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23rd out of 190 books
—
68 voters
The Distance Between Us
On a cold February afternoon, Stella catches sight of a man she hasn't seen for many years, but she instantly recognises him. Or thinks she does. At the same moment on the other side of the globe, in the middle of a crowd of Chinese New Year revellers, Jake realises that things are becoming dangerous. They know nothing of one another's existence, but both Stella and Jake f...more
Paperback
Published
March 1st 2004
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I did enjoy the story of these two young people who have had more than their fair share of trajedy and family complicatons in their lives thus far. One could say that curcumstances are forced upon them, time and time again.
There were times when I became so frustrated, wanting to shout at the book, "For goodness sake, tell him (or her)," or "Don't do that!" Simple words or actions at the appropriate time would have save a whole mess of complications. I am sure that you have read similar books, or...more
There were times when I became so frustrated, wanting to shout at the book, "For goodness sake, tell him (or her)," or "Don't do that!" Simple words or actions at the appropriate time would have save a whole mess of complications. I am sure that you have read similar books, or...more
Summary: Stella runs away from her life in London to work at a Scottish hotel. Jake survives a crowd crush in Hong Kong, finds himself in the wrong life in England, and goes in search of his father in Scotland. Stella’s sister Nina has never coped well without Stella, and Stella’s Italian-Scottish family isn’t thrilled about her new life choices either…
I loved this. The bond between the sisters was so strong and real, and O’Farrell seems to have the knack of coming up with seemingly insignifican...more
I loved this. The bond between the sisters was so strong and real, and O’Farrell seems to have the knack of coming up with seemingly insignifican...more
It looks like I'm at a one all draw with Maggie O'Farrell. I enjoyed The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox after a slow start, but didn't get on at all well with My Lover's Lover. So it's taken me a while to pick up a third of her books.
This book is written in what I always think of as "jigsaw piece" style. Passages from the lives of the characters appear in what seems to be no particular order, time goes back and forth, places change, minor characters appear and it sometimes takes a while to figure
...more
This is the third novel I have read by Maggie O’Farrell and I find her novels easy reading but nothing spectacular. I enjoyed this more than ‘My Lover’s Lover’ and about the same as ‘After You’d Gone.’ ‘The Distance Between Us’ is a love story full of complex relationships and lots of pain.
At the start of the novel the protagonists Stella Gilmore and Jake Kildoune do not even know of the existence of the other. Of course it is obvious to the reader that they will meet eventually. First we are to...more
At the start of the novel the protagonists Stella Gilmore and Jake Kildoune do not even know of the existence of the other. Of course it is obvious to the reader that they will meet eventually. First we are to...more
I guess you could say I'm a Maggie O'Farrell fan but this book didn't have quite the same intensity as her other books I read. I was really enjoying the beginning - I like the way she zig zags between characters and time-frames. The sections can be quite small but they convey very poignant and intense scenes, with a great use of language and detail.
However, I found that as the book progressed and more and more characters were introduced, it became a bit too much. Too many stories and worlds and...more
However, I found that as the book progressed and more and more characters were introduced, it became a bit too much. Too many stories and worlds and...more
Another good read from this author. She really is one of my favourites. Having read all of her later books you can tell that this is written earlier in her career. As usual she has that unique ability to do multiple narratives and multiple time frames all on the one page - and it works. It staggers me that she can always pull that off so convincingly.
This story consists of two Scottish-Italian sisters and a British guy born and living in Hong Kong, plus an ensemble of familial characters. The s...more
This story consists of two Scottish-Italian sisters and a British guy born and living in Hong Kong, plus an ensemble of familial characters. The s...more
After reading The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox last year I was very excited to read another one of Maggie O'Farrell's books.
While I thought this book was good, I think my expectations were maybe set a little high for it.
It's an interesting story of two lives - both complex and complicated in ways that don't fully come out immediately - and how they end up coming together.
I loved the way the story unfolded. It was told from alternating perspectives and from different points in times - but never...more
While I thought this book was good, I think my expectations were maybe set a little high for it.
It's an interesting story of two lives - both complex and complicated in ways that don't fully come out immediately - and how they end up coming together.
I loved the way the story unfolded. It was told from alternating perspectives and from different points in times - but never...more
This was the fourth novel by Maggie O'Farrell that I have read. It is nearly up there with the brilliant "The Hand That First held Mine", "The Disappearing Act of Esme Lennox" and "After You'd Gone", but not quite. It just got a little too romantic two thirds through, but apart from that, it is a typically wonderful story from this terrific author.
For a long time there are two very separate stories. The fact that they alternate every page or so is at first quite disconcerting. But the writing, a...more
For a long time there are two very separate stories. The fact that they alternate every page or so is at first quite disconcerting. But the writing, a...more
For some reason or another I am horribly inept at reviewing books that I actually like and since this was my favourite book of the year so far, this review is probably going to very short and awkwardly written. Also, as always, there will also be a few SPOILERS!
I do not have a sister of my own. Perhaps it is for this reason that I am drawn to books, television shows and movies about the bond between sisters. It always seems like such a special thread that keeps sisters together and even though e...more
I do not have a sister of my own. Perhaps it is for this reason that I am drawn to books, television shows and movies about the bond between sisters. It always seems like such a special thread that keeps sisters together and even though e...more
This is the third book by Maggie O'Farrell I have read. I find her writing absolutely captivating. Despite the fact that this story had a much more satisfying ending (i.e., less dark), I don't think it will leave a very lasting impression me. I sobbed when I read After You'd Gone, and I was positively disturbed after reading The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox. These are both much stronger emotions that just feeling warm and satisfied. Yet as much as I try to categorize which of these three I like...more
This is a beautifully written piece: real, tragic, melancholy, eventful, lovely. The most wonderfully exciting and poignant story I have read in a long time. The pace Maggie sets means there is never a dull moment. The characters really come to life, provoking emotions and are likeable, which is so important to me as a reader. I loved Stella and Jake, and appreciated the way Maggie allowed me to see into both their families and the dynamics and history within them. The author has definitely mast...more
When I find an author I love, I try to read as many other titles by them as possible and typically, there is a point where the author has gone from amateur to professional. I have really enjoyed Maggie O'Farrell, and while I enjoyed this story, I feel that she was still an amateur when she wrote The Distance Between Us. It lacked the refinement and tightness of more recent titles. I don't mind a story that jumps around. In fact, I quite like the varying perspectives; the lack of chornological ti...more
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Too cheap to resist ;)
The perfect combination: a rainy weekend, tea and an addictive book! Ok, it hasn't really rained today, but the sky has been quite cloudy! ;)
This is about Jake who lives in Hong Kong and suddenly on Chinese New Year's celebrations sees his life change and about Stella a Scottish-Italian girl who suddenly flees from London to a tiny village in Scotland. As you keep on reading, you start learning about their past and how their paths will eventually meet. I've always had a wea...more
The perfect combination: a rainy weekend, tea and an addictive book! Ok, it hasn't really rained today, but the sky has been quite cloudy! ;)
This is about Jake who lives in Hong Kong and suddenly on Chinese New Year's celebrations sees his life change and about Stella a Scottish-Italian girl who suddenly flees from London to a tiny village in Scotland. As you keep on reading, you start learning about their past and how their paths will eventually meet. I've always had a wea...more
We have 2 different sets of characters, whose stories run simultaneously, and come together later on in the novel. Jake is from Hong Kong, but with white parentage. His mother met his father while backpacking around the world. Unbeknown to him she is pregnant when they part company. Now in his 20s, Jake and his girlfriend of a few months are involved in a New Year crush in town, where one of their party is killed, he is injured and his girlfriend is dying in hospital. She asks of him the unthink...more
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I didn't love it. I'm sad to say that, while O'Farrell's other novels were gripping and fast-paced, this one was overly-complicated and confusing.
The story jumps from character to character, as is O'Farrell's usual style, but the cast of characters is so numerous that it becomes garbled & the plot is lost for a while. There are also no chapters or any other marker to notify the reader when a change of perspective has been made which exacerbates the confusion. There also seems to be several...more
The story jumps from character to character, as is O'Farrell's usual style, but the cast of characters is so numerous that it becomes garbled & the plot is lost for a while. There are also no chapters or any other marker to notify the reader when a change of perspective has been made which exacerbates the confusion. There also seems to be several...more
I read and really enjoyed 'After You'd Gone' and 'The Vanishing Acts of Esme Lennox' but was really disappointed by 'My Lover's Lover', so had left this sitting on my shelf for ages before deciding to give it a go.
I'm so pleased that I did, as I think this is my favourite of O'Farrell's novels. The human relationships in this story are so intelligently written, her characters are wonderfully crafted and the story is both intense and very emotional.
The story of Jake and Stella goes back and forth...more
I'm so pleased that I did, as I think this is my favourite of O'Farrell's novels. The human relationships in this story are so intelligently written, her characters are wonderfully crafted and the story is both intense and very emotional.
The story of Jake and Stella goes back and forth...more
Really enjoyed this but didn't love it. I suspect it is one that I will struggle to remember in years to come - especially as the title is far from memorable (and I do find that reading it on a kindle means you haven't got the title in front of your nose each time you pick it up, so even when I'm reading it I can't remember what it's called!).
Enjoyed the plot - I like things jumping around though at times I didn't know whether they were talking about Stella as a toddler, grown up or somewhere in...more
Enjoyed the plot - I like things jumping around though at times I didn't know whether they were talking about Stella as a toddler, grown up or somewhere in...more
I found this a struggle and reluctantly gave up on this about three quarters of the way through. I've really enjoyed her last two novels but this perhaps was written at a time while her writing was still maturing. I found the characters closed in on themselves and was unable to engage with them. There is a nagging feeling that if I'd have stuck with it I might have reached the end and gone Wow! Perhaps I'll go back to it and alter my review and rating at a later date.
This would be a 3 1/2, maybe a 4...I marked it down because it jumped around from place to place, time to time, people to people from paragraph to paragraph. I had a hard time remembering who everyone was and it is a bit tedious trying to remember everything that each character did when you don't know who they are, and then later you try putting them together and can't remember exactly who they were and who did what. Sometimes she would introduce a new character and I couldn't remember if that w...more
Apr 27, 2012
Paula
added it
At the heart of this book is the relationship between Nina and Stella, are Scottish-American sisters. Their lives are filled with other people, some of whom are family, of whom the chief is Jake, an English boy who has lived all his life in Hong Kong. Sounds confusing? That is where Maggie O'Farrell has been very clever. She takes this huge cast and uses them to create a story that is hard to put down. I loved it!
The summary of this book certainly drew me in and intrigued me. After waiting for months to read the book I was surprised at the layer of suspense that was in the book. I found it quite jumpy and it was very abrupt at times. There were many characters introduced that while I enjoyed their story, it could get confusing at times to get the names and stories straight. Overall, I liked it and am interested enough to check out more of Maggie O'Farrell's work.
Whoa. I liked this O'Farrell, and it read quickly. A lot darker than her others in some ways, but just as touching. As always she worked to merge two disparate lives, but I thought she didn't even need that plot element, one of her stories was so rich and vivid. I did NOT expect the twist, but it was satisfying. The ending was not as satisfying at all, but it would have taken a lot to right it ....
I wanted to like this as I loved Maggie O'Farrell's 'After You'd Gone' but this just didn't work in my opinion. There's some beautiful language and imagery and certain aspects of the story are very well realized (the relationship between the sisters and the Italian-Scottish family). But the relationship between Jake and Stella felt forced and descended into cliche. A stillborn novel. A pity.
Love everything by this author, though having read four, she does continually mine the same damaged people with unknown/withheld secrets terrain. Still, her turns of phrase are exhilarating. Like few others, she can make me love, trust and fear for her characters while slipping in descriptions that are so RIGHT they make my hair stand on end.
Synopsis: On a cold February afternoon, Stella catches sight of a man she hasn't seen for many years, but instantly recognizes. Or thinks she does. At the same moment on the other side of the globe, in the middle of a crowd of Chinese New Year revelers, Jake realizes that things are becoming dangerous. They know nothing of one another's existence, but both Stella and Jake flee their lives: Jake in search of a place so remote it doesn't appear on any map, and Stella for a destination in Scotland,...more
There is a fine line between dark and depressing. This book is just depressing. I also find it hard to feel sorry for characters when they are so overdramatic. For example, I might have felt bad for Bella when Edward dumped her in New Moon, but then she got onto the forest floor in the fetal position in the rain and proceeded to turn into a zombie for the next three months. Same with Stella in this book. I might have thought "oh my gosh, whoever that man is, he must have really traumatized her a...more
I suppose I was expecting something totally different than what I got with this book and that explains my dissatisfaction.
It was very bland and unemotional even at the places where emotion would be expected. I never connected to the characters, or cared overmuch about their story.
In a quick summarization the book is about two main people, a man and a woman, from very different places in the world, who are living a unfulfilled existence and go off in search of their own unique dreams and end up m...more
It was very bland and unemotional even at the places where emotion would be expected. I never connected to the characters, or cared overmuch about their story.
In a quick summarization the book is about two main people, a man and a woman, from very different places in the world, who are living a unfulfilled existence and go off in search of their own unique dreams and end up m...more
Stella lived in London, Jake in Hong Kong. Maggie O'Farrell wrote their stories, including their family with several generations, scrambled them up in time, and put them back together. This is not a book you can read in small bites. The writing changes time, generation and family at such a quick pace, sometimes a page at a time, that following where you are and who is who, can be very challenging for the first half of the book. Once I got all that down, it was ok, but a bit annoying at how quick...more
This novel was packed with people and places and times and dates, but it never felt too much. At moments it was difficult to know which character's reality we were in; the novel jumped around in time quite a bit. But, even this felt right - it added to the mysteriousness of the main characters and the disjointed nature of their lives.
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Maggie O'Farrell (born 1972, Coleraine Northern Ireland) is a British author of contemporary fiction, who features in Waterstones' 25 Authors for the Future. It is possible to identify several common themes in her novels - the relationship between sisters is one, another is loss and the psychological impact of those losses on the lives of her characters.
More about Maggie O'Farrell...
Jul 30, 2010 02:03pm