The Cleaner of Chartres

by Salley Vickers

There is something special about the ancient cathedral in Chartres, with its mismatched spires, astonishing stained glass and strange labyrinth. And there is something special too about Agnes Morel, the mysterious woman who is to be found cleaning it each morning. No one quite knows where she came from - not the diffident Abbe Paul, who discovered her one morning twenty years ago, sleeping in the north porch; nor lonely Professor Jones, whose chaotic existence she helps to organise; nor Philippe Nevers, whose neurotic sister and newborn child she cares for; nor even the irreverent young restorer, Alain Fleury, who works alongside her each day and whose attention she catches with her tawny eyes, her colourful clothes and elusive manner. And yet everyone she encounters would surely agree that she has touched their lives in subtly transformative ways, even though they couldn't quite say how. But with a chance meeting in the cathedral one day, the spectre of Agnes' past returns, provoking malicious speculation from the prejudiced Madame Beck and her gossipy companion Madame Picot. As the rumours grow more ugly, Agnes is forced to confront her history, and the mystery of her origins finally unfolds. The Cleaner of Chartres is a compelling story of darkness and light; of traumatic loss and second chances. Told with a sparkling wit and beguiling charm, but infused throughout with deeper truths, it speaks of the power of love and mercy to transform the tragedies of the past.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, France, Book Club, Mystery, Contemporary, Romance

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Salley Vickers was born in Liverpool, the home of her mother, and grew up as the child of parents in the British Communist Party. She won a state scholarship to St Paul’s Girl’s School and went on to read English at Newnham College Cambridge.

She has worked, variously, as a cleaner, a dancer, an artist’s model, a teacher of children with special needs, a university teacher of literature, and a psychoanalyst. Her first novel, ‘Miss Garnet’s Angel’, became an international word-of-mouth bestseller. She now writes full time and lectures widely on many subjects, particularly the connections between, art, literature, psychology and religion.

Her principal interests are opera, bird watching, dancing, and poetry. One of her father's favourite poets, W.B.Yeats, was responsible for her name Salley, (the Irish for 'willow') which comes from Yeats’s poem set to music by Benjamin Britten 'Down by the salley gardens'.

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of love, loss, faith and forgiveness. There's a rich array of characters, some good, some bad, but all interacted perfectly to retain my interest. It had an ending that suggested to me that there could be a follow up, but still concluded in a satisfying way.

[Petra X · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't take this book, it was such tedious reading. The character of Agnes was quite unbelievable and I didn't really care about her anyway. In fact I didn't really care about anyone at all. And then having reached that point, I didn't care about reading any more. And so I stopped.

The author has taken all her many occupations in life and fictionalised them and has used a lot of devices that make a certain type of book successful - unknown but traumatic past, enigmatic heroine hiding secrets, a crime, the wrong person accused by leading light, etc. etc. This may well work for people who like this genre, I don't and it didn't for me.

But it wasn't badly written and I didn't hate it, it just didn't hold my interest at all, so 2 stars.

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely story about Agnes Morel, abandoned as a baby and as a consequence raised by nuns. It is possibly not the best start to a young life, and eventually her inability to learn to read sees her labelled as simple.

Eventually, as an adult, she finds herself in Chartres where the community in and around the cathedral help her find her way. At least some of them do, but there are always the small minded gossips who look to find the worst in everybody. Eventually events from Agnes's past life are exposed.

I enjoyed this tale very much. The author writes beautifully and the descriptions of Chartres made me want to there. Agnes is a very sympathetic character and it was a pleasure to share her eventual success. An easy four stars.

[Susan]

This bewitching novel follows the life of Agnes Morel, who was found asleep one day in the North Porch of the cathedral of Notre-Dame, in the old town of Chartres. Each chapter alternates between her past and her present, as we learn how Agnes was found as an abandoned baby, how she was brought up in a convent and how tragedy overcame her. Eventually she flees to Chartres, where she gradually finds a place of her own, cleaning both at the cathedral and the homes of many of the towns inhabitants, and becoming an essential part of the lives of many people in the community, . Amongst those who lives are touched by Agnes are Robert Clement, an artist who Agnes models for, Professor Jones, who relies on Agnes to organise him, Abbe Bernard who is elderly and confused, Philippe Nevers, who Agnes babysit as a young boy, and Alain who is restoring the cathedral. Unfortunately for Agnes, some of the 'others' include the vicious gossip Madame Beck, who feels that Agnes has 'bad blood'. When Madame Beck discovers the secrets of Agnes early life, she uses the information against her. When a tragedy occurs, what starts as slander becomes dangerous...

Agnes is a wonderful character - naive, solitary and deeply hurt, but always kind and gentle. Madame Beck is someone that, sadly, we all recognise. The bitter and unkind gossip, who delights in spreading ill will under the guise of concern for others. Yet both the vicious Madame Beck and Agnes herself underestimate the regard in which she is held. I have always loved Sally Vickers novels and this is easily up there with the best of her work; great characters, well plotted and with interesting themes, this would be ideal for a book club as there is so much to discuss and enjoy.

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautifully written, has outstanding characters with depth, includes mystery and intrigue, has a plot that will keep you engaged, and a tale you won’t want to end.

We all have a past whether sordid or lily white. We either like to keep our past hidden or allow it to be an open book. Agnes didn't like to think of her past. She did have an unpleasant history and tried to keep it buried, but people and circumstances caused others to want to "dig" into the life she led before she arrived in Chartres.

The storyline is unique and appealing. Through Ms. Vickers' skillful style, the book masterfully draws out the secrets of Agnes' life with hints of what she holds inside. The hints at her life capture your attention and then move to something else as you patiently wait for the next piece of the puzzle to be revealed.

You will not be disappointed and will quickly want to move to the next chapter to enjoy more of the creative, absorbing story. The chapters move smoothly between time periods giving background information as well information about the life Agnes currently leads. The interaction of the characters was marvelous. The writing is very detailed, and the characters and scenes are vivid.

THE CLEANER OF CHARTRES took a few pages to become interesting, but once the story took off, it was quite captivating as the mystery of who Agnes really was and what caused her to be the person she had become unfolds. You will grow to love Agnes as she makes it through her life simply and effectually and share every turn her life takes. You will feel sorry for Agnes but will also be amazed at her resiliency since she didn't have an easy life and especially since she was able to function as an illiterate. The story will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

As well as a wonderful storyline and wonderful characters, you will learn about The Cathedral of Chartres. The history of this cathedral was fascinating and had me looking up photos of the structure as well as particulars of the church and its beautiful stained glass windows. The book's cover is charming.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed this story of Agnes. I hope you will be able to read this book and get caught up in her life as I did. 5/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Alisha-Dear Constant Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks for dragging me along through the most boring of stories. I really learned a lot and grew as a person.

The Cleaner of Chartres is about the quiet Agnes, found in a basket by a farmer. The slow and overwritten novel jumps from the present to Agnes past where we learn surprisingly little considering the mountain pages we had to get through for the information.

I stopped reading this book at least a dozen times telling myself to just give up. It wasn't going to get better. Then, finally at 54% stuff started to happen! Holy shit! Stuff is happening!

I should have just given up. I have a good nose for bad books. This one was just...listen, I congratulated myself for finishing it, okay. I'm fairly certain that I haven't high-fived myself for finishing a book since my junior year of college when I read The Wife of Bath for English Lit of the Middle Ages.

The Cleaner of Chartres is slow, over-written, and full of contradictions. Is Agnes a real person or is she a Mary figure? Is she both? Who knows. We certainly don't because the book just ends after Agnes makes a out of character declaration to Abbe Paul.

This is not a horrible book, but it is a self-indulgent piece that goes nowhere.

ARC provided by Viking for review purposes in conjunction with Netgalley.com

[Deborah Swift · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful moving novel with depth

Agnes Morel is an unlikely main character in a novel - quiet unassuming and middle-aged. The beginning of the book is slow with lengthy descriptions of Chartres Cathedral and not much dialogue, so at first I thought I would struggle to make it to the end. But I loved Miss Garnet's Angel so I persevered and was more than richly rewarded.

The characters of the nuns with all their un-saintly quirks and human failings are acutely well-drawn and Agnes's past as it is gradually revealed is horrifying yet utterly believable. Her malicious neighbours are described with gleeful venom. The characters in this book slowly seeped into my imagination and soon had me in an iron grip so that I had to know what would happen to Agnes when her unfortunate past was uncovered.

This is a beautiful portrait of small-mindedness in all its ways, but it is also a vehicle to tackle the really big questions, such as: Where does evil lie? What constitutes sin? How is the spirit of a religion preserved in its buildings? What is the power of truthfulness?

I'll certainly be looking forward to Salley Vickers's next.

[Claude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a half stars. I would have given 5 stars, but I am old fashioned and jumps back and forth, whether it’s between the past and the present, or between places, tend to turn me off and delay my getting involved in the story. But I did enjoy this book a lot.

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

blurb - There is something special about the ancient cathedral in Chartres with its mismatched spires, astonishing stained-glass and strange labyrinth. And there is something special too about Agnès Morel, the mysterious woman who is to be found cleaning it each morning.

No one quite knows where she came from - not the diffident Abbé Paul who discovered her sleeping in the north porch one morning twenty years ago; nor lonely Professor Jones whose chaotic existence she helps to organise; nor Philippe Nevers whose neurotic sister and newborn child she cares for; nor even the irreverent young restorer, Alain Fleury, who works alongside her each day and whose attention she catches with her tawny eyes, colourful clothes and elusive manner. And yet everyone she encounters would surely agree that she has touched their lives in subtly transformative ways, even though they couldn't quite say how.

But with a chance meeting in the cathedral one day, the spectre of Agnès' past returns, provoking malicious speculation from the prejudiced Madame Beck and her gossipy companion Madame Picot. As the rumours grow more ugly, Agnès is forced to confront her history, and the mystery of her origins finally unfolds.

The Cleaner of Chartres is a compelling story of darkness and light, of traumatic loss and second chances. Told with a sparkling wit and beguiling charm, but infused throughout with deeper truths, it speaks of the power of love and mercy to transform the tragedies of the past.

Producer: Joanna Green A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.

The Cleaner of Chartres by Salley Vickers Abridged by Libby Spurrier Read by Lesley Manville

-------------

After one episode it is apparent that this is a duel-timelined Kate Mosse-esque story.

This is the author profile:

Sally Vickers has worked as a cleaner, a dancer, an artist’s model, a teacher of children with special needs, a university teacher of literature, and a psychoanalyst.

and notice the similarity with the heroine here.

----------

#3 Dr Deman reads of a vicious attack on a nanny with a young baby. He suspects Agnes. In the present, a china doll goes missing from Madame Beck's and Agnes is her chief suspect.

#4 Madame Beck accuses her cleaner Agnes of stealing a china doll from her apartment and seems intent on blackening her name in Chartres

#5 Dr Deman takes Agnes to see Jean Dupere, and Professor Jones begins teaching her to read. In the past, Maddy, a nurse at the clinic, convinces Agnes to say that the baby isn't hers.

----------------

I have a feeling this will be popular (solid 3+) with a great swathe of readers; it has all the right ingredients.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Agnès past, revealed in small sections alongside present day events, is compelling and emotional. It’s a story of loss, cruelty, mental trauma and despair followed by a gradual step-by-step rebuilding of her life once she arrives in Chartres, drawn there by nothing more than the memory of a picture of the interior of the cathedral that hung on a wall.

What really brought the book alive for me was the wonderfully drawn cast of secondary characters, such as Agnès’s dogwalker friend Terry, artist Robert Clement, obsessed with creating a painting of the Madonna, and cathedral restorer Alain Fleury who can’t help sharing his knowledge of the history, architecture and legends associated with the cathedral. ‘Information bubbled out of him like champagne.’ Then there are Madame Beck and Madame Picot, two ‘friends’ who have made acquiring and disseminating town gossip something of a competitive sport.  I also loved Abbé Paul, the priest who discovered Agnès sleeping in the cathedral porch and gave her a job as a cleaner. His affection for her is extremely touching.

My absolute favourite character was Dr Deman who I found a very sympathetic figure. He comes to play a significant part in Agnès life and is one of the few people in her early life to treat her with any kindness, to really listen to her and try to understand why she might have acted as she did. Like a lot of the other people in the book, he’s not a one dimensional character. Whilst devoted to his job, he often questions himself – undersells himself, I would argue. ‘He cared – cared passionately – for the things he cared for but his conviction was liable to waver and be derailed.’

The Cleaner of Chartres is a book that exudes warmth but is by no means overly sentimental. There are also some lovely touches of humour, mostly supplied by Madame Beck and Madame Picot. It’s very cleverly constructed, not only in respect of the revealing of Agnès story, but because of the way in which all the characters undergo some kind of transformation whether that’s coming to terms with events in their past, forging a new path in life or renewing a friendship.

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read some of Salley Vickers’ other novels and found a few I liked and some I couldn’t get on with at all. The Cleaner of Chartres is one of the really good ones in my opinion. I read it over the space of a couple of days and loved the writing, the characters and the background. Agnes Morel is an orphan. She was found as a new born baby in a basket in a wood and handed over to nuns. After a childhood which was fraught with problems, including a stay in a psychiatric hospital she eventually ends up homeless in Chartres – sleeping in the cathedral doorway on her first night there.

Gradually the story of Agnes’ previous life is revealed as the reader gets to know about her present life and the people around her. There is the eccentric Professor Jones, the artist Robert Clement, the two wealthy ladies who thrive on gossip, scandal and thinking ill of their neighbours and the clergy at the cathedral – Father Paul and Father Bernard. Agnes can neither read nor write but she manages to make herself indispensible to the cathedral and to the people who live near it by doing cleaning jobs, including at the cathedral itself.

This is not just a book about everyday life. There is interesting historical, mythical and religious information woven into the text. The writing is understated and subtle and the book will repay more than one reading to appreciate all the nuances. There are amusing incidents and there are poignant incidents as well as tragedies. The characters are believable and carefully delineated and I loved the dialogue. I recommend it.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Redemption and self-discovery are recurrent themes in Salley Vickers' writing and she tackles the same subjects here in The Cleaner of Chartres. The central hub of the story is the ancient cathedral of Chartres which attracts a wide range of visitors, each one seeking something different to fulfil their incomplete lives. Agnes Morel is the enigmatic young woman at the centre of events, quietly engrossed in her task of cleaning but having a lasting effect on those who come in contact with her.

As the novel unfolds we gradually put together the pieces of Agnes' traumatic past, parts of which come back to haunt her. The supporting cast of locals are flawed, living, breathing individuals from the troubled, senile Abbe Bernard to the local gossiping widows Mmes Beck and Picot. Their stories intertwine with that of Agnes and we feel part of this small community.

This is a character-driven novel, exquisitely slow moving and beautifully written in a gentle, engaging style. It will probably also appeal to fans of the Chocolat series by Joanne Harris and the film Amelie.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really struggled with the beginning of this book. The sentence structures are sometimes so convoluted that it is difficult to say who the different parts refer to (one sentence I could make neither head nor tail of). The author also has a penchant for long and obscure words, and while I enjoy extending my vocabulary, always choosing five- or four-syllable words where two-syllable words would do just fine (whoever heard of convivial sparrows?) does not a reader-friendly book make. A third issue is the constant jumps in time, which occur with nearly each new chapter. However, once I got used to the author's idiosyncratic art of narration, I got so pulled into the story that I read the second half of the book in one sitting.

I read this book for one of my book groups and while it probably isn't one I would have chosen myself, I am very glad I got the chance to read it. There are several words of wisdoms dotted around these pages (particularly from the wise and congenial Abbé Paul) and I think Agnès' story will stay with me for quite some time.

Now, if you will excuse me, I need to find an occasion to work the words coterminously and uxorious into my next conversation.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did the audio on this, and I think therein lies my problem. The narrator always sounded angry....so everyone turned out to be angry in all things. It was kind of depressing. It felt like the characters were so similar, when they weren't. When I could separate the voice from the words, I could actually see them as individuals.

I did like the story as a whole. But there were some things that bothered me. It felt rushed in some spots and it dragged in others. I wish the pacing had been more even. So not my favorite.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started out this book a little shaky, since I don't generally read a lot of Historical Fiction. However Agnes soon became a likable enough character that I was engaged. Although this isn't the quickest moving story, and perhaps it has more featured characters than necessary, I still found myself connected enough to Agnes that I wanted to finish this story. Her backstory unfolded a bit at a time and, even though I was fairly sure I knew where things were going, I wanted to see if I was right. I'll give Salley Vickers credit in that she created a very relatable and human character in Agnes. Her mistakes and successes were a beautiful thing.

What kept me from fully falling in love with this book though was how much it hopped back and forth in time, with little to no notice. I listened to the audio version of this, and so it made it even more difficult to get my footing every time we were thrown back to the days of young Agnes. On top of that, as the book neared its end, I felt myself becoming less and less interested in where things were headed. Agnes felt like she stalled in her growth as a person, and then the ending itself was far less than satisfactory. In fact, and this is coming from a reader who is very open minded, the ending left me with some really uncomfortable moral quandaries. I'm still not sure how I feel.

So, for a plot that kept my attention for the most part, a character whom I did enjoy, and a narrator who did a fairly good job, I'll give this two stars. I finished this book, and it was interesting journey. I just wouldn't read it again.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet story. I really enjoyed this and found myself more and more involved as the novel progressed. Agnes is a delightful character and one who you can't help but feel sorry for her as more is revealed about her past. She is one of those characters who definitely needs a hug, if not just a break in her life with some good fortune.

Vickers cleverly and seamlessly weaves this story around two time periods - present day and the events leading up to Agne's current situation. I really enjoyed how these shifts - usually alternating chapters - did not seem sudden and the gradual revelations, both past and present, added to the depth of the story. The plot itself felt bewitching and whilst I seriously struggled to get into the story at the beginning (hence my four star rating), I inevitably found myself caring about Agnes and what happened to her. The back story is intriguing and I couldn't help but make up thrilling conspiracy theories that there was a more sinister story to tell! Alas, this is not the case with this novel, but it wouldn't have fitted with the tale of Anges's ill-fated life.

Delving into the past, we learn that Agnes was abandoned and raised by Nuns. However, as things take a turn for the worse, she is institutionalised and then accused of an attack. Readers cannot fathom if and how Agnes is involved and the puzzle does not come together until the final quarter of the novel. Back in the present, we cannot help but feel satisfied as it is clear Agnes is settled at last: she has several jobs around Chartres and is pretty successful. However, the witch of Madame Beck is determined to cause her downfall after an unfortunate incident with a china doll. The way Madame Beck is portrayed makes it easy to dislike her and as the clock counts down to the ultimate climax and revelations, you hope she does not succeed in her destruction of Agnes.

Besides Agnes, there are some genuinely sweet characters in this novel - all seem to take a liking to Agnes and feel sorry for her. Alain, for example, is a delightful reprieve for Agnes, and it was wonderful watching their unlikely friendship blossom. In addition, her relationship with her "father" was satisfying, even if it did not have the most happiest of conclusions.

With very short chapters, this was a novel easy to dip in and out of. As already mentioned, my rating reflects the struggle I felt getting into the story and these short chapters meant I could leave it before my mind wandered too much. However, once the plot gathered pace, I was relieved that I had not abandoned this read, like so many had abandoned Agnes. Whilst the religious setting may put people off, this was not at all "preachy" and provided a beautiful backdrop to such an interesting story. Reminding me very much of 'Hotel Chocolat' (and not just because it is set in France!), this was a heart-warming read and a surprising one at that, too. 

[Bertha Mason · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a huge disappointment this was. As a fan of Salley Vickers, I was really looking forward to it – the ingredients sounded charming and I admire the author’s observations and subtlety. She isn’t afraid to concentrate on women of some age and emotion, which is what I like to read (though I can’t say I’m impressed with the horrible covers on some of her books which suggest one-dimensional rubbish.)
My favourite of her novels is The Other Side of You. I felt Mr Golightly’s Holiday a little on the twee side and all the stuff about Italy in Miss Garnet’s Angel a bit of a bore. This author can rattle on too much about “history” which is where her lightness of touch falls down.
The Cleaner of Chartres appears to be a collection of ingredients that should work but don’t. I didn’t really “get” Agnes as a main character – I suppose I should have felt sympathy for her past but couldn’t get over her lack of depth or motivation in the present. Though well written, there was too much of little consequence in this novel, such as one character talking away, for no fathomable reason, about holidays in Wales - other than, perhaps, to bring an element of “warmth” or “eccentricity”. Shortly after finishing it, I can barely piece it together. None of it gelled. Sad to say disappointingly shallow, perfunctory and unconvincing.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was the title of this book that drew me to it. I am somewhat familiar with Chartres Cathedral, more specifically, the labyrinth that is located there. The church I attended some years ago put a labyrinth in our church yard, and researching what style to build I became aware of what is known as the Chartres Labyrinth. I’ve also walked several different copies of this labyrinth located other places. There is much of the history of Chartres Cathedral in the book which caused to read more about it on the Internet. But the story of Agns Morel is fascinating. Her tragic history is revealed little by little, and I became entranced with how she is able to persevere. There are characters such as the malicious busy bodies for a reader to despise as they try to destroy another person, but there are others that champion Agns. I’ve not read any of Sally Vickers books, but with my enjoyment of this book I’ll take a look at some of her other writings.

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many characters, too many complex back stories, too many coincidences, too many themes, too many historical background details plonked in, even too much drinking of wine and eating of posh French food....and too many pages.

[Anne Rainbow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this after finishing a Lucinda Riley novel (The Olive Tree) and the contrast in their styles was so great, I had to restart this one once I'd got the other one out of my head.
Salley uses a lot of asides and humour - which I enjoy once I'm in her rhythm.
The only thing I found tricky to keep track of was time. Agnes' journey was along one with many challenges! So not 5*.
But having said that, and never having visited Chartres myself, I'm confident that Salley captured the cathedral and its wonderful windows.
I thought her various characters - not too many - were woven together in precisely the way our lives are interwoven. I loved the way she portrayed the good and bad sides of individuals, again with humour. And how/why religion played a part in their lives.
If you find it difficult to get into, stick with it. It's worth reading to the end!

[Bree T · Rating 2 out of 5]

Agnès Morel has been living in the ancient cathedral town of Chartres for nearly 20 years. She was found sleeping on the porch of the cathedral one night and due to the kindness of several locals, found her way through enough odd jobs to get by, found a room to stay in exchange for helping look after an elderly lady and made a few friends. She keeps mostly to herself though, even though her dark looks, interesting clothes and eccentricity do attract some attention.

When the cleaner for the cathedral can no longer do the work because of rheumatism, the Abbè Paul asks Agnès to take on the job, knowing she cleans around the village for several of its inhabitants. Agnès is happy to, liking to keep busy and it isn’t long before she has other offers – to organise the papers of Professor Jones and to babysit Philippe Nevers’ very young nephew. In cleaning the cathedral, Agnès also meets Alain, who is working on the restoration and he immediately wants to strike up a friendship with her, despite her awkwardness.

But not everyone regards Agnès with such kind eyes. Her strange manner has attracted the attention of the jealous and spiteful Madame Beck, who asks Agnès to clean for her under the guise of observing her. When she believes that Agnès is responsible for something that goes missing in her apartment, she uses that as a reason to start a smear campaign of Agnès’ reputation and proves that she’s willing to drag up a painful, lonely past of a woman she doesn’t even know in order to make a petty point.

The story is choppy, starting in present day Chartres and giving a brief history of the church before beginning to introduce us to Agnès but in a rather round-a-bout way. Her story is dolled out to the reader in dribs and drabs and speculation interspersed in the present day story, which is really just a very vague description of Agnès’ day to day life in Chartres: where she cleans and who for, the people she occasionally speaks to (there aren’t many, she has very few friends). I think that her story was supposed to make me really feel for her and pity her and I did pity her in some ways, because her childhood was the sort which would affect anyone in terms of their growing up – it would colour every thought and action. But I was unable to feel a connection with Agnès, I never really feel that I got to know her. She remained distant and vague to me, strangely inactive and passive to the events occurring around her.

This book is written in a quite lovely way, very descriptive and charming with a good knowledge of the history of Chartres and the cathedral and also religious tales and Greek mythology. I enjoyed the interactions of some of the other people in the town, particularly the toxic friendship of Madames Beck and Picot, ladies probably in their sixties who maintained a kind of friendly tone that hid careful, well-honed barbs towards each other. I think it was such clever, well thought out writing and the same could be said of Madame Beck’s jealousy towards Agnès and her seemingly good-intention desire to bring her down. But I would’ve liked a little more reasoning for why Madame Beck was set against her from the very beginning of the book, as it seemed very flimsy. I couldn’t quite get behind such maliciousness gossip-mongering.

I find this book quite hard to assess because there were times when I quite enjoyed it, however most of those times were when it wasn’t about Agnès. I think the remoteness I seemed to feel about her, made this book pretty difficult for me. It’s not a bad book, it’s written in a lovely way but it just wasn’t for me. I actually think I would’ve enjoyed this book a lot more if it had been structured with a linear narrative, starting with the beginning of Agnès’ story and taking us through her unhappy and often difficult life and working up to her arriving in Chartres. I think that would’ve definitely enabled me to really get to know her as a character a lot better and end up feeling a lot more for her.

[Talia Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

There must be more than this provincial life… at least one without Madame Beck.

A polarizing group of townspeople that really need to get out more often. Despite being a bit verbose, this is a captivating story that brings together a dynamic cast of characters and keeps you guessing.

[Lyn Elliott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Salley Vickers has some engaging turns of phrase and flashes of wit which enliven an unconvincing story. The snide dialogues between the two village gossips are brilliantly funny, though you know that Mme Beck's ill-will is going to cause real problems for Agnes, which of course it does.

The so-called 'redemptive power of love' that appears in others' reviews is superficially treated and the ending leaves you in a couple of uncomfortable moral positions.

The repeated motif of the labyrinth throughout the text is clearly meant to reflect the convoluted pathways the characters follow as they pass and re-pass each other over decades. Vickers may have had the labyrinth image in her mind when she planned the book's structure, as it moves backwards and forwards in time and requires some mental adjustment each time the story takes a new turn.
It is worth looking up the Chartres labyrinth on the web to see the image that is so central to this book.

I wasn't sufficiently interested to follow all the trials of Agnes as she was persecuted time and again by nasty people, some well-meaning (Nuns at the orphanage where she spent her childhood and psychiatrists) and some straight out malevolent (Mme Beck). So I skipped chunks in the middle and went to the last few chapters where the ends were tied up, more or less.

Read because it's next on the list for reading group no.2. Although these groups choose books I wouldn't have chosen myself, I can always decide not to plough through the whole book, as I did here, and quite often I discover authors I would never have read otherwise, like Anne Patchett and Lloyd Jones, both of whom have written excellent books.

[Toby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really am not entirely sure what I feel about The Cleaner of Chartres. It feels like the author started out with the idea of making some grand statement about life, human frailty, and redemptive love... but never really got around to doing any of that.

Agnes was not a character that I disliked -- but nor did I find anything that I particularly liked about her. The plot never really seemed to coalesce, and I'm still not entirely sure what the purpose of the novel was. I think that the main two things that kept me from rating this book lower are these:

1) The use of descriptive language in this book is probably one of its best selling points.

2) Due to Vickers' past profession as a psychoanalyst, in The Cleaner of Chartres at least (I've not read any of her other books), she tends to plumb the depths of human character. The analyzing done of character and why it is the way it is interests me -- due to my own studies in psychology and social work.

Don't really recommend, sadly. I may try a different book by Vickers to see if it's any better, as I saw that other reviewers have said that Vickers is "hit or miss" when it comes to liking her books. But it's definitely not at the top of my book-related priorities.

[KP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sally Vickers used to be a psychoanalyst, and her past profession lends a depth to her characters and an interesting air to her books.

She usually has interesting references to some cultural aspect as well. In The Other Side of You it was painting. In this book, the references to Greek mythology were interesting because they were symbolic of the situations in the book and of life in general. The story of Theseus and the Minotaur was one example. When Agnés finally confesses what she had done as a young girl, her friend Alain says, “The minotaur is dead!” I thought that was great. I love symbolism. Agnés’ secret had been trapped like the evil Minotaur, and now it was released - rendered powerless. Her life had expanded and healed a lot already, but now she was truly free.

I found the writing good, the cultural and psychoanalytic aspects interesting, but overall the story was a bit underwhelming. I enjoyed The Other Side of You much more.

[kvazimodla · Rating 5 out of 5]

#reread, ljubav prema Salinim knjigama koja je počela sa Andjelom gospodjice Garnet, i nikad nije prestala. Iskustvo psihoterapeuta se provlači kroz britke opservacije o ljudskoj prirodi, a jezički sklop je povremeni izazov i čisto uživanje.
Agnes, koju život od samog početka nije štedeo, i koja je uprkos svemu uspela da nadje mir i da u duši i u pogledu na svet, život i ljude bude svoja, toliko da joj se može zavideti. Pratimo teške dogadjaje iz njene mladosti, naizmenično sa današnjicom četrdesetogodišnje žene, svoje na svome. Da li? I koliko je bilo ko od nas u svakom trenutku daleko od toga da se ta kula od karata sruši pod njim? Prošlost i sadašnjost se konačno sudaraju, a ljudsko zlo i ljudska dobrota naizgled nasumično menjaju ustaljene tokove sudbine.

[Kirsten McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a slow burner, which sped up with every page, until I couldn't put it down. I had to know what was going to happen to dear Agnes.
We all know a woman like the busybody in the book - she embodies everything bad about people who can't mind their own business and who dwell on their own failures.
What a beautifully written story. Such lovely full characters woven into one engrossing story - heartbreaking at times, but also honest.
I really and truly loved this book. Slow, simple, engrossing. No swaggering heroes or bodice ripping in sight. No convenient 'easy for the writer' happy coincidences. Very cleverly plotted.
Well done to the author.

[Arna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Agnes Morel was abandoned as a baby. Brought up in a convent, after a series of tragedies in her life, she finds herself as a cleaner in the cathedral at Chartres - in addition to other cleaning and domestic jobs. Sally Vickers examines the hypocrisy of both the Church and the middle classes by showing Agnes' relationships with her various employers, and her few friends. While I think this novel has a lot to recommend it, it didn't really come together as a whole for me - the whole seemed to be less than the sum of its parts.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

As she did in Miss Garnet’s Angel, Vickers uses a religious setting to draw out human foibles and human dignity. Agnes Morel has cleaned the Chartres cathedral without fuss for over 20 years. Vickers introduces a number of sympathetic characters from the city as well as those who would besmirch her reputation. Her cleverly plotted novel is a pleasure to read.

[Louise · Rating 1 out of 5]

This novel had a Midsomer Murders feel to it which is never a good thing for me. Stereotypical characters, a contrived, inane plot and language without a shred of finesse mean that I rate The Cleaner of Chartres the least favourite book of my 2016 reading year. I'm afraid I can't even find a place for it on my holiday reading shelf.