Sadie Jones

I loved this book. Mainly set in occupied Cyprus in the late 1950’s, its subject is a young couple: Hal, a bright young officer who hasn’t been taught to have any kind of real emotional life, and Clara, his young and dutiful wife.

The book divides itself between looking at Hal, appalled and yet brutalised by the conflict he is a part of, and Clara, bored, frightened and powerless. As Hal's military involvement increases, the couple become increasingly unable to communicate. Cyprus itself is beautifully evoked, but it casts no spell over the protagonists.

I was unconvinced by the faltering reconciliation at the end of the book, but as an examination of Englishness, and the effects of war on everyone involved, as well as a portrait of a country I’ve never visited, it was a gripping and involving read.… (mere)

A very enjoyable story about class, family, and doing whats right. None of these people are what you would call good, but they are doing what they think is right. From Charlotte, the matriarch of the family, to neglected Smudge, wanting to finish her "Great Undertaking". As the family and guests come together, realizing what their uninvited guests needs, they rediscover what is important to them.

The book is funny and tragic, with Smudge's Great Undertaking tying it all together - Its funny, witty, and gently says something about humanity, and that everyone needs kindness in their life.… (mere)

Kurze Inhaltsangabe
1945 kehrt Gilbert Aldridge aus dem Zweiten Weltkrieg zurück zu seiner Familie. Während er die beschauliche Routine des Kleinstadtlebens genießt, durchstreift sein Sohn Lewis mit seiner schönen, rastlosen Mutter die Wälder - bis an einem Sommertag unten am Fluss ein schreckliches Unglück geschieht. Lewis bleibt allein und verstört zurück. Wenige Monate später wird ihm die junge Alice als neue Stiefmutter vorgestellt. Lewis lebt fortan als Fremder im eigenen Haus; er sucht Zuflucht im Alkohol und in heimlichen Exzessen in einem Londoner Nachtclub. Seine Trauer und Wut entladen sich schließlich in einer weiteren Katastrophe. 1957 kehrt der 19-jährige Lewis nach zweijähriger Haft aus dem Gefängnis zurück. Ehemalige Freunde und Nachbarn begegnen ihm mit Misstrauen: Wer nicht ist wie die anderen, muss zum Außenseiter werden. Immer wieder versucht Lewis einen neuen Anfang zu finden; immer tiefer gerät er in einen Strudel aus Gewalt, Verzweiflung und enttäuschter Hoffnung.… (mere)

A novel that shed’s it’s skin taking it from 3 star to 4 star read that has readers as divided over its controversial ending as they are over their love of snakes themselves!

With some dark themes, this is an in-depth look into an anything but typical dysfunctional family as they come together for a holiday getaway in the hills of rural France. This is a slow burner that will slither under your skin and nest in your brain as it leaves you with a huge pause for thought.

Beatrice Temple and husband Dan live a fairly run of the mill life in their little flat in London, money is tight but things are good. Dan knew that his wife’s family have money but the topic of her family has always been out of bounds. The only member of her family that she actually likes is her deeply troubled brother, Alex.

After a stint in rehab Alex is now the proud owner of a run down hotel in rural France and after renting out their flat, Bea and Dan each pack a suitcase, jump into their beat up car and decided to make Alex’s hotel their first stop on their extended holiday.

Not knowing what to expect their first sights on the hotel is more than either could have imagined. They are the sole occupants of the building, unless you count the nest of snakes residing in the attic. That is until the unexpected arrival of Bea and Alex’s parents. And so begins the beginning of the end for our troubled family as this holiday getaway ends with one member of the family dead and the other members of the family with more questions than answers, pulling them further apart and more deeply divided than before.

This book delves into some dark and emotional topics and shows that money cannot buy happiness and isn’t the answer to everything. As I said earlier, this is a real slow burner and is a more character exploration as opposed to a murder mystery, interspersed with metaphorical as well as the physical snakes and is an utterly stark take on society and the evils that inhabit peoples lives.

This book has divided its readers so it is definitely one of those books that you have to read and decided for yourself and although it is a slow burner it is 100% worth sticking with it and seeing it through, right up to its bitter end!

The Snakes was published back on March 7 2019 and was published in paperback on 20 Feb 2020 so no matter what your preferred format, all formats are now available for you to grab your own copy and decided for yourself.… (mere)