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After I Left You
Anna has not been back to Oxford since her last summer at university, seventeen years ago. She tries not to think about her time there, or the tightly knit group of friends she once thought would be hers forever. She has almost forgotten the fierce sting of betrayal, the heartache, the secret she carries around with her, the last night she spent with them all.
Then a chance meeting on a rainy day in London brings her past tumbling back into her present, and Anna is faced with remembering the events of that summer and the people she left behind. As Anna realises that the events of their past have shaped the people they've all become, hope begins to blossom for what the future could hold . . .
An absorbing, powerful novel of love, friendship and secrets that sweeps you away from the very first page. The perfect read for fans of Lisa Jewell, Ali Harris and Eleanor Moran.
Then a chance meeting on a rainy day in London brings her past tumbling back into her present, and Anna is faced with remembering the events of that summer and the people she left behind. As Anna realises that the events of their past have shaped the people they've all become, hope begins to blossom for what the future could hold . . .
An absorbing, powerful novel of love, friendship and secrets that sweeps you away from the very first page. The perfect read for fans of Lisa Jewell, Ali Harris and Eleanor Moran.
432 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2013
10 people are currently reading
687 people want to read
About the author
Alison Mercer
2 books28 followersAli Mercer was born in Reading in 1973 and studied English at University College, Oxford. She lives in Oxfordshire with her husband, the poet Ian Pindar, and their two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
August 29, 2014
Fortunately St. Bart’s College, Oxford, is fictitious because when you’ve finished this book you’ll know Anna & her undergraduate friends so well that you’d likely make a fool of yourself by showing up @ the porter’s lodge & having a fit when you weren’t recognised as a member of the college. The novel feels that it reads very slowly (tho’ it really doesn’t) but the effect is to draw us readers in so far we think we were characters too. Perhaps not one of Anna’s close friends but easily one of the many minor characters who fill out & give substance to After I Left You, like Violet or Mark.
As in a Greek tragedy, the cast is quite limited. The principal characters are the freshers Clarissa, Keith, Meg & Anna, who narrates the book. They matriculate in Michaelmas Term of 1991. They are taken up by Victor, who with his roommate & henchman Barnaby, is already in his second yea. But Anna tells the story looking backward from 2010. Since she came down, she’s been completely estranged & totally out of touch with her former Oxford friends. In accord with the myths that make this novel resonate in the unconscious, the tragic ending of the first part & the bittersweet new beginning of the second occur @ a festive end-or-term college ball & @ a much-delayed wedding
Not that it is by any means a flawless book. The entire subplot involving Anna’s biological father is full of loose ends, with Anna waiting till she’s almost 40 to find him is an end so loose it’s like a halliard flailing from the masthead. For purely medical reasons Anna should have insisted on knowing @ least by 18. (He has health problems a prudent offspring would want to know about, altho’ the author doesn’t seem to notice.) But the faults are offset by brilliant portrayals of the minor characters, which give After I Left You depth & authenticity. Even tho’ they may figure in but a few pages, Anna’s tutor Dr Kaspar, Victor’s father the Alzheimer’s patient, & Clarissa’s Scottish actor father’s California girlfriend, are vividly drawn & memorable.
After I Left You is a story of youthful first-time romantic & sexual attachment, of being part of a group of special & talented people devoted to each other’s happiness & fulfilment, & finally of the pain caused by treachery & infidelity by those whom we most loved. Such trauma may happen again in our life but never again so up-close & strong, nor again for the first time. The song title is right. The first cut is the deepest. It is why Donna Tartt’s The Secret History haunts some of us so much, as does Tana French’s The Likeness. After I Left You belongs on the shelf with them. If @ college or uni you had your own circle of intimate friends that’s now long-since blown to the four winds, you’ll tear up a lot reading this one. It’s belonging - & betrayal.
As in a Greek tragedy, the cast is quite limited. The principal characters are the freshers Clarissa, Keith, Meg & Anna, who narrates the book. They matriculate in Michaelmas Term of 1991. They are taken up by Victor, who with his roommate & henchman Barnaby, is already in his second yea. But Anna tells the story looking backward from 2010. Since she came down, she’s been completely estranged & totally out of touch with her former Oxford friends. In accord with the myths that make this novel resonate in the unconscious, the tragic ending of the first part & the bittersweet new beginning of the second occur @ a festive end-or-term college ball & @ a much-delayed wedding
Not that it is by any means a flawless book. The entire subplot involving Anna’s biological father is full of loose ends, with Anna waiting till she’s almost 40 to find him is an end so loose it’s like a halliard flailing from the masthead. For purely medical reasons Anna should have insisted on knowing @ least by 18. (He has health problems a prudent offspring would want to know about, altho’ the author doesn’t seem to notice.) But the faults are offset by brilliant portrayals of the minor characters, which give After I Left You depth & authenticity. Even tho’ they may figure in but a few pages, Anna’s tutor Dr Kaspar, Victor’s father the Alzheimer’s patient, & Clarissa’s Scottish actor father’s California girlfriend, are vividly drawn & memorable.
After I Left You is a story of youthful first-time romantic & sexual attachment, of being part of a group of special & talented people devoted to each other’s happiness & fulfilment, & finally of the pain caused by treachery & infidelity by those whom we most loved. Such trauma may happen again in our life but never again so up-close & strong, nor again for the first time. The song title is right. The first cut is the deepest. It is why Donna Tartt’s The Secret History haunts some of us so much, as does Tana French’s The Likeness. After I Left You belongs on the shelf with them. If @ college or uni you had your own circle of intimate friends that’s now long-since blown to the four winds, you’ll tear up a lot reading this one. It’s belonging - & betrayal.
August 1, 2014
Anna left Oxford University in the early nineties, cutting off all ties with her fellow students but why? Alison Mercer does a fantastic job right from the first page in drawing us into Anna’s world both now and in the past.
When we first meet Anna she is thrilled to be leaving home, she has outgrown her mother, her step-father Gareth and step-sister Tippy (nick-named because as a little child she kept tipping things over) and is eager to start a new life reading English at the famous university.
Moving in she soon meets up with some of the friends that she will be closest to through her years in Oxford but the underlying question is always, why did it all fall apart? The story is told alternating between the events in the present spliced with those that happened during her years as a student.
Alison Mercer has created a wide variety of characters from the beautiful confident Clarissa to the withdrawn Keith, from the earnest Meg to the brash bold Barnaby and of course Victor, someone we know was important in Anna’s life because bumping into him launches this very clever tale of betrayal. The author also manages to keep Anna’s character consistent through both timelines, although it is clear that whatever happened has changed her outlook, the core values are still there.
The setting was beautiful, I could easily imagine the fictional St Bart’s, the rooms, the courtyards and the pictures taken to commemorate an evening of intense conversation, which leads neatly onto a second point; the nineties were accurately portrayed including the emerging technologies such as email although the phone box was still the preferred method of keeping in touch with loved ones.
I enjoyed this book even more than I expected to and the characters walked out of the pages and into my life. With the snippets from the past giving hints to not only the main betrayal but also from some other secrets that had hindered Anna through her life since leaving Oxford, I began to join the dots and gratifyingly I was spot on in one aspect but wide of the mark in others. A brilliantly executed finale wrapped up this accomplished novel.
If you want a well-written novel, with secrets, lies along with realistic characters, you might well enjoy this book.
I received my copy ahead of the paperback publication of 31 July 2014 from the publishers Random House, in return for this honest review.
When we first meet Anna she is thrilled to be leaving home, she has outgrown her mother, her step-father Gareth and step-sister Tippy (nick-named because as a little child she kept tipping things over) and is eager to start a new life reading English at the famous university.
Moving in she soon meets up with some of the friends that she will be closest to through her years in Oxford but the underlying question is always, why did it all fall apart? The story is told alternating between the events in the present spliced with those that happened during her years as a student.
Alison Mercer has created a wide variety of characters from the beautiful confident Clarissa to the withdrawn Keith, from the earnest Meg to the brash bold Barnaby and of course Victor, someone we know was important in Anna’s life because bumping into him launches this very clever tale of betrayal. The author also manages to keep Anna’s character consistent through both timelines, although it is clear that whatever happened has changed her outlook, the core values are still there.
The setting was beautiful, I could easily imagine the fictional St Bart’s, the rooms, the courtyards and the pictures taken to commemorate an evening of intense conversation, which leads neatly onto a second point; the nineties were accurately portrayed including the emerging technologies such as email although the phone box was still the preferred method of keeping in touch with loved ones.
I enjoyed this book even more than I expected to and the characters walked out of the pages and into my life. With the snippets from the past giving hints to not only the main betrayal but also from some other secrets that had hindered Anna through her life since leaving Oxford, I began to join the dots and gratifyingly I was spot on in one aspect but wide of the mark in others. A brilliantly executed finale wrapped up this accomplished novel.
If you want a well-written novel, with secrets, lies along with realistic characters, you might well enjoy this book.
I received my copy ahead of the paperback publication of 31 July 2014 from the publishers Random House, in return for this honest review.
December 29, 2013
Yay! My first Goodreads giveaway, thank you Goodreads and Transworld Publishing!
I loved it…just everything about it; the storyline, characters, setting, style of writing…and now I'll stop gushing (put the bottle of wine away….it is Christmas!!!) and try to explain why I loved it so much.
I requested this book not only because the publishers promotional blurb appealed but also because it's set in Oxford, a city I know well having grown up there.
'After I Left You' starts in the present day when Anna bumps into an old Uni friend, not just any old friend; 17 years previous Victor had been the love of her life. The chance meeting brings back memories of her time at St Bart's in Oxford, times she's pushed very far behind her, trying to erase from her memory the events that took place on her final days, events that made her break away from a tight-knit group of friends, never wanting to see any one of them again, not even returning to Oxford for graduation but instead requesting her certificate be forwarded in the post.
Told in the first person by Anna, the story-line flits seamlessly between the present day and the early 90's in Oxford where as a fresher Anna became part of a group of friends. The characterisation was spot on – each and every character was realistic and very different, not all of them perfect by any means. That said, I couldn't help but fall a little bit in love with lost soul Keith; a character who proclaimed himself to Anna as "the slightly useless friend rather than the man of your dreams". The scene setting was good; the hallowed quads of the University, the riverside walks and the streets of the bustling city were portrayed really well as was the surrounding area. I found the story-line compelling, wanting to reach the denouement and find out what could possibly have happened to break apart the clique. To say more would be ruining a good story so I'll leave it there.
I'd hesitate to categorize this novel, to call it chick-lit would be a disservice as it is so much more, a well written, poignant novel about a group of friends; a group that were broken apart, could a chance meeting 17 years later bring them back together again?
I loved it…just everything about it; the storyline, characters, setting, style of writing…and now I'll stop gushing (put the bottle of wine away….it is Christmas!!!) and try to explain why I loved it so much.
I requested this book not only because the publishers promotional blurb appealed but also because it's set in Oxford, a city I know well having grown up there.
'After I Left You' starts in the present day when Anna bumps into an old Uni friend, not just any old friend; 17 years previous Victor had been the love of her life. The chance meeting brings back memories of her time at St Bart's in Oxford, times she's pushed very far behind her, trying to erase from her memory the events that took place on her final days, events that made her break away from a tight-knit group of friends, never wanting to see any one of them again, not even returning to Oxford for graduation but instead requesting her certificate be forwarded in the post.
Told in the first person by Anna, the story-line flits seamlessly between the present day and the early 90's in Oxford where as a fresher Anna became part of a group of friends. The characterisation was spot on – each and every character was realistic and very different, not all of them perfect by any means. That said, I couldn't help but fall a little bit in love with lost soul Keith; a character who proclaimed himself to Anna as "the slightly useless friend rather than the man of your dreams". The scene setting was good; the hallowed quads of the University, the riverside walks and the streets of the bustling city were portrayed really well as was the surrounding area. I found the story-line compelling, wanting to reach the denouement and find out what could possibly have happened to break apart the clique. To say more would be ruining a good story so I'll leave it there.
I'd hesitate to categorize this novel, to call it chick-lit would be a disservice as it is so much more, a well written, poignant novel about a group of friends; a group that were broken apart, could a chance meeting 17 years later bring them back together again?
March 1, 2014
The publisher's description of this book grabbed my attention, and I'm glad that it did, because it's a book I very much enjoyed.
The book is split into parts, Anna in the present day and Anna in the past at university in Oxford. It's clear from the present day chapters that something happened whilst Anna was at university. It's clear she split up from her (then) love of her life, it's clear she was betrayed and it's clear one of the group is no longer with them BUT it isn't obvious who she was betrayed by, or how, or what happened to Keith. You meander all the way through the book, and you might have an inkling but it isn't obvious or predictable. There aren't any particularly major twists to the book, but I liked that it wasn't obvious and it wasn't something that you were pressingly forced to think about. It meant you could quietly indulge in the story itself and let the truth come out in its own time.
The switch between decades was seamless and very well done. The characters were full of life, and the description of the setting was really lovely at times.
If anything, I would have liked to have a little more made of the ending but I appreciate why it is how it is.
The book is split into parts, Anna in the present day and Anna in the past at university in Oxford. It's clear from the present day chapters that something happened whilst Anna was at university. It's clear she split up from her (then) love of her life, it's clear she was betrayed and it's clear one of the group is no longer with them BUT it isn't obvious who she was betrayed by, or how, or what happened to Keith. You meander all the way through the book, and you might have an inkling but it isn't obvious or predictable. There aren't any particularly major twists to the book, but I liked that it wasn't obvious and it wasn't something that you were pressingly forced to think about. It meant you could quietly indulge in the story itself and let the truth come out in its own time.
The switch between decades was seamless and very well done. The characters were full of life, and the description of the setting was really lovely at times.
If anything, I would have liked to have a little more made of the ending but I appreciate why it is how it is.
September 8, 2016
I read and enjoyed Alison Mercer’s first book Stop the Clock, so I was delighted to receive her new book from a goodreads giveaway.
I loved this book, it drew me in from the first chapter and kept me reading into the small hours. I’m a fan of first person narratives and dual time stories and this book has both. It's well written, has interesting characters and a great story line. An excellent read and fully recommended.
I loved this book, it drew me in from the first chapter and kept me reading into the small hours. I’m a fan of first person narratives and dual time stories and this book has both. It's well written, has interesting characters and a great story line. An excellent read and fully recommended.
May 22, 2014
Soaking wet with dripping hair and carrying a gruesome bridesmaid’s dress is not how Anna would have anticipated bumping into her ex – if she’d thought about bumping into him at all after seventeen years. But that’s exactly how Anna comes face to face with the love of her life, the one who hurt her so badly and how she once again connects with old friends from University.
After three years at an Oxford college, when Anna has been part of the ‘cool’ group and fallen in love, things end badly and she hopes she never sees any of that group again but seventeen years later when she has bumped into Victor, her curiosity piques her into contacting her old friend Meg, another of the group and her memories are reawakened. As Anna remembers events the reader is taken back to her Anna’s time at University, a time of first loves, friendships that should have lasted forever, hopes and dreams that were shattered for Anna by a sequence of events that last evening of the Ball.
Although I never attended university myself, I can quite easily imagine how it would have been from Anna’s story. The wanting to fit in somewhere, to find out who you are and to belong. To find love and lasting friendships. Anna’s Uni days were filled with hopes, laughter, friendships and fun until that fateful evening that affected the rest of her life, yet the confusion, the angst, the worries are also there in her group of friends; people from different backgrounds sharing a new and privileged life, learning the ways of the world. The telling of Anna’s story is realistic and engaging, something that every reader will be able to relate to. The small, intimate group of friends that grow as people, purporting to care for each other but when things come to a head there is always a scapegoat, always a loser, always a headstrong person willing to trample over everyone else, always someone willing to be lead. This makes for a fascinating read, the complexities of relationships are depicted really well and the characters are three dimensional, alive, not always likable, certainly with faults but very true to life. Anna herself is an enigma, her adult self is a far cry from the Anna we read about at University but as her story unfolds the reasons why become clear and paint Anna as an ever more empathetic character.
I have read a few ‘old friends meet up again years later’ stories recently but this one is done extremely well and makes for an intriguing read with the reader guessing almost to the end about ‘the event’ that changed Anna. A definite page turner and one to recommend.
After three years at an Oxford college, when Anna has been part of the ‘cool’ group and fallen in love, things end badly and she hopes she never sees any of that group again but seventeen years later when she has bumped into Victor, her curiosity piques her into contacting her old friend Meg, another of the group and her memories are reawakened. As Anna remembers events the reader is taken back to her Anna’s time at University, a time of first loves, friendships that should have lasted forever, hopes and dreams that were shattered for Anna by a sequence of events that last evening of the Ball.
Although I never attended university myself, I can quite easily imagine how it would have been from Anna’s story. The wanting to fit in somewhere, to find out who you are and to belong. To find love and lasting friendships. Anna’s Uni days were filled with hopes, laughter, friendships and fun until that fateful evening that affected the rest of her life, yet the confusion, the angst, the worries are also there in her group of friends; people from different backgrounds sharing a new and privileged life, learning the ways of the world. The telling of Anna’s story is realistic and engaging, something that every reader will be able to relate to. The small, intimate group of friends that grow as people, purporting to care for each other but when things come to a head there is always a scapegoat, always a loser, always a headstrong person willing to trample over everyone else, always someone willing to be lead. This makes for a fascinating read, the complexities of relationships are depicted really well and the characters are three dimensional, alive, not always likable, certainly with faults but very true to life. Anna herself is an enigma, her adult self is a far cry from the Anna we read about at University but as her story unfolds the reasons why become clear and paint Anna as an ever more empathetic character.
I have read a few ‘old friends meet up again years later’ stories recently but this one is done extremely well and makes for an intriguing read with the reader guessing almost to the end about ‘the event’ that changed Anna. A definite page turner and one to recommend.
September 8, 2014
This was an absolutely wonderful and evocative novel, just the type of story I love to read where an old incident shadows a new life and over the course of the tale we find out what, where, who, when, why and any number of other questions. Beautifully written with some well drawn and heart warming characters this really was a top notch read.
When Anna runs into her ex -boyfriend unexpectedly it brings into sharp focus some upsetting and life changing events from her past at an Oxford university – slowly but surely she begins to reconnect with her old friends from that life, one she thought she had left behind for good.
This is gorgeously constructed as we meet Anna in her present life then over time hear about her time at Oxford, the glorious friendships she developed there and how things did not really go to plan. You can see how she has changed, her personality very different now to the bubbly outgoing girl she comes across as in her younger years. This is very much a group arc tale,every character, although seen through Anna’s eyes,has a distinct personality all their own. The handsome Victor, the terribly needy Clarissa, the stable Meg and Keith, who struggles through the darkness. He was the one I related to the most, but all of them including Anna herself are absolutely fascinating.
As the author said, Anna’s Oxford is not entirely her Oxford and nor is it mine, but still it is captured in its essence perfectly, which probably made this an even better read for me. The setting comes to life around the characters and the whole thing is stirring and elegantly done.
Overall a really really good read, examining some issues which I can’t talk about in case of spoilers – but suffice to say it is done with sensitivity but still utterly compelling. An excellent story well told.
Happy Reading Folks!
When Anna runs into her ex -boyfriend unexpectedly it brings into sharp focus some upsetting and life changing events from her past at an Oxford university – slowly but surely she begins to reconnect with her old friends from that life, one she thought she had left behind for good.
This is gorgeously constructed as we meet Anna in her present life then over time hear about her time at Oxford, the glorious friendships she developed there and how things did not really go to plan. You can see how she has changed, her personality very different now to the bubbly outgoing girl she comes across as in her younger years. This is very much a group arc tale,every character, although seen through Anna’s eyes,has a distinct personality all their own. The handsome Victor, the terribly needy Clarissa, the stable Meg and Keith, who struggles through the darkness. He was the one I related to the most, but all of them including Anna herself are absolutely fascinating.
As the author said, Anna’s Oxford is not entirely her Oxford and nor is it mine, but still it is captured in its essence perfectly, which probably made this an even better read for me. The setting comes to life around the characters and the whole thing is stirring and elegantly done.
Overall a really really good read, examining some issues which I can’t talk about in case of spoilers – but suffice to say it is done with sensitivity but still utterly compelling. An excellent story well told.
Happy Reading Folks!
February 13, 2014
I enjoyed Alison Mercer’s Stop the Clock (you can read my review here) and follow her blog so when I saw that After I Left You was on Netgalley, I couldn’t resist requesting.
Anna bumps into ex, Victor Rose, in 2011. This leads on to a meeting with Meg, another person from the Uni friendship group. Straight away I had questions. What happened? Why did it end so badly? Why was Anna not safe with them at Uni?
Through alternating timelines … the present leading up to the event when they’re all together and the backstory of 1991 (building the picture of Anna settling into Uni, the friendships that were forming and her relationship with Victor), the reader knows that whatever happened changed Anna forever as she is now watchful and mistrustful of those around her.
Part three is a turning point for Anna:
“Now the past I had tried so hard to flee had somehow also become the future I was moving towards, and the only choices were to press on or to stand still.”
Not only did I enjoy the intrigue and pace of the timelines unfolding but also the sub-plot that ties together Anna’s absent father to a gift she was given by a Uni friend. Very creative and ultimately poignant.
Through Anna, Mercer fearlessly looks at what lies beneath the façade we show others to the bare bones of what is going on underneath the surface. I love this!
I loved the ending. We don’t know for sure how things will play out but there is hope and a possibility of future happiness.
After I left You will keep your attention as you get caught up with Anna’s friendships, their romances, conflict and intrigue. I have no hesitation in recommending you add to your wish list.
I would like to thank the publisher for accepting my request via Netgalley.
Anna bumps into ex, Victor Rose, in 2011. This leads on to a meeting with Meg, another person from the Uni friendship group. Straight away I had questions. What happened? Why did it end so badly? Why was Anna not safe with them at Uni?
Through alternating timelines … the present leading up to the event when they’re all together and the backstory of 1991 (building the picture of Anna settling into Uni, the friendships that were forming and her relationship with Victor), the reader knows that whatever happened changed Anna forever as she is now watchful and mistrustful of those around her.
Part three is a turning point for Anna:
“Now the past I had tried so hard to flee had somehow also become the future I was moving towards, and the only choices were to press on or to stand still.”
Not only did I enjoy the intrigue and pace of the timelines unfolding but also the sub-plot that ties together Anna’s absent father to a gift she was given by a Uni friend. Very creative and ultimately poignant.
Through Anna, Mercer fearlessly looks at what lies beneath the façade we show others to the bare bones of what is going on underneath the surface. I love this!
I loved the ending. We don’t know for sure how things will play out but there is hope and a possibility of future happiness.
After I left You will keep your attention as you get caught up with Anna’s friendships, their romances, conflict and intrigue. I have no hesitation in recommending you add to your wish list.
I would like to thank the publisher for accepting my request via Netgalley.
September 14, 2014
Anna, at a crossroads in her life, bumps into Victor a friend from her university days at Oxford. He wants her to stay in touch with the group of friends they had at University and Anna does visit Meg who is also at a crossroads in her life because her long term partner, Jason, has left her and their children. Anna receives an invitation to the Gaudy - a social occasion unique to Oxford - and decides to go.
What happened twenty years ago to make Anna sever all ties with her friends is revealed in long flashbacks to her university life. Can facing up to it all heal the wounds and allow her to move on with her life? Anna also feels it is time to ask her mother precisely who her father is as she wants to make contact with him and find out his side of the story.
This is an interesting story, narrated by Anna herself. I felt I never really got to know Anna - as though she is somehow standing in her own light and holding a lot back from the reader. I did enjoy reading the book and it is well written though I felt the ending was a little bit too neat after all the angst which had gone before.
Believable characters and situations and an evocative portrait of Oxford life make this more than the average women's fiction novel and it may cause the reader to question the choices they made in their own life and ask whether one should ever go back. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.
What happened twenty years ago to make Anna sever all ties with her friends is revealed in long flashbacks to her university life. Can facing up to it all heal the wounds and allow her to move on with her life? Anna also feels it is time to ask her mother precisely who her father is as she wants to make contact with him and find out his side of the story.
This is an interesting story, narrated by Anna herself. I felt I never really got to know Anna - as though she is somehow standing in her own light and holding a lot back from the reader. I did enjoy reading the book and it is well written though I felt the ending was a little bit too neat after all the angst which had gone before.
Believable characters and situations and an evocative portrait of Oxford life make this more than the average women's fiction novel and it may cause the reader to question the choices they made in their own life and ask whether one should ever go back. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.
August 26, 2016
I enjoyed the mystery in this book and was totally engrossed in learning more about each of the characters, particularly when the story recalled their University days. It was a very realistic setting and I easily imagined myself as part of the group as the tale unfolded.
April 27, 2017
Enjoyed this one, will for sure read more books by Alison Mercer.
February 3, 2014
Originally posted on: http://lauraslittlebookblog.blogspot....
When I first started reading this, I was gripped. I just had to find out what was so bad that had happened to Anna that had caused her to cut all ties with her university friends.
The novel is written in five parts and flits back and forth from Anna in present day to Anna as a university student. Reading older Anna and younger Anna you can see how what happened to her has changed her. As a uni student she is more carefree and happy to embrace whatever comes, but as a woman in her thirties, you can see how closed-up and untrusting she has become.
Everything in this had a raw kind of quality to it. The emotions and the way that the characters spoke to each other seemed sometimes so coldly honest and direct. As a reader you are never unsure of what each character is thinking.
I liked how Alison cleverly alluded to what had happened to Anna with snippets of conversation between characters in the present day. They say enough to let you know something bad did happen, but never enough to completely give it away. You are left to try and make up your own mind as to what happened. The novel did lose its pace slightly for me in the middle and I did get a little frustrated, but my need to find out the secret kept me going, and the novel did start to pick up pace again.
I loved the setting of Oxford university. Really wish I had been clever enough to go there. It just sounded so picturesque and full of history and intrigue.
A great storyline idea, full of intrigue and suspense in places that should carry you to the very last page.
When I first started reading this, I was gripped. I just had to find out what was so bad that had happened to Anna that had caused her to cut all ties with her university friends.
The novel is written in five parts and flits back and forth from Anna in present day to Anna as a university student. Reading older Anna and younger Anna you can see how what happened to her has changed her. As a uni student she is more carefree and happy to embrace whatever comes, but as a woman in her thirties, you can see how closed-up and untrusting she has become.
Everything in this had a raw kind of quality to it. The emotions and the way that the characters spoke to each other seemed sometimes so coldly honest and direct. As a reader you are never unsure of what each character is thinking.
I liked how Alison cleverly alluded to what had happened to Anna with snippets of conversation between characters in the present day. They say enough to let you know something bad did happen, but never enough to completely give it away. You are left to try and make up your own mind as to what happened. The novel did lose its pace slightly for me in the middle and I did get a little frustrated, but my need to find out the secret kept me going, and the novel did start to pick up pace again.
I loved the setting of Oxford university. Really wish I had been clever enough to go there. It just sounded so picturesque and full of history and intrigue.
A great storyline idea, full of intrigue and suspense in places that should carry you to the very last page.
January 5, 2014
When Anna bumps into Victor, an old flame from her Oxford University years, the past she has tried hard to forget begins to catch up with her. Betrayed by her best friends, carrying heartache and secrets, she faces up to the past as she attempts to shape her future.
I loved this story from the first chapter. Anna and her companions felt like friends, people you would know or could imagine knowing, they were portrayed so realistically. The setting of Oxford was also wonderfully descriptive. Each character was well written, flaws and all, but Clarissa and Keith really stood out. Clarissa for her bold, brash,'I'll take what I want' nature, and Keith for his sensitively portrayed depression. I have to say his revelation towards the end surprised me as well, it wasn't the twist I was expecting!
At the heart of the story is Anna and Victor's romance, wonderfully paced, it kept me on tenterhooks wondering if they would have an opportunity to get back together. Much more than chick-lit, this was a thoroughly gripping story with romance at it's core.
*I was sent a free copy of this book by the publishers in return for an honest review.
I loved this story from the first chapter. Anna and her companions felt like friends, people you would know or could imagine knowing, they were portrayed so realistically. The setting of Oxford was also wonderfully descriptive. Each character was well written, flaws and all, but Clarissa and Keith really stood out. Clarissa for her bold, brash,'I'll take what I want' nature, and Keith for his sensitively portrayed depression. I have to say his revelation towards the end surprised me as well, it wasn't the twist I was expecting!
At the heart of the story is Anna and Victor's romance, wonderfully paced, it kept me on tenterhooks wondering if they would have an opportunity to get back together. Much more than chick-lit, this was a thoroughly gripping story with romance at it's core.
*I was sent a free copy of this book by the publishers in return for an honest review.
February 21, 2014
This book is for anyone who has had a striking relationship when young and ever looked back. That's the case with Anna, the heroine of this novel, in one of the most intelligent love stories of recent times.
I was going to write it's for anyone who's been to university, as it's at Oxford that Anna has her first failed love that kind of sets her on a trajectory for life, but it's not really that (although anyone interested in 1990s undergraduate scene or has lived it will know this book is exceptionally true). It's her mastery of the small detail - the funny and absurd - that make you so confident she won't flinch from greater and more painful truths when they come.
The tone of this voice and the setting is very new: for my generation it feels exhilerating to hear our experiences relayed so frankly (think Girls for the late 30s crowd). But even if you're not finding yourself in your 40s wondering about romantic paths not taken, you will find a lot to enjoy in this wonderful immersive book - real life, only much much better.
I was going to write it's for anyone who's been to university, as it's at Oxford that Anna has her first failed love that kind of sets her on a trajectory for life, but it's not really that (although anyone interested in 1990s undergraduate scene or has lived it will know this book is exceptionally true). It's her mastery of the small detail - the funny and absurd - that make you so confident she won't flinch from greater and more painful truths when they come.
The tone of this voice and the setting is very new: for my generation it feels exhilerating to hear our experiences relayed so frankly (think Girls for the late 30s crowd). But even if you're not finding yourself in your 40s wondering about romantic paths not taken, you will find a lot to enjoy in this wonderful immersive book - real life, only much much better.
September 3, 2014
Anna has not been back to Oxford since her last summer at university, seventeen years ago ... Then a chance meeting on a rainy day in London brings her past tumbling back into her present, and Anna is faced with remembering the events of that summer and the people she left behind.
This is a well told story of first loves, betrayal and how the past never leaves us. The characters are well drawn and the depiction of University life, especially in the way that friendships wax and wane brought back many personal memories. I like the way the story is told in alternating sections, contrasting the past with the present. It helps to build up the mounting suspense to a reveal that was not what I was expecting.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by the author.
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in return for an honest review.
This is a well told story of first loves, betrayal and how the past never leaves us. The characters are well drawn and the depiction of University life, especially in the way that friendships wax and wane brought back many personal memories. I like the way the story is told in alternating sections, contrasting the past with the present. It helps to build up the mounting suspense to a reveal that was not what I was expecting.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by the author.
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in return for an honest review.
January 25, 2014
After I Left You is one of those rare books that stays with you long after you have finished reading it. The author, Alison Mercer, is definitely one to watch. I was lucky enough to receive an advance proof copy (I also read her first novel Stop The Clock). I was enthralled by After I Left You from beginning to end. The secret at the heart of the book (I won't spoil it) kept me reading well past my bedtime. The writing is faultless - crisp, clean and effortless - and the characters well drawn. Alison Mercer is masterly in her handling of friendship and love. The book constantly surprised me, kept me guessing, and I loved the time shifts from the present to the past and back again. Pick up this book, you will not be disappointed - hey, it might even change your life.
June 12, 2014
I simply couldn't put it down! Totally hooked from the first page, the characters jumped out of the story and were quite real to me, it was so beautifully written. I immersed myself in the Oxford of Anna and her friends, enjoying their company enormously.
Knowing Oxford well, I was a little disappointed that the college St Barts isn't real and neither are other places the students visit...but it was a short lived disappointment and I could visualise St Barts perfectly well in my imagination!
I will have no hesitation recommending Alison Mercer and now look forward to reading her first novel 'Stop the Clock'
Knowing Oxford well, I was a little disappointed that the college St Barts isn't real and neither are other places the students visit...but it was a short lived disappointment and I could visualise St Barts perfectly well in my imagination!
I will have no hesitation recommending Alison Mercer and now look forward to reading her first novel 'Stop the Clock'
September 7, 2014
The mystery behind Anna's past life was slowly revealed but not so slowly that I lost interest. When she revealed the underlying issues to her father, it was at just the right time to just the right person. I found it really heartbreaking to think that if this one thing hadn't happened, then the other things might not have happened either. Keith was written just right, and I hope that others in his situation have friends who can help.
March 19, 2015
Randomly picked this book up at the library and didn't expect it to be quite a good read.
I liked the pacing of the book and how Anna's mysterious, haunting past slowly unfolds. Ultimately, facing her demons and rebooting her life. A hopeful little book, that's easy to read and emotional.
It reminds us that we are all humans, life is not without regret, as it is with hope. A rather nice read for the weekend.
I liked the pacing of the book and how Anna's mysterious, haunting past slowly unfolds. Ultimately, facing her demons and rebooting her life. A hopeful little book, that's easy to read and emotional.
It reminds us that we are all humans, life is not without regret, as it is with hope. A rather nice read for the weekend.
April 9, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There was a certain amount of interest on a personal level due to the main character's circumstances and where the book was set, but even without that, it is written in such a way as making the reader want to keep reading on and find out how the various pieces fit together...
September 14, 2014
A good easy read loved the story of student life and the full circle it went into adult life . I didn't put it down once I'd got into it
August 26, 2014
I loved this book, it was welcoming from the start and easy to get into. I couldn't put it down.
July 4, 2020
Easily paced story. Quite rushed towards the end. About a group of friends who, now grown up, have drifted apart due to previous happenings. Author tries to glimpse into how the protagonist is coping with revisiting past issues. Even after the conclusion, story feels unfinished, slightly unfulfilling. I think author was trying to show that the protagonist came to terms with her past, but the resolution to the promise at the start of the book felt weak.
April 14, 2023
I literally read this book in one day. It took me a little while to get into it as I was a little confused but it was a very gripping and amazing book. I go to University College Oxford so it was surreal seeing it described as St Barty's in the book and seeing so many of my experiences written down. All in all, a very easy read
March 6, 2017
Really enjoyed this book, especially the main character, Anna. A good read!
February 6, 2014
I have a been a fan of Alison Mercer’s writing since reading and falling in love with her first book Stop The Clock. Knowing how much I had loved that book, I was ever so excited to start After I Left You.
Anna has not been back to Oxford since she was at University 17 years ago, and she hasn’t seen the friends from there that she thought would be in her life forever. And Anna has tried her best to forget about her time spent there, the betrayal, the secrets, and the last night she spent with them. But on a rainy day in London Anna has a chance meeting, in the form of old flame Victor, forcing her to face everything in her past…
Alison Mercer is a wonderful storyteller, and she definitely knows how to keep her readers hanging on to every word she writes. I became completely lost in what I was reading and it was impossible to put down. I was particularly interested to know what had happened to Anna at university. Why had she cut off contact with her friends? What is the secret that she has been carrying around? I was completely gripped to the pages wanting to know more.
In the story, we go back and forth between Anna in the present day and Anna during her time at university. This wasn’t confusing at all and the story flowed beautifully from one chapter to the next.
The characters were fascinating, they were all so realistic and just jumped from the pages. I could really feel the emotion in Anna and the other characters, it was very raw and very realistic. The relationships between Anna and her friends at university were very complex, at times quite intense and I could relate to that. When you’re at college or university, the people around you become YOUR LIFE, and it does get strong and intense, so if anything happens the pain is that much more. It was interesting to read about the contrast in Anna’s life, from her time at university where she is happier and surrounded by friends to her in the present where she is less trusting of others and still carrying a secret around. I really felt for Anna and I was hooked to the story wanting to find out what had happened in her past and to see how she would move forward with her future.
I loved Anna and Victor’s story the most, it was so well-written and I thoroughly enjoyed those scenes. I tried guessing events along the way, but there were many twists that I did not see coming, and so I was left very surprised on a few occasions.
After I Left You is a very compelling novel that will have you turning the pages and always wanting to find out more.
Anna has not been back to Oxford since she was at University 17 years ago, and she hasn’t seen the friends from there that she thought would be in her life forever. And Anna has tried her best to forget about her time spent there, the betrayal, the secrets, and the last night she spent with them. But on a rainy day in London Anna has a chance meeting, in the form of old flame Victor, forcing her to face everything in her past…
Alison Mercer is a wonderful storyteller, and she definitely knows how to keep her readers hanging on to every word she writes. I became completely lost in what I was reading and it was impossible to put down. I was particularly interested to know what had happened to Anna at university. Why had she cut off contact with her friends? What is the secret that she has been carrying around? I was completely gripped to the pages wanting to know more.
In the story, we go back and forth between Anna in the present day and Anna during her time at university. This wasn’t confusing at all and the story flowed beautifully from one chapter to the next.
The characters were fascinating, they were all so realistic and just jumped from the pages. I could really feel the emotion in Anna and the other characters, it was very raw and very realistic. The relationships between Anna and her friends at university were very complex, at times quite intense and I could relate to that. When you’re at college or university, the people around you become YOUR LIFE, and it does get strong and intense, so if anything happens the pain is that much more. It was interesting to read about the contrast in Anna’s life, from her time at university where she is happier and surrounded by friends to her in the present where she is less trusting of others and still carrying a secret around. I really felt for Anna and I was hooked to the story wanting to find out what had happened in her past and to see how she would move forward with her future.
I loved Anna and Victor’s story the most, it was so well-written and I thoroughly enjoyed those scenes. I tried guessing events along the way, but there were many twists that I did not see coming, and so I was left very surprised on a few occasions.
After I Left You is a very compelling novel that will have you turning the pages and always wanting to find out more.
October 24, 2014
When I spotted Alison Mercer’s second novel After I Left You on Netgalley, I requested it immediately. I had heard good things about Mercer’s debut novel Stop The Clock, and I quite liked the sound of After I Left You so I couldn’t wait to give it a read and see for myself what Alison’s writing was like. I decided to dive in after finishing my latest read, which was a young adult novel, and I felt like I needed to read a bit of Chick Lit, for a change. A bit more of a serious novel, too, by all accounts. It definitely wasn’t my usual fare, and I admit that I now question why I carried on reading the novel because it wasn’t really my kind of book.
After I Left You, as I said, is quite serious. My initial impressions were that quite clearly something terrible had happened to Anna at Oxford, something that meant she never went to reunions and didn’t socialise with anyone she had met there, despite an apparent close relationship. Everything pointed to something unspeakable, mostly because Anna’s boyfriend in the present tells her she’s like a closed book, there’s always something she’s leaving out, and that was very true. I was quite curious as to what had happened, and I sort of wished the reveal had come much sooner than it did, which was near to the end of the novel. By that time, I had guessed the outcome, and it was no longer a surprise. Everything that I suspected turned out to be true and it was a bit disappointing really.
I just thought the entire novel was incredibly slow. I’m reading another book at the moment that is also slow and it just feels like time has slowed, almost to a stop. I wanted there to be a bit more action, I wanted Anna to get the guts to tell us what had gone on. I did feel that when the novel switched to the past, switched to Anna’s first term at Oxford, that it picked up, and I did enjoy learning how she came to be part of the group of friends she did, with Clarissa, Victor, Meg, Keith, Barnaby, but I soon found myself bored and so from about the 40% mark, I just skim-read the rest of the novel. It was a shame, I wanted to enjoy the book but I just did not. It will have its fans, I’m sure, but I prefer pacier novels, novels that get secrets out in the open quite sharpish and don’t leave you hanging for ages. After I Left You did that, and I just finished it feeling unsatisfied and a bit disappointed, which was a shame because I wanted to like it, very much.
After I Left You, as I said, is quite serious. My initial impressions were that quite clearly something terrible had happened to Anna at Oxford, something that meant she never went to reunions and didn’t socialise with anyone she had met there, despite an apparent close relationship. Everything pointed to something unspeakable, mostly because Anna’s boyfriend in the present tells her she’s like a closed book, there’s always something she’s leaving out, and that was very true. I was quite curious as to what had happened, and I sort of wished the reveal had come much sooner than it did, which was near to the end of the novel. By that time, I had guessed the outcome, and it was no longer a surprise. Everything that I suspected turned out to be true and it was a bit disappointing really.
I just thought the entire novel was incredibly slow. I’m reading another book at the moment that is also slow and it just feels like time has slowed, almost to a stop. I wanted there to be a bit more action, I wanted Anna to get the guts to tell us what had gone on. I did feel that when the novel switched to the past, switched to Anna’s first term at Oxford, that it picked up, and I did enjoy learning how she came to be part of the group of friends she did, with Clarissa, Victor, Meg, Keith, Barnaby, but I soon found myself bored and so from about the 40% mark, I just skim-read the rest of the novel. It was a shame, I wanted to enjoy the book but I just did not. It will have its fans, I’m sure, but I prefer pacier novels, novels that get secrets out in the open quite sharpish and don’t leave you hanging for ages. After I Left You did that, and I just finished it feeling unsatisfied and a bit disappointed, which was a shame because I wanted to like it, very much.
February 4, 2014
Review originally posted to my blog:
http://www.pagetostagereviews.com/201...
Anna hasn't seen the friends from her days at Oxford since graduating from university nearly two decades before. She has tried her hardest to put that part of her life behind her but when she bumps into old flame Victor, lingering feelings instantly bubble up and the past she so desperately tried to forget about comes tumbling back and crashing into the rather dull but safe life she has build for herself. The unexpected meeting and the emotional impact it has on her leave her with no other choice than to finally face that which made her run away from her old life in the first place.
Through flashbacks and the reconnection of Anna to some of her old friends, author Alison Mercer weaves an intricate web of intrigue and secrets which has the reader gripped from the moment they venture into Anna's past. Even though the major event alluded to throughout the novel was one I saw coming from the very first moment it was mentioned on the page, there were still plenty of unexpected twists and turns to keep the reader on the edge of his or her seat. One in particular took me by surprise but certainly explained Anna's more than hesitant attitude towards one of the people she cut off contact with.
The close knit friends made for an unusual group of people to bond so quickly and so intensely, yet their inseparability also made perfect sense. On their own feet for the first time in their young lives they needed each other to lean on and to make sense of the harder parts of growing up and being independent. This in particular made it so profound that Anna cut all ties straight after graduation and it meant that nearly twenty years later she was still struggling to find her own place in the world.
Even if the reader's own university days weren't quite as tumultuous as Anna's, it isn't difficult to understand the conflicting feelings and other issues she's struggling with. The strong emotions that go hand in hand with first love and the transition from adolescence to adulthood were portrayed very realistically and were easy to identify with, making this a very relatable contemporary novel. Add to that a healthy dose of intrigue and you've got yourself a riveting read which will have any reader hooked until the final page.
http://www.pagetostagereviews.com/201...
Anna hasn't seen the friends from her days at Oxford since graduating from university nearly two decades before. She has tried her hardest to put that part of her life behind her but when she bumps into old flame Victor, lingering feelings instantly bubble up and the past she so desperately tried to forget about comes tumbling back and crashing into the rather dull but safe life she has build for herself. The unexpected meeting and the emotional impact it has on her leave her with no other choice than to finally face that which made her run away from her old life in the first place.
Through flashbacks and the reconnection of Anna to some of her old friends, author Alison Mercer weaves an intricate web of intrigue and secrets which has the reader gripped from the moment they venture into Anna's past. Even though the major event alluded to throughout the novel was one I saw coming from the very first moment it was mentioned on the page, there were still plenty of unexpected twists and turns to keep the reader on the edge of his or her seat. One in particular took me by surprise but certainly explained Anna's more than hesitant attitude towards one of the people she cut off contact with.
The close knit friends made for an unusual group of people to bond so quickly and so intensely, yet their inseparability also made perfect sense. On their own feet for the first time in their young lives they needed each other to lean on and to make sense of the harder parts of growing up and being independent. This in particular made it so profound that Anna cut all ties straight after graduation and it meant that nearly twenty years later she was still struggling to find her own place in the world.
Even if the reader's own university days weren't quite as tumultuous as Anna's, it isn't difficult to understand the conflicting feelings and other issues she's struggling with. The strong emotions that go hand in hand with first love and the transition from adolescence to adulthood were portrayed very realistically and were easy to identify with, making this a very relatable contemporary novel. Add to that a healthy dose of intrigue and you've got yourself a riveting read which will have any reader hooked until the final page.
June 20, 2014
Anna Jones is 18 years old and has been accepted into the prodigious Oxford University to read English. As she embarks on this new educational adventure she knows no one, she is shy and a little unsure of herself and she doesn't seem to fit in with the elite circle of students compromised by Victor, Meg, Barnaby, Clarissa and Keith; that is until one day she is invited into the fold.
However, things - and people - aren't necessarily all that they seem.
After I Left You is a story steeped in mystery and intrigue. It is told from two different time perspectives yet both from the protagonist Anna's point of view. Throughout the novel Mercer maintains the suspense and keeps the reader wanting to read the next chapter to find out what is about to happen. She has created a wonderful cast of characters that you can love and hate in equal measure as she masterfully reveals their idiosyncratic quirks and traits.
What Mercer manages to do is give you a fly on the wall perspective of what life appears to be like in a prodigious college atmosphere. If I had to liken it to another book I would say that After I Left You has the same mood and allure of The Secret History but in a much more accessible way. The secrets and lies naturally draw you in as the lives of the privileged few eek out onto the page.
One thing that initially did take me by surprise was the speedy exposition. There is no gentle ride to the main drama of the story. From the first page you are thrown in. I wasn’t expecting that, however, on reflection it was necessary. Within the first few lines Anna is confronted with her past, a past that she has, up until now, managed to leave there. For me, this made the story more real. We didn’t get to wistfully become acquainted with Anna and then hit with a stumbling block; it all came as part of one big package. We learn about whom Anna is, her past and her present all at the same time.
This really is a wonderful read and the descriptive nature of Mercer's writing paints a gorgeous picture. I am looking forward to reading other her other novels and seeing what else she is capable of.
However, things - and people - aren't necessarily all that they seem.
After I Left You is a story steeped in mystery and intrigue. It is told from two different time perspectives yet both from the protagonist Anna's point of view. Throughout the novel Mercer maintains the suspense and keeps the reader wanting to read the next chapter to find out what is about to happen. She has created a wonderful cast of characters that you can love and hate in equal measure as she masterfully reveals their idiosyncratic quirks and traits.
What Mercer manages to do is give you a fly on the wall perspective of what life appears to be like in a prodigious college atmosphere. If I had to liken it to another book I would say that After I Left You has the same mood and allure of The Secret History but in a much more accessible way. The secrets and lies naturally draw you in as the lives of the privileged few eek out onto the page.
One thing that initially did take me by surprise was the speedy exposition. There is no gentle ride to the main drama of the story. From the first page you are thrown in. I wasn’t expecting that, however, on reflection it was necessary. Within the first few lines Anna is confronted with her past, a past that she has, up until now, managed to leave there. For me, this made the story more real. We didn’t get to wistfully become acquainted with Anna and then hit with a stumbling block; it all came as part of one big package. We learn about whom Anna is, her past and her present all at the same time.
This really is a wonderful read and the descriptive nature of Mercer's writing paints a gorgeous picture. I am looking forward to reading other her other novels and seeing what else she is capable of.
July 16, 2014
Das wunderschöne Cover des Romans “Und dann, eines Tages” von Alison Mercer fällt sofort ins Auge und gibt zumindest optisch schon viel her – der Inhalt ist aber durchaus turbulenter als das Cover vermuten lässt:
Als Anna mit 18 Jahren nach Oxford geht, um mit ihrem Anglistikstudium anzufangen, glaubt sie am Anfang einer aufregenden Zeit zu sein. Schon bald findet sie in der berühmten Clarissa, der gütigen Meg, dem blassen Keith und dem gutaussehenden Victor gute Freunde. Mit Victor findet sie sogar ihre erste große Liebe. Doch bis zu ihrem Abschluss ereignen sich allerlei Dinge, die Anna in der Zeit danach am liebsten vergessen möchte. Eines Tages trifft sie jedoch wieder auf Victor und stellt sich schließlich ihren Erinnerungen.
Anfangs habe ich Annas Geschichte gerne gelesen, doch mit der Zeit werden immer wieder Andeutungen auf ein prägendes Ereignis in der Vergangenheit gemacht. Auch wenn diese den Leser bestimmt neugierig machen, führen sie nach einer Weile aber leider zu dem Gefühl, dass sich die Handlung kaum noch entwickelt. Gerade rechtzeitig kommt der Sprung in die Vergangenheit und es wird beschrieben, wie Anna im College ankommt und wie sie ihre Freunde kennenlernt. So besteht die Handlung aus insgesamt fünf Teilen, die jeweils abwechselnd in der Gegenwart und in der Vergangenheit spielen.
Trotz der Perspektivwechsel fand ich die Handlung viel zu langatmig. Die Autorin erzählt zu viel und vor allem recht unnötige Dinge, auch den Handlungsstrang mit Annas Suche nach ihrem leiblichen Vater fand ich unpassend zur eigentlichen Handlung, auch, da dieser so gar nicht zum Rest passt und bis zum Ende hin nicht wirklich abgeschlossen wird. Anna als Protagonistin war mir zunächst zwar recht sympathisch, wenn auch recht durchschnittlich, doch gerade in der zweiten Hälfte des Romans wurde sie mir immer unsympathischer, da ich ihre Handlungen absolut nicht nachvollziehen konnte.
Was eine leichte und romantische Lektüre zu sein scheint, entpuppt sich leider als eine relativ langatmige und schwere Geschichte von einer Gruppe Studienfreunde, die zwei Jahrzehnte nach ihrem Abschluss immer noch mit den Fehlern ihrer Vergangenheit zu kämpfen haben.
Als Anna mit 18 Jahren nach Oxford geht, um mit ihrem Anglistikstudium anzufangen, glaubt sie am Anfang einer aufregenden Zeit zu sein. Schon bald findet sie in der berühmten Clarissa, der gütigen Meg, dem blassen Keith und dem gutaussehenden Victor gute Freunde. Mit Victor findet sie sogar ihre erste große Liebe. Doch bis zu ihrem Abschluss ereignen sich allerlei Dinge, die Anna in der Zeit danach am liebsten vergessen möchte. Eines Tages trifft sie jedoch wieder auf Victor und stellt sich schließlich ihren Erinnerungen.
Anfangs habe ich Annas Geschichte gerne gelesen, doch mit der Zeit werden immer wieder Andeutungen auf ein prägendes Ereignis in der Vergangenheit gemacht. Auch wenn diese den Leser bestimmt neugierig machen, führen sie nach einer Weile aber leider zu dem Gefühl, dass sich die Handlung kaum noch entwickelt. Gerade rechtzeitig kommt der Sprung in die Vergangenheit und es wird beschrieben, wie Anna im College ankommt und wie sie ihre Freunde kennenlernt. So besteht die Handlung aus insgesamt fünf Teilen, die jeweils abwechselnd in der Gegenwart und in der Vergangenheit spielen.
Trotz der Perspektivwechsel fand ich die Handlung viel zu langatmig. Die Autorin erzählt zu viel und vor allem recht unnötige Dinge, auch den Handlungsstrang mit Annas Suche nach ihrem leiblichen Vater fand ich unpassend zur eigentlichen Handlung, auch, da dieser so gar nicht zum Rest passt und bis zum Ende hin nicht wirklich abgeschlossen wird. Anna als Protagonistin war mir zunächst zwar recht sympathisch, wenn auch recht durchschnittlich, doch gerade in der zweiten Hälfte des Romans wurde sie mir immer unsympathischer, da ich ihre Handlungen absolut nicht nachvollziehen konnte.
Was eine leichte und romantische Lektüre zu sein scheint, entpuppt sich leider als eine relativ langatmige und schwere Geschichte von einer Gruppe Studienfreunde, die zwei Jahrzehnte nach ihrem Abschluss immer noch mit den Fehlern ihrer Vergangenheit zu kämpfen haben.
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