The Pattern in the Carpet: A Personal History with Jigsaws is an original and brilliant work. Margaret Drabble weaves her own story into a history ...
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Jun 21, 2011
Alison
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I enjoy doing jigsaws and I'm fascinated by historical overviews of everyday household objects, so I was expecting to enjoy this book, which had caught my attention when I leafed through it at a friend's house. I also hoped that it might give me a 'way in' to the world of Margaret Drabble, whom I've frequently tried to read but without success as for some reason I simply don't relate to her writing. I found the subject matter and the stories of her aunt Phyl very appealing, and read it with enth
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Mar 20, 2010
Anne
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What I liked: the memories and relationship with her aunt, who she associates with jigsaws. What I didn't like: long digressions, lack of focus, a bit of rambling. I could get into it as a loose meditation, but I don't think a writer with a lesser reputation would have been allowed to ramble so.
"auntie Phyl took us from Bryn to see Lincoln cathedral. We liked the Lincoln imp in the angel choir. She had a gift for capturing a child's attention by pointing out such things. The rose win More...
"auntie Phyl took us from Bryn to see Lincoln cathedral. We liked the Lincoln imp in the angel choir. She had a gift for capturing a child's attention by pointing out such things. The rose win More...
Nov 24, 2009
Luann
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This book was a puzzle itself. I ended up liking it quite a bit. Part memoir (the bits I liked best), it is also full of history and information on puzzles of all kinds. I felt forced to go very slowly though it and at first felt sort of bored. I'm a fan of Drabble, not necessarily of jigsaws, and it took a while to engage with the subject. But gradually, I did feel like I caught a bigger picture of a time gone by, taking hold of a few pieces of a writer's life and influences. I do feel t
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Apr 21, 2010
Eliza
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1/13/2010: I loved this book, despite its rambling lack of structure and and stream of consciousness style. Drabble is such a confident and relaxed writer that I was carried along, despite some slow patches. More importantly, her stated purpose--to use the writing of the book as therapy for herself while she was taking care of her husband, who was being treated for cancer--is more than realized, and in the most thoughtful, compassionate, and intimate ways. In addition to all I now know about ji
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Jun 12, 2010
Cathy
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I bought this because I love Drabble and this is an odd genre--a memoir focussed around Jig Saw Puzzles and their history. I left it on the plane and it isn't gripping enought to merit buying another copy. But I will finish it when it gets to the library.
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Jan 09, 2010
Allyson
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I really enjoyed reading this informative, ruminative, sometimes dry, very British book. I love the cover and when I found my interest waning, I would look at the pattern and it would revive me. I have played with jigsaw puzzles all of my life, but mostly in my youth, and to hear of their history along with children's games was interesting.
Very digressive, but a book I would read again next year simply to explore areas I may have glossed over.
Almost like a mosaic, something to More...
Very digressive, but a book I would read again next year simply to explore areas I may have glossed over.
Almost like a mosaic, something to More...
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Mar 23, 2011
SarahC
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As with most things that occur in our everyday lives, puzzle-working can generate many thoughts of things that were and are important to us. the Pattern in the Carpet is a book that reflects this. The notable English writer Margaret Drabble writes this reflective story of moments and thoughts from her own life, combined with the historic journey of the jigsaw puzzle. This is an unusual combination among the publishing trends of today, but a very good reason to set the trends aside for a moment.
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Jan 19, 2010
Juan Manuel
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I currently finished Drabble's book but could not get myself to write about it for many reasons, which are not all that important compared to what I learned. I have noticed that much of the criticism I have for any author starts out pretty much the same way. I am always amazed at their diction and sentences perhaps becase they phrased many things that I have thought long ago in the way I meant them to say. But Drabble, might be my antipode. Her interests with jigsaws is perhpas equally as strong
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Jan 07, 2011
Blaire
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Oddly enough, while Ms. Drabble set out initially to write a history of jigsaws, when she mentions them it's mostly as time-wasters. The book is really about the jigsaw concept as metaphor for lots of things in life. Her musings are wide-ranging; partly memoir, partly philosophical, with a little art history. While I was impressed with her erudition, I came away from the book feeling unsatisfied. Ms. Drabble tells us that she suffers from chronic depression, and it shows in the tone of the
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May 14, 2011
Okanagan
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Margaret Drabble's new 'memoir' with jigsaws, based on memories of a favourite aunt interposed with an interest and research on jigsaw puzzles. Her research expanded into puzzles of all kinds, she tells the history, the people, the places, e.g. a London cabbie who pointed out that recently-discovered Roman mosaics were puzzles. Great read, absorbing, intelligent, personal, and fun for an enquiring mind.
Jun 27, 2010
Kristin
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I really wanted to like this book. I've never read any other of Margaret Drabble's books (and it seems there are quite a lot), and in the introduction she goes to great pains to explain what the book is not going to be: a memoir. But I got at least 125 pages in, and it's exactly that. No mention of the history of puzzles as promised. It's not a bad book by any mean - just not what I was looking for.
Nov 06, 2009
Leslie
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I like Drabble. Had to read this --jigsaw puzzles--retired teacher, dog-loving, totally non- housecleaning aunt--but it was too rambling. Some good info. Needed serious editing. Some great lines. Strangely, not enough about jigsaw puzzles or her life. Liked her line about things coming together, like a disaster movie played backwards.RR-NYT
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Dec 31, 2009
Jen
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This might have been improved with some heavy, heavy editing. Perhaps better served entirely by being a long essay or a series of vignettes. What I liked, I really liked. Drabble is a witty and endearing woman, and many of her stories were quaint. But there were too many off-topic and forced passages that didn't weave in with the rest of the story.
Jan 07, 2011
Sharron
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I liked it despite the fact that the references to jigsaw puzzles to which I am addicted were relatively few in number. Nevertheless, Drabble writes so beautifully and she is so well-read herself that this memoir held my interest. That said, I think its intended audience is somewhat narrow.
Nov 15, 2009
Jody
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I had to read this one because it was by one of my favorite authors and about jigsaw puzzles, a favorite thing! This is the first nonfiction I've read by Drabble. It is part memoir, part history, part exploration of why we get so obsessed by doing them. In the end, I didn't learn a whole lot about the puzzle or Drabble. Just some snapshots, really. There was some interesting early history of the puzzle, dissected maps, etc, but not much depth anywhere in the book. That said, as soon as I f
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Dec 29, 2009
Joyce
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Disjointed dribs & drabs of memoir, biography, and history of jigsaws and other puzzles. One of those books I should have put down unfinished.
Mar 04, 2010
charity
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Liked the style and voice the author used but didn't like the way the book played out. If it had been just a memoir or just about the history of games/jigsaws it would've been fine but going back and forth was awkward and made for a slow read.
Nov 26, 2009
Pamster
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Difficult to categorize, this has personal memoir interwoven with history of puzzles, some British social history, theories of play and of learning, and . . . other stuff. I've always meant to read her novels, and it's interesting that she feels done writing novels. Also interesting when she mentions her sister (A.S. Byatt) and problems around who "owns" what memories from their childhood and then has the "right" to incorporate that memory into her fiction-writing. She's bril
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Nov 07, 2009
Sam
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It should be better - her unrecognized depression is infectious. And how she hates her sister!
Nov 05, 2009
Joan
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Quirky book: I almost stopped reading but continued, skimming some places where the information is too dense, and I'm glad I did. There were some lovely payoffs.
Jul 10, 2011
Nancy
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Learned a lot but yikes (!) hard to follow most of Drabble's ramblings.
Jul 08, 2011
To say this is "lightly" edited is an understatement. Still enjoyable, though.
May 24, 2010
Susan
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I liked parts of this a lot--the memories of Drabble's Auntie Phyl, in particular. Other parts, meandering histories of jigsaws and games, were kind of tedious.
Dec 31, 2010
Rachel
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Ostensibly about jigsaw puzzles, it's more of a memoir. She's AS Byatt's sister (not friendly), and it's sort of wanders. The jigsaw history part is interesting. The story of her history with jigsaw puzzles is less so, although I did enjoy the bits about her aunt.
Feb 25, 2011
Mbhatia
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This memoir did not grab me although I liked the idea of tying it together through the hobby of doing jigsaw puzzles.
Jan 26, 2010
Psirene
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It took me two weeks to finish. I am trying to read another book too but this one had to be retunred to the library. Interesting family stories and history of the jigsaw puzzle but Margaret seems to have lost her editor after the seven sisters. The Red Queen, The Sea Lady and this book jump around too much. Making it hard to sit down and have a good read.
Apr 07, 2011
Tammy
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Suggested from The Savvy Librarian’s Night Table: Ten amazing titles guaranteed to bring you peace, prosperity, and happiness -- January 2010
It was okay but I thought it moved slowly and it had a lot more to do with the author's life than puzzles or how doing puzzles affected her life, which is what I was expecting from the title.
It was okay but I thought it moved slowly and it had a lot more to do with the author's life than puzzles or how doing puzzles affected her life, which is what I was expecting from the title.
Feb 14, 2011
Priscilla
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Where was her editor? This was absolutely painful to get through. I can't imagine why anyone thought this was a good book. Must be the aura of her successful fiction career.
Jul 25, 2011
Elaine
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Well, I tried. Really wanted to read this one and there were lots of interesting bits. The problem (for me) is that the bits were only very loosely connected. I don't give up on too many books but I put this one down for two week to test whether I "needed" to finish it. Didn't. Done.
