52%
11.07.25Considering the author tells us in her afterword how much research she did, you'd think she'd have attempted to make the characters sound and act period appropriately, rather than being 21st-century Americans inexplicably stranded in Victorian London. Even if this was a deliberate choice, the constant Americanisms - as well as some stereotypes about mid-19th century British society that I doubt were quite true - kept taking me out of the otherwise fairly sweet and fun story.
06.02.25
What is it with all the telling and not showing in family dramas? This could have been a fascinating insight into an unfamiliar world, but it - the characters, the plot, the dialogue - felt cold and flat because everything was exposition. It really needed another edit - but would make a good TV show.
12.11.23
This was an engaging family saga, and the historical and cultural details gave it an extra layer of interest. It was a shame, then, that most of the characters seemed only to be there as cyphers, and that several elements of the plot were either unconvincing or just didn't make sense. And there was a weird sense of mythical history about events that only took place 50 years ago. So, as usual, more editing might have moved it towards the 'Masterful' promised on the cover but it remains a reasonable read.
I really wanted to read this but it was too much of a workout - both in terms of the library hardback weighing about as much as a small dog, and also in terms of it being really boring.
05.02.22
I don't mind an occasional dive into the lives of the 0.1% and this was a fairly intelligent take on the old celebrity story. It was just a shame it lacked a plot and relatable characters.
12.06.21
This is June's choice for both my reading groups and I was expecting such a trendy book to be political and preachy and worthily hardgoing. But, on the contrary, it's a lyrical, engaging account of the shifting nature of identity. Yes, it's a little heavy handed at times and, yes, nothing much actually happens, but it's an easy read with a sophisticated structure.
19.04.21
Confident and very clever, this engaging story can be read on a number of levels. Is it political satire, crime, farce, romance, memoir, allegory or comedy? Well, yes. It's a vivid peek into the lives of those not often remembered these days, though it does lack the emotional depth needed for you to actually care about them.
