|
|
US Mall 1 - Off Season
|
List Price: $26.99
Our Price:
Your Save: $ 26.99 ( 100% )
Availability:
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
|
Average Customer Rating:  
|
|
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780446505482
Format: Large Print
ISBN: 044650548X
Label: Grand Central Publishing
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 496
Publication Date: 2008-08-13
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Studio: Grand Central Publishing
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spotlight customer reviews:
|
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fabulous Read!
Comment: I have to admit that I'll never love one of Ms. Siddons' novels as much as I do "Peachtree Road", which made me gasp in shock at the ending. It was the quintessential Southern novel....BUT, having said that, I thought that this was one of her best novels in many years.
The plot kept me intrigued and Ms. Siddons created one of those deliciously devious women who we love to hate (especially at the end---wow, what a surprise!)
I have to strongly disagree with other reviewers who said that the ending was ambiguous. I found it quite clean and neat (although, I, too, wanted the story to keep going). If you loved the earler Siddons' books, then you'll gobble this one up, too. Give it a chance and enjoy the read.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Disappointing...
Comment: The book starts out really well and is totally engrossing for the first two-thirds. After Lilly's marriage to Cam, the books falls apart. There is no warning or foreshadowing of Cam's betrayal, and no hint or reason for it is given. The character of Peaches is one-dimensional. The age of Jon and Lilly at the time of their relationship is way too young and borders on creepy. The matter of the letters is left in the air, and the whole book becomes a disappointment. It's as if Siddons ran out of steam midway. An author normally so careful with words writes an ending that must be re-read a couple of times to be understood, and the reader is left with so many unanswered questions that it is completely frustrating. And one more thing: the literary device of Lilly's conversations with her cat is completely out of place, inappropriate and contrived.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Go back!
Comment: I enjoyed this book if for no other reason than I enjoy the lovely way Ms. Siddons strings words together. However, I was like other readers who commented about being confused after reading the last chapter. I was fortunate to hear Ms. Siddons read the first chapter aloud last week and guess what? It made all the difference. The light came on in my head and it all began to fit. My suggestion to anyone else who felt like throwing the book across the room after reading that mystical last chapter, go back and re-read the first one again. I think you will be glad you did.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Siddons delivers again
Comment: Anne Rivers Siddons is one of my favorite authors, and she delivered a good story once again. This book was captivating, with good character development, and a surprise twist at the end.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Liked it, didn't love it
Comment: I wanted to love this novel as I have others written by this author. And there are certainly elements in it that I did enjoy a great deal - her description of her childhood was particularly appealing and reminded me of my own special summer place at the beach. I was also moved by the description of her mother's illness and death, and Lilly's reaction. I cried when Wilma died - I am still recovering from the death of my beloved first dog over two years ago. I also appreciate reading a novel about a woman in her fifties since I'm one of those people!
But there was a lot in this novel that didn't really ring true. I was turned off by the ethereal relationship between Cam and Lilly... it just wasn't realistic - his courting her was particularly odd. Maybe there was just too much mysticism to it, I don't know. But they didn't seem very real to me - or maybe that's the point. She was looking back at their relationship and sometimes, memories don't always accurately reflect the reality.
Maybe I just wasn't reading closely enough, but the ending totally caught me by surprise. I didn't particularly like it and don't think it fit the characters... at all. I suppose that's life, right!
Overall, though, this story has stayed with me for a few days, and I re-read the last few chapters to see if I "got" it any better. I did not.
|
|
|
Editorial Reviews:
|
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fabulous Read!
Comment: I have to admit that I'll never love one of Ms. Siddons' novels as much as I do "Peachtree Road", which made me gasp in shock at the ending. It was the quintessential Southern novel....BUT, having said that, I thought that this was one of her best novels in many years.
The plot kept me intrigued and Ms. Siddons created one of those deliciously devious women who we love to hate (especially at the end---wow, what a surprise!)
I have to strongly disagree with other reviewers who said that the ending was ambiguous. I found it quite clean and neat (although, I, too, wanted the story to keep going). If you loved the earler Siddons' books, then you'll gobble this one up, too. Give it a chance and enjoy the read.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Disappointing...
Comment: The book starts out really well and is totally engrossing for the first two-thirds. After Lilly's marriage to Cam, the books falls apart. There is no warning or foreshadowing of Cam's betrayal, and no hint or reason for it is given. The character of Peaches is one-dimensional. The age of Jon and Lilly at the time of their relationship is way too young and borders on creepy. The matter of the letters is left in the air, and the whole book becomes a disappointment. It's as if Siddons ran out of steam midway. An author normally so careful with words writes an ending that must be re-read a couple of times to be understood, and the reader is left with so many unanswered questions that it is completely frustrating. And one more thing: the literary device of Lilly's conversations with her cat is completely out of place, inappropriate and contrived.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Go back!
Comment: I enjoyed this book if for no other reason than I enjoy the lovely way Ms. Siddons strings words together. However, I was like other readers who commented about being confused after reading the last chapter. I was fortunate to hear Ms. Siddons read the first chapter aloud last week and guess what? It made all the difference. The light came on in my head and it all began to fit. My suggestion to anyone else who felt like throwing the book across the room after reading that mystical last chapter, go back and re-read the first one again. I think you will be glad you did.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Siddons delivers again
Comment: Anne Rivers Siddons is one of my favorite authors, and she delivered a good story once again. This book was captivating, with good character development, and a surprise twist at the end.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Liked it, didn't love it
Comment: I wanted to love this novel as I have others written by this author. And there are certainly elements in it that I did enjoy a great deal - her description of her childhood was particularly appealing and reminded me of my own special summer place at the beach. I was also moved by the description of her mother's illness and death, and Lilly's reaction. I cried when Wilma died - I am still recovering from the death of my beloved first dog over two years ago. I also appreciate reading a novel about a woman in her fifties since I'm one of those people!
But there was a lot in this novel that didn't really ring true. I was turned off by the ethereal relationship between Cam and Lilly... it just wasn't realistic - his courting her was particularly odd. Maybe there was just too much mysticism to it, I don't know. But they didn't seem very real to me - or maybe that's the point. She was looking back at their relationship and sometimes, memories don't always accurately reflect the reality.
Maybe I just wasn't reading closely enough, but the ending totally caught me by surprise. I didn't particularly like it and don't think it fit the characters... at all. I suppose that's life, right!
Overall, though, this story has stayed with me for a few days, and I re-read the last few chapters to see if I "got" it any better. I did not.
Array
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
