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Barcelona. 22 cm. 316 p. Encuadernación en tapa dura de editorial con sobrecubierta ilustrada. Traducción de : Strangers. Rosie Thomas es seudónimo de Janey King. Hornos, Paula .. Este libro es de segunda mano y tiene o puede tener marcas y señales de su anterior propietario. 8422630907
Hardcover
Published January 1, 1990
42 people are currently reading
266 people want to read
About the author
Rosie Thomas
72 books317 followersJaney King, née Morris was born on 1947 in Denbigh, Wales, and also grew up in North Wales. She read English at Oxford, and after a spell in journalism and publishing began writing fiction after the birth of her first child. Published since 1982 as Rosie Thomas, she has written fourteen best-selling novels, deal with the common themes of love and loss. She is one of only a few authors to have won twice the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association, in 1985 with Sunrise, and in 2007 with Iris and Ruby.
Janey is an adventurer and once she was established as a writer and her children were grown, she discovered a love of travelling and mountaineering. She has climbed in the Alps and the Himalayas, competed in the Peking to Paris car rally, spent time on a tiny Bulgarian research station in Antarctica and travelled the silk road through Asia. She currently lives in London.
Janey is an adventurer and once she was established as a writer and her children were grown, she discovered a love of travelling and mountaineering. She has climbed in the Alps and the Himalayas, competed in the Peking to Paris car rally, spent time on a tiny Bulgarian research station in Antarctica and travelled the silk road through Asia. She currently lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 17, 2020
**3,5 estrelas**
A escritora cria dois ambientes distintos o antes e o depois.
Uma catástrofe e a vida por um fio não será mais do que suficiente para pesarmos na balança os valores pelos quais vale ou não a pena viver?
E mediante esta confrontação/constatação não passaremos, efectivamente, a ser pessoas diferentes?
Consegui perfeitamente pôr-me na pele daquela mulher e ler-lhe a alma, compreender os dilemas profundos a que se viu sujeita. Sim, porque nem sempre comandamos o coração, e este por vezes prega-nos partidas desleais.
Contudo, construir uma felicidade sobre uma base cheia de inseguranças e dor, causada a terceiros e igualmente a si própria, nunca pode ser satisfatória.
Não é tudo linear, muito menos simples de decidir, e os avanços e recuos são legítimos de quem tem um passado que não pode pura e simplesmente apagar, que envolve as pessoas que mais se ama, que são uma extensão de nós próprios, que inclui igualmente o nosso parceiro que tornou tudo isso possível.
Aparte alguns clichés, expectáveis neste género de romances, gostei e mantive o interesse até ao fim.
A escritora cria dois ambientes distintos o antes e o depois.
Uma catástrofe e a vida por um fio não será mais do que suficiente para pesarmos na balança os valores pelos quais vale ou não a pena viver?
E mediante esta confrontação/constatação não passaremos, efectivamente, a ser pessoas diferentes?
Consegui perfeitamente pôr-me na pele daquela mulher e ler-lhe a alma, compreender os dilemas profundos a que se viu sujeita. Sim, porque nem sempre comandamos o coração, e este por vezes prega-nos partidas desleais.
Contudo, construir uma felicidade sobre uma base cheia de inseguranças e dor, causada a terceiros e igualmente a si própria, nunca pode ser satisfatória.
Não é tudo linear, muito menos simples de decidir, e os avanços e recuos são legítimos de quem tem um passado que não pode pura e simplesmente apagar, que envolve as pessoas que mais se ama, que são uma extensão de nós próprios, que inclui igualmente o nosso parceiro que tornou tudo isso possível.
Aparte alguns clichés, expectáveis neste género de romances, gostei e mantive o interesse até ao fim.
January 11, 2015
I loved this remarkable book. I have enjoyed other books written by Rosie Thomas, but this story stands out and is one I will remember.
I could almost taste the dust when the main characters were trapped in the collapsed building and the claustrophobic atmosphere was shocking. The following relationship which develops, page by agonising page kept me turning the pages and I still find myself thinking about the story.
''Sometimes the victims of tragedy are the ones who survive.
Annie and Steve are from different worlds. She is a wife and mother, he is a wealthy executive with a stream of broken relationships in his wake. They do not know each other exists until one morning, on a shopping expedition, they becomes victims of a bomb blast, thrown together in the debris to fight for their lives.
As they lie in the darkness and the rubble, the hours slowly tick by. To ward off fear and death they talk: of everything they have to live for, of their disappointments, loves, failures and their hopes. And so a bond is created that binds them deeper than family, than friends, than lovers. With such strange intimacy, such strange trust, how can they get through the future without each other?''
I could almost taste the dust when the main characters were trapped in the collapsed building and the claustrophobic atmosphere was shocking. The following relationship which develops, page by agonising page kept me turning the pages and I still find myself thinking about the story.
''Sometimes the victims of tragedy are the ones who survive.
Annie and Steve are from different worlds. She is a wife and mother, he is a wealthy executive with a stream of broken relationships in his wake. They do not know each other exists until one morning, on a shopping expedition, they becomes victims of a bomb blast, thrown together in the debris to fight for their lives.
As they lie in the darkness and the rubble, the hours slowly tick by. To ward off fear and death they talk: of everything they have to live for, of their disappointments, loves, failures and their hopes. And so a bond is created that binds them deeper than family, than friends, than lovers. With such strange intimacy, such strange trust, how can they get through the future without each other?''
February 23, 2010
This was a difficult read because I didn't know what I wanted to happen. About half-way through, I realized I wouldn't be happy for Annie if she left her husband and family for Steve. However, in the end, I hurt for Annie when she had to sacrifice true love for the commitment and obligation of marriage and kids. In all, Annie did the RIGHT thing, for everyone, but will she truly be happy? I think she will always think of Steve and wonder, what if? I don't think this was a happy ending at all, just a necessary one.
March 22, 2021
I enjoyed this but picked it up and put it down a lot so it didn't keep me as gripped as I had expected. A really interesting idea and I wasn't really sure which direction I'd have preferred for it to go. I changed my mind as I proceeded, I think. The hero of the story for me was probably Martin, who it seemed had excessive patience with Annie. Of course Steve as a character is pretty hard to resist but still......Martin was a saint !!
There were some very sad moments in this for sure and it had me snivelling a few times.
I've knocked it down a star as it wasn't without some silly errors that shouldn't have made it to the published article, unless it was a freebie, and it wasn't. She chose to sling around way too many American spellings, too.....realized, recognize, etc..
Too many words were spelt wrong as well, as with part not party, Bod not Bob, quite not quiet, hovered not hoovered and run not rung. These annoyances let it down for me.
I'll certainly still read more by her, I think this is the third I've read.
There were some very sad moments in this for sure and it had me snivelling a few times.
I've knocked it down a star as it wasn't without some silly errors that shouldn't have made it to the published article, unless it was a freebie, and it wasn't. She chose to sling around way too many American spellings, too.....realized, recognize, etc..
Too many words were spelt wrong as well, as with part not party, Bod not Bob, quite not quiet, hovered not hoovered and run not rung. These annoyances let it down for me.
I'll certainly still read more by her, I think this is the third I've read.
May 5, 2020
Good concept, though I did feel as if the story dragged on.
December 1, 2019
Strangers is a truly powerful novel about two people who are Christmas shopping and are victims of a bomb explosion in the store. They find themselves buried alive and just able to reach out with one hand in the complete darkness and find each other. Holding hands, Annie and Steve begin to share bits about their lives while trying to pass the time until they are rescued. Alternately, each would begin to falter in their believe that they would make it out alive so instinctively, the other would begin to bolster them up reassuring them that help was most certainly on the way. Annie, who was injured more severely, begins to fade in and out of consciousness and Steve does his best to keep her talking and with him. The hours pass and they begin to delve deeper into their lives to keep talking. Finally, they are rescued and both are taken to the same hospital. When Annie is met by her husband, Martin, who has been beside himself with worry and fear, she feels nothing. All she wants it to cling to Steve and Steve is feeling the same way about her. Upon release, their feelings are still there and this leads to more revelations about where their futures need to go. I won't tell you more but I will say the messages within this story are profound. Once you start reading, it is hard to put it down!
May 2, 2012
O livro tem uma boa história inicial para se ler. A cena da bomba, a parte em que os protagonistas estão soterrados muitas horas, a parte da recuperação. Como diz na sinopse as horas que eles passam soterrados fazem com que criem um laço mais forte que o familiar, o da amizade, do próprio amor. Isso é verdade, o que coloca Annie perante um dilema: escolher entre a própria família que inclui o marido que ela já não ama, e Steve que ela ama e sem o qual não consegue viver. Até aqui muito bem. O problema é quando ela permanece neste dilema tempos sem fim, ora escolhe ficar com Steve, ora volta casa, depois volta a querer ficar com Steve, depois lá lhe dá na consciência e decide voltar para a família... começa a tornar-se aborrecido.
Era uma história com uma boa premissa mas que acabou por se alongar demasiado.
Fico agora com dúvidas, se devo dar outra chance à escrita de Rosie Thomas... Talvez pegue noutro livro dela (há muitos nas bibliotecas que visito) daqui a algum tempo, pode ser que ela me surpreenda. A esperança é a última a morrer, não é?
http://cantinhodaneptuno.blogspot.pt/...
Era uma história com uma boa premissa mas que acabou por se alongar demasiado.
Fico agora com dúvidas, se devo dar outra chance à escrita de Rosie Thomas... Talvez pegue noutro livro dela (há muitos nas bibliotecas que visito) daqui a algum tempo, pode ser que ela me surpreenda. A esperança é a última a morrer, não é?
http://cantinhodaneptuno.blogspot.pt/...
May 8, 2020
Ms. Thomas writes of how two survivors of a bombing that trapped them under rubble for over 2 days. A man and a woman, they share their lives with each other during the time before rescue. Following their rescue, they begin to see each other. There's an obstacle, however. The woman is married with 2 small children. Soon though they're having an affair which in turn has the woman thinking of divorce. But in the end, she stays with her husband and children.
To me it seemed their love was only the result of the stressful circumstances mixed with their combined dissatisfactions with their respective lives and of course, their attraction to each other.
To me it seemed their love was only the result of the stressful circumstances mixed with their combined dissatisfactions with their respective lives and of course, their attraction to each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. It's very thought-provoking and really makes you consider the situation. I felt that I didn't understand Annie enough though. I found it hard to connect with Annie - that was probably part of the point though, that only Steve and Annie connected with each other afterwards. I could tell you the synopsis of the book but I'm still not really sure what the author is trying to tell me, maybe value what you have? Not sure.... I'm glad Annie chose her family - I thought she would and I'm glad she found a way to be happy with them
I would give this book another read for sure.
I would give this book another read for sure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2020
Rosie Thomas has introduced me to a genre I never imagined I would enjoy, I can't wait to read more of her works. I enjoyed the writing style and found aspects of the book relatable due to this style. I truly felt Annie's dilemma and up until the end I still wasn't sure whether she would be happier with Martin or Steve but I found I understood Annie's decision and her reasons. Strangers played out beautifully and is the true definition of a page turner.
September 29, 2020
A beautiful study of a woman torn between love for her children and faithful husband and the overwhelming passion she feels for the man who lay with her amongst the rubble of a Christmas bomb blast. Rosie Thomas conveys a myriad of emotions including passion, yearning, love, anger and regret. There can be no truly happy ending for Annie or indeed either of the men that she loves. The second half is a bit of a slow burn but it's a novel to lose yourself in.
January 27, 2009
Two people are thrown together in the wreckage after a bomb goes off. Things are never the same again. A delicate exploration of love, loyalty and courage. I found myself willing them to make the right decisions.
March 28, 2016
I didn't like the premises of this novel: that it is okay for a married woman to have an affair.
January 10, 2025
Annie é uma mulher comum que a vive a rotina de mãe, esposa e dona de casa, até que se vê envolvida em um atentado terrorista, onde cria uma conexão profunda com um estranho chamado Steve enquanto luta pela própria vida.
Gostei do modo explosivo no qual os personagens se conheceram e se conectaram, imagino que chegar tão próximo da morte e se abrir tanto com alguém no que você considera ser os seus momentos finais de fato iria criar um vínculo profundo, que foi aumentado quando cada um deles se conscientizou dos vazios e dos pontos cegos da própria vida.
Por mais que o romance entre eles seja bem polêmico, devido a infidelidade de Annie, eu me interessei em acompanhar, principalmente devido as considerações que a vida de Annie me levava da fazer sobre a vida de uma mulher em si. Somos biologicamente e socialmente mais condicionadas ao cuidado e a se anular em detrimento da manutenção da família, principalmente quando existem filhos envolvidos, não creio que o livro teria o mesmo final caso o principal dilema fosse um homem casado de apaixonar, pois homens são socializados para atender aos seus próprios interesses quando sentem que é necessário.
Não pude deixar de pensar se o 'sacrifício' de Annie vai valer a pena no final, pois uma hora os filhos crescem e vão em busca de suas próprias vidas, e a vida em mais de uma ocasião já demonstrou que por mais que ela tenha bastante amizade por Martin, ela não o ama apaixonadamente. Fico imaginando uma velhice entre eles sem os filhos para servirem de amortecedor, e creio que apesar do último conselho, Annie vai acabar vivendo a mesma vida que a sua mãe.
Creio que faltou um pouco mais do ponto de vista de Steve na história, mas o livro não deixa de ser interessante apesar do final agridoce, mas creio que o final poderia ser diferente caso a história fosse escrita nos dias atuais.
Gostei do modo explosivo no qual os personagens se conheceram e se conectaram, imagino que chegar tão próximo da morte e se abrir tanto com alguém no que você considera ser os seus momentos finais de fato iria criar um vínculo profundo, que foi aumentado quando cada um deles se conscientizou dos vazios e dos pontos cegos da própria vida.
Por mais que o romance entre eles seja bem polêmico, devido a infidelidade de Annie, eu me interessei em acompanhar, principalmente devido as considerações que a vida de Annie me levava da fazer sobre a vida de uma mulher em si. Somos biologicamente e socialmente mais condicionadas ao cuidado e a se anular em detrimento da manutenção da família, principalmente quando existem filhos envolvidos, não creio que o livro teria o mesmo final caso o principal dilema fosse um homem casado de apaixonar, pois homens são socializados para atender aos seus próprios interesses quando sentem que é necessário.
Não pude deixar de pensar se o 'sacrifício' de Annie vai valer a pena no final, pois uma hora os filhos crescem e vão em busca de suas próprias vidas, e a vida em mais de uma ocasião já demonstrou que por mais que ela tenha bastante amizade por Martin, ela não o ama apaixonadamente. Fico imaginando uma velhice entre eles sem os filhos para servirem de amortecedor, e creio que apesar do último conselho, Annie vai acabar vivendo a mesma vida que a sua mãe.
Creio que faltou um pouco mais do ponto de vista de Steve na história, mas o livro não deixa de ser interessante apesar do final agridoce, mas creio que o final poderia ser diferente caso a história fosse escrita nos dias atuais.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2020
Was almost too afraid to read it and didn't know how I wanted it to turn out.... so had to keep reading. Great writing
Annie and Steve are from different worlds. She is a wife and mother, he is a wealthy executive with a stream of broken relationships in his wake. They do not know each other exists until one morning, on a shopping expedition, they becomes victims of a bomb blast, thrown together in the debris to fight for their lives.
As they lie in the darkness and the rubble, the hours slowly tick by. To ward off fear and death they talk: of everything they have to live for, of their disappointments, loves, failures and their hopes. And so a bond is created that binds them deeper than family, than friends, than lovers. With such strange intimacy, such strange trust, how can they get through the future without each other?
Annie and Steve are from different worlds. She is a wife and mother, he is a wealthy executive with a stream of broken relationships in his wake. They do not know each other exists until one morning, on a shopping expedition, they becomes victims of a bomb blast, thrown together in the debris to fight for their lives.
As they lie in the darkness and the rubble, the hours slowly tick by. To ward off fear and death they talk: of everything they have to live for, of their disappointments, loves, failures and their hopes. And so a bond is created that binds them deeper than family, than friends, than lovers. With such strange intimacy, such strange trust, how can they get through the future without each other?
November 30, 2019
I know I read this in 1994, lent it to my Dad in 1995 (and brought it home from the hospital after he died, read it a second time.) So this a third time. The impact of it never forgotten, unlike how it all played out, and seemingly richer than remembered (the changed perspective of 20+ years!) but as emotionally-charged as before. (Just a shame about the cover picture!!)
October 12, 2020
Turns out I’ve read one of Rosie Thomas’s books before in The Kashmir Shawl which I also enjoyed.
Well written with believable characters this story of two people thrown together in the dark of a bomb blast is engaging, complex and ultimately a great read.
The ending came thick and fast - not sure I bought a few pages of that but great overall fiction.
Well written with believable characters this story of two people thrown together in the dark of a bomb blast is engaging, complex and ultimately a great read.
The ending came thick and fast - not sure I bought a few pages of that but great overall fiction.
September 27, 2018
På dansk “en hånd i mørket” -shit en dårlig bog! Også utrolig dårlig oversat som ikke gjorde det bedre. Ideen med et forhold bygget begravet i ruiner er også ret underlig! Puha!
September 4, 2019
it was a nice love story
November 23, 2019
Bitter sweet but a lovely read, crying on an overnight flight at the back of plane reading the tail end of this book.
March 13, 2021
Captivating book with interesting characters that really deserves a 5 star rating. But the ending pushed it sadly down to 3.
February 26, 2024
painfully slow
Normally I really enjoy Rosie’s books. But not this one. The subject was a good one but the place painfully slow and boring. I battled to the end.
Normally I really enjoy Rosie’s books. But not this one. The subject was a good one but the place painfully slow and boring. I battled to the end.
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November 1, 2019An interesting read. After being trapped in the rubble of an explosion in a many floored department store, Annie and Steve hold hands whilst talking about their relationships and dreams until they are rescued many hours later.
Annie is indecisive on who to stay with. Martin, the husband of 10 years with their 2 sons Tom and Benji or the fellow survivor Steve who is divorced with no kids who she gets to know.
A truly beautiful end to the story although slightly unclear if it is the choice she's decided on.
Although written in the 80s, it still carries an updated feel to it
Annie is indecisive on who to stay with. Martin, the husband of 10 years with their 2 sons Tom and Benji or the fellow survivor Steve who is divorced with no kids who she gets to know.
A truly beautiful end to the story although slightly unclear if it is the choice she's decided on.
Although written in the 80s, it still carries an updated feel to it
June 20, 2023
A story for today of two strangers who are in a department store when it is bombed. Their forced intimacy continues after they are rescued and changes both their lives.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2017
A story full of pain and love
This was a book that I read on into the night. The pain it revealed was there because of the love. Rosie Thomas held all of the threads together in such away that it was impossible to escape the feeling that there would be an inevitable outcome but it didn't stop you wondering. Wonderful.
This was a book that I read on into the night. The pain it revealed was there because of the love. Rosie Thomas held all of the threads together in such away that it was impossible to escape the feeling that there would be an inevitable outcome but it didn't stop you wondering. Wonderful.
January 22, 2015
Annie and Steve are the central characters in this book. A pre-Christmas shopping trip to a London department store is the first setting. Following a terrorist bomb blast Annie and Steve are trapped beneath the rubble. Their first thoughts are what has just happened? Then fear kicks in; when will they come to help us? As the hours pass they cope with their own demons by talking about themselves and their lives. They are from very different backgrounds but develop a bond through the shared trauma.
After rescue the setting moves to the hospital in which they are both taken. Here Annie and Steve develop a closer bond. For Annie it becomes difficult for her to decide whether her loyalty is towards Martin and her children or with this man to whom she is drawn. Without risking any spoilers, it is difficult to say where the story ends. I would rate this as mildly entertaining, but a bit predictable in places.
After rescue the setting moves to the hospital in which they are both taken. Here Annie and Steve develop a closer bond. For Annie it becomes difficult for her to decide whether her loyalty is towards Martin and her children or with this man to whom she is drawn. Without risking any spoilers, it is difficult to say where the story ends. I would rate this as mildly entertaining, but a bit predictable in places.
May 28, 2015
Gosto muito dos livros de Rosie Thomas, a maneira serena e introspectiva com que escreve os seus romances, que nunca tem o final esperado.
Annie e Steve ficam algumas horas soterrados debaixo dos escombros de uma loja depois de ter explodido uma bomba. Enquanto esperam pelo resgate, os dois tentam manter-se lúcidos, e falam sobre o seus passado.Amores, casamento, filhos e os sentimentos vividos nas suas vidas até esse dia.
Sendo pessoas completamente diferentes, eles vão confessar o que nunca tinham dito a ninguém, e ficam conhecendo-se melhor um ao outro , e essa ligação vai influenciar a sua vida depois do resgate.Depois do que viveram eles sentem-se unidos e as pessoas ao seu redor não compreendem o que os dois viveram naquelas horas.Como é que esta tragédia e os sentimentos que confessaram entre eles poderá influenciar o rumo novo que a suas vidas parecem tomar.
Bonito e envolvente, a continuar a seguir Rosie Thomas de certeza.
Annie e Steve ficam algumas horas soterrados debaixo dos escombros de uma loja depois de ter explodido uma bomba. Enquanto esperam pelo resgate, os dois tentam manter-se lúcidos, e falam sobre o seus passado.Amores, casamento, filhos e os sentimentos vividos nas suas vidas até esse dia.
Sendo pessoas completamente diferentes, eles vão confessar o que nunca tinham dito a ninguém, e ficam conhecendo-se melhor um ao outro , e essa ligação vai influenciar a sua vida depois do resgate.Depois do que viveram eles sentem-se unidos e as pessoas ao seu redor não compreendem o que os dois viveram naquelas horas.Como é que esta tragédia e os sentimentos que confessaram entre eles poderá influenciar o rumo novo que a suas vidas parecem tomar.
Bonito e envolvente, a continuar a seguir Rosie Thomas de certeza.
August 25, 2016
Estou zangada. Mesmo. Muito. O livro agarrou-me desde o início. Um bom ritmo, excelente mesmo, um desenrolar que nos prendia e nos arrastava para aqueles escombros, em que sentíamos o peso do tempo, a vida a fugir, o fluir das memórias, soltas, em fragmentos. Até que tudo aconteceu. Comecei a achar muito cedo para o haver um fim. E tinha razão. Mudou tudo. Tornou-se um livro aborrecido, cheio de dúvidas, que nem atava nem desatava, com personagens que passei a detestar, demasiado lamechas e irreal e foi assim até ao fim. Vá que o final até teve uma pitada de surpresa mas eu já não estava agarrada, já saltava linhas e só queria acabá-lo de uma vez. Um inicio daqueles merecia outro desenrolar, sem dúvida
May 2, 2016
Ik zou beginnen in Grief is the Thing with Feathers, maar het lukte niet. Te moeilijk, te literaturelurig, ik weet niet. Later nog eens proberen. Dus toen mijn toevlucht genomen tot een 'gewoon' boek, het soort boek waarvan mijn moeder en ik allebei hielden, waarvan we elkaar de titels doorgaven.
Een gewoon boek gaat over gewone mensen in hun gewone levens (geen smulboek zoals Nora Roberts met haar helden en mooie vrouwen), op een manier die aanspreekt en warm maakt.
Iets te voorspelbaar vond ik deze, beetje onevenwichtig ook, maar genoten heb ik wel, en ik wilde echt weten hoe het de personages zou vergaan.
Een gewoon boek gaat over gewone mensen in hun gewone levens (geen smulboek zoals Nora Roberts met haar helden en mooie vrouwen), op een manier die aanspreekt en warm maakt.
Iets te voorspelbaar vond ik deze, beetje onevenwichtig ook, maar genoten heb ik wel, en ik wilde echt weten hoe het de personages zou vergaan.
October 3, 2011
Two people trapped afte a bomb blast in a department store. A huge chunk of the book describes their period trapped - will they get out? And the franticness of her husband trying to find out if she is alive. Then another long chunk in hospital. Do you really stay in a London hospital for so long with a broken leg? - perhaps they least believable bit. And then the love story bit, and what will she choose? I didn't see the end coming, and still wonder a why. A good easy read for my hols!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews