Unfortunately disappointing

Having listened to all of the previous books following the Cazalet family, and thoroughly enjoyed them, I was looking forward to this final instalment to see how everything was tied up. I can only say I wish I had never listened to it!

There seemed to be some personality changes in the characters. I felt as though Archie and Clary acted out of character and Edward too seems changed becoming meek and obsequious where Diana was concerned (who herself has lost all sympathy). The Neville storyline was completely ludicrous. Although he was always a bit of a strange child he was sympathetic and quite funny. I just can't accept this is the adult he grew into. Simon too is almost a different character, he seems to have become Christopher 2.0.

Louise and Teddy are even more unsympathetic than they were previously, there is barely a mention of her son, Sebastian, who must be a teenager by now. It might have been interesting to explore their strained relationship, although I suppose we are to assume they do not have a relationship at all it was a strange and disappointing omission.

Speaking of forgotten characters there is barely a mention of Jessica and her family. Christopher's story had run it's course but what of Angela in America and Nora with poor Richard? Also, what about Wills? He strangely gets barely a passing mention.

In contrast I felt there was too much focus on the many new children and I kept forgetting which child belonged to who. I didn't think they warranted such focus as they were just re-hashes of their parents and frankly I wasn't interested in their stories.

The paragraphs are short which gives a choppy feel. There are some errors in continuity (especially where Simon is concerned, it was Wills who had a twin that died not Simon). I suppose we can forgive the author given her age when writing the novel.

Overall, I almost feel as though this volume was an unnecessary addition. The author clearly wanted to re-visit the Cazalets again before she died but seems to struggle with what to do with them. "Casting Off" was the perfect end to the series for me, satisfyingly rounding off the storylines and leaving me feeling uplifted. Although it was lovely to re-visit the family and see how they are getting on, "All Change" left me feeling unsatisfied and slightly depressed.

4 people found this helpful

Intelligent, stylish storyline.

Would you listen to All Change again? Why?

Most definitely!

What other book might you compare All Change to, and why?

All the previous books in the Cazelet series, a fabulous continuation.

What does Penelope Wilton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

She captures the very essence of all the characters in the the family, so evocative of their times. Her diction is perfect, never overblown and her accents are subtle.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Both! The storylines epitomise the world that the family lived in. I laughed at the the absurdity of some of their actions and cried at their tragedies. I became absorbed 'into' the family.

Any additional comments?

Please can we have more of the same high standard of writing and narration.

3 people found this helpful

A Sort of an Ending

First, I was, as ever seems to be the case with me and 'trends', a very late arrival to the EJH fan club. But once I found them, I loved and devoured all the other books. This one was written very much later and is set a little later than the others which run pretty much consecutively from just before WW2 to just after its end. Now, in this final volume, we jump forwards by quite a few years.

So I was anxious about whether the book would grip me as the others did, especially the first two in the saga. Some reviews were unfavorable but I went ahead because I really did want to know what happened next.

And it was fine. A different narrator but beautifully read. It is not quite as sharp as the earlier books but it nonetheless diligently deals with most of the characters (not the one who went off to be a monk; he gets left out really) in order and follows the formula for the other books of visiting each family or person in turn.

We get helpful asides to make sure we know what year we are in - the Suez Crisis, telly being around (for the servants, of course) and so on. And so I felt it worked rather well. Things do move on for everyone, and in some cases it's sad, in others it's just 'normal' life.

I won't spoil it, but I was 75% satisfied with the end. I wish it had been a bit different, but the main reason I was not wholly happy was that still, it left unfinished business, but I suppose it had to stop somewhere. There is a sense of some story lines being hastily tied up and others being perhaps too complicated to deal with fully - much like real life. But this is as far from 'real' as you can get. That's fine with me.

I will really miss my many weeks spent with these characters. Largely because of the era it evoked, rather than fondness for them all. I do love the author's complete obsession with food!

2 people found this helpful

A Slow Start, but Worth Persevering

All of the Cazalet Chronicles are incredibly good. The only reason I have not included here the same review as I did for the others is that this deserves separate consideration. I found the early stages of the book not quite as compelling as the previous four volumes. For me, the characters did too much looking back to early events, so it was a bit “tell, not show” (the opposite of what writing should generally do). However, it does mean that the book can stand alone, which is perhaps the point, and it quickly shook off being too reflective to move the story forward to a satisfying conclusion. It is still worthy to stand alongside the earlier four books, and has a pleasing “closure” for those of us who have enjoyed the Chronicles so much. I am perhaps being harsh to give the excellent narrator, Penelope Wilton, an actress whom I have always much admired, only four stars, but I think that her predecessor in these books (Jill Balcon) was so extraordinarily suited that it was almost impossible to meet her consistent five stars. That said, if not jill Balcon (who I believe was dead by the time this was written), Penelope Wilton was the perfect choice. As I said in my earlier reviews, I cannot recommend these books highly enough. I will not be reading much more of Elizabeth Jane Howard.

1 person found this helpful

Epic

It's probably twice as long as it should be, but it is an epic tale about largely vacuous people who don't deserve the easy lives that fate dealt them. However, it's like a warm blanket on a frosty morning... V agreeable

1 person found this helpful

Brilliantly observed, riveting storyline

From the late 1930s up to the late 1950s the doings of the Cazalet family are depicted with great care and accuracy in this sequence of five volumes. Characters are authentically developed and we learn much about them through their carefully observed interactions. Describes the life of an upper middle class family and how they are impacted by seismic changes brought about by WWII and beyond. Beautifully observed and written - found it difficult to put down. Thoroughly recommended.

Family lives

Such a enjoyable book 5 to finish a great series of the Cazalet Chronicles. Loved every moment of all the characters and how they ended their lives. Highly recommend for all who’ve read books 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Wonderful family saga

I'm sad to finally finish the Cazalet family saga. I have grown so fond of many of the characters and have loved the period detail, which made me think of my parents who were children in the 1930s. The books are written with such sensitivity and humour. A brilliant achievement by Elizabeth Jane Howard.

Not as good as the others

I thoroughly enjoyed the previous 4 novels and was excited to listen to the final Cazalet chronicle. Despite an excellent performance from Penelope Wilton, I really wish I hadn't bothered. I found myself disliking characters I had previously enjoyed and honestly don't think it added anything to the story. It also felt more rushed than the previous novels, and jumped about all over the place too much for my liking.

very relaxing

A beautifully written and narrated end to the story of the Cazalets a great escape