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456th out of 724 books
—
660 voters
The Fifteen Streets
Catherine Cookson was one of the world's most beloved writers. Her books have sold millions of copies, and her characters and their stories have captured the imaginations of readers around the globe. Now, available for the first time in this country, comes one of Cookson's earliest and most stirring historical romances: "The Fifteen Streets." John O'Brien lives in a world...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
November 26th 2002
by Simon & Schuster
(first published 1952)
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My most favourite Catherine Cookson book - the Kindle Edition has a different cover. Plain purple with the head and shoulders of Catherine Cookson pictured on it.
Poor mean streets nicknamed "The Fifteen Streets".
A family with two older sons - one good and one a baddie with a sick father and a mother who was the centre of the family and younger siblings.
The goodie falls in love with the school teacher (daughter of a wealthy man) of his younger sister. The baddie chasing everything in skirts.
The g...more
Poor mean streets nicknamed "The Fifteen Streets".
A family with two older sons - one good and one a baddie with a sick father and a mother who was the centre of the family and younger siblings.
The goodie falls in love with the school teacher (daughter of a wealthy man) of his younger sister. The baddie chasing everything in skirts.
The g...more
I have to admit i saw the film whilst on holiday, and i loved it! So there was no doubt in my mind i would love the book! And i did it had me in tears even though i knew what was going to happen. It's alot darker than the film and i think that makes the ending more triumphant. The characters are described in perfect detail that you really can picture them. It is a little far fetched and in the reality of things i doubt that the ending would be so merry, but i love this book and the story is as o...more
Catherine Cookson was one of the world's most beloved writers. Her books have sold millions of copies, and her characters and their stories have captured the imaginations of readers around the globe. Now, available for the first time in this country, comes one of Cookson's earliest and most stirring historical romances: "The Fifteen Streets." John O'Brien lives in a world where surviving is a continual struggle. He works long hours at the docks to help support his parents' large family. Many oth...more
This is the third book of Cookson that I've read, and already it seems repetitive. I know, that this book was the first, but, unfortunately, Cookson used the same types and devices in later books in the same manner.
Main character and his mother were almost repeated in
in "The Menagerie", and "good priest, bad priest" pair seemed just too familiar after reading "The Maltese Angel".
Probably, if I read this book first, I would like it better.
Main character and his mother were almost repeated in
in "The Menagerie", and "good priest, bad priest" pair seemed just too familiar after reading "The Maltese Angel".
Probably, if I read this book first, I would like it better.
I have read a good twenty Cookson books at this point and all except one have warranted at least three stars till now. I had a hard time with this one. The subject matter did not really interest me as much as Cookson's usual choices. Besides being about a very poor, struggling family on Fifteen Streets, it focuses on the late 1800s/ early 1900s religious tensions between Catholics and Pentecostals.
It has the usual dramatic twists that Cookson is famed for, but in this case they were predictable...more
It has the usual dramatic twists that Cookson is famed for, but in this case they were predictable...more
Catherine Cookson is one of my favorite authors, and I've enjoyed most of her books. I think this was one of her early works before she became a popular author. It was difficult to read. She assumed that her readers would know some of the words she used, but I haven't even heard them. The ending begged for a sequel, but I hope she resisted the urge to follow this drama. Thank goodness she began to write well enough to be a favorite for so many people.
Cookson's tone is a little moralistic for me (think Louisa May Alcott) but you can always count on her for a happy ending where the good guy totally wins. This is one of my favorites of her books--I liked the protagonist couple that much. Also, you can find a lot of her stories in made-for-TV movies of varying levels of quality, so sometimes that's fun.
One of the very first books I ever read and one I have read many times. Such a wonderful story from such a wonderful storyteller. I always thought Catherine Cookson was a female version of Charles Dickens, of the few books of hers that I have read. I loved this tale and was so thrilled to see the happy ending.
As in most of Cookson's books she writes with strong female characters overcoming some miserable circumstance or misfortune. I also love the English accents given her characters. If you like books set in old England and well developed characters, you will enjoy books by Catherine Cookson!
Don't waste your time with this depressing book. Nothing good happens in it. Oh I'm sure you can find deeper meaning in the family who is wealthy and moves into the district to help the people and I agree that that is the epitome of Christian living, other than that, nothing worth wasting your time on if you like to read for a lovely escape. If you like depressing books, go for it! You should love this one.
I love this book. My favourite Catherine Cookson book by far. I love the characters, the story telling and how the hardship and reality of life back then cames out of the pages. A fantastic book.
I have read most of Catherin Cookson's writings and am always captivated by the story and by the characters. She is one of my all-time favorite authors.
Feb 07, 2010
Elodie
added it
This was her first book and it was a joy, Catherine Cookson only got better.
Another great read :)
SM
Read this upon recommendation. It was a little hard to get into because of the dialect of the speakers. Set in Ireland, it's the story of a family living in a poor area. Quick read, but the ending wasn't clean and left me a little disappointed. The cover, by the way, is not an accurate portrayal of the book (if that sways you one way or the other).
It's a pretty depressing book. Yes everyone else raves about the struggle for survival for lower classes but I'm more superficial. I don't enjoy books anymore that are so negative usually. At least the ending turned out ok. I'd rate it 3.5 if there were half stars. It took me a while to get into it though.
I read all of Catherine Cookson's books some years ago and enjoyed them immensley. I recently re-read all of them and find that on a second look I found them all so very predictable, and was rather disappointed. However I'm sure that it is my tastes that have changed not the calibre of her story telling.
Marvelous. It's been entirely too long since I read one of Cookson's book. This is one of her early ones portraying the dire poverty and struggle of many in Tyneside, England. The storyline was gripping and I read almost straight through the last half without a break.
Life in the Fifteen Streets was tough - a continuous struggle for survival. Some families gave up and descended into a dismal state of constant poverty. Others, like the O'Briens, fought grimly for a world they were only rarely allowed to glimpse.
I discovered Catherine Cookson through a fellow Jane Austin loving friend. Cookson writes about a much different class of people with some serious hardships. I am captivated by her characters and plot lines. I will definitely read more of her books.
One of her better historical fiction books - a tale of early London and a dockside family. Lots of drama.
One of her better historical fiction books - a tale of early London and a dockside family. Lots of drama.
Jun 17, 2013
Menaka
marked it as to-read
Jun 17, 2013
Sara Sissons
marked it as to-read
Jun 10, 2013
Sheila Massey
marked it as to-read
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Catherine Cookson was born in Tyne Dock, the illegitimate daughter of a poverty-stricken woman, Kate, whom she believed to be her older sister. She began work in service but eventually moved south to Hastings, where she met and married Tom Cookson, a local grammar-school master. Although she was originally acclaimed as a regional writer - her novel The Round Tower won the Winifred Holtby Award for...more
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