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103rd out of 303 books
—
239 voters
A Rural Affair
Newly widowed Poppy Shilling should be feeling distraught at the death of her husband, Phil. But, instead, she can't help feeling relieved. No longer will she have to endure Phil's iron fist ruling over her and their two young children, or his unfortunate penchant for lycra cycling wear.
What's more, when a secret is revealed after his death, Poppy's memories of their life...more
What's more, when a secret is revealed after his death, Poppy's memories of their life...more
Paperback, 453 pages
Published
2011
by Michael Joseph
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My favourite thing about writer Catherine Alliott is the strong author voice that is entirely consistent across her books. When I pick up a Catherine Alliott, I know to expect lively, realistic romance with a hint of humour, and A Rural Affair does not disappoint.
I read the book over several days, and found myself looking forward to picking it back up and reading on. There’s a strong sense of setting – a rural English village – and a great cast of characters who reminded me a little of the cast...more
I read the book over several days, and found myself looking forward to picking it back up and reading on. There’s a strong sense of setting – a rural English village – and a great cast of characters who reminded me a little of the cast...more
Jul 10, 2012
drey
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2012-reads,
fiction-contemporary
Poppy Shilling never thought life would come to this – raising her two children and taking care of the household on her own, while her husband Phil is always off working or cycling or handing out his passive-aggressive lists of things for her to do. She starts wondering more and more if she married the right guy, and whether she’s brave enough to walk way (with the children of course, as Phil wouldn’t have the faintest clue what to do with them). Then one day Phil’s killed by a freak accident wh...more
I have read all of Catherine Alliott’s books and looked forward to another (hopefully) good read. When I ordered my book from Amazon I couldn’t help but notice that there were already 4 reviews, 2 of which loved it and 2 of which loathed it. I was quite surprised by such an extreme reaction.
Having now read the book I can understand why there was such a divide. Happily for me I liked this book. In the intro of the book we meet Poppy, the wife who sometimes resents her mean husband. The type of la...more
Having now read the book I can understand why there was such a divide. Happily for me I liked this book. In the intro of the book we meet Poppy, the wife who sometimes resents her mean husband. The type of la...more
Geographically, Ireland is a medium-sized rural island that is slowly but steadily being consumed by sheep.- Dave Barry
A RURAL AFFAIR takes place in England (not Ireland) but a sheep creates a comedic scene that would inspire Barry to chuckle. In fact, I believe Barry would appreciate Alliott’s subtle humor as the story unfolds from Poppy Shilling’s point of view. Her absent husband is demeaning. He cares little for the children. Despite his busy schedule, he finds time to cycle across the count...more
A RURAL AFFAIR takes place in England (not Ireland) but a sheep creates a comedic scene that would inspire Barry to chuckle. In fact, I believe Barry would appreciate Alliott’s subtle humor as the story unfolds from Poppy Shilling’s point of view. Her absent husband is demeaning. He cares little for the children. Despite his busy schedule, he finds time to cycle across the count...more
I enjoyed this more than I expected to. I was looking for something light and easy to read, and I remember from previous Catherine Alliott's I have ready that they fit the bill. In her other novels, I've found the main character - usually a rather posh woman who does lots of daft things, but dotes on her dull but rich husband - rather irritating. The main character in this was the usual posh woman but with a few exceptions, she was actually quite likeable. There were several scenes in this book...more
Poppy Shilling often fantasised about her controlling husband's death, so when a freak accident actually caused her husband's demise, she finds the prospect of life without him quite daunting. The marriage wasn't particularly happy, but when Poppy discovers that her husband had been having an affair, she is galvanised into action.
I thought the book was great fun, it's best read quickly, as the story bounds along at a cracking pace. The dialogue is witty, and even though the heroine is far from p...more
I thought the book was great fun, it's best read quickly, as the story bounds along at a cracking pace. The dialogue is witty, and even though the heroine is far from p...more
Poppy Shilling has been fantasizing about killing off her prig of a husband for a while. His obsessive ways, constant put-downs, and absences from their children's activities have gotten Poppy fed up. Imagine her surprise when the constables come to the door to tell her that Phil has been killed by being smooshed with a frozen block of pee that fell from an airplane. Poppy tries hard to be properly sad and grieving but she is happy to move on with her life especially when she finds out that perf...more
Poppy Shilling is married to Phil they have 2 children Phil likes to be
in control of everything. She fantasizes about her Husband dying, until
one day the Police knock the door to say he has been killed, she should
be upset but why is she relived? Phil has been hiding a dark secret but
what could it be? Poppy settles into village life joining various
groups she wants to get on with her life. But can Poppy put the past
behind her and meet someone new that will make her happy? I was really
disapp...more
in control of everything. She fantasizes about her Husband dying, until
one day the Police knock the door to say he has been killed, she should
be upset but why is she relived? Phil has been hiding a dark secret but
what could it be? Poppy settles into village life joining various
groups she wants to get on with her life. But can Poppy put the past
behind her and meet someone new that will make her happy? I was really
disapp...more
For me, a good book is one that makes me feel whatever the character is feeling. This book wore me out! I felt Poppy's euphoria and her deepest depression and all the emotions in between.
Poppy had imagined, in an abstract way, how it would feel if she were to become a widow. When her husband is suddenly struck by debris from a plane, (you won't believe what the debris actually was), she is actually relieved. When a woman comes to her door after the funeral, Poppy learns that her marriage was an...more
Poppy had imagined, in an abstract way, how it would feel if she were to become a widow. When her husband is suddenly struck by debris from a plane, (you won't believe what the debris actually was), she is actually relieved. When a woman comes to her door after the funeral, Poppy learns that her marriage was an...more
I’m really surprised by the mixed reviews for this one on Amazon. Ok, including a particular incident during the hunting scene might not have been the best idea, but I really did enjoy this book from beginning to end. It’s a long time since I last read a Catherine Alliott book, but I’m now acquiring her back catalogue. The writing is genuinely witty – a bit grown-up Milly Johnson? – and although I’m not a massive fan of romantic comedy I found myself laughing out loud several times at some of th...more
I really enjoyed this book. It gave me a laugh about 4 pages in which was a good sign, and it continued to make me laugh, but it wasn't always funny, it was true to life. A story about a young woman trying to turn her life around after losing the husband that she never should have married. She has some great friends beside her, some interesting suitors, and some drama to liven her life. It was a good book for me to be reading when I came down with a bug, and found myself to be laying in bed read...more
I'm not a huge fan of chick lit usually, I can only really enjoy it if its not cheesy and its well written. This book however, was brilliant! It had me laughing, cringing and feeling every emotion that Poppy, the main character, felt. It's starts off with Poppy imaging ways of her boring husband dropping dead, to her arriving home to policemen at the door to let her know her husband had been killed (in a very comical way, I might add). You follow her life through the months after his death which...more
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Even though A Rural Affair is one of those British Chick Lit novels that I adore so much, I had a hard time adoring this one as much as I wanted. I think the only thing that bothered me was the way there were flashbacks and there was no indication or marking of the flashback. Like an icon or even a chapter title. It may have just been the format of my E-ARC, but it made it very confusing for me to read. I will say that there were several times I found myse...more
Even though A Rural Affair is one of those British Chick Lit novels that I adore so much, I had a hard time adoring this one as much as I wanted. I think the only thing that bothered me was the way there were flashbacks and there was no indication or marking of the flashback. Like an icon or even a chapter title. It may have just been the format of my E-ARC, but it made it very confusing for me to read. I will say that there were several times I found myse...more
What I love about Catherine Alliott's writing is that once you start reading one of her novels, they are completely addictive and you really can't put them down. Her characters are all intriguing and the storyline is full of twists and turns. A Rural Affair doesn't disappoint as the main character, Poppy, tries to get over the death of her husband. But what's unusual is that she doesn't really grieve for him, more for the loss of a father for her children. It's emotional and funny at the same ti...more
I loved this story. The author writes smart lit for ladies. The characters have depth and are realistic. I feel like Alliott's writing accurately reflects friendship among women in a small town, and her writing accurately captures emotions. I love that she opens the book so honestly with Poppy's feelings about her husband. Some of the situations are a bit fantastical, but the characters are pretty down to earth--everyone gets excited occasionally, and you need your friends to bring you back down...more
The first part of the story sets the scene for the reader of the type of man Phil was and the relationship Poppy had with him. We get to know about how they met and where Poppy was in her life when that happened. Finding out more about Poppy’s own childhood we also come to understand why she needed the supposed predictability and dominance of Phil.
Even though Poppy lives for her children and has very little confidence when Phil is alive, after his death and his secret is revealed she questions e...more
Even though Poppy lives for her children and has very little confidence when Phil is alive, after his death and his secret is revealed she questions e...more
This was the first book I have read by Catherine Alliott but I shall certainly look forward to reading more as I found this a very enjoyable read with several laugh out loud moments. The writing was witty and entertaining (despite the serious subject of Poppy’s husband Phil dying very suddenly (and in a most bizarre way). The marriage had not been a particularly happy one and Poppy had harboured fantasies in which her husband was dead and the family were free of him. Initially her feelings were...more
I wanted to like this book, but overall it was just an OK read. The story line seemed to drag on and on and nothing really ever happened. There were so many smaller characters to keep track of and many of them came off as boring or pretentious. I kept getting the feeling as I was reading that something major would happen, like the pivotal moment in Gone Girl, but it never materialized. It was just all right and in fact, picking it up to finish reading it felt like a chore much of the time.
i bought the kindle version of this off amazon to bring on holiday with me, and to be honest when i started the first chapter i was wondering what i had let myself in for. But once i got the style of writing i thought it was a brilliant book!the eventual love match was unfortunately obvious from the offset but this book was really funny and i would definitely recommend it, it wasnt quite the light read i thought it would be, and it was a really eventful plot.
I enjoyed this bookm it is the first of Catherine Alliott's books that I have read and I will definitely give her other books a go.
The main charcter, Poppy, was fun, honest and a bit crazy at times. Her group of friends and even the kids each had their own personality. Poppy's husband Phil sounded awful and Emma Harding was really well written - I thoroughly disliked both of them as I was supposed to.
The ending was a bit sudden and fairly predictable but aren't most chic-lit books.
Perfect for...more
The main charcter, Poppy, was fun, honest and a bit crazy at times. Her group of friends and even the kids each had their own personality. Poppy's husband Phil sounded awful and Emma Harding was really well written - I thoroughly disliked both of them as I was supposed to.
The ending was a bit sudden and fairly predictable but aren't most chic-lit books.
Perfect for...more
I wanted to really like this book, but I only "liked" it! The story was good and there interweaving story lines for the individual characters were easy to follow too, but I did find at some parts the story did drag and there seemed to be no realy conclusions,(maybe there's a follow up that I don't know about).
I think this was the first Catherine Alliot book that I've read and it's certainly made me think about reading her other books.
I think this was the first Catherine Alliot book that I've read and it's certainly made me think about reading her other books.
More laugh out loud moments in Catherine Alliott latest book. A character list of eccentric and quirky country folk, ditsy dogs and barmy horses included.
Poppy Shilling's world is turned upside down when a knock on her door heralds a policeman to tell her that her husband has been killed in a freak accident (queue first laugh of the book!)..but not for long...after all she'd often dreamed of him ending his days suddenly and in odd circumstances...and when she discovers her husband's secret life,...more
Poppy Shilling's world is turned upside down when a knock on her door heralds a policeman to tell her that her husband has been killed in a freak accident (queue first laugh of the book!)..but not for long...after all she'd often dreamed of him ending his days suddenly and in odd circumstances...and when she discovers her husband's secret life,...more
An ok book, but certainly not the best Catherine Alliott book I've ever read. Was struggling to finish it after I'd got half way through and the stuff about the hunt made me give up completely as I find the whole act barbaric, no matter that it's a fiction set in the countryside - to portray it as a harmless hobby is WRONG! In fact I wonder if it was rather foolish of the writer to include these scenes because I can't be the only reader to find it extremely distasteful.
Very enjoyable read, like Jilly Cooper with less sex and Joanna Trollope with more laughs. All the usual country saga suspects: horses, fit local lord of the manor, randy old goats propping up the bar in the village pub, and an Aga, of course. Entirely predictable ending but it doesn't really matter, put your feet up after a hard day with this book in one hand and a glass of wine within reach of the other, and you're sorted.
I adored this. Real, grown up, clever, funny. It's chick lit for big girls. The beginning made me laugh out loud with recognition and horror...and when I lent it to my sister without saying a word, she called me up and left a message saying OH MY GOD it's you!
Hasn't everyone dreamed of their husband popping off? It's not just me, is it? (Don't worry, I divorced mine, so he's safe!)
Hasn't everyone dreamed of their husband popping off? It's not just me, is it? (Don't worry, I divorced mine, so he's safe!)
The book is best read quickly, preferably without any disturbances. The dialogue is witty but I found the main character very irritating at times! However the ending felt a little rushed, felt the relationship between Poppy and Sam could have been developed a little before the abrupt ending. Despite this I did enjoy reading the book and was known to laugh out loud on occasion.
In a rural town in England, a woman with 2 young children wishes her judgmental, shaming, controlling, & boring husband would drop dead...and he does! Her joy is obvious to her 4 best friends, if nobody else, but it disappears when she realizes that he's been having an affair for the past 4 years, and she blames herself for her own and his suffering.
The descriptions of her anxiety, depression, & self-doubt were realistic & funny, but I would rather have read a funny romance novel, w...more
The descriptions of her anxiety, depression, & self-doubt were realistic & funny, but I would rather have read a funny romance novel, w...more
A nice lighthearted read. If you are looking for something not too taxing - an easy read..... then this is worth considering. It is funny in parts and not too serious. Poppy (the protagonist) is likeable, as are her friends. Look the ending is predictable....but the read is enjoyable. This book is never going to win any literary prizes but sometimes I just want to chill out with something that is an easy read. This book fits nicely into that category.
Chick lit for the middle-aged set! This is the first book I have read by author Catherine Alliott and I really enjoyed it. A Rural Affair is a tremendously fun read and it was delightful to discover a heroine dealing with small children and life in a pastoral English village rather than the glitz and glamour of the London or New York social scene.
A light, quick-witted read-- less predictable than you might imagine it would be given the type of fiction it is. I loved Poppy Shilling-- she has my kind of humor. I found myself actually laughing out loud while reading this book. Highly recommended to anyone looking my something light and entertaining, but also very well written.
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Catherine Alliott was born and raised in Hertfordshire. After graduating from Warwick university she moved to London, where she worked as a copywriter in advertising. She now lives with her husband, a barrister, and their three children.
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Mar 18, 2012 10:31pm