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becca_boulton's review
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jennnaaaaaaa's review
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
charlottekook's review against another edition
2.0
not impressed with this at all, i was really interested by the subject matter but i found it very dull and the characters (beside the twins) predictable and cliche. it just didn't GO anywhere, and i get that was probably intentional/mirrored the patients' inability to physically leave/go anywhere in their life, but it was boring.
half_book_and_co's review against another edition
5.0
1949, London. Jewish twins Lenny and Miriam Lynskey are diagnosed with tuberculosis and sent to a sanatorium in Kent. The two young people find themselves in a strange place and time: the sanatorium -the Gwendo - only newly admits non-private patients. It is the beginning of the NHS. And also they find themselves on the brink of the implementation of an actual cure for TB. But for now, many patients spend month after month on their balcony "resting". The Gwendo is full of interesting characters, many of them lethargic at first glance. But with the arrival of the twins - and later a charismatic US-American - the mood starts to shift.
In her book, Grant not only throws a light on the historical specifics of TB treatment but asks bigger questions about illness, treatments and what it means to be(come) a patient (does it just mean being patient?). And even though during a treatment doctors would love their patients just to be that: obedient patients, Grant's characters are never only patients but complex figures with different identities and positions in society which shape their experiences. Grant captures the anti-semitism of 1940s/50s Britain, alludes to questions of class and education; there are women exploring sex. And then there is a subplot about the prosecution of lesbian women in Nazi Germany - something I think I have not yet read in fiction.
Even though the novel deals with rather difficult topics, the writing is not without its humour and there is a dreamlike quality of it all. Without the Baileys' Prize I might not have picked up this book, but I am all the more happy that I did.
In her book, Grant not only throws a light on the historical specifics of TB treatment but asks bigger questions about illness, treatments and what it means to be(come) a patient (does it just mean being patient?). And even though during a treatment doctors would love their patients just to be that: obedient patients, Grant's characters are never only patients but complex figures with different identities and positions in society which shape their experiences. Grant captures the anti-semitism of 1940s/50s Britain, alludes to questions of class and education; there are women exploring sex. And then there is a subplot about the prosecution of lesbian women in Nazi Germany - something I think I have not yet read in fiction.
Even though the novel deals with rather difficult topics, the writing is not without its humour and there is a dreamlike quality of it all. Without the Baileys' Prize I might not have picked up this book, but I am all the more happy that I did.
cward7836's review against another edition
3.0
There is no doubt that this book was extremely well written. If you don’t need a plot driven story then this would be prefect.
alicemc25's review against another edition
2.0
What I liked about this book is that it's about TB and explores the way the disease was managed and treated in the last 1940s-50s. As someone who works in medicine with an interest in medical history, I found this really interesting - did they really carry out operations to remove people's ribs?! I ended up googling a lot, so it definitely spiked my curiosity. Even though it's not a non-fiction book and I'm not sure how accurate it all was, I really enjoyed reading about the start of streptomycin treatment and the dramatic way it transformed TB treatment.
But however interesting I found the setting and the subject, the story it was based around was quite flat. The main characters are Jewish twins Lenny and Miriam, who share an unusually close relationship, and are carted off from London to Kent together when they are diagnosed with TB. But I found them both quite unlikeable. They didn't seem to have much depth or warmth to them. In fact, I didn't really feel a connection with any of the characters. Once they left the sanitorium behind I pretty much lost all interest in the story, and just read the last few chapters to get it done.
So for people who have an interest in TB and medical history, it's a good book. I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone else.
But however interesting I found the setting and the subject, the story it was based around was quite flat. The main characters are Jewish twins Lenny and Miriam, who share an unusually close relationship, and are carted off from London to Kent together when they are diagnosed with TB. But I found them both quite unlikeable. They didn't seem to have much depth or warmth to them. In fact, I didn't really feel a connection with any of the characters. Once they left the sanitorium behind I pretty much lost all interest in the story, and just read the last few chapters to get it done.
So for people who have an interest in TB and medical history, it's a good book. I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone else.
fellrnr's review against another edition
2.0
Like a stay in the TB sanitarium of the book, it’s a dull, dreary, and melancholy read. It only took six hours to read, but it seemed much longer. The Wikipedia article on tuberculosis was far more interesting. The high sport of the novel was a vague mention of “ice and sawdust” which led me to the Wikipedia article on Pykrete, which was fascinating. I gave it two stars for that tidbit, otherwise it would have been just one.
thebookgeekboutique's review
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ohnoflora's review
3.0
This started off great - interesting, lively, fresh - but it didn't really go anywhere. Lots of underdeveloped characters, no plot, a lot of telling but not much showing. As the patients languished in the sanitorium, so did the novel. A shame.