A great novel.
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The Rose of Sebastopol is a fantastic read: don't be fooled by those who can't read between the lines. The protagonist, Mariella, is one of those great unreliable narrators (see Lockwood in Wuthering Heights) that you just love to tut at whilst you're reading. What McMahon does successfully is to depict Mariella's coming of age in a convincing way. You might not necessarily like her (come on people, this is done on purpose!) but you'll begin to understand her; she's the archetypal Victorian lady (who just happens to be thrown into the chaos of the Crimea). The other characters are superb - each portraying an aspect of Victorian society; the angel in the house, the reformer, the rebel...Okay it's not that original, but it is so engrossing that you will feel like you've packed your sturdiest petticoats and are heading off to bandage some poor regimental soldier in the siege of Sebastopol too!
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Strong story but weak characterisation
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The Rose of Sebastopol was spoilt for me by my difficulty in warming to Mariella, the main protagonist. Until the final chapters of the book she seemed a colourless personality, and while I could see why she fell for Rosa, I found Rosa's reciprocal fondness unconvincing. There seemed nothing about Mariella that would attract such devotion from someone so lively and outgoing - I thought her a stereotyped goody-goody. She never seemed to say anything of interest, resisted Rosa at every turn, and generally behaved like a wimp and a spoilsport. But perhaps it was these very differences that appealed to her wayward cousin. If so, the author failed to show it.
That apart, I enjoyed the book, especially as the Crimean War was a period with which I was only passingly familiar. The writing certainly conveyed a sense of what it was like to be there. I just wish Mariella had developed into a more rounded and attractive character somewhat earlier in the story. For this reason alone I'm not sure it's quite worth 4 stars - I'd have given it 7 out of 10 if that had been possible.
Some reviewers found the ending unsatisfactory, but it left a striking image, moving, sad, and probably inevitable. There were loose ends. for sure, but loose ends do not necessarily detract from the overall impression of a book - 'Gone with the Wind' is a prime example.
It isn't brilliant, but I thought it readable and interesting enough to recommend it.
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So-so
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I found that this book started in a slow and over-convoluted way. The edition I read had several glaring editorial errors which also put me off. I was expecting a great deal more from the hype surrounding this book. I would not buy another book by this author.
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difficult to put the book down
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I picked up The Rose Of Sebastopol by Katharine McMahon, I had not expected it to be much more than a semi-interesting read. However, with every page turn, I became more and more attached to the novel's heroine, and actually found it very difficult to put the book down. Since reading this book, I have highly recommended it to all my girlfriends. It's a beautiful story about life, love and friendship filled with excitement, heartbreak and hope. I'd also recommend reading Tino Georgiou's bestselling novel--The Fates--if you haven't yet!!
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Great story but shame about the ending
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I wasn't sure about this book at first as it seemed a bit slow to start off but like The Alchemists Daughter it soon became difficult to put down and whilst I really wanted to know what had happened to Rosa and what would happen between Max and Mariella I didn't want the story to end. I was a bit disappointed with the end and had to reread it to check I hadn't missed something fundamental, although at least I can imagine what would happen next. Some novels add a fairytale ending and I guess that just isn't realistic.
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