Violet Hetherington has taken the rash step of joining a transatlantic cruise ship to New ... more
York to visit Edwin, an old friend. As she makes the six-day crossing, she relives the traumatic events that led to her losing Edwin's friendship, and abandoning her career as a poet, for the safety of marriage and domesticity... Moving between the late sixties and the present day, this book is written with the lightness of touch and psychological insight which characterise Salley Vickers' acclaimed work. A bittersweet novel which is subtle, poignant and wonderfully entertaining, from the bestselling author of 'Miss Garnet's Angel' and 'The Other Side of You'.
At the end of his life, an old man waits in his office for a stranger to arrive. Over the ... more
next few weeks, Teiresias will visit again, making his way across the heath to relate the story of his life. As these two men sit together in front of a roaring fire, a remarkable tale unfolds.
Sigmund Freud, suffering from the debilitating effects of cancer, has been permitted by ... more
the Nazis to leave Vienna. He seeks refuge in England, taking up residence in the house in Hampstead in which he will die 15 months later. But his last months are made vivid by the arrival of a stranger, who comes and goes according to Freud's state of health.
Advantages: some beautiful writing Disadvantages: pace can be slow, too many unmemorable characters
When I saw the title of April's book in my reading group my heart sank. I was really dreading reading Mr Golightly's Holiday by SalleyVickers as the title really put me off. Mr Golightly's Holiday sounded like a kid's book ala Mr Pinkwhislte. I imagined some crazy guy perhaps a scientist having crazy adventures. That or a character like Mr Bean always getting into trouble.
I was partially right when it came to my first impressions about the book. Mr Golightly is a businessman and a top selling author in need of a holiday. He once wrote a best selling book that nowadays seems to be ignored and shelved in a marginal shelf in the corner of bookshops. He decides to rent a cottage in Great Calne on the edge of Dartmoor. His aim for his holiday is to bury himself away and rewrite and update his seminal work for a new generation perhaps ...
Advantages: Beautiful depiction of Venice Disadvantages: Too slow and not enough character development
Miss Garnett’s Angel is set in Venice. And in one sense Venice is the subject of the story. Its waterways, churches, bridge and great squares form the backdrop to the book, but more than a back-drop, they influence the characters and bring changes into their lives. SalleyVickers captures the mystery of the dark interiors, filled with magnificent works of art, and she takes us on secret journeys into places well off the tourist trail. I can only think she must have been a resident of the city and have had privileged access to many of the places she describes for it is difficult to see how a mere tourist could have learned so much about the city.
The story concerns as you might expect, Miss Garnett, a retired teacher, and most definitely a “spinster”. Miss Garnett is a tall angular woman, steel grey hair, her ...
