waste of time
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I've never read a Jilly Cooper novel before, and this was such awful dross I'll never read another, and am amazed I got as far as I did. I nearly gave up at page 300, and only battled on because for once I wasn't tempted to stay up late, reading - it put me to sleep.
Where do I start? I just can't believe the reviews from anyone are positive - a secondary school pupil could have written this. I found the characters very unrealistic, hugely unlikeable, and incredibly immature. The plot was practically non-existent - I certainly didn't care what happened next to any of these unpleasant people.
The writing was really quite wooden, too, but worse, I found it amazingly snobbish, patronising - and what is it with trying to phonetically write people's accents and dialect? At least if you're going to do it, do it right - the attempts at a Yorkshire accent were SO distracting. And as for the wit - I must've missed that. The jokes that were there were so stale - true Dad-jokes and witticisms - they don't come under the heading wit. And the size of it - it would have lost nothing at all for being cut in half.
I truly can't believe anyone reads this for fun; it was like wading through porridge, and if you want a real page turner that's thoroughly enjoyable, you should try Marion Keyes, or Jodi Picoult. I'm just glad I'd been lent this, and not wasted money on it.
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Great fun but not perfect!
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Loved this book and the only problem with it was my dislike for the main character! She was so irritating that it was difficult to empathise with her and root for her but it didn't mar the excellence of the writing and the laughs were thick and fast. Other characters in the book made up for the awful heroine!
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A great insight into the world of classical music.
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Despite other reviewers saying that this is the beginning of a downwards curve, I think this had maintained the high standard Jilly Cooper set herself with 'Riders'. After all, one can't expect all of Cooper's books to be set around horses and sex. Sometimes we need a change of scenery but still with plenty of sex.
Abigail Rosen is not my favourite character in the book- maybe it's because she's a bit to knowledgeable of her looks and talent, and slightly vindictive- but if you don't like her in the beginning you will by the end as she loses that arrogance.
It marks the return of some brilliant characters- Rupert and Taggie Campbell-Black, now adopting two children who will come into play hugely in later books, the greatest plonker ever Rannaldinni, his ex-wife Kitty and Lysander Hawkley make brief appearances, aswell as Hermione Harefield and the magnificent Flora, who is the best character in the book.
We also learn more about Marcus Campbell-Black and his extremely irritating mother Helen, who marries Rannaldinni. You will find yourself rooting for Marcus especially in a huge twist later in the book. Flora carries the book in my opinion, with her vivacious personality and beauty which shines through. Not much about Tabitha C-B however, as she comes into play more in Score!.
Also, the wild ochestra come up with some hilarious moments, and the wondeful Viking O'Neil is certainly a character that you feel a mixture of empathy and lust towards. Also, there is the adorable Cherub, who you just want to give a hug.
Brilliant book, perhaps not as good as it predecessors, but just about as good. (:
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Yuck. Candy floss is a kind description.
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Utterly ghastly.
Ignorant, stupid, trivial, insignificant, tasteless, insubstantial, annoying, high fat low fibre formulaic tosh from beginning to end.
Apparently JC spent two years following an orchestra around. And learned nothing. Especially avoid this if you know anything about music.
It's badly written, too. There's no structure, and characters (if wooden caricatures can be so called) dip in and out, never being developed, never meaning anything, never contributing anything. There's no plot to speak of, just an endless succession of anecdote.
However, I suppose this all just means Cooper is not for me. If she's for you, then I suppose you'll lap it up.
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Vintage deckchair fodder
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Jilly never pretends to be writing great literature but this is a definitely superior bonkbuster read. Better than 'The man who made husbands jealous' and fascinatingly set around a symphony orchestra, this is the last of her great novels - they definitely start going downhill from here.
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