Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
249th out of 6,980 books
—
15,839 voters
The Shell Seekers
The Shell Seekers is a novel of connection: of one family, and of the passions and heartbreak that have held them together for three generations. The Shell Seekers is filled with real people--mothers and daughters, husband and lovers--inspired with real values. The Shell Seekers centers on Penelope Keeling--a woman you'll always remember in world you'll never forget. The S
...moreHardcover, 544 pages
Published
April 6th 2004
by Gramercy
(first published 1987)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
Τρυφερό, πολυπρόσωπο, ενδιαφέρον βιβλίο και όμως τόσο δυνατό, η Πίλτσερ παρασύρει τον αναγνώστη σε μια υπέροχη ιστορία.
Απο τις πιο χαρισματικές συγγραφείς με ιδιαίτερη ευαισθησία!Συναρπαστικό με εξαιρετικό αφηγηματικό λόγο ταξιδεύει τον αναγνωστή σε πανέμορφα αγγλικά τοπία και κυρίως στην Κορνουάλη, με μοναδικό αφηγηματικό λόγο.
Μοναδικό αρνητικο σημείο του οι μακροσκελείς περιγραφές.
Απο τις πιο χαρισματικές συγγραφείς με ιδιαίτερη ευαισθησία!Συναρπαστικό με εξαιρετικό αφηγηματικό λόγο ταξιδεύει τον αναγνωστή σε πανέμορφα αγγλικά τοπία και κυρίως στην Κορνουάλη, με μοναδικό αφηγηματικό λόγο.
Μοναδικό αρνητικο σημείο του οι μακροσκελείς περιγραφές.
Rosamund Pilcher is consistently marketed via book jackets covered with flowers. I'm not sure why. On the surface, Pilcher's stories are nostalgic and evocative of magical other places where good things always happen to good people; but her novels and characters are consistently rich, complicated, and subtle. I've not read another author who could draw the infuriating imperfections and dysfunctions of family so accurately, or so compassionately. It's easy to admire, then almost despise, and then...more
There's something about this book that always makes me resolve to move to Cornwall, bake lots of bread and have an enormous flower garden, and spend the rest of my days painting huge swathes of light on the beaches. That aside, this is one book that I regularly read every six months and love each time. I don't know how to describe it. Just go read it.
a novel set in England during WWII and into the supposed present. This is one of Lynnette’s favorite books so I wanted to read it to try to understand what she likes. It is written with a definite woman’s point of view in terms of language and emphasis. I did like the book; Pilcher is a very good writer with depth in her characterizations and descriptions of places and people. The story is about an older woman, Penelope, who reflects back on her life. She has three older children, two who are se...more
Rosmund Pilcher is someone I discovered on holiday in Cyprus. I had finished reading all the books I had taken, and in the hotel there was a BIG book by here called Winter Solstice. Because I had nothing else to do I started to read it.
the story is about a woman of 60, ex actress who is involved with a man, of a certain age, who has just lost his wealthy wife and only daughter. The woman takes him under her wings, and he is kicked out of his house by the step sons. the plot involves a house in...more
the story is about a woman of 60, ex actress who is involved with a man, of a certain age, who has just lost his wealthy wife and only daughter. The woman takes him under her wings, and he is kicked out of his house by the step sons. the plot involves a house in...more
Jan 05, 2009
Corrie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Corrie by:
Pam Tomlin, my Grandma Gloria and my neighbor Alison
This book was originally given to me by my friend Pam to give to my grandmother. They are both huge Maeve Binchy fans and Pam thought my grandmother would enjoy this book also. Pam loved the story. It turned out that my grandmother had already read it. She also loved the story. So, I put the book on my shelf and there is sat - for years. Recently, my neighbor, totally out of the blue, mentions that she is rereading one of her favorite books - The Shell Seekers. So, I figure I should read it. I m...more
As the book opens, Penelope has just taken herself out of the hospital after having a heart incident. We learn about her background in flashback chapters and we learn about her three grown children and about her relationship with them. It was a fun read, soap opera-like, nothing too heavy, but well written. Penelope was a free spirit with free spirit parents. Her father was a famous painter who painted a large painting called The Shell Seekers. Penelope's oldest and youngest child would like her...more
Jan 12, 2013
Heather
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
JoDell, Rebecca, Mary, Everyone
Recommended to Heather by:
my mom
What a perfect book to read on a beach vacation. I was smart and started this book prior to my vacation so I was already "into it" and could jump right in vs. trying to batttle the kid front. It's a large meaty book of 582 pages and i wanted more which is rare for me. A great book about love, family dynamics, greed, money, and how we need to be happy and satisfied with what life brings us. Also loved all the art tones, and I appreciate art and art lovers will enjoy it too.
I could truly find bits...more
I could truly find bits...more
This is one of my favorite books of all time, but I'd be hard-pressed to explain why. The criticisms of this book are true enough--semi-cliched characters and all--but I just love them. I love Penelope and this book makes me want to garden and cook soup and let everyone be themselves even if they're stuffy and stodgy or not at all in fashion. I love that her personal life is real, as in far from perfect--her societally correct husband was miserable and her true love wasn't allowed. I love that A...more
Phew...just finished reading this mammoth book, 600+ pages. I thoroughly enjoyed the story but it took a few (long) chapters to get into it but when I did it was engrossing. I have read as big if not bigger books but this one would have benefitted from being shorter. The characters were believable, some likable, some not so much but all evoked an emotion of some sort - product of good writing skills.
When I was reading it at the back of my mind was Angela Landsbury (in the movie) I believe meeti...more
When I was reading it at the back of my mind was Angela Landsbury (in the movie) I believe meeti...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
You really can't judge a book by its cover.
People have recommended Rosamunde Pilcher's books to me for years, and I refused to read them because all the covers looked like they had been marinated in mothballs. But after spying "The Shell Seekers" on the BBC's "The Big Read: Top 100 Books," I decided to bite the bullet and give it a try. Annoyingly, several people had put it on reserve at the library before me, so by the time I received it, I wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as I had been when I had...more
People have recommended Rosamunde Pilcher's books to me for years, and I refused to read them because all the covers looked like they had been marinated in mothballs. But after spying "The Shell Seekers" on the BBC's "The Big Read: Top 100 Books," I decided to bite the bullet and give it a try. Annoyingly, several people had put it on reserve at the library before me, so by the time I received it, I wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as I had been when I had...more
I read this because it is one of my moms favorite authors/books and I wanted to be able to discuss it with her while she is still around. It was very enjoyable and amusing book about a family and the issues one has to deal with as a parent ages. The struggle between letting the parent be independent and still be safe is always a tough one. The thing I took away from this book was the importance of letting a person be who they are no matter their age and limitations.
Penelope (the matriarch of th...more
Penelope (the matriarch of th...more
I loved this book and can't wait to read her next, September. Rosamunde Pilcher is faultless in description of London and Cornwall, development of character and authenticity of emotions. The novel opens in the Cotswolds as Penelope returns to her cottage from the hospital after suffering a mild heart attack. We are then introduced to her three children, Nancy married to a stuffy solicitor and living in an old vicarage, Olivia, a magazine editor at Venus, and Noel, a dashing young man living in a...more
Apr 04, 2012
June Seghni
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
family-saga,
favorites
I first became aware of this a twenty-something new bride visiting my in-laws. The fact that my mother in law raved about it was, to my younger self, a very good reason not to bother with it. I'm a bit sorry now that I'm middle aged myself that I waited all this time because I really loved this book. I'm not sure why...perhaps because I in no small measure identified with the central character of the book Penelope. It is her life that is the central hook on which the rest of the story hangs.She...more
Aug 24, 2011
Lisa (Harmonybites)
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by:
The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List
Pilcher delivers an engrossing family saga of a British family through four generations. Mostly set in the mid-1980s, it weaves in tales going back to World War II. At the center of the tale is sixty-four year old Penelope Keeling, the daughter of a renowned painter. She possesses only one finished painting of his, "The Shell Seekers" which two of her three grown children covet. The eldest, the "tiresome" Nancy Chamberlain, grew up reading the likes of Barbara Cartland and Georgette Heyer and dr...more
I thought this book would be better for all its NYT Book Review (and other) praise, but it wasn't. Ostensibly a sprawling family saga centring around matriarch Penelope, it's basically the same 2 or 3 characters with different names playing out over three generations.
If you're a "good" character, then you're independent, stubborn, glossy haired, tall, beautiful. You love France, holiday in Spain, dream of Cornwall, and believe in children out of wedlock and monied bohemian lifestyles (but not t...more
If you're a "good" character, then you're independent, stubborn, glossy haired, tall, beautiful. You love France, holiday in Spain, dream of Cornwall, and believe in children out of wedlock and monied bohemian lifestyles (but not t...more
Let's be clear: this is not a great work of literature. Some of the writing is clunky, most of the characters are unutterable snobs and are called Cosmo or Dunbar or Munro or similarly odd names. BUT Pilcher is a truly great storyteller, and this book weaves a spell. The Cornish setting helps, of course, and so maybe the reason I scored it so highly was that I chose to read it - re-read it, actually - whilst on holiday down there recently. Porthkerris is a thinly-disguised St. Ives, and Pilcher...more
There was a time when I would have given this book five stars. It is still a good read, but I've sort of fallen out of love with the characters.
The novel moves back and forth between the present (late 1980's) and World War II, with each chapter concentrating on a particular character. The novel follows Penelope Keeling, the daughter of bohemian artist parents, her highs and her lows, her children and her husband and war-time lover.
(view spoiler)...more
The novel moves back and forth between the present (late 1980's) and World War II, with each chapter concentrating on a particular character. The novel follows Penelope Keeling, the daughter of bohemian artist parents, her highs and her lows, her children and her husband and war-time lover.
(view spoiler)...more
I'll always remember the feeling that I had when I first read this book. I wanted to live like Penelope, the main character. I loved the extended family with all their accepted imperfections and the domestic descriptions by Rosamunde Pilcher. It's not great literature, and sometimes reads like a well-written romance (not my cup of tea), but it's just one great story and one of the few books that I've ever read and re-read.
I'm not sure I completely understand why The Shell Seekers is on the BBC's Big Read list - it's good, but it doesn't feel all that special to me. The story centres around one older lady, and her extended family, with each chapter following a different character to build a bigger picture and tell the history of the protagonist.
It's an interesting enough story, it's always fun being presented with a group of characters and gradually finding out how they got to be who they are and what makes them t...more
It's an interesting enough story, it's always fun being presented with a group of characters and gradually finding out how they got to be who they are and what makes them t...more
Hmmm, I am surprised at myself for not loving this book as much as I thought I would. This is the 4th Rosamunde Pilcher book I've read. I knew this one was her most famous and successful of all her books so I assumed I would adore it. Maybe my expectations were raised too high?
I still enjoyed the book. I think she is a master at writing descriptions of places. Her books always make me want to move to rural England even though in real life I hate the cold and love all the offerings of a big city...more
I still enjoyed the book. I think she is a master at writing descriptions of places. Her books always make me want to move to rural England even though in real life I hate the cold and love all the offerings of a big city...more
This novel is an intricate study in characters. Each chapter is titled with the name of a character who's the focus of the writing - usually. The central character is Penelope, an elderly woman, mother of two grown daughters and one son. She's a bohemian character who is friendly and generally accepting of everyone - even her selfish children.
The author uses much flashback, as well as modern settings, to illustrate the various characters. She weaves the central plot around the adult children's d...more
The author uses much flashback, as well as modern settings, to illustrate the various characters. She weaves the central plot around the adult children's d...more
great read! I could not put it down. I loved how Rosamund Pilcher painted a beautiful portrait of a family, the bond between mothers and daughters, and the journey of a woman (Penelope Keeling) who had to battle through life gracefully. I hated how Nancy had become sour about life, and overly dependent on material pleasures for her happiness. I admired Olivia for turning back on her man and focusing on her career. Most of all, I loved Penelope, who had bohemian parents, who married the wrong ma...more
A middle school counselor lent me this book - I moved shortly thereafter and never gave it back to her. But! I'm almost purely a science fiction/fantasy reader, but this is the only piece of fiction that I've read and re-read over and over again through the years.
The characters themselves, their desires, how they relate to each other are so well rendered and familiar...the story is like comfort food to me. :)
The characters themselves, their desires, how they relate to each other are so well rendered and familiar...the story is like comfort food to me. :)
Mostly set in Cornwall and London in the 1980s and during the second World War, THE SHELL SEEKERS is the story of the loves, heartbreaks, and children of Penelope Keeling, and the canvas, painted by her famous father, that connects three generations through time and place.
When the novel begins, Penelope has suffered a small heart attack, and her three grown children respond in practical and selfish ways. Smart business woman, Olivia, handles the difficulty with the ease of a corporate transactio...more
When the novel begins, Penelope has suffered a small heart attack, and her three grown children respond in practical and selfish ways. Smart business woman, Olivia, handles the difficulty with the ease of a corporate transactio...more
Another book that I really enjoyed because of the characters - the main character, Penelope, in particular. The story is another of those sprawling family stories (in both time and space and characters), which in general, I enjoy very much, as long as they are skillfully told and executed.
The ending however, reminded me uncomfortably of the ending of the Bridges of Madison County, which I hated beyond all measure. (The best thing I can say about that book is that it was such a fast read that I...more
The ending however, reminded me uncomfortably of the ending of the Bridges of Madison County, which I hated beyond all measure. (The best thing I can say about that book is that it was such a fast read that I...more
Aug 22, 2009
Loni
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Loni by:
Book Group, August 2009
I really enjoyed this book. I am not sure if it was because I was reading it while visiting my mom, in Idaho or not, but it really has left me thinking about how important relationships and time are and how insignificant "things" are. I also left me with a great desire to stand on the shores of a beach and walk back to my house with an armful of flowers!
I picked this up for a bit of nostalgia. This book is forever linked in my mind to my grandmother. This book was a fixture in her sitting room, perhaps because the blue Hermes floral cover matched the decor. Or maybe the decor was built around the book jacket? Hard to say and I'm unsure whether the book lingered because it was such a nice accessory to all that 80's splendor or whether she read it multiple times. It turns out, everyone in my life read this book and apparently there was a mini-ser...more
This lovely novel was the first I'd read by this author, but I have a feeling it won't be my last. The heroine, Penelope Keeling, is such an eminently likable woman that I actually wish I knew her. Taking place in the London area in 1984 (contemporary for when the book was published), the story takes its turn focusing on the lives of each major character, with particular attention to Penelope's three adult children. The history of Penelope herself is the crux of the novel - for a time the reader...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eBook users | 4 | 17 | May 15, 2013 06:16am | |
| rosamunde pilcher-like novels? | 49 | 253 | Sep 15, 2012 07:40am | |
| Recommendations | 4 | 56 | Feb 09, 2012 06:34am |
Rosamunde Scott was born on 22 September 1924 in Lelant, Cornwall, England, UK, daughter of Helen and Charles Scott, a British commander. Just before her birth her father was posted in Burma, her mother remained in England. She attended St. Clare's Polwithen and Howell's School Llandaff before going on to Miss Kerr-Sanders' Secretarial College. She began writing when she was seven, and published h...more
More about Rosamunde Pilcher...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“It was good, and nothing good is truly lost. It stays part of a person, becomes part of their character. So part of you goes everywhere with me. And part of me is yours, forever”
—
103 people liked it
“She remembered him smiling, and realized that time, that great old healer, had finally accomplished its work, and now, across the years, the face of love no longer stirred up agonies of grief and bitterness. Rather, one was left feeling simply grateful. For how unimaginably empty the past would be without him to remember.”
—
37 people liked it
More quotes…
Aug 13, 2012 10:08pm