Totally absorbing
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This is the first book by Elizabeth Jane Howard that I have read and I loved every moment of it. The pace never slackens and I found myself wasting no opportunity to settle down and read some more. Although there are so many characters they are all so well drawn that they do not become confused. They are all likeable people, despite their flaws and foibles. What struck me most was that I actually cared about what happened to each and every one of them. The period details are not laboured but the atmosphere is unmistakeable. Can't wait for the sequel to be delivered to see what happens to the fascinating Cazalets next.
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Fascinating read
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Not having been born until 1973, and growing up in another country, I can't say whether Elizabeth Jane Howard's fictitious account of the life and lives of an English family during WWII and beyond is historically accurate or not, but with this much detail, she must be writing either from her own experience or from extensive research. It certainly felt very real to me. Told from the points of view of different members of this large, extended upper-class family and its household, The Light Years gives an account of English life in the lead up to the second world war. The author gives fine details of the running of the household inside the family's country manor, the social conditions of that time and the political situation as seen through the eyes of young, middle-aged and elderly, male and female, upper, middle and lower classes, providing a fantastic tapestry of life at that time. All of this detail could have the potential to be dry and boring, but the characters are so beautifully and realistically drawn that the reader can't help but be drawn right inside the novel and feel a part of the family. These characters begin to affect the reader in a way that is rarely seen, and after finishing "The Light Years", I couldn't wait to begin the second instalment, "Marking Time".
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Slow but increasingly compelling start to the Cazalet saga.
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After watching the TV series I began reading the book. I found it slow (almost dreary) to begin with, but perservered, and was glad I did! The saga unfolded gently, with no great dramas, but managed to grip my interest anyway. At times I found the writing a little vague, I wasn't always sure just who the personal pronouns were referring to. But on the whole I enjoyed this and the subsequent book (Marking Time) and now I'm starting on the third volume. I reccomend this for holiday reading or when you've had a heavy day and want to chill out with a book, but don't want to have to work too hard at understanding the plot.
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First of four books in the Cazalet Chronicle
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I read this book following seeing some of the TV production recently. I found that it 'grabbed' me as soon as I started reading it and proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable read, so much so that I proceeded straight on to the next of the series, "Marking Time". The book gives an excellent picture of life immediately pre-WWII and is an effective social statement of the state of the 'classes' at that time.
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A wonderfully written, compelling read
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Having enjoyed Falling, by Elizabeth Jane Howard, I decided to start the four books in the Cazalet Chronicle at the beginning with 'The Light Years'. This is a wonderful read, which is totally compelling in its account of pre-war Britain as seen through the eyes of the Cazalet family. The characters are strong, likeable and totally convincing. Highly recommended.
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