Reviews

About: Vernon Deyre has always had an overactive imagination. He believes in the fairytales and wants his life to be one. He wants to write music, to live in his rich, ancestral home, to be married to the women he loves... but he can't have it all. Not without sacrifice, and the cost of each may prove too high.

Thoughts
I love Agatha Christie books but I'm definitely not reading another Mary Westmacott one. Although Giant's Bread does start off interestingly. I liked the mystery of this genius composer and being teased about his unusual life. Then being thrown deep into a child's early years was another interesting beginning. Vernon as a young child were my favourite sections of the story as he was actually likeable in those moments. His parents marriage was complicated, his imagination wild and his friendships deep and meaningful. I could believe this child would grow up to be a genius.

Then he becomes a young man and Vernon stops being a believable character. The way he talks to Nell (who he falls instantly in love with) is infuriating. Gone is the insightful child. He doesn't understand Nell, expects her to give up everything for him time and time again, and never listens to her. When he meets Jane she points out his flaws, especially in relation to Nell, and yet nothing changes. He doesn't grow as a person and Jane ends up falling in love with him too.

And his talent for music just happens one day because things just happen to him. He doesn't have to work at them. He's endlessly encouraged and nurtured but never seems grateful for this, despite it being something he lacked in his childhood. The child Vernon and the adult Vernon are so drastically different that I don't really understand why we're given the childhood years.

The story itself revolves entirely around Vernon, the characters revolve entirely around Vernon, and I hated Vernon. Nell, Jane, Sebastian, Joe... they were all so much more interesting to me. Vernon's entitlement, his blindness to others and ungrateful attitude made his story both infuriating and boring. It's boring to follow a character that continues to make the same mistakes over and over again. His ending is a slap in the face but I suppose it was to prove that the Deyres are 'neither happy or successful. And they can't make good.'

Also Sebastian's descriptions and characterisations were horrendously bad. I liked the character very much and suspect Agatha Christie liked him too, but her stereotyping was relentless.

ljutavidra's review against another edition

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4.0

Vernona Dejra upoznajemo kao dete. Njegovo, na prvi pogled, bezbrižno detinjstvo je sve samo ne to. Jedinu ljubav koju je spoznao je bila od rođake vršnjakinje Džoi i susedskog deteta, Sebastijana. Otac mu je brzo poginuo u Burskom ratu, a majka koja nije puno marila za Vernona, odjednom postaje opsednuta njime i guši ga svojom ljubavlju (koja to zapravo i nije, nego joj ništa drugo u životu nije preostalo).

Vernon, Džoi i Sebastijan odrastaju i svako kreće nekim svojim putem. Životi im se i dalje prepliću, ali nerazumevanja među njima rastu. Sebastijan tuguje jer ga Džoi ne želi za muža, da bi kasnije pobegla sa jednim umetnikom. Vernon je rastrzan između želje da povrati porodično imanje i da oženi devojku koju (misli da) voli. Na sve to još dolazi i njegova novootkrivena ljubav za komponovanjem i produženje studiranja, kao i nedostatak novca.

Naravno, da drama bude veća, pojavljuje se i Džejn. Pevačica-glumica koja se čini savršenom partnerkom za Sebastijana, zaluđuje Vernona. Stvari se komplikuju, a komplikuju ih sami likovi. Niko zapravo ne zna šta želi od života, a onda počinje Prvi svetski rat.

Da vam ne otkrivam dalje, Agata, kao i do sad, zadire bez ikakve zadrške u najintimnije misli ovih likova i daje nam ih na tacni. Naravno, dosta toga i sami moramo da zaključimo između redova. Osim što me je sama priča veoma zainteresovala (a maestralno napisan prvi deo bih posebno istakla), ni u jednom trenutku nisam imala utisak da je tempo priče posustao. Jedinu zamerku imam na Vernonova pomalo nekoherentna pisma na kraju, ali s obzirom da je zapao u stanje u kom je bio, u retrospekciji razumem zašto su me zamorila.

Ostaje još samo jedna stvar na koju nisam dobila odgovor, ali blagosloveni bili - izmisliše internet. Edit: u pitanju je Brumagem, pogrdan naziv za ljude iz Birmingema. The more you learn.

Takođe, ako niste sigurni da li biste čitali ovo "druge" romane Agate Kristi, bacite pogled na moj gostujući post kod Marijane: https://viewfrommyshelf.wordpress.com/2020/08/06/otkrivanje-meri-vestmakot-kako-sam-pocela-da-kupujem-romane-sa-trafike/

Na kraju mi još ostaje da pročitam Nezavršeni portret, a moja trenutna top lista MV romana izgleda ovako:
1. Absent in the Spring
2. Giant's Bread
3. The Rose and the Yew Tree
4. The Burden
5. A Daughter's a Daughter

anas27's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

showell's review against another edition

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4.0

Knowing that this was Agatha Christie writing what is essentially a romance under a different name, I found myself waiting for the mystery to start. Still, excellent character development, as usual. After finishing the book last night, I found myself pondering Vernon's character at 5 am this morning.

annrhub's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad slow-paced

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? Yes

4.0

colorfulleo92's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 star. I've known about Agatha Christie's other books that wasn't in the crime mystery genre for a while now but only read one beside this one. I decided to give this one a go. While this was a very different take on her writing (at least of what I've read so far) it's still have her unique author voice. It really shows her variety of her writing and I'm intrigued to read the others after this one. However I think I enjoy her crime novels a lot more then this but this book is still full of talent.

legalois's review against another edition

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4.0

Check out my review on my blog http://youmeandacupofteablog.blogspot.com/2014/05/mary-westcott-agatha-christie-novels.html

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