Thursday 27 August 2009

Persephone Reading Week : Every eye


Having read some quite hefty Persephone books this week I thought it was my turn to read something a little slimmer. Every eye by Isobel English fitted the bill, but although slight in number of pages, it was certainly a well written book. We had a review earlier in the week by HJ Elliot which Paperback reader quoted. I found it a little difficult to get into, as the story is told in the present and retrospectively, but it all comes together in the end to give a wonderful picture of the life of Hatty, a girl who is hampered by a squint, and who eventually ends up on her honeymoon after a miserable relationship with an elderly lover, and a childhood with her uncle and aunt.

I warmed to Hatty considerably after she is asked what books she likes:
" Still cautious but placated almost completely, I answered a little gruffly I remembered "I like good books", and then to illustrate the extent of my knowledge, I like Rider Haggard very much but I can't stand Jane Austen"

Another lovely Persephone to spend an hour or two with!

4 comments:

  1. Has anybody read Few Eggs and No Oranges. I have it on my to be read shelf but must admit to being rather daunted by the size.

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  2. I read it a while ago, when I was doing my history degree, before it was published by Persephone. I did really enjoy it at the time - it gave a fantastic insight into the period. But I agree that the size is daunting - I have the P edition now and it is massive! But as it is diaries it would probably be ok to dip into?

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  3. Every Eye does indeed sound lovely, which doesn't surprise me.

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  4. I read Few Eggs No Oranges last year and found I really enjoyed it. I loved all the familiar place names and learning about what happened in those areas during the war.

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