Reviews 

This is the fourth, and I think she planned final book in the quartet. They do get better as you progress through them; the characters...

Book 2 of the above. This focuses sporadically on three of the daughters, Louisa, Polly and Clary. Louisa, who is a little older, has...

Book 3 which takes us from 1942 to the end of the war. Lots of events as the girls grow up and Louise gets married to a dreadful man,...

The only other Zola book in the house, although I have since invested something like £1.69 in Amazon to buy the complete works for my...

Possibly the best book I have read this year. Zola completely turns 19th century fiction on its head and writes a book in which the...

Haven’t read any Lawrence for ages; I think that no.223 inclined me to read another novel of thwarted love across the classes. The sex is...

Chose a long serious(?) book after all the Håkan Nessers, although it is hard work to read a book this long when not on holiday. Did I...

One of the summer plans! Thought I’d take (to Spain) a Dickens that I didn’t know at all, never televised, so no baggage. Not sure what...

The last Bristol novel. Never read any Snow before. I found myself enjoying this more as it went on; a between the wars provincial middle...

Volume three of the above. They are now all in Athens, although only briefly as the Germans invade toward the end, and they flee on a...

Extraordinary. Long and difficult (although ultimately very simple) book, simply about human life. Very un-glorified. The characters are...

This was an A-level set text, and I read my old copy from the time, which is almost ruined by asinine adolescent observations. I will get...

Probably enjoyed this less than I expected, although not in a very receptive mood when I read it. The plot is fairly far fetched; English...

Trying to read some old books, preferably in paper, before we fly off to Spain. I enjoyed this more than I expected; the key bit of...

I have rediscovered James since reading 'Portrait of a Lady' last year. This is a nicely constructed little story about two Europeans, a...

Can't give this a number (see no.89), but I have finally finished 'War & Peace'; it is a huge book. i would like to re-read it, but would...

Pretty long, 10 days to read although it is January, and we have D+Z back from Australia. Plus, lots of snow (which hasn't interrupted...

Never read any Harry Potter, this is her first adult book. I thought it was very good: complex, multilayered and multi-class plot about...

Hadn't read this for years, if indeed ever. Very slow to get moving. I thought it was quite DH Lawrence-ish; love across the social...

Have tried reading this many times, but there is a big Ford Maddox Ford drama 'Parades End' on the TV which has encouraged me to give it...