Amazon.nl: Klantenrecensies: Small Pleasures: Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021 (English Edition)

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Misty

Amazing novel ... until it wasn’t.

Beoordeeld in het Verenigd Koninkrijk op 25 oktober 2020

Geverifieerde aankoop

The first two-thirds of this novel are stunning: a stunningly well-drawn portrait of restricted lives and stifled desires with a beautiful feeling of sense and place. The characters are so rounded and vivid I could not shake the image of Mark Rylance playing the role of Howard, if - and when - Small Pleasures is ever brought to the screen. The final third of the novel however was a crashing disappointment with tropes, a lazy-sounding ‘twist’ and an ending so disappointingly abrupt and sad that all it made me think of is here is an author desperate to be shortlisted for a literary prize rather than one invested enough in her characters and readers to gift them at least with a hopeful ending rather than the utter misery promised for all the characters, even little Margaret and her ‘angel voices.’ I don’t often write reviews but I feel so cross that a novel that could’ve been a modern classic fizzled so badly.

75 mensen vonden dit nuttig

Vertaal recensie in het Nederlands

F. McGarry

Easy Read - no real surprises

Beoordeeld in het Verenigd Koninkrijk op 4 december 2020

Geverifieerde aankoop

Although the writing at the start did remind me to some extent of Alan Bennett, it lacked his sharp eye for detail and seemed superficial in comparison. Bennett’s work has an underlying affection, but also a certain malicious delight lurks just below the surface, as though he is slyly judging his subjects , and they aren’t coming out well. There was none of that sense with Chambers’ writing. Even the “drab detail” began to recede as the storytelling took over, so that by halfway through the book there was little in the prose itself to impress.
I wish the train crash had been an epilogue rather than a prologue because all the way through the story I kept wondering which of the characters were going to be involved. While that did add to the feeling that this wasn’t going to be a happy ever after story, it was both distracting and predictable.
Of the main characters, both Jean and her mother were incredibly stereotypical. I thought that showed a real lack of imagination. I also felt that the sudden introduction of Victor a bit of a cop-out. We knew throughout there was going to be a “Victor” of one kind or another - I would have preferred that detail to have been left out altogether, ending on a mystery, which is what happened in the real life story.
Did I like the book? It was okay - a bit more of a chick-lit type story than I prefer. However, it was a light easy read and something different to what I usually read so I’d probably give it about a 5 out of 10. Would I recommend it? Probably not, but then I wouldn’t say don’t read it.

7 mensen vonden dit nuttig

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Talia

A slow burning trip down memory lane

Beoordeeld in het Verenigd Koninkrijk op 17 november 2020

Geverifieerde aankoop

Not my usual read, but a book club choice, which suggested I read it. It was based in the year 1957 and I enjoyed all the little details from that time. As I wasn’t born until 1962, some were over my head, but I enjoyed the descriptions of the women in the book, such as getting dressed up for small events. It made me remember fondly my mother, who always made sure she had changed out of her work clothes and wore makeup, did her hair nicely and so on for my father’s daily return from work. My mother didn’t work outside the home, so her work clothes were just those she had worn to clean and prepare food for example.

I liked the story, and enjoyed the medical profession taking the claims of a virgin birth seriously. I can’t imagine the same happening today. Just like every one else, I wanted the story to be true, even though it was highly unlikely. I guessed what had happened half way through the book, so no surprises there.

This is a gentle read, with all subjects involved being treated well. The characters were rounded and likeable and the pace suited the subject matter. Too slow for me, but I appreciated the small nuances and detailed descriptions. I’m sure that if this is your sort of book, you would really enjoy reading it. Not for me personally, however.

5 mensen vonden dit nuttig

Vertaal recensie in het Nederlands

Amanda-Trimmer Brightman

SMALL PLEASURES

Beoordeeld in het Verenigd Koninkrijk op 25 juli 2021

Geverifieerde aankoop

This is a very intriguing novel and I quickly became immersed and enjoyed the poor protagonist Jean, who as a 1950s should have been enjoying freedom and independence, is very down trodden by life and her mother.

I thought the idea of Jean investigating an Immaculate Conception for the local newspaper intriguing and original.

Initially I enjoyed Jeans journalistic inquisitive nature, however I thought the plot of The Tilburys and the conclusion became predictable.
I felt the ending was rushed and lacking so much of the brilliant description which had gone before, so for me I was left disappointed.

2 mensen vonden dit nuttig

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Shandy

A good read...but that ending!!

Beoordeeld in het Verenigd Koninkrijk op 5 juni 2021

Geverifieerde aankoop

I really enjoyed 90% of this novel. The relationship between the main character and her mother was well done and the period detail meticulously researched. The first plot-line was intriguing, and kept the interest.
The writer showed empathy for the plight of the spinster at the centre of the story, and for the idea of middle-aged romance without any intrusive or prurient detail.
However... The denouement of the main storyline was quite preposterous enough....but then the final chapter robs the reader of any idea of a hopeful ending. It seemed completely unnecessary and like something from another genre of novel altogether. Odd.

2 mensen vonden dit nuttig

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Patchwork Queen

Pale imitation

Beoordeeld in het Verenigd Koninkrijk op 6 juni 2021

Geverifieerde aankoop

Started nicely, but from around a third of the way through it loses pace and becomes increasingly plodding and bland. Two competing storylines which don’t really gel and a deus ex machina ending left me scratching my head over all the glowing reviews. Some of the writing is nice, but too often it is poor and careless, and the constant “could hear/could see”, etc, became annoyingly noticeable. Shame because there was so much potential and I thought it was going to be my sort of novel. But it’s too often feeble where it could have been strident, it’s too long, and it lacks pace. Essentially, it felt like a pale imitation of the novel it could have been.

Een iemand vond dit nuttig

Vertaal recensie in het Nederlands

Sam

Easy read

Beoordeeld in het Verenigd Koninkrijk op 10 februari 2021

Geverifieerde aankoop

Jean is a journalist in a small Kent paper when an opportunity present itself to her in the form of the letter from a woman claiming a boring birth. After meeting Gretchen and starting the investigation, Jean starts to believe the woman's claims especially when the medical side is backing her up.

Small pleasures was an easy read with an interesting storyline - the claim of a woman that her child came from a virgin birth. The details and capture of the feel of 1957 was wonderful BUT for me the story went off onto main tangents of relationships rather than the main story of the virgin birth.

2 mensen vonden dit nuttig

Vertaal recensie in het Nederlands

Rosy

A good read

Beoordeeld in het Verenigd Koninkrijk op 15 juli 2021

Geverifieerde aankoop

I enjoyed this book a lot but there were a few things that let it down. I think the author got stuck on the idea of including both the train crash and the virgin birth story but the train crash was not necessary in my opinion and it spoiled the story for me. The revelation about the conception was too abrupt and clumsy. Also I would've ended the story with Jean's final letter to Howard and had him go back to Gretchen for Margaret's sake as she thought he would. The Jean character could have been a bit more likeable as well. Basically I think this was a good read but with better editing and a bit more work it could have been a really excellent book.

Een iemand vond dit nuttig

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Alice25

Disappointing end

Beoordeeld in het Verenigd Koninkrijk op 10 november 2021

Geverifieerde aankoop

I would have given this book 5 stars if not for the end. It was a tender well written love story between 2 shy lonely people and I grew to care and hoped that things turned out for them. I know in life, things can change in an instant and tragedies happen but the end here felt rushed, abrupt and so disappointing after the wonderful build up between Howard and Jean. I wish the author had written a different and more satisfying last chapter but maybe she was trying to say that life doesn't come with happy endings but I had really wanted one in this book.

Vertaal recensie in het Nederlands

RKJH

Dissapointing and I didn't like the main character

Beoordeeld in het Verenigd Koninkrijk op 31 juli 2021

Geverifieerde aankoop

I did like the book, but for some reason, I couldn't like Jean (or Howard) very much, and was a lot more interested in Gretchen. I could go into detail but don't want to include spoilers! A bit disappointing from a women's prize for fiction long listed book, as actually, it fed into some slightly archaic stereotypes of femme fatale vs the virtuous woman, although in fairness, I think the author was trying to play with this idea anyway with the whole virgin birth idea.

Een iemand vond dit nuttig

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Small Pleasures: Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021 (English Edition)

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Small Pleasures: Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021 (English Edition)

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