One of the best modern day takes of the late 18th early 19th century stories. The book is a long tale which involves discovering the secrets of a young poet's suicide in which revolves around a romance storyline. The book has many tales along the way and is a generally feel good book to read, to be honest this makes my top 5 reads of all time. The tale itself expresses pure beauty about a lifetime from the old to modern world and the secrets held all the way up until Grace's death. Beautiful Beautiful Beautiful. Recommend this to anyone.
*****- 5 Star Rating
I really enjoyed Bender's style of writing throughout, however the concept of the story starts of great and develops into a kind of mess. You quickly get sucked into young Rose's life and her story and senses which do intrigue. However, I feel the book was ruined by letting the story unfold into a magical realism, I just couldn't grasp the magical concept. The senses part was fine and the fine description of food and in which all of it's ingrediants carry different senses for young Rose, but it lost me the moment it went on about her brother Joseph being a chair. The grandad being able to smell emotions and smell his own death was an acceptable realism for me, but the concept of the brother turning into furniture baffled me and my mother who also read it. I had to reread the particular chapter in which she sees his legs as chair legs, I couldn't get my head round that. The story is as if Bender changed her mind halfway through on the concept, and then decided to focus on something else. Also, didn't like the ending as nothing become of her mother's affair, felt it was left in an awkward position. I loved Bender's style of writing however the concept baffled me and I did not feel there was much point to the story.
****- 4 Star Rating
