Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
79th out of 86 books
—
21 voters
Asta's Book
Anna is a young Danish woman living in London at the turn of the century. Homesick and lonely for her husband, she keeps her innermost thoughts in a diary. When she dies, these memoirs, spanning sixty years, will be published to international acclaim and huge commercial success. But as Anna's granddaughter discovers many years later, one entry has been cut out of the origi...more
Paperback, 448 pages
Published
July 27th 2006
by Penguin
(first published January 1st 1993)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,903)
10/29/09 (aproximate): This is my favorite novel by Ruth Rendell writing as Barbara Vine, and at this point just about my favorite novel, period. I recently finished reading it for the eleventh time. I much prefer the book's British title, ASTA'S BOOK, for a character's name definitely influences how you envision them.
A famous diary that may provide clues to a brutal murder, a present-day narrative by the diarist's grand-daughter, and a trial transcript - from these elements Rendell weaves toget...more
A famous diary that may provide clues to a brutal murder, a present-day narrative by the diarist's grand-daughter, and a trial transcript - from these elements Rendell weaves toget...more
the advantage of being the 'best mystery writer in the english speaking world' - as no less than three of the review quotes in this book tell me - is that you can persuade people to read about six chapters of a book before even giving them a hint as to what the mystery is. i can see that there is plenty of ground work laid in the beginning but if i hadn't known the author or read the praise for this book would i have read this far?
something about this book just didn't grab me. i just don't know
...more
You could say that I would HAVE to like this book. It's Ruth Rendell. It takes place in the UK. It starts in the Edwardian period, a historical setting I just love. And many of the characters are from Denmark. (I had a Swedish great-grandmother, so Scandinavian countries interest me.)
The main character, Asta, puts the lie to the idea that all people (especially women) in the olden days were nice, sweet, submitted willingly to their husbands, and wanted lots of children. Asta was pretty cool - in...more
The main character, Asta, puts the lie to the idea that all people (especially women) in the olden days were nice, sweet, submitted willingly to their husbands, and wanted lots of children. Asta was pretty cool - in...more
This is one of those rare gems of a book that I literally could not put down. Ever tried washing dishes with one hand so you could hold a book with your other hand? It's messy, but it can work.
Ruth Rendell (writing as Barbara Vine) is one of the most masterful storytellers of contemporary times. This novel is so carefully plotted, so meticulously -- and dare I say perfectly -- crafted that the sheer magnitude of what it must have taken Rendell to work out every small piece of the puzzle is just...more
Ruth Rendell (writing as Barbara Vine) is one of the most masterful storytellers of contemporary times. This novel is so carefully plotted, so meticulously -- and dare I say perfectly -- crafted that the sheer magnitude of what it must have taken Rendell to work out every small piece of the puzzle is just...more
Feb 07, 2011
Kathleen Hagen
added it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011-audio-books,
2011-mysteries
Asta’s Book, by Barbara Vine, narrated by Harriet Walter, produced by Audiogo Ltd. Downloaded from audible.com.
It is 1905. Asta and her husband, Rasmus, have come to East London from Denmark with their two little boys. With Rasmus constantly away on business, Asta
keeps loneliness and isolation at bay by writing a diary. She keeps up this journal writing from 1905 until almost the time of her death in the late ‘60’s. These diaries, published over 70 years later, reveal themselves to be more than...more
It is 1905. Asta and her husband, Rasmus, have come to East London from Denmark with their two little boys. With Rasmus constantly away on business, Asta
keeps loneliness and isolation at bay by writing a diary. She keeps up this journal writing from 1905 until almost the time of her death in the late ‘60’s. These diaries, published over 70 years later, reveal themselves to be more than...more
From Publishers Weekly "From the pen of Edgar-winner Ruth Rendell's suspense-writing doppleganger Vine ( A Dark-Adapted Eye ) comes a sixth adroitly fashioned novel of insidious psychological dimensions. Anna, an uncompromising Danish wife stranded by her husband in 1905 London, slyly scribbles tales of her hateful neighbors, boorish servant and absentee spouse while awaiting the birth of a baby. Half a century later, prompted by a poison pen letter, Anna tells her favorite daughter Swanny a hal...more
This is yet another great book by Barbara Vine/Ruth Rendell. She is one of my favorite writers and this book did not disappoint.
I started out feeling sorry for the main character of Anna, but soon discovered her true character of cruel mother who only loves one of her children and makes a point to show favoritism to that one child. While the others weren't abused, they certainly were overlooked. I grew to dislike Anna immensely and felt zero sympathy for her even though I am also the mother of...more
I started out feeling sorry for the main character of Anna, but soon discovered her true character of cruel mother who only loves one of her children and makes a point to show favoritism to that one child. While the others weren't abused, they certainly were overlooked. I grew to dislike Anna immensely and felt zero sympathy for her even though I am also the mother of...more
This is an odd book. There is a mystery, or rather a few mysteries, but they come so late in the plot that they seemed to disrupt the pacing. I also couldn't understand the motivations of many of the present day (well, 80's and 90's era) characters. People seemed to do things, talk to people they didn't need to talk to and trust them in ways that didn't seem realistic, just to move the plot along.
The book contains excerpts from 60 years of diaries that, according to the narrator, have been publi...more
The book contains excerpts from 60 years of diaries that, according to the narrator, have been publi...more
Anna, an uncompromising Danish wife stranded by her husband in 1905 London, slyly scribbles tales of her hateful neighbors, boorish servant & absentee spouse while awaiting the birth of a baby. Half a century later, prompted by a poison pen letter, Anna tells her favorite daughter Swanny a half-riddle about her true parentage, but refuses to reveal the whole story, which is entangled with the murder of 2 women & the disappearance of a toddler. After frantically searching Anna's many diar...more
This was on the shelf of the house we rented in Santa Fe. When it was time to leave, I was only half-way through. Tragedy! I contemplated "accidentally" packing it, but am happy to report that I remained honest.
Thanks to the library at home, I got to finish. This is a strange, interesting book. Anna, the diary-keeper, is enigmatic, unlikeable, and frustrating. She takes long walks on Hampstead Heath, lies to her children, and bullies her maid. But hers is only half the story.
Though a grisly murd...more
Thanks to the library at home, I got to finish. This is a strange, interesting book. Anna, the diary-keeper, is enigmatic, unlikeable, and frustrating. She takes long walks on Hampstead Heath, lies to her children, and bullies her maid. But hers is only half the story.
Though a grisly murd...more
Terribly boring and awfully hard work for a rather anticlimatic ending. Too much bleak social commentary and not enough story, which is fine but not on the fiction and entertainment shelves. Redeemed by some interesting thoughts.
Favourite quotes:
'Hope is a horrible thing, I don't know why these church people call it virtue, it is horrible because it is so often disappointed'. P.13
'Hope deferred may make the heart sick at first; later it leads only to boredom...Pleasire came later.Inquiring about...more
Favourite quotes:
'Hope is a horrible thing, I don't know why these church people call it virtue, it is horrible because it is so often disappointed'. P.13
'Hope deferred may make the heart sick at first; later it leads only to boredom...Pleasire came later.Inquiring about...more
I came across an old list of reading recommendations a few weeks ago and requested a few of them from the library. I love that service. I go online, find the books I'm looking for, and they deliver them to the library a couple of block away. Brilliant.
Anyway, I had long forgotten why the book was recommended, but I do know I shared a similar literary sensibility with the long ago list-provider, so I added it to the roster of requests. Kitty, you were absolutely right, it's a book worth recommend...more
Anyway, I had long forgotten why the book was recommended, but I do know I shared a similar literary sensibility with the long ago list-provider, so I added it to the roster of requests. Kitty, you were absolutely right, it's a book worth recommend...more
I enjoyed this book very much. The main character is a young Danish woman transplanted to London at the turn of the century. She doesn't much like her husband and begins to unburden herself in a diary she writes in Danish over a 6o year span. The book is fascinating because it combines an intimate view of the woman's life journey unfolding through two world wars and raising her family, and the mystery of the diary's missing pages which explain the most important event in her life and that of her...more
Jul 10, 2012
Karen
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-suspense-thriller-mystery-at,
classics
I am divided. I loved this book, but disliked it at the same time. Extremely good writing, but wondered if I would ever hit the mystery. The 2nd half was worth keeping on and I wanted to find out what the answer was. I wondered for awhile if it would end with the last sad book I read and never finding out; no closure. It did not do that. One big dislike for me was the diaries were so drab, I cannot get why they would be so popular like that. That did not make sense. Skipped some of that and I sk...more
Despite the prominence of a diary in the plot, and a theme of what's knowable and not about the past, I've liked other books by Ruth Rendell (aka Barbara Vine) much better than this one. Partly my feelings may be due to the frustrating circumstances under which I read Anna's Book (those circumstances meaning being trapped in the LA airport for an extra 10 hours because my flight was cancelled, thereby extending an already ridiculously long trip). But all that aside, I kept feeling manipulated by...more
Jul 16, 2010
astried
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2010,
detective-mistery-etc
A slow paced but interesting story. the only unbearable part is the trial report, but after all who can make that kind of report interesting? Can't say that I symphatize much with the characters, I think Asta is more like dreaded dragon lady..
A mistery that was uncovered like the cleaning of a painting. Along the way you can see that more parts came to the surface and you understand more about the whole picture. The ending annoyed me a little, like when you see a wonderful pose and you wonder ho...more
A mistery that was uncovered like the cleaning of a painting. Along the way you can see that more parts came to the surface and you understand more about the whole picture. The ending annoyed me a little, like when you see a wonderful pose and you wonder ho...more
Whoa, I so did not see that coming.
The first Vine book I read was The Blood Doctor and while I could figure out where the book was going, it was still compelling.
This book is great. You think you have it figured out, then you're wrong. Then you think "aha", but still no.
My only quibble is that three of the chapters were rather, well, dry. I understand why they were dry (it was trial transcripts), but still.
Awesome. Vine does a really good job with the character of Ann. The behavior fits and so...more
The first Vine book I read was The Blood Doctor and while I could figure out where the book was going, it was still compelling.
This book is great. You think you have it figured out, then you're wrong. Then you think "aha", but still no.
My only quibble is that three of the chapters were rather, well, dry. I understand why they were dry (it was trial transcripts), but still.
Awesome. Vine does a really good job with the character of Ann. The behavior fits and so...more
It's worth plouging through the initial chapters, where the central character Asta writes in her diary about life as a Danish immigrant in London. By the time the central mysteries (because there are definitely two) start to develop, you will find yourself going back to them and re-reading them for clues. This book is very clever - my favourite by Vine/Rendell; all the clues are there, as well as a few red herrings, and the conclusion is superb. Though it took me a little while initially to work...more
Dec 07, 2010
Arlene Richards
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
british-mystery
The story starts with an unhappy Danish woman living in London England while her husband travels Europe on business. You have some sympathy for the plight of this deserted young woman but, as time goes on, you see her real character - bigoted,outspoken, cruel etc. The story shifts away from her life to her diaries and to the lives of people she wrote about. I wasn't quite ready for that transition and therefore found the book disjointed. It did hold my interest but the pace was quite slow and so...more
I'm a person who really appreciates a complex, engrossing, multi-tiered plot filled with twists and turns and the happy prospect of thousands of pages to come. But sadly, Anna's Book seemed too long, and not in a good way. Too much time was spent on the boring and predictable story-within-a-story about the murder trial. I also was impatient with all the unrealistic hoopla over Anna's published diaries--they weren't that interesting, nor was she, or really, any of the other (too many) characters....more
I've just finished reading Asta's Book for the second time. What prompted me to re-read it was my disappointment with The child's child, which I read last week.
On the surface, they are the same kind of book, which prompted the comparison. It is a genre that has been made popular by Robert Goddard -- a mystery in the past that has repercussions for people in the present. I found The child's child unsatisfactory and unsatisfying. I had started if with the hope of finding something as good as Asta...more
On the surface, they are the same kind of book, which prompted the comparison. It is a genre that has been made popular by Robert Goddard -- a mystery in the past that has repercussions for people in the present. I found The child's child unsatisfactory and unsatisfying. I had started if with the hope of finding something as good as Asta...more
2 likes · like · see review
The Washington Post Book World said, "A captivating story within a story, a first-rate study of class, gender and character, a courtroom drama and an un-put-downable page-turner." I agree - I LOVED this book. Anna is a young woman living in London at the turn of the century, confiding her thoughts and secrets only to her diary. Many years later, her granddaughter discovers the journals and embarks on a journey into her family history. Just delicious...
More of a 3.5 star book.
Not much to say about this one. As usual, Vine's characters seem to pop off the page. In this case, Anna was so realistic, in such an unlike-able, but human way, that I felt like I knew her. The historic mystery was good; though I figured bits out, I didn't get it all until just before the main character. The ending tied up all the loose ends a bit too neatly, but that was a minor quibble.
Out of Vine's novels, I think this one ranks up there with The Minotaur for me.
Not much to say about this one. As usual, Vine's characters seem to pop off the page. In this case, Anna was so realistic, in such an unlike-able, but human way, that I felt like I knew her. The historic mystery was good; though I figured bits out, I didn't get it all until just before the main character. The ending tied up all the loose ends a bit too neatly, but that was a minor quibble.
Out of Vine's novels, I think this one ranks up there with The Minotaur for me.
Just read this one for the THIRD time. I love this book. Fascinating and compelling. Wonderful red herrings. One reason it appeals to me is summed up by this reviewer: Ruth Rendell, writing as Barbara Vine, covers familiar territory here. As in many of her novels, the family is not a site of comfort and support, but a source of conflict, doubt and madness. READ THIS BOOK!
Apr 17, 2010
Rita
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-novel,
immigrant-life
I read the Penguin edition, which carried the British title, ASTA'S BOOK.
It presents as historical -- excerpts from diaries written by a Danish woman living in London in early 1900s. I keep wanting to know what it is based on! [a real person? real diaries?:] Seems impossible to invent all that, though that seems to be something many novelists are doing these days -writing fiction parading as history.
I enjoyed reading it, and trying to imagine living in that time and place. Interesting asides on...more
It presents as historical -- excerpts from diaries written by a Danish woman living in London in early 1900s. I keep wanting to know what it is based on! [a real person? real diaries?:] Seems impossible to invent all that, though that seems to be something many novelists are doing these days -writing fiction parading as history.
I enjoyed reading it, and trying to imagine living in that time and place. Interesting asides on...more
This is the first book I've read by this author. It sat on my bookshelf for a few years before I pulled it off, but once I started reading, I was hooked. It's not a typical mystery. I was drawn into Anna's mundane journal entries and her honesty about her relationships/worldview. The granddaughter's story was less interesting, but it did help tidy up the loose ends.
This is Ruth Rendell writing as Barbara Vine.
Anna's book is a diary of her life, and has become a wildly popular novel. Her granddaughter finds part of it was cut out - a part that would substantially change the family history. It alternates between Anna's telling of her life and her granddaughter's investigation into the past. I loved it.
Anna's book is a diary of her life, and has become a wildly popular novel. Her granddaughter finds part of it was cut out - a part that would substantially change the family history. It alternates between Anna's telling of her life and her granddaughter's investigation into the past. I loved it.
Published in the UK as 'Asta's Book' and 'Anna's Book' in the US this is for me the best from the Rendell/Vine body of work. I read it when it first came out in 1993 and have re-read it several times. Vine weaves a wonderful tale as well as portraying a true sense of place. This novel about identity is Vine/Rendell at her zenith. Perfect!
I really liked this much more than I expected to. It's not a standard mystery, at all - there is a murder, eventually, but it's almost a century in the past. Still, there is an elegant puzzle at the heart of it all and I didn't figure it out before the denouement, always a nice surprise. It's a quiet, elegantly written novel and much better than it looks.
No Detective, Inspector, Constables or Policeman. No Attorney's, forensic experts, disputed wills or DNA tests. No psychopaths, sociopaths, serial killers or degenerates. No robbery, heist, beating, rape, homophobia or child molestation.
Just a diary, an unromantic women, an old murder and a great story.
Just a diary, an unromantic women, an old murder and a great story.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Pseudonym of Ruth Rendell.
Rendell created a third strand of writing with the publication of A Dark Adapted Eye under her pseudonym Barbara Vine in 1986. Books such as King Solomon's Carpet, A Fatal Inversion and Anna's Book (original UK title Asta's Book) inhabit the same territory as her psychological crime novels while they further develop themes of family misunderstandings and the side effects...more
More about Barbara Vine...
Rendell created a third strand of writing with the publication of A Dark Adapted Eye under her pseudonym Barbara Vine in 1986. Books such as King Solomon's Carpet, A Fatal Inversion and Anna's Book (original UK title Asta's Book) inhabit the same territory as her psychological crime novels while they further develop themes of family misunderstandings and the side effects...more
Share This Book
1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...
Dec 30, 2010 05:15pm