Susan Bartle

I have read much praise for this book. It was so well written but personally I found the format a little disorientating. I didn’t feel I really knew the characters as well as would have felt closer and more comfortable. I felt a slight chill and sadness throughout. There was no knowing how Rachel and Anthony really felt about each other. In fact I hardly felt I knew Anthony at all. The children’s characters were more developed but again a lack of connection between them . With little emphasis on how the characters really felt it was even more difficult to get to know them or like them. I was interested to read comment from an American reviewer who seemed to assume that this novel was a particularly English taste ! Not in my case . However, give it a try as it may appeal to others more than it did to me.