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carebcut's review
5.0
Listened to this book on audio and LOVED it! The writing is delicious- so much dry humor- it had me laughing aloud throughout the book. The lovable characters, charming setting, and surprising plot twists made this book a delight to read. The audiobook narration added to the charm for sure. Highly recommend this one!
testaroscia's review
4.0
A perfect gentle book for a long drive.Set in Sussex but could be any English village. Replete with stereotypes but deftly avoids the heaviness that usually accompanies all the English village clichés.
trin's review
3.0
A charming English comedy of manners—heavy on the charm, very heavy on the English. Simonson has quite the creation in Major Pettigrew (Ret.), and she does an excellent job peeling away the surface layers of his stuffy old-fashionedness to reveal the quiet humor, the essential goodness, and even the romantic streak underneath. The meeting of minds and blossoming romance between Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali, a local shopkeeper of Pakistani extraction, forms the emotional core of the book, and my heart leapt along with the Major’s every time Mrs. Ali came on stage. I was less enchanted by the sections that deal with the Major’s ambitious son, Roger, whom I found deeply unpleasant—and not in the manner in which some literary characters can be enjoyably unpleasant as, say, [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1158963071s/1885.jpg|3060926]’s Mr. Collins often can. Roger’s obnoxious behavior made me seriously question the Major’s abilities as a parent, and I was always relieved when he went away and once again enabled the narrative to focus on village politics, Mrs. Ali’s volatile extended family, and of course, the delightful Mrs. Ali herself. When she and the Major are in the spotlight, this book is as warm, cozy, and comforting as the numerous cups of tea the not-so-young lovers enjoy together.
tomesandtea's review against another edition
I just couldn’t get into the story or writing style - I couldn’t care less about whether the Major inherits his brother’s gun or not.
rachellarson2019's review
4.0
It took me a long time to finish this book, I would read a chapter at a time and it’s a book slow to take off so I would set it down for weeks before I would try to read it again.
I found the main protagonist to be slightly aggravating with his consistent avoidance of conversation topics that he found to be slightly emotional or revealing, but over time it becomes a more understandable part of his personality. I loved the variety of characters in the story and how their personalities were revealed over time. While it’s not a funny story there were so many quietly comical moments throughout.
Really sweet love story but I felt like it was more an ensemble story about a small town, told from the viewpoint of one of the characters.
I found the main protagonist to be slightly aggravating with his consistent avoidance of conversation topics that he found to be slightly emotional or revealing, but over time it becomes a more understandable part of his personality. I loved the variety of characters in the story and how their personalities were revealed over time. While it’s not a funny story there were so many quietly comical moments throughout.
Really sweet love story but I felt like it was more an ensemble story about a small town, told from the viewpoint of one of the characters.
smfrazer's review
1.0
Too slow for me. Couldn't make it all the way through ( and I really hate giving up on books partway through)
marylopez's review
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
susanm_82's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5