Christian Fiction Devourers discussion
Archived Group Reads 2014
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March- Additional Group Read Discussion on The Dancing Master
I've only read one of Julie's books, The Maid of Fairbourne Hall. I thought it was OK, but certainly not the best book I've ever read. I thought it was slow in some places. Took me a lot longer to finish that one than I would have liked.
Elizabeth wrote: "I've only read one of Julie's books, The Maid of Fairbourne Hall. I thought it was OK, but certainly not the best book I've ever read. I thought it was slow in some places. Took me ..."I felt that way about The Girl in the Gatehouse. It took much longer than usual to finish it. Very excited about this one!!
I've read all of her books thus far, and loved both of the ones you ladies mentioned :) But my favorite by far is Lady of Milkweed Manor.My least favorite is probably The Apothecary's Daughter, but not because I thought it was slow...I was more aggravated with the characters at times ;) But I still enjoyed it and was glad I read it.
I'd be surprised to read a Klassen novel that I didn't like or thought was just okay, because the time period and the settings are among my favorites. I can't wait to get to this one either!
I kinda love it how we all have different opinions on our favorites and least favorites- "to each one's own". I haven't read all of hers but have enjoyed the books that I have read - I think because I love the heavy Jane Austen influence and how she takes a "bad character" from an Austen book and bases the new story on that character and seeks to redeem her like the Girl in the Gatehouse- she was taking the "Mariah" character from Mansfield Park and making a way for her out of her predicament. I kinda like that theme- we all need second chances, right ? :) I have the Dancing Master in my hot little hands and am trying to hurry up and finish another book that is for my book club read and then I will launch into this one! :)
Definitely agree, Cheryl! I've noticed that Lady of Milkweed Manor is not widely a favorite but I loved it. I love seeing all of the different thoughts.I also forgot about The Silent Governess - I really enjoyed that one too!
I loved The Maid of Fairbourne Hall and The Girl in the Gatehouse and really enjoyed The Tutor's Daughter. I still have a couple of Julie's books still to read, which is the benefit of discovering an author once they have a few novels under their belt ;) I'm not sure if I'll get the chance to read this one right now, but I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts! The reviews on this one seem a bit torn, which intrigues me.
Oh I forgot about The Tutor's Daughter! I loved that one :) She added a touch of Gothic mystery to that one :) Loved it!And I will have to check out the reviews and see what the thoughts are.. Thanks for the heads up Rachel!
From what I've read, there seem to be some people who loved this book, and others who thought it wasn't up to her usual standards in terms of the romance or the likeability of the heroine. I've been debating spending one of my Audible credits on this one but the disparity in reviews leaves me a little baffled! Which side will I fall on, you know? Anyway, the discussions on here are usually useful in helping me figure out if I'll like a book or not :)
I haven't read any of her books, other than The Girl in the Gatehouse, which I absolutely LOVED! I look forward to reading more of her books. I'm still in the upper teens on the hold list for The Dancing Master, but I know it will be worth it!!!! :)
This was my first book by Julie Klassen and I loved it! The characters were so likeable and well-developed and the plot intrigued me. Definitely not my last by her!
Rachel wrote: "From what I've read, there seem to be some people who loved this book, and others who thought it wasn't up to her usual standards in terms of the romance or the likeability of the heroine. I've bee..."Rachel, I did myself a great disservice because I started with audiobooks for Julie Klassen and love listening to her books so much, I listened to all of them instead of reading them. I am using my audible credit this month on this group read. Even when I have not been as taken with one of her books, I still find that I enjoy her writing style and the historical details she adds. The narrators have been absolutely wonderful, so I suggest you try it and see if you like it. I have not been disappointed in the audiobooks yet.
Kalena wrote: "Rachel wrote: "From what I've read, there seem to be some people who loved this book, and others who thought it wasn't up to her usual standards in terms of the romance or the likeability of the he..."I listened to a sample for this audiobook, and the narrator sounds fantastic--perfect for the period and genre! So I may well join in with this group read after all :)
Nice- I think I'm gonna check my library and see if they have the audio version :)
While it may not be my favorite of Julie's books, I personally enjoyed The Dancing Master very much. She is so good at bringing the Regency era alive through characterization and setting, and I just like her writing style. It's long and the heroine isn't all that likeable, until you begin to understand more about her background. But rather than say more here, read my review and see what you think . . .http://booksmusicandlife.blogspot.com...
The two other books I've read are The Silent Governess and The Tutor's Daughter. While I enjoyed both, I think The Silent Governess is my favorite so far.
Rachel wrote: "Kalena wrote: "Rachel wrote: "From what I've read, there seem to be some people who loved this book, and others who thought it wasn't up to her usual standards in terms of the romance or the likeab..."Great! I am a sucker for good narration--plus it is something I can "read" while I do other things. I usually have 1 or 2 audiobooks going (1 for the car, 1 for the house). Enjoy!
Still waiting for it as I was #5 on the list for the e-book.
Ok, I have to ask since our book is The Dancing Master- are any of you dancers, or have you ever taken dance lessons, or are you like Loraine and me and a fan of "Dancing with the Stars"?I have 2 daughters (15 and 16) that are lovely ballerinas and it is a joy to watch them dance ;)- are any of your kids/grandkids dancers of any kind?
Two of my three nieces took ballet, when they were little - 5 or 6. Soo cute to watch at that age! They are now 10 & 12 & are awesome gymnasts - which is great to see also! It's amazing the feats they accomplish, back hand springs, aerials - cartwheels with not hands and many others! I'm starting to get into this season's Dancing With the Stars. I'm looking forward to seeing how the ice dancers Meryl & Charlie do!
Cheryl, it must be a delight to see your daughters dance!
Although I'm a musician, I seem to be lacking when it comes to dancing ability, Cheryl! Dance lessons in the 7th grade were painful, but I did like the polka when we had a quarter of dance in Phys Ed.Like you, I'm an avid fan of "Dancing with the Stars" and also "So You Think You Can Dance." I like things that interpret music (figure skating also), and ballroom dancing does it beautifully.
Speaking of DWTS, I thought last night's show was wonderful!
Christine- Yes, I adore watching my girl's dance. They dance at a Christian studio, so that gives their dance even more meaning as the ballet's always have spiritual content to them!And as for DWTS- I thought it was a great show as well- although I do miss the orchestra. I felt that the new co-host Erin Andrews did a great job- she was quick on her feet with her responses, no pun intended. And the dancing was wonderful!
Cheryl, I just found out about a Christian dance studio not far from where we live, which is pretty exciting! I've never been to anything like that before, although I used to attend a church where dance was included as part of worship. I've taken various dance classes over the years--disco, tap, ballet, etc--and although I really enjoy it, I mainly dance for fun, not to perform. I was really into ballet as a child and I've made my husband promise that he'll take me to see a live ballet some day :)
Rachel- I just took my 2 ballerina's to see Sleeping Beauty for my youngest daughter's birthday gift. It was so lovely- the costumes, sets, and the dancing was amazing! The only other ballet that I have gone to with my girls over the year's is The Nutcracker :) - I guess I must like Tchaicovsky :)
I was a dancer for many years, all growing up and in college as well - ballet, tap and jazz primarily :) I loved it so much, and I miss it a lot.I really want to go to a ballet!
Cheryl wrote: "Ok, I have to ask since our book is The Dancing Master- are any of you dancers, or have you ever taken dance lessons, or are you like Loraine and me and a fan of "Dancing with the Stars"?I have ..."
Took ballet, tap, jazz and Hawaiian growing up. Love DWTS and think this will be another good season. The last ballet I went to was the Nutcracker in Houston. Really enjoyed it.
Cheryl wrote: "Christine- Yes, I adore watching my girl's dance. They dance at a Christian studio, so that gives their dance even more meaning as the ballet's always have spiritual content to them!And as for DW..."
I miss the orchestra too but did like Erin as co-host. Other than the 3 older dancers who will have to push a bit harder the others seem pretty evenly matched and it looks to be a great season.
I read this back in January. What are your thoughts on Julia?
I have not finished reading this book yet- I've been on the slow track with reading this as my time has been a little more limited and I felt like this book has started off a little slow for me.As for Julia- not sure yet- I am only like 130 pages into it, she isn't the most lovable heroine yet, but I am thankful that the author seems to be slowly unraveling her story and I think I know the direction she is going. I think I will hide my next statement because it might be construed as a spoiler. (view spoiler). I will give you more thoughts on Julia when I finish the book. Honestly at this point I am way more interested in Alec and his point of view than I am in Julia's- we will see how things play out though.
I actually liked Alec more than I thought I would.
I have finished reading The Dancing Master. Julie Klassen won me over to Alec & Julia. As I began to understand them better, I became endeared to them. Lady Amelia was the most pleasant surprise throughout the story as her vulnerability was gradually revealed hidden beneath such a harsh exterior.
Cheryl wrote: "I have not finished reading this book yet- I've been on the slow track with reading this as my time has been a little more limited and I felt like this book has started off a little slow for me.A..."
I am with you, Cheryl. This has been a slow-go for me although I do have a lot of things keeping me busy. I hope it picks up...
Ok- just finished the book (finally). And here is my take- I really liked it. Like I said it was a bit slow for me to start and I will note that in many reviews on this book many did not like the character of Julia. However, I will say that as you learn more and more about the character of Julia, it becomes very evident why she acts as she does- sort of the whole idea of "looking for love in all the wrong places" kind of deal. I thought it was so interesting that initially the reader is liking Alec more than Julia and his story, etc, but towards the end of the novel as you learn more about Julia and her storyline it's less about Alec and more about Julia. I think the author did a great job with this- it's kind of a risky tactic to take- sort of make your heroine rather unlikable at first and then the reader gradually warms up to her, but as the tangled story unweaves itself I found myself really liking it.
Cheryl, thanks for your comments! I think I'm going to take the plunge and get this one from Audible. I've read some great books where the heroine starts out totally unlikable, but the way in which the author turns you over into sympathising with her makes the journey all the more enjoyable. A plain unlikable character with no excuses or motivations isn't appealing, but finding out why someone acts a certain way definitely is.
I finished it last night and want to come back and comment a bit more, but I LOVED it! I agree with everything you said about Julia, Cheryl.Personally I think this plot is one of the tightest and well-written of Julie's books. There weren't any loose ends, etc.
Julia reminded me a bit of Emma Woodhouse and Marianne Dashwood. I'm a bit surprised by the complaints about how unlikable she is - the reader is not supposed to like her, that's part of the point of the story. I though her change of character was wonderful to watch.I also thought Alec was a different type of male lead, and it was refreshing to get a lot of the story from his perspective. I don't think all male leads have to be big, muscle men to come across as manly. He fit his occupation as well as the time period of the story.
John Desmond and Lady Amelia ended up being two of my favorite characters. Their story was so bittersweet and very well-done :)
***Spoiler comments***If you have not read the book- you might not want to read my comments below-I agree I really liked John Desmond and Lady Amelia as well Beth. I think that when you get all of the pieces of the story you see that truly everyone was really doing the best they could with what they knew and what they thought was best for others. On the surface Lady Amelia appeared shut up tight and unloving but there was a LOT going on with her and as you find out the whole story you see she was operating under a lot of strain , feeling betrayed by her sister, an unloving husband, a lost chance of love with John Desmond- all the grief of losing her brother, sister, father and later husband. My goodness the poor woman went through a lot!
And poor John- that man living as an outcast his entire life. Probably one of my favorite scenes in the whole book was when Amelia stood up in church in the middle of the sermon and exonerated John from guilt- it was a wonderful scene of conviction of the Holy spirit and all of her feelings bubbling up to finally set the record straight- loved that scene!
And finally, I think that Julie Klassen wrote an intelligent and realistic scene when Julia does finally meet her father- it had sort of a melancholy to it in that Julia doesn't just run into his arms cry "Oh Papa" and run off with him. I think she realized, that yes he was her biological father but that there wasn't a relationship there- Amelia had been her true parent and that was who she belonged with. I liked this book and the more that I marinade in the construction of it, the more I appreciate it.
Scrolling rapidly past the spoilers, but just wanted to say that I started this one this morning!
Good deal Rachel, i'm curious to hear what you think!
Just finished this book and while I enjoyed the book I kept thinking about the movie(s) "Footloose".Spoiler Alert
I kept forgetting that Julia was 19 and not younger with some of her actions. I found her likeable in the way that makes you want to live life to the fullest. I was not expecting the twist of Lady Amelia not being Julia's birth mother. I felt the story did a good job of showing people bit by bit. In the same way that when you meet someone for the first time you don't know his/her whole history and personality. By the end of the book I felt I had come to know the characters rather than having them exposed from the first page.
Well I am now #3 on the hold list. I may get this before you quit discussing it!
I'm about halfway through this one now and I'm really enjoying it! It does seem like more of the story is told from Alec's perspective, rather than Julia's, but I actually don't mind. Alec's a really endearing and intriguing character. There are hints coming out now about a scandal in Alec's past, and something in Amelia's family, so I'm definitely eager to read on.Lorraine, I hope you don't have to wait too long for the book!
Finally, getting to the end (80%). I really like John Desmond as well(his accent is great if you get to listen to the audiobook.) Looking forward to seeing how everything turns out.
Kalena, you're right, the narrator does John Desmond's accent really well! I'm picky about my Scottish accents (naturally!) and although I honestly don't know anyone who sounds like that in real life, it's believable. At least one audiobook I've listened to had a Scottish character sounding incredibly Irish, which was distracting. I'm just over halfway through, and although Julia isn't always the most likeable character, I can sympathise with her behaviour and her frustrations at her family life. In light of her situation (father who seemed to barely tolerate her, mother who shows her love by being overprotective) her outlandish behaviour seems entirely believable.
Started reading it last night; it's looking interesting so far.
Rachel wrote: "Kalena, you're right, the narrator does John Desmond's accent really well! I'm picky about my Scottish accents (naturally!) and although I honestly don't know anyone who sounds like that in real li..."Rachel, I agree with what you said. I like Alec's sister and John Desmond the most. That would be very distracting! (And that made me laugh) Thank you. :)
Finished today--just okay for me. The only Julie Klassen book I have left to read now is
and I am really looking forward to it.
I'm so excited! I'm down to #8 on the hold list for this! I'll be getting this book soon! :)
Cheryl wrote: "Ok, I have to ask since our book is The Dancing Master- are any of you dancers, or have you ever taken dance lessons, or are you like Loraine and me and a fan of "Dancing with the Stars"?I have ..."
I took ballet for nine years; for 3 of those years, I also did jazz. I also took tap one horrendous year.
I finished last night.This was an interesting and entertaining historical novel. The characters were drawn well, and I liked the plot and learning with Julia who she really was. I really liked the story of the fountain as well.
Kristelle wrote: "Just finished this book and while I enjoyed the book I kept thinking about the movie(s) "Footloose".Spoiler Alert
I kept forgetting that Julia was 19 and not younger with some of her actions. I..."
But back then, she was still considered a child until she was 21. Adolescence is a modern concept. But then even today, I know older people than Julia who act like kids. :)
Christian Fiction Devourers
Books mentioned in this topic
The Girl in the Gatehouse (other topics)The Maid of Fairbourne Hall (other topics)
The Tutor's Daughter (other topics)
The Tutor's Daughter (other topics)
The Girl in the Gatehouse (other topics)
More...
Finding himself the man of the family, London dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire, hoping to start over. But he is stunned to learn the village matriarch has prohibited all dancing, for reasons buried deep in her past.
Alec finds an unlikely ally in the matriarch's daughter. Though he's initially wary of Julia Midwinter's reckless flirtation, he comes to realize her bold exterior disguises a vulnerable soul--and hidden sorrows of her own.
Julia is quickly attracted to the handsome dancing master--a man her mother would never approve of--but she cannot imagine why Mr. Valcourt would leave London, or why he evades questions about his past. With Alec's help, can Julia uncover old secrets and restore life to her somber village. . .and to her mother's tattered heart?
Filled with mystery and romance, The Dancing Master brings to life the intriguing profession of those who taught essential social graces for ladies and gentlemen hoping to make a "good match" in Regency England.
As always please with Mark your spoiler comments with something like ****SPOILER COMMENT** if you are commenting on something that give any major plot info away for those that have not finished reading the book, or you can click on (some html is ok) above the right hand side of your comment box and you can actually hide your comments by typing "(view spoiler)[" then type your spoiler comments then type " (hide spoiler)]" except don't type the quotation marks :) - hope that makes sense.
I am fortunate enough that my book came right in time, so I am picking it up from the library today!! YAY!
First question- have you read any other books by Julie Klassen and if so which one(s) and did you like it/them?