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10th out of 24 books
—
29 voters
The House of Gentle Men
In a year of war, sixteen-year-old Charlotte sets off on a mission of love in the backwoods of Louisiana, only to be violated by three soldiers in a lonely section of the forest. Charlotte's young life is destroyed, but another life is growing inside her. Years later, in peacetime, Charlotte comes to House of Gentle Men, a mysterious sanctuary where sad, damaged women are...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
February 6th 2001
by Harper Perennial
(first published 1999)
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To be totally honest, I thought this book was an insulting piece of crap. The only remotely interesting thing about it is the idea for the house itself -- in an attempt to win back the wife who left him, a man sets up a "house of gentle men". Men who have wronged women come to live at this house and try and redeem themselves, do penance, and find peace by "servicing" the women of the nearby town. They do not have sex with the women but kiss, carress, dance with, and, most importantly, listen to...more
this is going to have a massive amount of spoilers so be warned
brilliant idea for a book, started well. I'm all for the 'they held her down and then later she walked away' type of description when it comes to rape, why oh why did Mizz Kathy think we needed to revisit it in detail in further chapters? Did she run out of things to say? Same goes for the Mother's death, either spell it out or don't, please don't do both!!! Now we have one set of siblings one with verbal diohrea and the other who ca...more
brilliant idea for a book, started well. I'm all for the 'they held her down and then later she walked away' type of description when it comes to rape, why oh why did Mizz Kathy think we needed to revisit it in detail in further chapters? Did she run out of things to say? Same goes for the Mother's death, either spell it out or don't, please don't do both!!! Now we have one set of siblings one with verbal diohrea and the other who ca...more
The House of Gentle Men has been on my radar for a long time. A few years back I read Hepinstall’s novel The Absence of Nectar which I liked quite a lot. There was something intriguing about the premise of The House of Gentle Men so I took a chance. I’m not sure that everyone in my book club would agree, but this book paid off for me.
The House of Gentle Men is actually the name of an establishment run by Mr. Olen, a single father who is hoping that if he makes up, in some way, for neglecting the...more
The House of Gentle Men is actually the name of an establishment run by Mr. Olen, a single father who is hoping that if he makes up, in some way, for neglecting the...more
This is one of the worst books ever written! One of my book clubs read this book a couple of years ago, but I did not read it then. I bought a copy at our used book sale and had in my "to read" stack for over a year. Recently we were going on a trip and I looked for a paperback to read on the plane. I read this book on the plane, made notes so I could warn others not to read it, and dumped it in the trash at the airport as soon as I got off.
Every man in the book is a terrible person. Even the on...more
Every man in the book is a terrible person. Even the on...more
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The House of Gentle Men is a place where men who have hurt women can go to offer penance for what they did... and where women who have been hurt by men can go to be healed of their pain.
Without giving too much of the plot away, Charlotte, who is raped by three soldiers a mere two weeks after witnessing her mother die in a fire started by Charlotte's brother, is unwittingly reunited at the House of Gentle Men with Justin, one of the soldiers who participated in the rape. We observe as they slowl...more
This book was unlike an other that I've read before in concept. Centered around a house where woman go who seek the intimacy that has been replaced with complacency in their own relationships with men, and the men of the house who service them, seeking redeption from past sins through these acts of intimacy.
I was really stirred by this book. I've thought a lot about this concept of women preferring ( furthermore, needing) intimacy (the men of the house are restricted to verbal, emotional intima...more
I was really stirred by this book. I've thought a lot about this concept of women preferring ( furthermore, needing) intimacy (the men of the house are restricted to verbal, emotional intima...more
Very well written book. The characters are fun, the conflict is entertaining, and the story is very well told.
Kathy has a way with words. She's a throwback to times when well written books also meant that the language used was musical, almost like coherent poetry. That's how Kathy writes; it's a trait you will find in all her books.
Kathy has a gift for immersing the reader in vivid imagery. She blends the environment into her stories in such a way as to add color and substance to the environmen...more
Kathy has a way with words. She's a throwback to times when well written books also meant that the language used was musical, almost like coherent poetry. That's how Kathy writes; it's a trait you will find in all her books.
Kathy has a gift for immersing the reader in vivid imagery. She blends the environment into her stories in such a way as to add color and substance to the environmen...more
Kathy Hepinstall has the most beautiful voice. I found this book very haunting and lovely and wonderfully unique. The story moves rather like a mystery, revealing bits and pieces of heartache and drama from the past, even as characters and events hurtle toward a devastating conclusion. I felt a sense of dread as I read, and yet I couldn't put the book down. The writing is lyrical and lush as the Louisiana woods where the House of Gentle Men awaits, offering a chance for redemption to the guilty...more
I was so torn on what rating to give this book. I finally settled on 3 stars, because, while the writing was gorgeous and the plot was well-developed, too many of the characters prevented me from truly loving this novel. Hepinstall packs quite a few characters into The House of Gentle Men, and I actually didn't find that to be a problem, because she somehow enables the reader to keep everyone straight. However, with the exception of Charlotte, Daniel, and Justin, I really had no idea who was goo...more
I am intrigued by the title of Kathy Hepinstall’s, The House of Gentle Men. This surely must be a fictional place! Seriously, I easily give this book a 5-star rating.
To give any book a fair review, I look at the character, theme, plot, style and setting. I focus on the book’s purpose, content, authority, and I evaluate the quality meaning and significance of what I have just read. Hepinstall nails it on every level. She draws the reader into a setting of World War II where innocence is lost, cr...more
To give any book a fair review, I look at the character, theme, plot, style and setting. I focus on the book’s purpose, content, authority, and I evaluate the quality meaning and significance of what I have just read. Hepinstall nails it on every level. She draws the reader into a setting of World War II where innocence is lost, cr...more
I positively Loved this book! It was full of hope and redemption. The author writes in a language that kept me fastened to the page until the very end!
I am not a big fan of Kathy Hepinstall's writing. I hated "The Absence of Nectar", and this book didn't change my mind. The premise is extremely far fetched - a rape victim who unknowingly falls in love with her attacker. Readers have raved on and on about a story of love, loss and redemption. I was less enchanted. Ms. Hepinstall takes pieces of a puzzle and forces them together to form a neat little package for the ending. Happily ever after? Nonsense. I didn't buy it - the crime too heinous an...more
A tale about sin and redemption that is accompanied by a colorful cast of characters: Mute Charlotte, suicidal Justine, OC Louise, pyromaniac Milo, promiscuous Benjamin and miraculous Daniel...
The intertwining lives of these characters is highly interesting especially because it is beautifully written. The characterization is sooo great and most characters are dynamic! What I love the most about this book is that the ending is neither complete nor incomplete; it's enough to make you know that t...more
The intertwining lives of these characters is highly interesting especially because it is beautifully written. The characterization is sooo great and most characters are dynamic! What I love the most about this book is that the ending is neither complete nor incomplete; it's enough to make you know that t...more
I've seen both very positive and very negative reviews about this book. For me, this is one of the best books I ever had the pleasure to read. It's lyrical, poetic almost, with a lulling cadence that almost masks the horrors that take place in the lives of all the people involved. Almost, but not quite.
Everyone has his own burden to bear. Not only Charlotte, whose voice was stolen with her innocence at that riverbank. Not only Justin, who came to seek salvation and found more than he bargained...more
Everyone has his own burden to bear. Not only Charlotte, whose voice was stolen with her innocence at that riverbank. Not only Justin, who came to seek salvation and found more than he bargained...more
The premise of this novel caught my attention immediately. Yes, it was of love, loss, forgiveness, innocence and corruption -- themes that have been explored countless times. But, this House of Gentle Men was an idea I hadn't heard of before and the theory of it is quite interesting to say the least.
Each character in the novel has demons and each searches for something. What saves the novel from reading like an overly sentimental drama or worse-yet, a trashy Lifetime movie is the author's choic...more
Each character in the novel has demons and each searches for something. What saves the novel from reading like an overly sentimental drama or worse-yet, a trashy Lifetime movie is the author's choic...more
Sep 23, 2007
Amanda
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Lovers of literature and imagery
Though I liked the first book I read by Hepinstall, "The Prince of Lost Places" I wasn't too sure how I would feel about this one. Had it followed the same plot vein, I might not have been overly impressed. But the story itself was amazing and the way it was told held my attention. It's been a long time since a book has held me in such a "can't put it down" way.
After being raped by three soldiers as a teenager, Charlotte has become a mute, not only because of this violation but also because of...more
After being raped by three soldiers as a teenager, Charlotte has become a mute, not only because of this violation but also because of...more
The writing is poetic, the premise unique: the House of Gentle Men is a place where women who have been bruised by life--usually by other men--can come to be treated gently by a man--kissed, touched, listened to--but no penetration allowed. There both the victim and the perpetrator of a rape 6 years ealier find forgiveness, redemption, freedom to love. Like Bel Canto, another magical book, brilliantly written, with emotional depth and insight, but still a page-turner.
I really enjoyed the plot of this book. It is about a house where men who have done terrible things can be kind and gentle to hurt women to atone for their sins. The author is a really great writer. I cared about the characters and was invested in the plot. Sadly, I felt she lost steam at the end of the book leaving way more holes than endings to storylines. It's definitely worth a read.
Haven't read a book in one sitting in a while! The story was unique to me and I enjoyed the descriptions of all of the characters, each one flawed, some more than others. I especially enjoyed the character of Louise, the incessant house cleaner and lover of lost souls. Hepinstall's sensual fairy tale is poetic, fast paced, quirky, and her characters have many dimensions.
Oh my, what a great book. I suppose that it helped that I read it so quickly, it helps to appreciate all the interwoven plots that the author very cleverly intwines. It's a really sad, powerful and heart warming story about life, and consequences to actions. I'll never do it justice, so just take my word for it and read it! You won't be disappointed!
A very leisurely book- almost too slow. While there were some good passages (in particular the part on p 255: 'I am seized by soldiers and by butterflies') I ultimately came away unsatisfied and somewhat annoyed that the book did not meet my expectations.
Overall I liked the book, though there were spots where the language was kind of hokey. Mostly it had a sense of sadness, as it should considering the heart of the story. Which is why I found the ending completely disappointing. Still, it wasn't a bad read.
When I first started reading this book, every page was a struggle. I kept thinking, "Ugh, I don't like this story." So why did I read on. It was the dream-like writing, the description of thoughts. I felt like I was in a trance. Then I couldn't put the book down.
But I hated the premise, yet, I loved the telling of it. Broken women healed by evil men seeking redemption in a house set up for just such a thing deep in the woods of some southern state (which state was it?).
I guess I'm a sucker for...more
But I hated the premise, yet, I loved the telling of it. Broken women healed by evil men seeking redemption in a house set up for just such a thing deep in the woods of some southern state (which state was it?).
I guess I'm a sucker for...more
Tender story and unique premise. A girl traumatized by rape seeks comfort and healing in a "brothel" of sorts. Very surprising love story with a collection of eccentric and memorable characters.
This book was incredibly poetic. I've never read a book quite like this but it had a good story line and I enjoyed stepping outside my box and reading something different.
This was a strange book, but still compelling. The writing is to the point, the plot easy to follow and yet it is somewhat haunting. The verbiage is beautiful. I liked it.
This was a powerful story about redemption and begs the question "are there coincidences or is it fate?" Loved it!
Persevered through this novel because I was entranced by the gorgeous writing style. I did not care for the characters or plot but I did enjoy the twist at the end.
read this review and others at http://readingforsanity.blogspot.com/...
Cool book. Sad, but happy ending. Clever and romantic, sad and sweet.
Lost and found. Quirky characters.
Lost and found. Quirky characters.
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Kathy Hepinstall was born in Odessa, Texas, and spent a large part of her childhood two hours from the Louisiana border, where most of her relatives
reside. She lives in Austin, Texas.
More about Kathy Hepinstall...
reside. She lives in Austin, Texas.
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“All men have a little badness in them,' she whispered.
Milo looked at her. 'Sometimes, honey... a woman can be just as evil as a man.”
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More quotes…
Milo looked at her. 'Sometimes, honey... a woman can be just as evil as a man.”
