http://www.goodreads.com/review/list_rss/691147 en-US Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:08:28 -0700 60 http://www.goodreads.com/ 200 41 http://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_logo.gif 27193379 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:08:28 -0700
But mostly it's the male protagonists, Dominic the Marquis of Vidal from Heyer and Phillip Tempest from Alcott. Of course Dominic becomes a reformed rake when he falls in love while Phillip goes unrepentant to his death (via suicide, after haunting and pursuing the poor girl he ruined to a tragic death).

Anyway, back to my review, events in the novel do seem fairly melodramatic and you do have the sense of the novel originally intended for serialisation. However, what I fell in love with were the characters, would are incredibly vividly drawn and whom you get a strong sense of. They make the story, which flies quickly (too quicky) from one seeming improbabilty to another.

And that's another issue I had with the book. It's soo romanticised as to sound completely preposterous, but raises some valid ideas. The power of the rich over the poor, the idea of reputation, and the 'hero' basically stalking the heroine around Europe and destroying every new life she's made for herself. It is frightening but somehow looses the effect through the overdramatising of the situation. ]]>
author: Louisa May Alcott
name: Alice
average rating: 3.61
book published: 1998
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 07/14/08
shelves: historical
review:
Strangely reading Heyer's 'Devil's cub' reminded me of this book. They have similarities with the axis of the books partly turning on ruining (or potentially ruining) a woman's character (basically the whole wife/mistress issue).

But mostly it's the male protagonists, Dominic the Marquis of Vidal from Heyer and Phillip Tempest from Alcott. Of course Dominic becomes a reformed rake when he falls in love while Phillip goes unrepentant to his death (via suicide, after haunting and pursuing the poor girl he ruined to a tragic death).

Anyway, back to my review, events in the novel do seem fairly melodramatic and you do have the sense of the novel originally intended for serialisation. However, what I fell in love with were the characters, would are incredibly vividly drawn and whom you get a strong sense of. They make the story, which flies quickly (too quicky) from one seeming improbabilty to another.

And that's another issue I had with the book. It's soo romanticised as to sound completely preposterous, but raises some valid ideas. The power of the rich over the poor, the idea of reputation, and the 'hero' basically stalking the heroine around Europe and destroying every new life she's made for herself. It is frightening but somehow looses the effect through the overdramatising of the situation.
]]> 27192394 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 06:56:24 -0700
I really enjoyed the rollicking adventure which was unexpected. I thought it would be more corny and straight romance, but things actually happened and I found it really funny. Some of it does remind me of something out of a Shakespearian comedy, with all the misunderstandings and good intentions gone awry.

However, it is part of a sort of loosely associated group of Heyer books. Heyer's first novel 'The Black Moth' has as its villian interestingly the hero Justin to a later book 'These Old shades' (though the names are changed for all of the characters that appear in both). But 'Devil's cub's' hero is actually Justin's son Dominic. So I felt there were some spoilers to what had happened with the previous generation in this book. Interesting enough, there are also two other slightly linked books, but as they are set at a later date (one with Dominic's grandaughter) I'm less wary of spoilers.

All in all, loved the characters who all felt distinctive and well built up. The hero and heroine don't actually interact till some way into the book which surprised me. But I think that was a strength as there is more time to create background for all the characters and to see the two protagonists as separate beings first. ]]>
author: Georgette Heyer
name: Alice
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1932
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 07/14/08
shelves: historical
review:
I thought it was time for me to read a Goergette Heyer novel. This was recommended to me by a shop assistant at Dymocks.

I really enjoyed the rollicking adventure which was unexpected. I thought it would be more corny and straight romance, but things actually happened and I found it really funny. Some of it does remind me of something out of a Shakespearian comedy, with all the misunderstandings and good intentions gone awry.

However, it is part of a sort of loosely associated group of Heyer books. Heyer's first novel 'The Black Moth' has as its villian interestingly the hero Justin to a later book 'These Old shades' (though the names are changed for all of the characters that appear in both). But 'Devil's cub's' hero is actually Justin's son Dominic. So I felt there were some spoilers to what had happened with the previous generation in this book. Interesting enough, there are also two other slightly linked books, but as they are set at a later date (one with Dominic's grandaughter) I'm less wary of spoilers.

All in all, loved the characters who all felt distinctive and well built up. The hero and heroine don't actually interact till some way into the book which surprised me. But I think that was a strength as there is more time to create background for all the characters and to see the two protagonists as separate beings first.
]]> 18908964 Sat, 29 Mar 2008 05:59:21 -0700
author: Isobelle Carmody
name: Alice
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 03/29/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 14702531 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 01:49:12 -0800
author: Meredith Ann Pierce
name: Alice
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 02/06/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 14702529 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 01:49:11 -0800
author: Meredith Ann Pierce
name: Alice
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1984
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 02/06/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 14702528 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 01:49:09 -0800
author: Meredith Ann Pierce
name: Alice
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1998
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 02/06/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 11408553 Tue, 01 Jan 2008 17:35:22 -0800
author: S.E. Hinton
name: Alice
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1997
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 01/01/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 11408541 Tue, 01 Jan 2008 17:35:12 -0800
author: Jaclyn Moriarty
name: Alice
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 01/01/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 11407964 Tue, 01 Jan 2008 17:23:40 -0800
author: Helen DeWitt
name: Alice
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2001
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 01/01/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 11124527 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 20:09:43 -0800
author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
name: Alice
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/27/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 11062518 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 21:03:06 -0800
author: Gao Xingjian
name: Alice
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/26/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 11061997 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:54:54 -0800
author: Arundhati Roy
name: Alice
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1997
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/26/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 11058302 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 19:37:20 -0800
author: Laurie R. King
name: Alice
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/26/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 11058039 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 19:31:31 -0800
author: Larry Watson
name: Alice
average rating: 3.75
book published: 1998
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 12/26/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 11058029 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 19:31:25 -0800
author: Daphne duMaurier
name: Alice
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1938
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 12/26/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 11056341 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:53:44 -0800
author: Maeve Binchy
name: Alice
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/26/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 11055995 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:48:30 -0800
author: Geraldine Brooks
name: Alice
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1995
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/26/07
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review:

]]> 11054272 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:16:34 -0800
author: Karen Joy Fowler
name: Alice
average rating: 2.63
book published: 2007
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 12/26/07
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review:

]]> 11054241 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:16:09 -0800
author: Gabriel García Márquez
name: Alice
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1985
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 12/26/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 11054076 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:12:16 -0800
author: Jeannette Walls
name: Alice
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/26/07
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review:

]]> 11054026 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:11:00 -0800
author: Margaret Atwood
name: Alice
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 12/26/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 11007486 Tue, 25 Dec 2007 18:53:03 -0800
author: Ann Patchett
name: Alice
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 12/25/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10670445 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:27:59 -0800
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Alice
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/19/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10670443 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:27:56 -0800
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Alice
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 12/19/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10670439 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:27:54 -0800
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Alice
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/19/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10670432 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:27:38 -0800
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Alice
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 12/19/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10670423 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:27:09 -0800
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Alice
average rating: 4.33
book published: 1996
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 12/19/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10670412 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:26:51 -0800
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Alice
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/19/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10670402 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:26:29 -0800
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Alice
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 12/19/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10670384 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:25:47 -0800
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Alice
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1986
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/19/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10670381 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:25:36 -0800
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Alice
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1986
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/19/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10670376 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:25:29 -0800
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Alice
average rating: 4.36
book published: 1990
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 12/19/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10667770 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:35:08 -0800
author: A.S. Byatt
name: Alice
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1990
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10667762 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:34:41 -0800
author: Alice Sebold
name: Alice
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
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]]> 10667552 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:29:01 -0800
author: Mercedes Lackey
name: Alice
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10667549 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:28:51 -0800
author: Mercedes Lackey
name: Alice
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10667535 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:28:37 -0800
author: Mercedes Lackey
name: Alice
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
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]]> 10667520 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:28:04 -0800
author: Mercedes Lackey
name: Alice
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1988
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
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review:

]]> 10667516 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:28:03 -0800
author: Mercedes Lackey
name: Alice
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1987
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
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review:

]]> 10667484 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:27:15 -0800
author: Mercedes Lackey
name: Alice
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10657652 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:47:16 -0800
author: Doris May Lessing
name: Alice
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10657602 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:46:13 -0800
author: Jeanette Winterson
name: Alice
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
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review:

]]> 10655786 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:13:20 -0800
author: Nick Hornby
name: Alice
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1995
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
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]]> 10620481 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:27:34 -0800
author: Paulo Coelho
name: Alice
average rating: 3.31
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10620454 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:26:56 -0800
author: Yann Martel
name: Alice
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10620387 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:25:54 -0800
author: Arthur Golden
name: Alice
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10619286 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:06:22 -0800
author: Cormac McCarthy
name: Alice
average rating: 4.35
book published: 1999
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10619273 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:06:07 -0800
author: Cormac McCarthy
name: Alice
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10619235 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:05:31 -0800
author: Diane Setterfield
name: Alice
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 01/07
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10619088 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:02:13 -0800
author: Doris May Lessing
name: Alice
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10614816 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 05:15:19 -0800
author: Alexander McCall Smith
name: Alice
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10614815 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 05:15:17 -0800
author: Alexander McCall Smith
name: Alice
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10614814 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 05:15:14 -0800
author: Alexander McCall Smith
name: Alice
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2003
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10614811 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 05:15:11 -0800
author: Alexander McCall Smith
name: Alice
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10614788 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 05:14:15 -0800
author: Alexander McCall Smith
name: Alice
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2003
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10614168 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 04:34:13 -0800
author: Alexander McCall Smith
name: Alice
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2003
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10614076 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 04:30:30 -0800
author: Margaret Atwood
name: Alice
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10614066 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 04:30:14 -0800
author: Peter Carey
name: Alice
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2000
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 10614054 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 04:29:59 -0800
author: Ian McEwan
name: Alice
average rating: 3.68
book published: 0
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
shelves:
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]]> 10614018 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 04:28:56 -0800
author: Donna Tartt
name: Alice
average rating: 3.32
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 12/18/07
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]]> 10614002 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 04:28:31 -0800
author: Donna Tartt
name: Alice
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1992
rating: 4
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date added: 12/18/07
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review:

]]> 10613993 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 04:28:09 -0800
author: Murray Bail
name: Alice
average rating: 3.42
book published: 1999
rating: 5
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date added: 12/18/07
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review:

]]> 10613985 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 04:27:39 -0800