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84th out of 106 books
—
93 voters
The Truth About Melody Browne
by
Lisa Jewell
When she was nine years old, Melody Browne's house burned down, taking every toy, every photograph, every item of clothing and old Christmas card with it. But not only did the fire destroy all her possessions, it took with it all her memories - Melody Browne can remember nothing before her ninth birthday. Now in her early thirties, Melody lives in a council flat in the mid...more
Paperback, 326 pages
Published
April 9th 2009
by Century
(first published January 1st 2009)
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I loved this, as with many of you on here I too could not put it down and read it in less than 24 hours.
Melody is an ordinary 'dinner lady' with a realistic character, not unlike myself, far from the usual early twenties Irish girl, living in New York, with a handsome successful business man for her love interest blah blah blah, as is the case in many other chick lit's, so it made what in some ways was an unrealistic story into a believable, heart rendering and beautiful account of a lovely lit...more
Melody is an ordinary 'dinner lady' with a realistic character, not unlike myself, far from the usual early twenties Irish girl, living in New York, with a handsome successful business man for her love interest blah blah blah, as is the case in many other chick lit's, so it made what in some ways was an unrealistic story into a believable, heart rendering and beautiful account of a lovely lit...more
I read this book in such a hurried pace. Suddenly, I realise that I can read if I wanted to. Lots of commitments or excuses are delaying me in reading books.
The plot: Melody forgot everything before her house being burnt down. When she went for a date with a guy she met on a bus, the guy brought her to a show where she was being hypnotised. Bits by bits, her memories came flooding back. She remembers sketches of her life.
My review: For a novel, that keeps on going on and forth between the past a...more
The plot: Melody forgot everything before her house being burnt down. When she went for a date with a guy she met on a bus, the guy brought her to a show where she was being hypnotised. Bits by bits, her memories came flooding back. She remembers sketches of her life.
My review: For a novel, that keeps on going on and forth between the past a...more
I haven't read any of Lisa Jewell's books before, but this hit several notes with me and it certainly won't be the last one I read either. This is her seventh novel, so I have plenty to keep up with.
Melody, lost everything so possessed in a fire at her home when she was just nine years old. This was so traumatic for her that she also lost all her memories up until that point. How horrible would it be to not remember a huge chunk of your life, I know you don't remember every little detail of you...more
Melody, lost everything so possessed in a fire at her home when she was just nine years old. This was so traumatic for her that she also lost all her memories up until that point. How horrible would it be to not remember a huge chunk of your life, I know you don't remember every little detail of you...more
When I chose this book, I think I was expecting something else. My previous knowledge of Lisa Jewell was Ralph’s Party, a sweet romantic comedy about flatmates. Lisa Jewell has certainly grown up over the years and THE TRUTH ABOUT MELODY BROWNE proves it! This book is an emotional rollercoaster that really took me by surprise. The subject matter got extremely dark at times, and I am not afraid to say that I shed a tear or two more than once during this book, but overall I was left with what I th...more
In the info about the author on the back of the book, Lisa Jewell is said to be a popular chick-lit author. Not being a fan of the genre myself, I didn't have high expectations; I had visions of shoes, bags, cheesy date scenes, make up, unpaid credit card bills...well, you get the picture.
But I was wrong
I was very wrong, because not only is the book not about that, it's actually pretty enjoyable and gripping.
It has a lot of twists to keep the reader interested and is filled with sadness (and hu...more
But I was wrong
I was very wrong, because not only is the book not about that, it's actually pretty enjoyable and gripping.
It has a lot of twists to keep the reader interested and is filled with sadness (and hu...more
Most reviews and blurbs about this book have nothing but high praise, calling it a 'life-affirming' story that will 'move you to tears'. Cry, I did not. But I enjoyed reading this book, which evokes a sense of optimism and hope, even though its lead character has had quite the tragic childhood.
Melody Browne cannot remember anything before her ninth birthday, because of an accident that burnt her house down and with that, her memories. Several years later, when she is in her thirties, a single m...more
Melody Browne cannot remember anything before her ninth birthday, because of an accident that burnt her house down and with that, her memories. Several years later, when she is in her thirties, a single m...more
Lisa Jewell has been called the queen of chick-lit but she's much better than that. Like a younger, female Nick Hornby , she writes deceptively simple prose and uses everyday details to anchor her images. I really liked Ralph's Party, her first book. Nothing else has quite matched that for me.
The Truth About Melody Browne is about a young woman who has lost the memory of her childhood and begins to recover it after an encounter with a stage hypnotist, only to find that it is full of terrible tra...more
The Truth About Melody Browne is about a young woman who has lost the memory of her childhood and begins to recover it after an encounter with a stage hypnotist, only to find that it is full of terrible tra...more
I'd read a couple of Lisa Jewell's books before and got a copy of this free with a magazine, but because I had gone off chick lit, I never read it.
I don't know why because it was brilliant. Nothing like her previous books. She manages to extract Melody's tale in such a way that you just have to keep reading to know what she finds out about her past next.
I honestly felt as if I were walking alongside Melody on her journey into the past as she tried to make sense of the flashes of memories that in...more
I don't know why because it was brilliant. Nothing like her previous books. She manages to extract Melody's tale in such a way that you just have to keep reading to know what she finds out about her past next.
I honestly felt as if I were walking alongside Melody on her journey into the past as she tried to make sense of the flashes of memories that in...more
This was one I couldn't put down. I had to find out what had happened, what the terrible mystery was that made the protagonist lose her memory, and what it was that she had forgotten in the first place.
The pace was perfect, with information revealed at just the right times. The characters were three-dimensional, each with flaws and quirks but still realistic and sympathetic in their own ways, even the 'unlikable' ones.
The main drawback for me was that the explanation of the memory loss at the...more
The pace was perfect, with information revealed at just the right times. The characters were three-dimensional, each with flaws and quirks but still realistic and sympathetic in their own ways, even the 'unlikable' ones.
The main drawback for me was that the explanation of the memory loss at the...more
Over the years I have lost interest in the chick-lit genre, but Lisa Jewell is still one of the few chick-lit authors I read. Usually reading a Lisa Jewell book means a couple of hours of good and heart warming entertainment perfect for a holiday or a rainy day.
The truth about Melody Browne is no different. When Melody Brown was 9 years her house burned down and took all her belongings and memories with her. Now in her early 30's while attending a hypnotist show with her first date in years, sh...more
The truth about Melody Browne is no different. When Melody Brown was 9 years her house burned down and took all her belongings and memories with her. Now in her early 30's while attending a hypnotist show with her first date in years, sh...more
I got my copy complimentary with a copy of Cosmopolitan that I purchased at London airport last week. If it weren't for that, I don't think I'd have read this book.
Back home the lights were out, both my laptops were discharged and all I had was an emergency light and this book was at hand.
I have a very short attention span for something that is even remotely uninteresting. But it kept my eyes and my attention glued. It made me give up on my good night's sleep - I wanted to read it all, I wanted...more
Back home the lights were out, both my laptops were discharged and all I had was an emergency light and this book was at hand.
I have a very short attention span for something that is even remotely uninteresting. But it kept my eyes and my attention glued. It made me give up on my good night's sleep - I wanted to read it all, I wanted...more
It was an excellent book to read on holiday.
However I have two major quibbles with it. I did not think a 'love interest' was needed - there was already enough going on, and it seemed to imply that to complete her self discovery she needed a man. (When I was single books which seemed to provide a man as part of the resolution increased my feelings of inadequacy.) He could easily have been left out, in my view.
Secondly, she seemed to completely fail to follow up one part of the family.
Apart from...more
However I have two major quibbles with it. I did not think a 'love interest' was needed - there was already enough going on, and it seemed to imply that to complete her self discovery she needed a man. (When I was single books which seemed to provide a man as part of the resolution increased my feelings of inadequacy.) He could easily have been left out, in my view.
Secondly, she seemed to completely fail to follow up one part of the family.
Apart from...more
I saw this book when it first came out and wanted to read it; something about the synopsis captured me. Alas, I didn't buy it and then couldn't remember the title. Then the other day I saw that the novel was being given away free with a magazine, it seemed like fate and I bought it.
I started reading it as soon as I got home and couldn't put it down. I loved the way this novel was written; split between Melody in the here and now, and Melody prior to her ninth birthday. It was interesting that a...more
I absolutely love the concept of this book. The first half was riveting, interesting and downright brilliant. The middle kinda drags, yet I still felt the need to continue reading. There are so many surprises and heartbreak -and some of it felt totally unnecessary and not something I expected from chick-lit. In some parts, it got so freakin' depressing that I almost stopped reading, but I'm really glad that I finished. It's a book that I'd recommend to everyone I know. I think it might also be u...more
LOVED IT!
I read it over the weekend - sure sign of a good book 'cause some take me weeks!
I loved it from the first chapter to the end. Melody learns about her forgotten childhood memory by memory, trauma by trauma, but flicking between the past and the present means you know she survived relatively intact!
There was one disappointing line on the last page which brought me back to reality, cause until then it was almost as if I was right with Melody - I was completely engrossed and loved the endi...more
I read it over the weekend - sure sign of a good book 'cause some take me weeks!
I loved it from the first chapter to the end. Melody learns about her forgotten childhood memory by memory, trauma by trauma, but flicking between the past and the present means you know she survived relatively intact!
There was one disappointing line on the last page which brought me back to reality, cause until then it was almost as if I was right with Melody - I was completely engrossed and loved the endi...more
I really loved this book. It took me about 20-30 pages to get into the way the narrative unfolded between Melody's life as a child and in the present day.
It was a wonderfully written narrative, jotting back and forth between the two time lines.
I just really loved it. Enjoyed it as much as I did "31 Dream Street". Lisa Jewell is becoming a really fabulous author. It's more than "chick lit". It's deeper than "girl meets boys, girl lives happily ever after". There's actually none of that in this...more
It was a wonderfully written narrative, jotting back and forth between the two time lines.
I just really loved it. Enjoyed it as much as I did "31 Dream Street". Lisa Jewell is becoming a really fabulous author. It's more than "chick lit". It's deeper than "girl meets boys, girl lives happily ever after". There's actually none of that in this...more
If you like jigsaws you'll like this book, because that's really what it is as it pieces together a childhood. The story flips between the present and the past. Until she attended a hypnotist's show with the new guy she has just met,Melody has no memories of her early years. But from that point when she faints on stage during his act, memories start coming back piece by piece.
It presents an intriguing picture of a far from easy childhood but a person who is a survivor. I could have done without...more
It presents an intriguing picture of a far from easy childhood but a person who is a survivor. I could have done without...more
Another enjoyable 'easy read' I had this in audiobook format and got through it quickly. It kept me hooked all the way through. This is the first book by this author I have read and I will certainly read more by her in future. This was fairly typical light hearted chick-lit though it was sad in places. The characters were likeable withe the main character of Melody's being developed as the main storyline and most of the others introduced as it went along. I liked the way this was done and though...more
The truth is...
I found this boring.
I found this boring.
I read The Truth About Melody Browne a few months ago and I think it is possibly the first book that made me cry while I was sitting in a packed train carriage!
The protagonist, Melody, is a thirty something dinner lady who is a single parent to a teenage son. As her son is preparing to come of age and leave home she finds her life to be in a bit of a rut. It is revealed very early on that Melody has no memories before the age of nine when her house burnt down but after she is hypnotised into act...more
The protagonist, Melody, is a thirty something dinner lady who is a single parent to a teenage son. As her son is preparing to come of age and leave home she finds her life to be in a bit of a rut. It is revealed very early on that Melody has no memories before the age of nine when her house burnt down but after she is hypnotised into act...more
Another book that I picked up purely by instinct. I think this is the first book by the author that I have read so far.
Melody Browne is a single mother with a 17 year old son. She lives in Covent Garden in a council estate and works as a Kitchen Assistant(a fancy term for dinner lady). She goes out on a date(after years) with a lovely man she met on a bus. It takes her a lot of courage to go on a date at all. They go to a hypnotist’s show, from where her life goes a little crazy. She has flashes...more
Melody Browne is a single mother with a 17 year old son. She lives in Covent Garden in a council estate and works as a Kitchen Assistant(a fancy term for dinner lady). She goes out on a date(after years) with a lovely man she met on a bus. It takes her a lot of courage to go on a date at all. They go to a hypnotist’s show, from where her life goes a little crazy. She has flashes...more
Jul 30, 2012
Tanya
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
general-fiction,
chick-lit
Pardon me if I gush, but I absolutely loved this book. I think I've read everything from Lisa Jewell, starting back at Ralph's Party, but this one takes the cake. I was completely drawn in, completely invested in Melody and her search for the truth about her background. The slow but consistent unraveling of her memories and the secrets of her childhood was fascinating and heartbreaking. The long forgotten cast of characters (Ken, Grace, Matty, Emily, etc), the decisions that were made (for good...more
The Truth About Melody Browne is Lisa Jewell’s seventh novel and is a complete departure from her usual works. Aged 9, Melody lost everything in a house fire – all of her material possessions.
But she also lost something more – her memory of the previous 9 years. Now in her thirties, with a teenage son, she goes out on a date one night to see a hypnotist.
After bringing her up on stage and hypnotising her, Melody collapses and it causes her memories to start coming back slowly and she begins to pi...more
But she also lost something more – her memory of the previous 9 years. Now in her thirties, with a teenage son, she goes out on a date one night to see a hypnotist.
After bringing her up on stage and hypnotising her, Melody collapses and it causes her memories to start coming back slowly and she begins to pi...more
I read this book because the back (blurb) really interested me, when Melody was 9 years old there was a fire at her house and afterwards she can't remember anything before she was 9. It's quite an interesting story as you would think her childhood would be pretty much straight forward but she actually has one of the worst childhoods ever. She lives on her own with her teenage son and while on a date goes to see a hynotist show and when he picks her out from the crowd the only thing she thinks is...more
This book was floating around my bedroom for ages, and I'm glad that I finally read it. It was a lovely, light read and the ending was uplifting. I'm not usually a fan of books that switch between the past and the present, but I found this one easy to follow (though it was slightly confusing that we were shown extracts of Melody's past before she remembered them herself). The twists were all unexpected, and whilst the child and adult versions of Melody had little in common, they were both easy t...more
I would describe this book as a pleasant holiday read. The characters are appealing and there is a feel-good happy ending. I would have given it a higher rating but for the fact that I thought the child Melody was somewhat unconvincing - she behaves and thinks like an older child, which did grate on me occasionally. Also, although the plot is quite clever,it does involve a bit too much repetition as it shows events as they actually happened and then as the heroine starts to remember her lost pas...more
Strange one this. I was expecting a light fun read and I did get that but I felt that the subject matter, (A girl finds out that her view of herself is false, that her parents are not really her parents and that she has blocked out some very sordid and traumatic memories from her real childhood,) didnt really lend itself to a comedy treatment. Some scenes were really sad and disturbing. I havent read anything by this author before, maybe she isnt equal to the task of giving serious treatment to...more
At first, I wasn't sure, it seemed like a sad story that would not turn out well, but I kept reading and even though I still have tears in my eyes and a feeling that people who care about you are more important than ever, I devoured this book entirely.
I think that when you truly feel that you can relate to the characters, that you cry when they cry, when you ache when they ache, then this is a good book and a good story: The Truth About Melody Browne is definitely one of them.
I think that when you truly feel that you can relate to the characters, that you cry when they cry, when you ache when they ache, then this is a good book and a good story: The Truth About Melody Browne is definitely one of them.
Jan 21, 2010
Sylbeattie
added it
Heat Magazine's review on the front of this book says'Life-affirming and uplifting...perfect', and, for once, I agree. The story takes you on an emotional journey as Melody recovers the memories she lost after being in fire as a child of nine. A mix of child memories and present day action really involve you and make you live Melody's history as she reclaims it. I read it from cover to cover in one day and felt cheated there was no more when I had finished it.
If you love chick lit, this book is well worth seeking out. I fell in love with Lisa Jewell when I first read One Hit Wonder and then had to get all of her other titles. Although One Hit Wonder will always remain my favorite Jewell book, this one hit every note perfectly. The plot about Melody makes you have to read straight through to find out why her life is such a mystery and if her childhood was so traumatic that it causes her to lose her memory.
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Lisa Jewell (born 19th July 1968, Middlesex, London) is a popular British author of chick lit fiction. Her books include Ralph's Party, Thirtynothing and most recently 31 Dream Street. She lives in Swiss Cottage, London with her husband Jascha and daughters Amelie Mae (born 2003) and Evie Scarlett (born 2007).
Lisa's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/LisaJewelloff...
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Feb 02, 2010 02:37pm