Not Sure About This Book

I loved the fresh and engaging writing from Simonson's first novel Major Pettigrew and had really high hopes for this book. I have finished several books recently that took a great deal of time before they really took off. In the end those titles were worth the wait. This book has so many five star reviews and encouragements to give it time that I am trying to stick with it--but am really flagging.

My problem lies in the very modern thinking, voices and language used by these characters. I don't think it reflects the way people were or actually spoke in 1914. I have commented about this problem in historic fiction writing before. Others have mentioned it here in reviews of this book as well. The reason I feel this way is that my grandparents were born in the late 1880's, were British and my grandfather fought in WWI. I knew my grandparents really well as they live to be 99 and 100 years old. The way they thought, talked and the vocabulary they used had absolutely nothing in common with the writing of this book. I find this disturbing and it brings much of the story into question for me.

In addition, I am not a fan of the narration so far. I am not willing to give up on the book yet because, as I said at the start of this review, I really loved Major Pettigrew. I am going to put the book aside for a while and then start over in a bit. I will resubmit this review if I have a change of heart after my second attempt at the book. Just be aware--if you are looking for a story with a high degree of historic accuracy I might think again when pondering this title. As I said in the headline--I am not sure about this book.

72 people found this helpful

Divine Book Club Listening

Just what I was in the mood for!
"The Summer Before the War" has a little bit of something for everyone. There is sweetness and charm, grit and war, artists and suffragettes, and a whole lot of historical realism. Oh, and a few laugh out loud moments. Oh! And a few lump-in-throat, blink back tears moments too.
While a lot of the book is predictable, the characters are immensely likable without being annoying and "cleverly quirky," and the situations are suitable. This is a book that author Helen Simonson obviously cared about to get right: her characters laugh and suffer, they make hard choices, they live wholly within an era that she draws with details down to a wrapped horse's feet in a funeral cortege. She has a wonderful sense of language and you can almost smell the summer air of a world at peace and feel the bitterness of the cold wind of a world at war.
Beatrice Nash serves as a wonderful heroine, progressive yet not unrealistically individualistic for the time. While she longs to be independent of society's strict rules, she still understands that she must live within the confines of those rules, and acts accordingly. And the book paints a grand portrait of how people lived and breathed within such a set society with lovely glimpses of how others, women in particular, tried to dodge and side-step it all. There is one wonderful scene featuring photography, nudity, and a whole lot of blushing and looking away: simply marvelous!
The weakest bit, and I feel bad saying this, is the narration. Fiona Hardingham does a splendid job considering the length of the book, the many, many characters, and the complexity of the situations, but she fails on a few points. Her American accent is deplorable, her French one is a tad overenthusiastic, her male voices can become flat and strident at times, and a few times she blends the characters so that they are indistinguishable and hard to follow. Still, a 3.5 performance rounded up because, for the most part, she does well with what is a demanding and formidable task.
Also, while the first nine hours of the book are compelling and engaging, the last part is flat-out... well, let's just say that I put off sleeping for a bit of time.
Lovely, heartfelt, bitter and poignant at times, this is a book well worth the time.

Updated after second listen in 6/20: Okay, I must admit that this book felt a tad contrived and a bit tedious with the second listen. Plus, Hardingham makes the male characters strident and imperious.
So, heavy sigh... good for a long-winded first listen, but the second listen had me yawning...

For more reviews of audiobooks of all genres, check out AudiobookAccomplice(dot)com

40 people found this helpful

Disappointing

I loved the authors first book and looked forward to this one. I was very disappointed. It reminded me of the Masie Dobbs series but nowhere near as interesting. It could have also been the author was going for a Downton Abbey similarity and failed on that level as well. I listened because I kept thinking it was going to improve but sadly it didn't. If you want to listen to a charming book, her first, Major Pettigrews last stand, was worth the time- this one falls flat.

21 people found this helpful

The end of innocence

I have been somewhat disappointed in my last few selections and I really needed a good story with strong characters. That’s just what I got with The Summer Before the War. Simonson effectively evoked the innocent optimism and naive patriotism that accompanied England’s entry into the first World War, and through the lives of those living in a small country village slowly dismantles the illusions of glory, revealing war’s tragic devastation on soldiers, civilians and families. Most of the story is placed in England, focusing on the friendships and rivalries among the elite families, the daily trials of the common folk to make a living, and how the ties that bind the community together are tested with the stresses of the oncoming conflict. This portion of the story is balanced with an abundance of warmth and humor that strengthens the connection to the characters. Shifting scenes to the battlefield added to the drama with both heartbreak and heroism. It’s impossible to listen and not imagine seeing this produced for Masterpiece.

Fiona Hardingham’s reading was impressive in her ability to manage such a large cast of characters, including a variety of accents. A minor but common quibble is her handling of the male voices, especially the critical voicing of Hugh, who she made too stuffy where he should have been warmer. Not enough of a complaint to distract from the overall excellence of this story. I highly recommend this selection for those yearning for a well-developed character driven story.

17 people found this helpful

So very glad I stuck with it

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have already done so several times, especially to my friends who enjoy "Downton Abbey," and authors such as Sebastian Faulks ("Bridsong), Pat Barker (numerous award winning novels of The Great War), and others who are interested in this fascinating time in history.

What did you like best about this story?

I really enjoyed Simonsen's previous book, "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand." In addition, I am a devotee of the era just before and after World War I. So I was eager to read this book. It was a little weird that I did not take to it right away. The first part of the book is very much devoted to the often ridiculous standards of the day. I thought I'd gotten myself into more of a book of manners, one that did not move especially fast.

I am glad that I stayed with it, though, because the slower first half allows one to really understand the absurdities of standing on ceremony and how limited were the freedoms (especially for women) that we enjoy today. It also sets up wonderful characters that you fall in love with and want to root for.

The second half of the book, after the war begins, really delves into the sorrow, pride, courage, suffering, and total sacrifice made by all. And don't think the social absurdities jut stop. If anything, they become even more comic, more glaring, more absurd.

If you have read Pat Barker's recent "Noonday," or other novels that are situated in this times ("The Dust that Falls from Dreams," the superb "My Dear, I wanted to tell you," or "The Care and Management of Lies"), this is a book well worth a credit.

Have you listened to any of Fiona Hardingham’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't believe I have, but she did an excellent job of bringing this story to life.

Who was the most memorable character of The Summer Before the War and why?

The cast of women in this book all stand out for me. Some are poor and thus constrained by their stations. Some are wealthy, but also constrained by their stations. It was a difficult era in which to do the right thing.

Any additional comments?

A solid and satisfying follow-up to "Major Pettigrew."

12 people found this helpful

Sadly disappointing!

I was so wanting to like this book as I loved Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. I just found this book disagreeable & dull. It was an endless and heavy-handed reminder of how sexist, classist, and racist early 20th century England was, without an interesting plot or engaging characters.

9 people found this helpful

A Wonderful Book

I heard Helen Simonson discussing this book on NPR and as I had enjoyed her previous book, I bought this one. The interview made it sound like it was a light-hearted comical look at England the summer of 1914 and while there certainly are eccentric characters, it is a rather somber look at a world about to change forever. The characters grab your attention and hold it. I finished the book on the way home from work today (a 2.5 hour round trip commute) and when it was complete I did that very rare thing - drove in silence. I had to reflect on the characters and events. I didn't want it to end; it is one of the books that will stay with me. The narrator is wonderful - at one point as she was doing a male character I remember thinking "this man does a good job with females as well", completly forgetting the narrator was female. My error was made because she vocally creates such real characters that they come alive. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

9 people found this helpful

Sophomore Slump

I'm not sure why, but this book just didn't keep me engaged, until the last 2-3 hours ( and, for a 15 hour listen, that's a long struggle to keep listening). The author's first book, "Major Pettigrews Last Stand" was charming, the characters warm and sympathetic. Maybe that's what I found lacking here; there is really no one who captures the heart and interest of the reader. The only character who came close was Snout, and *spoiler* he comes to a tragic end. I can't falter the narration, it was quite good. This just didn't live up to the high standard of "Major Pettigrew".

8 people found this helpful

Disappointing

What disappointed you about The Summer Before the War?

I just couldn't get into the storyline or the characters. None of them held my interest- I found my mind wandering off.

What was most disappointing about Helen Simonson’s story?

I found it lacked a hook.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrator was good.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment

6 people found this helpful

Worth It If You Can Wait for It

The Narrator was awesome. Some of the day to day life was more like Middlemarch than a modern book but that is ok when you trust an author, and I totally do here. I adored her first book so kept telling myself to be patient because I knew the story would really grab hold.

English village life, perfect summer, orphaned woman struggles to make it without the trust fund and its demands, two handsome cousins, their loving imperfect Aunt and we know WWI is coming.

Is this Downton Abbey? Not near so posh. Birdsong? Not near so heavy but a bit. Middlemarch? Yes but for WWI.

A bit too detailed in places but very active voice. You will be able to picture everything that unfolds and that is A++ in my book, as is a book with characters I care about like this one. So if you are a patient person and love a good old fashioned English love / Carry On story, this book is for you.

5 people found this helpful