensional but they fit into the story and if they don’t come off as well as Charley in the writing, it’s more because they are less pivotal to the story and so perhaps were deemed not as worthy when being described. My only criticism, and this is a small one, is that on the back of the book, and in some chapters, Charley’s leg is described as being broken in three places. But when she first wakes up in the hospital, her doctor tells her two. This may be a mis-print or an attempt at confusing an already confused reader. Who knows, and it’s only minor but it still bugged me.
It was also refreshing to read a book that focused so positively on internet dating. Many of these kind of books either completely dismiss it, or use it as a comic focus, allowing the heroine to get involved in a series of unsuitable dates before, predictably, finding her Mr Right through other means. With more and more people using internet dating to meet people, it is inevitable it would find its way into fiction. And it makes an interesting point, for those people who may be living in modern times, with increasing technology, but who struggle to make themselves fully understood through emails and instant messaging.
The best thing about these kind of books is that you always know what to expect and as long as they are well written (which this book certainly is) and not too clichéd (again this book manages to inject fresh life into the genre) then you can lie back and relax whilst you read, knowing you won’t be disappointed by the ending.
Like many other heroines before her, Charley Lambert is a highly successful workaholic. At the start of the book we find her exhausted, but happy, having just arranged an engagement picnic for her best friend Sam. She has just been asked out on a date by her boss, who she has fancied for 7 years, and her company is about to enter into a highly successful launch, which she has organised. In short, everything was perfect until she falls over, breaking her leg in three (or wait, is it two) places.
Unable to go into work, she is forced to hand over to her second in command, who has made it obvious she wants Charley’s job. And just to really make things hurt, John, her boss, arrives at her hospital bed to announce he’s just got married. Used to scheduling every minute of her day, Charley is unable to relax during her enforced confinement and so settles for setting up her own business to keep herself busy. The business, is writing internet dating messages for people who are too busy, or who find themselves unable to communicate. The business quickly picks up and she finds herself writing letters to a man called William on behalf of her client Shelley. The only problem is, she begins to feel that William is more suited to herself than Shelley and when William wants to meet Shelley, Charley finds herself trying to sabotage the date.
I did enjoy this book, and the fact it ends so predictably doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of reading it. The character of Charley is written well, and with thoughtfulness. Her family are slightly more two-dimensional but they fit into the story and if they don’t come off as well as Charley in the writing, it’s more because they are less pivotal to the story and so perhaps were deemed not as worthy when being described. My only criticism, and this is a small one, is that on the back of the book, and in some chapters, Charley’s leg is described as being broken in three places. But when she first wakes up in the hospital, her doctor tells her two. This may be a mis-print or an attempt at confusing an already confused reader. Who knows, and it’s only minor but it still bugged me.
It was also refreshing to read a book that focused so positively on internet dating. Many of these kind of books either completely dismiss it, or use it as a comic focus, allowing the heroine to get involved in a series of unsuitable dates before, predictably, finding her Mr Right through other means. With more and more people using internet dating to meet people, it is inevitable it would find its way into fiction. And it makes an interesting point, for those people who may be living in modern times, with increasing technology, but who struggle to make themselves fully understood through emails and instant messaging.
The best thing about these kind of books is that you always know what to expect and as long as they are well written (which this book certainly is) and not too clichéd (again this book manages to inject fresh life into the genre) then you can lie back and relax whilst you read, knowing you won’t be disappointed by the ending.
Friday, 28 September 2012
Ferney/The Lives She Left Behind - by James Long
For anyone that knows me, they would know that any book emblazoned with the phrase “a novel for anyone that believes in love” is a guaranteed turn off. I’m not a lovey dovey person, nor am I a particularly romantic person. Despite the fact that many of my favourite books happen to feature a love story, I need more than that to make it a good book. A good story, believable characters, and a gifted storyteller who can weave the bits together to make a good story. Love, to me, is part of the story, not a reason for reading the story. A second turn off is anything that goes by the tag of “master piece” or “classic novel”. If it’s that classic, I’ll have read it already. So when I got my HUGE parcel through from real readers, which contained not one but TWO books, it wasn’t long before I was feeling slightly nervous. The editions I had were beautiful. No honestly, they were amazing. Hardback, with a lovely illustration on the dust wrapper and the edition of Ferney was limited, only 500 being printed. It even contained a message from the author. Yes, dear blog reader, this is how shallow I am. I was so excited about the book’s coverings (yes, I do judge) that I put aside my misgivings and my fears (I can handle a love story or two) and got reading…..
Ferney:
Ferney is, according to the blurb “A story of love and self-discovery that resonates across the ages” (NICHOLAS EVANS, author of 'The Horse Whisperer') So I’m expecting a classic novel, of times gone by, of people meeting and parting, and holding on to cherished memories and all the classic clichés. Or maybe something more romantic – “Time Travellers Wife” manages to pluck at the heartstrings like never before.
And this really, is where I felt the book fell down. Because although it sells itself as a love story, clearly defined on the front of the book and the blurb on the back, once you open the book, there is a conflict going on. James Long, according to the brief description, also writes historical novels. Why he chose to write this love story, I couldn’t say. Maybe he felt that he wanted to write it, and just forgot that people who read love stories don’t always want a history text book. Or maybe he felt the two could be mixed together and he was trying an experiment. My personal theory is that he really couldn’t make his mind up about what he preferred. At times he goes into long stories about the past. I learned an awful lot about the Danes and the monks and the power of sowing oats has on a community (seriously, fascinating stuff). Obviously the story being about two people who have been reincarnated again and again, you would expect a little history to come into it. But there were so many different stories and historical periods that were mentioned, that the main story became tangled and confused in all the other bits and pieces. The modern day love story became buried in the mire of the past. And whilst, ironically, this is part of the story they were telling, it also led to the reader becoming bogged down with the weight of the past. I love history and I found it to be incredibly interesting. But it detracted from the story, and became, to me part history text book, part Mills and Boon.
To cut a long story short, and to enable me to get onto the sequel of the novel, Ferney is about Ferney and Gally. Ferney is an old man who has lived in the village of Pen Selwood for a long time. In fact several times over. Gally is his love, his true love, who has lived with him in his previous lives. They were separated many years ago and he had searched for her, only for her to drive into the village one day in search of a cottage. The only snag being that Gally has no memory of who she was and she is happily married to Mike, a history lecturer from London.
I’m not giving any massive plot lines away here, as most of what I’m about to say next is either predictable or explained anyway. The reincarnation of Gally and Ferney is introduced quite early on and gathers momentum throughout the novel. I get the impression that the reader is somehow expected to automatically believe the reincarnation, and to support the growing relationship between Gally and Ferney. But for me, I kept feeling for poor old Mike. It’s not just that his beloved (although slightly crazy) wife suddenly discovers her true soul mate is an old man who she has lived with before in previous lives. He suddenly becomes side-lined and even the author seems to bore of him as he keeps getting sent off to London. His only purpose in the book seems to be arguing with Gally or delivering history lectures. (and don’t expect him to get treated better in the next book either)
I found that the book, with warts and all, was actually a good read. I did want to keep reading it and I found the style of writing was easy to follow and easy to get into. And the final chapters were incredibly compelling. To the point that the final chapter was read in a state of shock. I even ran upstairs to get the next book. Oh dear, how I wish I had stopped there…..
The Lives She Left Behind
(or as I have re-titled it, the book I wish I’d left behind)
After such an exciting ending of the previous book, I read with anticipation the first few chapters of the new novel. Taking aside the fact that from the very first page it’s more than obvious who Joanne really is, from such a fast paced ending, the new book raced into a slow, plodding waddle that really never regained it’s former speed.
Don’t expect any surprises in the new book. In many ways it follows the same format as Ferney. Expect lots of history lectures and insights into the past which we may or may not enjoy. Lots of strange things happen which I think I was expected to marvel at, or enjoy, or possibly wonder at. But it was more than obvious who Ferney and Gally are in this modern age, and aside from wanting to know what happened to the Gally we knew at the end of the first book, there seemed little new information to be gained. Mike is still in the novel, and oh poor Mike. Honestly, this guy does not get a break. Not only does he get treated like rubbish in the first book, now he’s subject to police enquiries.
I found much of the book was going over what had been previously covered in the first book. Here was a scene were “Gally” remembers something sad. Here is a scene where Ferney tells her something happy. Here is a scene where Mike is left to pick up the pieces again. Oh a new character, let’s update them with who is who. I quickly became bored with what was becoming a repetitious story with no hope of an ending. My only salvation was to keep reading and hope that the ending would save me. However it would appear I hoped against hope. The ending was a damp squib. Whilst it wasn’t a surprise, and I can’t tell you how I did want it to end, I felt that the ending left me asking the question about what the point was in it all? Why hurt so many other people, just for that? Yes I really am a cynic and this book did not dent that opinion at all!
The relationship between Gally and Ferney seemed to me, to be incredibly selfish. Again and again we are reminded that it has always been the two of them. To the extent that no one else matters (Mike, Mike who?) I found it so selfish, I wasn't drawn into their affair and so found it hard to want them to be together. My attitude being that if they've been together before, they'll do it again in the next life.
Taking the books together, overall, they’re not necessarily bad books. And there are people out there who are more romantic than me, who may enjoy that aspect of the book more than me. So I wouldn’t dismiss the books at all. But really and truly, I don’t feel my life was massively enriched by the second book. The first book would have sufficed. And if I’m totally honest, it could have been one story, just without as much history.
So overall I would say if you’re looking for a love story, carry on down the bookshelves. If you’re looking for a historical read, hover and flick through but don’t linger. However if you’re less fussy about genre and looking for something a little bit different, to make you think, then go ahead. It’s not a bad read. And at least you won’t have to read it again, and again and again. At least not in this life……
Ferney:
Ferney is, according to the blurb “A story of love and self-discovery that resonates across the ages” (NICHOLAS EVANS, author of 'The Horse Whisperer') So I’m expecting a classic novel, of times gone by, of people meeting and parting, and holding on to cherished memories and all the classic clichés. Or maybe something more romantic – “Time Travellers Wife” manages to pluck at the heartstrings like never before.
And this really, is where I felt the book fell down. Because although it sells itself as a love story, clearly defined on the front of the book and the blurb on the back, once you open the book, there is a conflict going on. James Long, according to the brief description, also writes historical novels. Why he chose to write this love story, I couldn’t say. Maybe he felt that he wanted to write it, and just forgot that people who read love stories don’t always want a history text book. Or maybe he felt the two could be mixed together and he was trying an experiment. My personal theory is that he really couldn’t make his mind up about what he preferred. At times he goes into long stories about the past. I learned an awful lot about the Danes and the monks and the power of sowing oats has on a community (seriously, fascinating stuff). Obviously the story being about two people who have been reincarnated again and again, you would expect a little history to come into it. But there were so many different stories and historical periods that were mentioned, that the main story became tangled and confused in all the other bits and pieces. The modern day love story became buried in the mire of the past. And whilst, ironically, this is part of the story they were telling, it also led to the reader becoming bogged down with the weight of the past. I love history and I found it to be incredibly interesting. But it detracted from the story, and became, to me part history text book, part Mills and Boon.
To cut a long story short, and to enable me to get onto the sequel of the novel, Ferney is about Ferney and Gally. Ferney is an old man who has lived in the village of Pen Selwood for a long time. In fact several times over. Gally is his love, his true love, who has lived with him in his previous lives. They were separated many years ago and he had searched for her, only for her to drive into the village one day in search of a cottage. The only snag being that Gally has no memory of who she was and she is happily married to Mike, a history lecturer from London.
I’m not giving any massive plot lines away here, as most of what I’m about to say next is either predictable or explained anyway. The reincarnation of Gally and Ferney is introduced quite early on and gathers momentum throughout the novel. I get the impression that the reader is somehow expected to automatically believe the reincarnation, and to support the growing relationship between Gally and Ferney. But for me, I kept feeling for poor old Mike. It’s not just that his beloved (although slightly crazy) wife suddenly discovers her true soul mate is an old man who she has lived with before in previous lives. He suddenly becomes side-lined and even the author seems to bore of him as he keeps getting sent off to London. His only purpose in the book seems to be arguing with Gally or delivering history lectures. (and don’t expect him to get treated better in the next book either)
I found that the book, with warts and all, was actually a good read. I did want to keep reading it and I found the style of writing was easy to follow and easy to get into. And the final chapters were incredibly compelling. To the point that the final chapter was read in a state of shock. I even ran upstairs to get the next book. Oh dear, how I wish I had stopped there…..
The Lives She Left Behind
(or as I have re-titled it, the book I wish I’d left behind)
After such an exciting ending of the previous book, I read with anticipation the first few chapters of the new novel. Taking aside the fact that from the very first page it’s more than obvious who Joanne really is, from such a fast paced ending, the new book raced into a slow, plodding waddle that really never regained it’s former speed.
Don’t expect any surprises in the new book. In many ways it follows the same format as Ferney. Expect lots of history lectures and insights into the past which we may or may not enjoy. Lots of strange things happen which I think I was expected to marvel at, or enjoy, or possibly wonder at. But it was more than obvious who Ferney and Gally are in this modern age, and aside from wanting to know what happened to the Gally we knew at the end of the first book, there seemed little new information to be gained. Mike is still in the novel, and oh poor Mike. Honestly, this guy does not get a break. Not only does he get treated like rubbish in the first book, now he’s subject to police enquiries.
I found much of the book was going over what had been previously covered in the first book. Here was a scene were “Gally” remembers something sad. Here is a scene where Ferney tells her something happy. Here is a scene where Mike is left to pick up the pieces again. Oh a new character, let’s update them with who is who. I quickly became bored with what was becoming a repetitious story with no hope of an ending. My only salvation was to keep reading and hope that the ending would save me. However it would appear I hoped against hope. The ending was a damp squib. Whilst it wasn’t a surprise, and I can’t tell you how I did want it to end, I felt that the ending left me asking the question about what the point was in it all? Why hurt so many other people, just for that? Yes I really am a cynic and this book did not dent that opinion at all!
The relationship between Gally and Ferney seemed to me, to be incredibly selfish. Again and again we are reminded that it has always been the two of them. To the extent that no one else matters (Mike, Mike who?) I found it so selfish, I wasn't drawn into their affair and so found it hard to want them to be together. My attitude being that if they've been together before, they'll do it again in the next life.
Taking the books together, overall, they’re not necessarily bad books. And there are people out there who are more romantic than me, who may enjoy that aspect of the book more than me. So I wouldn’t dismiss the books at all. But really and truly, I don’t feel my life was massively enriched by the second book. The first book would have sufficed. And if I’m totally honest, it could have been one story, just without as much history.
So overall I would say if you’re looking for a love story, carry on down the bookshelves. If you’re looking for a historical read, hover and flick through but don’t linger. However if you’re less fussy about genre and looking for something a little bit different, to make you think, then go ahead. It’s not a bad read. And at least you won’t have to read it again, and again and again. At least not in this life……
Monday, 27 August 2012
The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes
Having only recently finished Jojo Moye’s beautiful but weepy “Me Before You”, I was at first uncertain as to whether “The Girl You Left Behind” would be able to match it. My copy from Real Readers arrived on my doorstep though, and I was instantly drawn in by the story. Needless to say, I shouldn’t have worried and that her latest novel is just as fascinating and compelling, if not possibly better.
The book starts off in France, during the First World War. The village of St Peronne has been taken over by German soldiers and its residents forced to starve away in their homes, not knowing what’s happening even in the next village. Sophie Lefevre has moved back to the village with her sister and her sister’s three children, and together they are trying to keep themselves alive. Sophie’s husband is a painter and her prized possession is a portrait of her, that she keeps to remind her of him whilst he fights at the front. The German Kommandant in charge of the occupying forces sees the painting and tries to become friends with Sophie despite the war. When she gets news that her husband has been captured, Sophie fears that she will never see him again, and makes a decision to try and save him whatever it may take.
Fast forward to modern days and Liv Halston is living inside the house her architect husband build and designed, before he died four years ago. Liv is still grieving for him and her most precious possession and reminder of him is the painting that hangs on her bedroom wall, “The girl you left behind”.
Enter Paul, an ex cop from America. He works for a company that specialises in tracking down art works that had been stolen from families in the two world wars. He receives a request from a member of the Lefevre family, asking for his help in finding a painting which went missing after Sophie Lefevre was taken away by the Germans in 1916 and is believed to have been stolen by the German Kommandant.
The twists and turns of this novel had me reading far later into the night than I should have been, but I just didn’t want to put it down. It didn’t take long for me to become emotionally involved with the characters. Sophie’s world is dark and bleak and the suffering in the village is described so realistically, it was hard not to imagine the sound of soldier’s boots on cobbled stones. Sophie is full of life, and love for her husband, and it’s understandable she finds herself in a situation where she believes there is nothing else to do but to try and save him. When the book moves forward to modern times, the reader is still none the wiser as to the painting’s final resting place. This means that as the reader, I found out about Sophie’s ending, at the same time as Liv did. And despite a large amount of predictability in the earlier parts of the book, I was not expecting the ending I did. The whole novel was paced just right, with the story leaping about in time without it being too onerous or confusing. Letters and journals helped add to Sophie’s voice in the 21st century.
Liv has to make a difficult choice as well, for her, she wants to fight for a painting she believes is hers. It opens up an interesting debate about the restoration of lost pieces of art work, and cleverly blurs the line of right and wrong. After all, Liv and her husband did not steal the painting, so why should she be punished? Yet again I feel Jojo Moyes cleverly takes a subject matter and presents it in such a way you can see all sides of the story, and leaves you feeling completely absorbed by the plot.
Overall, this is another brilliant and excellent piece of writing from an author who has very quickly become one of my favourites. The only down side, is I am now getting through too many tissues when reading her books!
The book starts off in France, during the First World War. The village of St Peronne has been taken over by German soldiers and its residents forced to starve away in their homes, not knowing what’s happening even in the next village. Sophie Lefevre has moved back to the village with her sister and her sister’s three children, and together they are trying to keep themselves alive. Sophie’s husband is a painter and her prized possession is a portrait of her, that she keeps to remind her of him whilst he fights at the front. The German Kommandant in charge of the occupying forces sees the painting and tries to become friends with Sophie despite the war. When she gets news that her husband has been captured, Sophie fears that she will never see him again, and makes a decision to try and save him whatever it may take.
Fast forward to modern days and Liv Halston is living inside the house her architect husband build and designed, before he died four years ago. Liv is still grieving for him and her most precious possession and reminder of him is the painting that hangs on her bedroom wall, “The girl you left behind”.
Enter Paul, an ex cop from America. He works for a company that specialises in tracking down art works that had been stolen from families in the two world wars. He receives a request from a member of the Lefevre family, asking for his help in finding a painting which went missing after Sophie Lefevre was taken away by the Germans in 1916 and is believed to have been stolen by the German Kommandant.
The twists and turns of this novel had me reading far later into the night than I should have been, but I just didn’t want to put it down. It didn’t take long for me to become emotionally involved with the characters. Sophie’s world is dark and bleak and the suffering in the village is described so realistically, it was hard not to imagine the sound of soldier’s boots on cobbled stones. Sophie is full of life, and love for her husband, and it’s understandable she finds herself in a situation where she believes there is nothing else to do but to try and save him. When the book moves forward to modern times, the reader is still none the wiser as to the painting’s final resting place. This means that as the reader, I found out about Sophie’s ending, at the same time as Liv did. And despite a large amount of predictability in the earlier parts of the book, I was not expecting the ending I did. The whole novel was paced just right, with the story leaping about in time without it being too onerous or confusing. Letters and journals helped add to Sophie’s voice in the 21st century.
Liv has to make a difficult choice as well, for her, she wants to fight for a painting she believes is hers. It opens up an interesting debate about the restoration of lost pieces of art work, and cleverly blurs the line of right and wrong. After all, Liv and her husband did not steal the painting, so why should she be punished? Yet again I feel Jojo Moyes cleverly takes a subject matter and presents it in such a way you can see all sides of the story, and leaves you feeling completely absorbed by the plot.
Overall, this is another brilliant and excellent piece of writing from an author who has very quickly become one of my favourites. The only down side, is I am now getting through too many tissues when reading her books!
Sunday, 5 August 2012
Trust Your Eyes by Lindwood Barclay
I love the idea behind this book. In particular because it’s something which has been talked about a lot in real life. There have been incidents in the news where images seen on Google Streetview have triggered searches for possible murder victims, or that have later been removed and of course there have been some incidents of peoples’ infidelity being caught out. So the idea of someone finding something dark – like someone being murdered, is incredibly appealing.
Thomas Kilbride believes he will be recruited by the CIA to help them in the future. Thomas has a unique gift that means he has a photographic memory. He is currently using the internet to explore the world and memorise the towns and cities. According to Thomas, one day in the future all the electronic maps will disappear, and he will be required to help produce maps using his recollections. Whilst researching New York, Thomas comes across an image in a window – it looks like someone being smothered. He sends his brother to New York to check out the building and sets in motion a series of events that will change everyone’s lives.
Switching from the present to an event taking place previously (there is little mention of how long ago this could have been), the reader is allowed to follow the events taking place, and has the position of knowing what really did happen, while watching the characters investigate for themselves. This omniscience doesn’t allow the reader to relax however, as there are a few twists and turns along the way, which make for plenty of page turning.
The characters were well written and were believable. At times the story is told from each of their points of view, and this fitted into the story. It wasn’t too sudden when the narration changed, and as it was told in the third person, it meant it didn’t create too many different voices to follow. I felt Thomas in particular must have been a difficult character to write, but it was done well, and it was done in a way that he did come across as different, even in his speech, whilst at the same time, sounding like a real person might. I did wonder at the schizophrenia diagnosis as earlier in the book I had assumed he was autistic but I suppose ultimately that’s not a massive issue.
I found the pace of the storyline was just right. It moved along nicely and kept you hooked for more, without revealing too much too soon. Nor did it then fizzle out once the drama had been concluded. It was finished nicely, and the story was concluded well…. With a little twist at the end, just to make sure you are paying attention.
The only downside to this book, was that whirl360 is blatantly Google. And I’m sure that there are legal reasons why this was changed, and obviously it is a work of fiction etc. It is only a small niggle, but still annoyed me. I had previously read one of Linwood’s books and whilst I had enjoyed it, I had found that the pace of the book was a little too hectic and ended up running out of steam. This is only the second book of his I have read, and a few years on I have to say his narration and story telling have definitely improved. I will now be seeking out his other books in the hope of being Just as enthralled!
Thomas Kilbride believes he will be recruited by the CIA to help them in the future. Thomas has a unique gift that means he has a photographic memory. He is currently using the internet to explore the world and memorise the towns and cities. According to Thomas, one day in the future all the electronic maps will disappear, and he will be required to help produce maps using his recollections. Whilst researching New York, Thomas comes across an image in a window – it looks like someone being smothered. He sends his brother to New York to check out the building and sets in motion a series of events that will change everyone’s lives.
Switching from the present to an event taking place previously (there is little mention of how long ago this could have been), the reader is allowed to follow the events taking place, and has the position of knowing what really did happen, while watching the characters investigate for themselves. This omniscience doesn’t allow the reader to relax however, as there are a few twists and turns along the way, which make for plenty of page turning.
The characters were well written and were believable. At times the story is told from each of their points of view, and this fitted into the story. It wasn’t too sudden when the narration changed, and as it was told in the third person, it meant it didn’t create too many different voices to follow. I felt Thomas in particular must have been a difficult character to write, but it was done well, and it was done in a way that he did come across as different, even in his speech, whilst at the same time, sounding like a real person might. I did wonder at the schizophrenia diagnosis as earlier in the book I had assumed he was autistic but I suppose ultimately that’s not a massive issue.
I found the pace of the storyline was just right. It moved along nicely and kept you hooked for more, without revealing too much too soon. Nor did it then fizzle out once the drama had been concluded. It was finished nicely, and the story was concluded well…. With a little twist at the end, just to make sure you are paying attention.
The only downside to this book, was that whirl360 is blatantly Google. And I’m sure that there are legal reasons why this was changed, and obviously it is a work of fiction etc. It is only a small niggle, but still annoyed me. I had previously read one of Linwood’s books and whilst I had enjoyed it, I had found that the pace of the book was a little too hectic and ended up running out of steam. This is only the second book of his I have read, and a few years on I have to say his narration and story telling have definitely improved. I will now be seeking out his other books in the hope of being Just as enthralled!
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