Helpful Score: 1
I was excited to get this book, and started reading as soon as it arrived. I was disappointed, though, because for some reason I found it really hard to get involved with the story and the characters. I don't know if it was the writing style or what. It just ended up being so hard for me to get into that I stopped reading and didn't even get a quarter of the way in. Sorry--I really wanted to love it!
Posie Graeme-Evans Had a great story idea with this book and her writing, initially, captured me. However, (could be spoiler here, so dont read on if you don't want) the first half of the book is rather tragic....no MOST of the book is rather tragic. The main character, Ellen, meets with some of life's most difficult seasons. I realized about half-way through the book, that I didn't miss much by skimming the details and really digging in again in the last few chapters! All in all, rather depressing read.
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2012/02/dressmaker.html
The Dressmaker is the story of Ellen Gowan set in Victorian England. Her happy childhood ends abruptly, and life brings struggles and successes, joy and sadness. She and her mother are forced to leave their home.
They are helped by relatives, finding love and acceptance, but also abuse and struggle. They travel to London to create a life for themselves. Further life events ensue, including a love affair, a job, a home, a child, and friendship. The story follows an expected course to an expected conclusion.
This book reminded me of A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford. The premise is the same - a woman in trying circumstances who overcomes adversity to reach success and happiness. The situations are different, of course. The Dressmaker covers a much shorter time frame, telling the story of perhaps a decade as opposed to generations. There are fewer characters, and the characters are not developed beyond the one dimension that captures their role in the story.
In other words, The Dressmaker was a pale version of other books of this genre. Not a memorable book. However, an easy, entertaining story in which to lose yourself for a while.
The Dressmaker is the story of Ellen Gowan set in Victorian England. Her happy childhood ends abruptly, and life brings struggles and successes, joy and sadness. She and her mother are forced to leave their home.
They are helped by relatives, finding love and acceptance, but also abuse and struggle. They travel to London to create a life for themselves. Further life events ensue, including a love affair, a job, a home, a child, and friendship. The story follows an expected course to an expected conclusion.
This book reminded me of A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford. The premise is the same - a woman in trying circumstances who overcomes adversity to reach success and happiness. The situations are different, of course. The Dressmaker covers a much shorter time frame, telling the story of perhaps a decade as opposed to generations. There are fewer characters, and the characters are not developed beyond the one dimension that captures their role in the story.
In other words, The Dressmaker was a pale version of other books of this genre. Not a memorable book. However, an easy, entertaining story in which to lose yourself for a while.
Although you can tell who she will become the journey of how she gets there is interesting and filled with some set backs. Of course her talent makes it seem like it was a lucky turn of events of but if she didn't have the skills and inborn abilities she would not have gotten to where she did.
This book was everything I hoped it would be a lovely historical tale, beautiful descriptive language, and a perfect fashion scene in Victorian England. I love fashion in all its forms, so I knew this one was a must read the moment I heard about it.
We get to see Madame Ellen from a relatively young age, and watch her grow up, slowly becoming the woman she was meant to be. All the while, I honestly kept thinking, Surely it cannot get worse for her? and then the carpet would be ripped out from under all of us.
To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog.
We get to see Madame Ellen from a relatively young age, and watch her grow up, slowly becoming the woman she was meant to be. All the while, I honestly kept thinking, Surely it cannot get worse for her? and then the carpet would be ripped out from under all of us.
To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog.
Loved this book. Easy to read, difficult to put down! Good writing style - not too prosey!
Started off a little slow and at first I didn't know if I wanted to try to finish it or not. But I'm glad I did. Very good story. Loved all the characters that were presented and how loss strengthened the main character & in the end, she was given back more than what was lost. May look into other books written by this author.
This book is a page turner, with a strange and unexpected ended.
