Sunday, June 21, 2009

Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve

Welcome to a Weekly Geeks follow-up! Last week's topic involved leaving questions for books to be reviewed in the future, assuming that you would use these questions as the basis of a future write-up. I received questions from 6 other geeks about this one.
First the premise: Olympia Biddleford is a 15 year old well off young lady in the last summer of the 1800's. She is transitioning from living life as a child to living life as a lady. Her father is very well connected in New England and her mother lives somewhat as an delicate invalid. Olympia is extremely bright and mature for her age, her father having decided to remove her from ladies institutions and home schooling her himself. That summer she meets John Haskell, a guest of her fathers and a much older, married father of 4. Olympia falls in love with him and the novel concentrates on the circumstances and fall out of such an affair.
Now the Q & A:

Jacqueline C said...

I just received a copy of Anita Shreve's Testimony. Is this your first Shreve novel? If so, would you read another by her? If not, have you read Testimony or do you plan to?

This is my 3rd Shreve novel. My previous 2 were The Pilot's Wife and Testimony. Click over the titles for my reviews of these books. I did find this book much different from those until the last 1/4. Testimony is my favorite of hers so far. I do plan to read more of her books in the future

Louise said...

I've only read one of Anita Shreve's books, and while I found it an okay read, it did not really make me want to check out more of this writer's works. How did you like this book?

I don't know if I would have pursued Shreve's books on the basis of this one. I found the first half tough to get through and enjoy. As I said, it did pick up steam later on, but I also wasn't completely happy with the ending.

Dreamybee said...

I really like Fortune's Rocks, but I haven't liked the other books of hers that I read as much. There's the fact of a younger girl-older man relationship in this novel. Did that bother you, or did you enjoy the story anyway (assuming you enjoyed the story, that is)?

The relationship really did bother me. I thought it was indulgent and kind of ironic considering the character's own judgements of other questionable relationships later on in the book.

gautami tripathy said...

I liked Shreve's The Pilot's Wife? Have you read that? How does it compare with her other books? Do you recommend?

See above answers

pussreboots said...

I like Shreve's books but haven't read the one on your list. What did you think of it?

This was not my favorite of her books. I don't know if it was just the relationship I didn't like or the style, which is different from other books of hers that I enjoyed.

Eva said...

What type of writer is Shreve? I don't know anything about her, so does she write in a certain genre?

Shreve writes drama. She has a good sense of character and situation.

*After posting I realised that I had read another of Shreve's books recently bringing my total to 4 of her books. My review of Resistance can be found here.

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