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mpatshi's review against another edition
Alweer een pareltje van Penelope Fitzgerald.
Ik hou van haar droge humor en het no-nonsen vertellen.
Ik hou van haar droge humor en het no-nonsen vertellen.
caroparr's review against another edition
4.0
From the opening scene of the world turned upside down, with the cows prancing and dancing among the willow branches, to the last line that gives us a direction forward, this is one of her economically told, vividly drawn, understated novels of ideas that lives in the real world.
readingbetweenthemoors's review
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
andrew61's review
4.0
When I put this book down two weeks ago I thought it was a curious book which I would forget in an instant but a reading group chat and two weeks on I am reflecting on how perfect a story it was albeit with little really happening and leaving me curious to know the fates of the characters particularly as it was set in 1912 when they are unaware of the upheaval due in two years time.
Fred Fairley is a young innocent science graduate who takes up a lecturing role in a small Cambridge college which seems behind the times as science develops and the bright lights of Rutherford and Manchester are ignored . The college is full of eccentric characters and as it will not allow the lecturers to marry he seems doomed to bachelorhood. His family of mother and sisters are emerging suffragettes and his father a parish reverend hides in his study and is not disturbed by Fred's profession's of atheism.
A chance bicycle accident finds Fred waking up next to Daisy Saunders, Fred's polar opposite. Born in the slums of London after he mothers death this charismatic and forceful young woman moves from job to job as the bosses wandering hands seek her out before she lands in nursing. Vibrant and exciting Daisy is a character I would have loved to read more about .
The ensuing story is gentle tale of how their lives intertwine with some questions left to the reader at the end. Plus in the middle a curious little ghost story.
Last week this was a 3* read but I've put it up to 4 because in the end it was a book that made me smile, had interesting characters , was a snapshot of two lives that I would have loved to follow and amid my normal reading fare was a pleasure to read.
definitely makes me want to read more of the author's work.
Fred Fairley is a young innocent science graduate who takes up a lecturing role in a small Cambridge college which seems behind the times as science develops and the bright lights of Rutherford and Manchester are ignored . The college is full of eccentric characters and as it will not allow the lecturers to marry he seems doomed to bachelorhood. His family of mother and sisters are emerging suffragettes and his father a parish reverend hides in his study and is not disturbed by Fred's profession's of atheism.
A chance bicycle accident finds Fred waking up next to Daisy Saunders, Fred's polar opposite. Born in the slums of London after he mothers death this charismatic and forceful young woman moves from job to job as the bosses wandering hands seek her out before she lands in nursing. Vibrant and exciting Daisy is a character I would have loved to read more about .
The ensuing story is gentle tale of how their lives intertwine with some questions left to the reader at the end. Plus in the middle a curious little ghost story.
Last week this was a 3* read but I've put it up to 4 because in the end it was a book that made me smile, had interesting characters , was a snapshot of two lives that I would have loved to follow and amid my normal reading fare was a pleasure to read.
definitely makes me want to read more of the author's work.
nanvdand's review against another edition
4.0
Very well written. Set in the early 20th century in Cambridge. It packs a lot of personality in a few pages. This isn’t a page turner but more of a study of what people thought at the time. Science, romance, class struggle, courtroom drama, scandal, religion, and a little ghost story all packed into this little book.
fuchsia_groan's review against another edition
2.0
Hay escritores con los que sencillamente no conectas. Tras haber leído dos de sus novelas, tengo bastante claro que esto es lo que me ocurre con Penelope Fitzgerald. Mientras leo tengo la sensación constante de que hay algo que no consigo captar, tengo presentes las opiniones de otros lectores, que la califican de inteligente, de divertida, alaban su uso de la ironía, y veo claramente que algo se me escapa, quizás la intención del relato, o el tipo de humor (aunque sí he encontrado aquí algún diálogo ingenioso). Hay, en definitiva, algo que no consigo descifrar, un mensaje que no me llega.
Tanto La librería como esta me han resultado totalmente intrascendentes, un conjunto de historias en principio interesantes, pero inconexas, demasiado ligeras, aunque no niego que puedan tener una profundidad que yo no veo. Y siento que no es justo que yo no sea capaz, aunque, como bien dice el narrador, a veces la justicia se reduce a lo que te permiten tus capacidades. Pues será eso.
Tanto La librería como esta me han resultado totalmente intrascendentes, un conjunto de historias en principio interesantes, pero inconexas, demasiado ligeras, aunque no niego que puedan tener una profundidad que yo no veo. Y siento que no es justo que yo no sea capaz, aunque, como bien dice el narrador, a veces la justicia se reduce a lo que te permiten tus capacidades. Pues será eso.
sillyzilly's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this quite a bit, but I think I read it too slowly to keep the thematic thread in my mind. I'll read it again and report back.
curleytwin2's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75