A thought provoking book

Read well, made it a joy to listen to. The book makes one think a lot about family relationships and how people do and do not care for each other and/or how some people can let 'appearances' whether for religious or other reasons, override and destroy their love for those who should be most important to them.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Disjointed and disappointing

I've read a lot of Barbara Vine, and listened to quite a few. One or two have been disappointing but Asta's Book and The Dark-Adapted Eye are superb, so I was really looking forward to this listen. However, it was very disappointing. About half the book is taken up with a 'book within a book' which was OK. There were parallels between the modern day situation and that in the 'book within', but nothing startling - no 'Aha' moment. There were also hints at the beginning of the story that there was going to be more to it. There is reference to a 'ghost'; and one of the characters has a disproportionate reaction to a situation that made one think 'Oooh what is he hiding?' The answer appears to be nothing. I was left checking my library for part 3 in which the strands which have been developed are pulled together - but there is no part 3. A very disappointing listen.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

excellent

ignore the poor reviews this is as always a wonderful read .highly recommended ..fabulous

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

The Child's Child

Considering that in her prime, Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine was probably the best psychological thriller writer of her time, this is a very poor offering. The story, set in both contemporary London concerning a female Hampstead-based academic, who inherits a large house and moves in with her brother, whose new relationship causes a rift between the siblings.

The majority of the book is taken up with a 'story-within-a-story' unpublished manuscript about a gay brother and his unmarried sister who scandalised 1920s Bristol with their lifestyle choices. Very few of the characters are pleasant and it was often difficult to remain focused.

Finty Williams' narration was very good throughout.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

What a ride

Loved this book. This book was an uncomfortable read, in so much as it had my stomach in knots I wanted to shake the characters. The sense of inevitability was plain to see. I was talking to the characters, out loud!! This is a compelling read. Listened to it in one go.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

What happened to the ending?

Really enjoyed the idea of a book within a book, although, I didn’t really get the juxtaposition. Always a good story from Barbara Vine, so I don’t want to say I was disappointed because I did enjoy it, I just found it a little flimsy and what did annoy me at times, was the repetition….how many times does something have to be explained. I was not expecting such an abrupt ending that wasn’t actually an ending at all….I thought my audiobook had skipped and had to go back, only to find, it hadn’t skipped, but just ended without and end….bizarre.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Enjoyable but no proper conclusion

Excellently narrated .. really good, strong storyline, but no proper conclusion reached in either story. Felt like there needed to be at least another chapter just to tie up loose ends.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

intriguing plot, awful characters

Well structured with great narration but I hated all the characters and the story felt a bit pointless overall

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Enjoyable.

This was an unusual novel because there was a separate book read, within the original story. I think I enjoyed that one more than the original one. Both, like a lot of Barbara Vine's books, had an abrupt ending. Very good narration.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Great storyline

Very well written and very well read. The story was certainly addictive and I liked the two stories in one idea it worked very well.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!