i recently got this book following good reviews i heard about it (and have subsequently read) it is rubbish so far - i'm about a 1/4 of the way thru. Is it worth persevering?
I loved it. There are some quirky characters in the tale. Somehow it just appealed to me. However, if you're not enjoying it, give up and read something more pleasurable.
like Tilly, I loved it. It's a spoof of the sort of rural/romantic fiction being written 100 years ago. But if you don't like this sort of thing, you won't find it getting better as it goes on.
It's one of the funniest books I have ever read. But the sense of humour is extremely sophisticated. It helps hugely if you have read any of the "earthy" victorian novels like "Precious Bane" by Mary Webb. The parallels are hilarious.
I love it, but you have to get your mind into the right period. The sequel is also enjoyable. There have been very good radio adaptations, perhaps listen to one of those? It was written to poke fun at a genre of 'earthy' novels around at the time.
well i ploughed on through - i ws at the hospital for 8 hours yesterday so finished it. It was mildly diverting, but just can't understand the "Hilarious" comments
clearly my SOH isnt as sophisticated as atlanta's :)
As stated above, it's a spoof novel, so will be appreciated more if you are familiar with what's being spoofed. That said, I wasn't particularly familiar with it and still enjoyed it for its own sake