Friday Nights

by Joanna Trollope

Fans of Erica James, Elizabeth Noble and Amanda Prowse will love this enthralling novel from the pen of multi-million copy bestselling author Joanna Trollope. With her customary acute observation and expert characterisation, Trollope makes her readers not only identify with her characters but also become deeply attached to them. You will not be able to put this book down!

'Trollope, as ever, can be relied upon to deliver a good read' -- Mail on Sunday
'An entertaining novel' -- Independent on Sunday
'Hits a right and ringing note and keeps hitting it' -- Independent
'Excellent gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review
'This, for me, was a "can't put down" type of book!!' -- ***** Reader review
'Best Trollope book I have read so far!' -- ***** Reader review
'Pure pleasure' -- ***** Reader review

******************************************************************************************************

THEY WOULDN'T LET ANYTHING - OR ANYONE - GET IN THE WAY OF THEIR FRIENDSHIP, WOULD THEY?

Friday nights, the best night of the week, the night they all looked forward to more than they cared to admit - talking, drinking, laughing and crying together.

They were six female friends , different in age and circumstances, but with one common the warmth and support of their Friday nights . It was a time to share secrets and fears, triumphs and tragedies and, above all, to feel safe in the company of women friends.

But things never stay the same forever, especially when a man is introduced into the mix...

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary, Friendship, Womens Fiction, Book Club

450 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Joanna Trollope Potter Curteis (aka Caroline Harvey)

Joanna Trollope was born on 9 December 1943 in her grandfather's rectory in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, England, daughter of Rosemary Hodson and Arthur George Cecil Trollope. She is the eldest of three siblings. She is a fifth-generation niece of the Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope and is a cousin of the writer and broadcaster James Trollope. She was educated at Reigate County School for Girls followed by St Hugh's College, Oxford. On 14 May 1966, she married the banker David Roger William Potter, they had two daughters, Antonia and Louise, and on 1983 they divorced. In 1985, she remarried to the television dramatist Ian Curteis, and became the stepmother of two stepsons; they divorced in 2001.

From 1965 to 1967, she worked at the Foreign Office. From 1967 to 1979, she was employed in a number of teaching posts before she became a writer full-time in 1980. Her novel Parson Harding's Daughter won in 1980 the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association.

Reviews

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Six women form a sisterhood of sorts, meeting every Friday night. Four of them are almost interchangeable except for their circumstances; two are simply annoying. And then -- da dum! -- one of them finds a boyfriend (Jackson), and once she introduces him to the group, things will never be the same. Jackson proceeds to proposition several of the women in a variety of ways, falsely leading them to believe that he's either attracted to them or interested in investing in them financially.

Where to begin?

1. Sisterhoods are really not my thing, and this one was not particularly convincing. We don't really see the friendship develop; we're merely supposed to accept it as a given even though there's no evidence of actual closeness between the women.

2. Another thing I'm not a fan of -- kids who don't read like actual kids but are simply there as props to narrate the story.

3. This premise could have been interesting, but the execution was highly contrived. Jackson's impact on the group was heavily foreshadowed even though I can't really see why I'd be so thrown by the mere prospect of meeting my friend's boyfriend. "Whatever will this do to our precious group dynamics?" the women all seem to individually twitter in various ways before Jackson even walks in the door. Then, once he's a part of their lives, why would he approach each of them individually to make some kind of bizarre (and insincere) investment offer? Well, to throw off their group dynamics of course! Jackson himself was not a particularly believable character; for someone so smooth, he managed to make his insincerity patently obvious at odd times.

4. Eleanor, the 65-year-old woman who initiates the sisterhood, is your classic voice-of-wisdom character (all sisterhood books need at least one) and at the same time, a royal pain. Had she been a more fully developed character, I might have understood why the women loved her enough to tolerate her brutal unsolicited opinions. As is, she came off as someone I would have completely avoided, pearls of practically psychic wisdom notwithstanding.

5. Jules (Julia), the wild one and the one other character (besides Eleanor) who wasn't a facsimile of all the other women, was also not particularly fleshed out. Numerous detailed descriptions of her punky outfits were not sufficient to make her three-dimensional for me.

It was sad to see Joanna Trollope writing like an amateurish ghost of her former self. I'm not saying the book had no merit -- some of the conflicts were actually interesting in spite of everything. And I don't think Joanna Trollope is capable of writing a completely superficial book. I guess that, if you're not a critical curmudgeon like me, you could simply enjoy this for what it is as slightly interesting chick lit.

[Kimberley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has so irritated me that I thus far have not finished it, with no great intention to do so. I found the characters to be one dimensional, and were not developed enough to enable me to feel as though I had an understanding of them. THe build up to the introduction of a man to the group was so hyped up, I put the book down. Maybe I have missed the point somewhere, but thus far, it eludes me

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Normally love character led novels. And I quite like Joanna Trollope, having been to one of her book readings many years ago with my grandma, and although she was perfectly lovely, I found her to be a bit posh and distant (Joanna Trollope, not my grandma!). She was kind enough to sign one of her novels for me, but I lent it to a friend who never returned it, and I've forgotten who I lent it to, so I guess I'll never get it back. But I digress.

I'm sorry to admit that I found I didn't enjoy this book, especially as Joanna Trollope was so personable and pleasant to me and my grandma all those years ago. I was relieved to finish it. I felt no connection to any of the characters, finding them unlikeable, mostly undeveloped and was deeply uninterested in the plot.

There was something about this particular group of people that made me particularly uncomfortable. When single mother Paula suddenly meets successful, rich, enigmatic Jackson, and introduces him to her friends, the so called sisterhood bond unravels and creates an atmosphere of unease, jealousy, resentment and insecurity. If I belonged to a group like that, and felt that passive aggressive hostility, I would run a mile, and never look back. I felt bleak and depressed reading about such unsupportive and fickle friends.

Ok, so Paula inevitably withdraws from the group a bit, because she had her love/lust goggles on. But hey, would it have killed her friends to have been just a tiny bit happy for her? If your friend disappears off the radar a bit, because they are all loved up, you cut them some slack, understand that you are not the centre of their universe, and get on with your own life, with your other friends and family, and don't sit there simmering with unfulfilment and envy.

The attitude of the characters didn't stop me enjoying the novel. Not exactly sure what it was. This one just wasn't for me.

[Tanya (Girl Plus Books) · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is huge for me to quit a book. It happens incredibly rarely. Even if it's just okay I stick with it. My semi-OCD tendencies compel me to finish what I start. But even that couldn't keep me slogging through this one. What a yawn fest! At more than 50 pages in I was bored senseless. The characters were utterly boring and nothing I'd read made me care what happened to them. I kept waiting for something - anything - to happen. Enough is enough. I give.

Surprisingly, I've read quite a bit of praise for Joanna Trollope. So either I just don't get it or I managed to pick out her one dud. This one goes straight to the giveaway pile.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joanna Trollope novels provide for me a very particular, if not particularly challenging, kind of pleasure, one grounded in the details of domestic lives and personal relationships. Her books are full of well-observed details of ordinary middle-class life. This isn't one of her best, but it's reliably good.

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Joanna Trollope, but this is not my favorite; in fact, I think it is the weakest book she has written that I have read. I persevered because Trollope is usually an author that I can't put down, but it took me about half way through the book before I found the story and characters compelling. Of the characters, I thought that Eleanor was the most interesting and yet, because of Trollope's dialogue style, the most difficult to read. She has great lines, but the syntax is choppy because of where Trollope puts the punctuation - literally! My favorite quote is where Eleanor muses about the role of women as working woman and mother and she says that women can have the career and the children but that children must be attended to first. I think that the characters were difficult to distinguish one from the other and that might be why I had trouble slogging through the first part of the book - really they were a single woman but with all the ages and stages that we go through on life's journey represented in a range of characters who ended up flat: the irresponsible youth, the over protective widow, the immature mum, the career woman, the burdened housewife, the aged wise woman.

The men in this book are a disaster - flakey, superficial users. Very one-dimensional. And I was interested that Paula and her love interest do not engage in dialogue together until they split up; up until then, the relationship is seen through the eyes of the various women in the group or through Toby - Paula's young son.

The most authentic sections of the book have to do with Toby and the Chelsea football club, and also with Jules and House music. Trollope not only does her homework and research well but she clearly has developed a taste for both and it shines through in these very well developed, well written sections.

The conclusion of the book is that we women will swiftly ditch our loyal girlfriends in the face of a new love interest. I wish it wasn't but I think Trollope is mostly correct. I also agree with Eleanor that women can have it all but not all at the the same time and if children are involved, they come first.

[Evalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book although it didn't focus on their Friday night get-togethers as much as I thought it would, you know, like The Jane Austen Book Club. It makes sense that it would have to go into their lives individually. It was interesting that the character of Jackson introduced into the group became such a catalyst for change affecting all of them. I always read Trollope's books and enjoy the way she develops the characters.

[Joanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get through all of this book; after waiting for something interesting to happen, I gave up. Three words to describe: boredom, annoyance, lifeless. I've never read any Trollope books before, so I can't judge as to her general style, but I think this story could have gone somewhere if it weren't for the mind-numbing writing style and lack of any spark.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gosh what an awful book with no real storyline! Made myself finish it but wouldn’t force it on anyone else

[Leanne Hunt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the pretext of this novel - how women support each other and form a community which is stable and enduring, and how just one man coming into the mix results in irreversible change for every member. The broad framework of the story gave the author lots of room to explore the individual characters and their interactions, which was nice. However, I had hoped to care more about the women in the story. Surprisingly, it was the children who ended up charming me the most, and about whom I was most concerned. They seemed to get the most careful treatment as far as depiction of feelings was concerned, and they were most directly affected by the disruptions in the friendship circle. Generally, with books like this, I like to choose a character with whom I can identify most closely. In this case, it was probably the elderly Eleanor, for the simple reason that she was the critical observer of all the goings-on and the one who disclosed the least about how reliant she was on the regular Friday night gatherings I felt that she was, in a way, like the reader for whom the group first came together, and from whom the women eventually drifted away, having shared part of their lives with her but not given a whole lot besides. Somehow, I feel a little let down after investing so much time in reading this novel. It didn't quite live up to my expectations of what this author would and could deliver.

[LindyLouMac · Rating 2 out of 5]

This year I have been trying to catch up with some of Joanna Trollope's older titles that are still sitting on my bookshelves waiting to be read! Friday Nights is the third this year Brother and Sister and Second Honeymoon I thought the first one was ok and have been progressively been more disappointed with the next two. Such a disappointment as I have been a long time fan of Joanna Trollope's writing but have felt in reading these that she somehow does not write like she used to, or maybe I have just outgrown this style of somewhat formulaic storylines. I suspect I will continue to read her novels though, just in case, I have chosen titles that just do not appeal to me personally recently! I thought I would have enjoyed this one more as the author herself likens the circle of friends that meet up on 'Friday Nights' as like a Book Club, but with out the books. Did I just leave it too many years to read this one, or fans of her writing were you like me disappointed? If you have yet to read this author, I do not recommend you starting with Friday Nights.

https://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogsp...

[Eva Mitnick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a Trollope fan - love domestic tales set in England - but this isn't one of my favorites. Although it has its moments, none of the six women who compose this tale of female friendship are as carefully and attentively developed as I would have liked. Some of them are downright unlikable, and none of them is particularly tolerant of each other. I found Eleanor, the older retired woman who brings them all together, to be particularly exasperating - she is so ready to let others know her opinions of them and their behavior. It comes across as intolerably smug and self-righteous, although I suspect we're supposed to admire her even as we are occasionally irritated by her. Anyway, I did enjoy Trollope's smooth prose and excellent dialogue, as well as her sparks of humor - these carried me through fairly happily to the end of the book.

[Kristy Trauzzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed how this group met. All too often in a city it's very lonely. You may come to know those you work with, but not many people know their neighbors. For someone to say, I've noticed you look troubled, let me help you, let's be friends, that's just awesome for me.

I was not surprised by the breakdown of the group once Jackson came along. When you develop a "friendship" based on unhappiness, you don't want to be around that when you are happy. If you were calm and able, you don't want them to see you falling apart. And it's hard to go back once you've shut them out for a period of time.

I'm glad each woman found a sort of peace at the end. No matter what struggles you have in life, you pull through. And life is good again. Fate has a way of helping you out, as long as you keep your eyes open.

[Bachyboy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really disappointed by this offering from Trollope. There were too many characters none of whom emerged or developed that much. I nearly stopped reading when one of the characters had to suppress the urge to bite the cushion. Seriously, who does that.

[Artie LeBlanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb detail and much insight, as ever, from Joanna Trollope. The book ends on a bittersweet note, with loose ends and unresolved situations - so like life. The setting is limited to a small area of London, well known to me, and this is captured beautifully.

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

5 whiny women. Have to stop now.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first Joanna Trollope, and I am very conflicted about it. On the one hand, it brought me out of a reading slump; on the other, it really isn't anything to write home about.

The story is meant to be that of friendship and sisterhood, but there is no evidence of that. I didn't feel a connection with any of the characters, and now that I am done reading it, I don't really care what happens to them.

I give it 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ because, for some reason, I kept reading, and by doing that, I effectively ended my 1-year reading slump.

[Adri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I occasionally enjoy reading a Joanna Trollope novel. It is always well written and engaging. Just the thing for a rainy Saturday afternoon.

[David Pimenta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noites de Sexta-Feira, a tradução para Friday Nights, é o penúltimo de um total de dezassete livros da autoria de Joanna Trollope. Não tinha qualquer conhecimento da obra desta escritora até apreciar a capa desta novidade da Porto Editora (e ainda dizem que as capas não contam para fazer um bom livro. Pelo menos apelam para a curiosidade do leitor).
A história não podia ser mais usual, diria cliché. Eleanor, Paula, Lindsay, Jules, Blaise e Karen são as seis protagonistas, cada uma com a sua vida e personalidade diferentes envolvidas em encontros todas as sextas-feiras em casa de cada uma. Todas, de uma maneira ou de outra, estão desiludidas com a vida e com o amor. A escritora tenta fazer com o que o leitor se questione sobre o motivo de mulheres tão diferentes estarem envoltas numa amizade tão pouco usual. Tudo se fragiliza com a entrada de um homem no grupo, com o seu ar misterioso consegue destabilizar os laços estabelecidos neste grupo e de uma forma discreta.
A história não me surpreendeu, não houve reviravoltas quer ao início quer ao fim do livro. É como se fosse um rio, segue o seu curso e desagua no destino final sem qualquer alteração pelo meio. O leitor ou gosta ou não gosta da história, nem há possibilidade de se ganhar um amor extremo ou ódio por estas Noites de Sexta-Feira. Talvez seja essa sensação que a literatura light provoque nas pessoas. Sinceramente, gostei da história. Fala profundamente sobre amizade. Sobre os pequenos abanões que as nossas amizades podem levar com a entrada no amor por uma das partes, por exemplo. Retrata amor na forma convencional, com um namorado e uma namorada ou entre duas amigas mas sem muitas palavras de carinho e afecto pelo meio (estou a lembrar-me da Jules e da Eleanor).
Apenas recomendo este livro para quem deseje puro entretenimento. Não é, de longe, uma obra-prima. Está muito longe desse objectivo, apesar de ter gostado deste livro nunca o colocava nesse patamar. No entanto, no meio do entretenimento também existem mensagens. E são deliciosas.

3/5

[Christa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Normally don't write bad reviews, because I know how much work it is to write a book, to invent characters and to pen a good story. But in this case I might just say that Trollope has given us lots of other novels to chose from that are more engaging.

I have read quite a few of Trollope’s novels and I so enjoyed the last novel I had read: “Second Honeymoon”. It was engaging, witty, funny and true to life.

But this novel I found utterly boring. It had too many characters and I could not remember who was who, because none of the people in the book became really alive for me.

The story is about Eleanor who is now in her 80s. Eleanor had devoted her life to work, she never married and she has no children. 2 single mothers with their young boys live in Eleanor’s street and Eleanor plans to bring them together. She starts a Friday night group at her place for these women and their small children. She offers adult conversations, a bottle of wine and a safe space for the children to play in.

The single mothers join and soon there are 6 different women in Eleanor’s Friday night group. They all enjoy each other’s company and this new start to their weekends. But then, one of the single mother’s, Paula, meets a man and the whole dynamic of the group changes.

Paula’s relationship doesn’t last and all the women move on with their lives. The Friday night group was just an interlude in their lives.

Sorry, Joanna, but I really struggled with this book.

[Ne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Este livro foi uma desilusão, que apesar de o ter percebido nos primeiros capítulos continuei e continuei sem a minha opinião se alterar.
Com uma capa e uma temática destas esperava algo ao género do Sexo e a Cidade, cheio de aventuras e segredos femininos, mas o que encontrei foi uma obra sem história nenhuma que se centra num punhado de personagens ocas e sem grande sentido de vida. O próprio texto não nos acrescenta mais que a sinopse e apesar da pergunta patente do final desta última, ficamos sem saber o propósito deste homem, o que acho que é uma falha já que é ele o catalizador de todas as alterações, traições, e suspeitas que se desenvolvem (pouco) durante a obra.
Noites de Sexta-Feira é então um livro monótono, com diálogos compridos mas sem qualquer conteúdo, com escassas descrições e com personagens que são, no geral e em jeito de conclusão, secundárias, não havendo uma que possa caracterizar como principal. Achei todas as personagens mesquinhas ou sem grandes emoções, tornando tudo bastante linear, sem acontecimentos marcantes. Em retrospectiva posso até afirmar que Joanna Trollope retratou as mulheres como sendo fúteis, invejosas e com pouco conhecimento da verdadeira amizade e honestidade.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've literally just finished this book and am soooo disappointed!!
I usually love this author but this was ruddy awful!
Firstly, I found Eleanor rude and opinionated. Why would these young women want to spend time with her? Someone like Blaize? Literally wouldn't happen.
There were long passages of rambling about individual feelings that felt repetitive and self indulgent and I couldn't see what they had to do with moving the story on.
The women are all so self obsessed! WHY do they take an instant dislike to the idea of Jackson but not Derek?
Why are they all so suspicious and mean to one and it other?
Amd what happened to Jackson?! He and Paula broke up and then it seemed his character just vanished! What was his motives?!! I still don't understand why he offered to invest in a club for Jules. What?!
Thats just some of the ways I disliked this book and left me going 'huh?! what was it trying to say?!!!!'
The only reason it gets two stars and not one is that Trollope is genuinely (in other books) an excellent writer and some of the ideas were interesting ie Eleanor choosing career over family and realising years on she probably regretted it or the plight of overworked juggling mothers.
But no. This was bad and very odd.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting read, I'm sure I'll be checking out more of this author's books. You have a group of friends, Eleanor, the elderly matriarch, who says it like it is; Blaise, the businesswoman, who runs a business with Karen, whose husband, the artist, who hasn't earned some money in awhile, resulting in Karen's life being completely overwhelming with home and work; Lindsey, the widow, and her sister, Jules, young and wild; and Paula, also divorced, who has a child as a result of an affair. They meet on Friday nights at Eleanor's house to just bond and spend time with each other, sometimes bringing the children. Paula decides to have the gathering at her flat one evening to introduce a new beau, Jackson, and from there, Jackson integrates himself in each woman's life in different ways. He appears to be a con artist, to me, but it's interesting as the book flows along how as each character has a revelation about their life, that Jackson seems to be the instigator which results in life changes for everyone. Maybe this is enough of a teaser to prompt you to try the book without giving away all the little nuances that made this story enjoyable to me.

[RebeccaErGlad MegetGlad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uhm.. Read this book randomly, pulled it down from my sister’s shelf. I remember back when my mother first bought it, reading the text on the back and thinking “this book doesn’t really seem to have a point”.

A group of female friends (classic friendship we’re told, but not shown exists), enter a mysterious man. And then everything changes and everyone gets super apprehensive? I have a friend group that is all women, and sure, the times one of them meets a guy, I accept that they’ll be harder to get ahold of for a couple of months, if they’re in love and obsessed, but I’m never afraid that we’ll not stay friends. Besides, the group conflicts seemed to be underway before this mystery man. It just seems contrived. And his weird interest in everyone makes me not really believe in him as a character. I mean, he owns his own, medium-small sized business AND is a football fan. Both these things take up a lot of time. I would give it one star, except I save them for special occasions. If it’d suddenly developed into a slash-horror, I think it would be much improved. I like character-driven stuff, but the characters just weren’t catching here.

[Marsha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book really disappointing. Firstly, nothing much really happened - there wasn't any actual plot or twists or any storyline of note, just a group of people plodding along. Secondly, the stereotypes and tropes were really tired and bordering on offensive - like the suggestion that the only valid reason to not want children is if you are obsessed with working. The "ruthless career woman", "tired haggard mum", "druggie dishevelled house music fan", "wise lonely old woman", "irresponsible mum who brings random men into their kid's life" - yawn. It would be great to see characters that didn't play into classic old sterotypes. As a lifelong house music fan who has never done drugs, and someone who doesn't want children yet isn't career/money driven, I almost rolled my eyes to the back of my head in parts of this book. Just lazy writing and no imagination, one-dimensional characters.
I also didn't really get the point of the bloke - what was the actual con meant to be? That he promised investments then ghosted? That doesn't even make sense, as he didn't swindle money out of anyone in the process. Just a shadowy figure to act as a plot device?

[Susan Howarth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book can really only be classed as ok! It deals with a sisterhood of 6 women and then one gets a boyfriend which stops them meeting up on Friday night and makes them all question their own lives - jobs, relationships, friendships etc..! It was a fairly easy read although chapters a little on the long side but it irritated me as the characters all seemed quite superficial especially Jackson who arrived on the scene as a boyfriend who looked amazing, had enough wealth to want to invest in all their businesses and then suddenly disappears as unable to commit to anyone or anything! The children were really an afterthought and had no depth to them! I spent the whole book questioning how old the actual kids were as cannot recall if it was ever mentioned!

Overall, I managed to read it and pass a few hours but am reluctant to recommend it!

[Julie Pippert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stayed up waaaaaaay too late because I could not set down this book. I'm a constant fan of all of Trollope's work, and I probably say this after every one of her books, but this one might be my favorite. That's not because it's better than the others -- which are all brilliant -- but because it was the exact right book at the exact right time. Trollope had me from the first page to the last. Great plot, brilliant pacing, gorgeous narrative, exquisite character development and the dialogue is perfect-pitch. It's a lovely read, you enjoy it, and become so engaged with the characters and their lives. The basis is around a group of women friends right as things begin to transition in each of their lives.

[Nicholas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The good thing about Trollope is that she's really willing to spend time exploring the dynamics of change between people. In this case it's the way that a change seemingly related to only one person (a woman in a group of friends gets herself a man) changes the interactions between all of them. She can be really subtle. And she can also be a bit obvious. In this case, the man turns out to be a cad instead of just a catalyst. Trollope also clearly means this novel to be an affirmation of women's work lives -- especially those who choose not to marry or have children -- and while I'm wholly in agreement, it's all a little heavy-handed. Trollope is great, but she's definitely written better than this one.

[Carla Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The characters held my attention and interest. I loved the multi generational friendships in this book. It reminds me of what neighborhoods should be like. All too often, we oldsters forget how difficult it is to be a young parent. A kind word or deed really can help. The reverse is true , of course, too. The characters seemed like real people to me. I was sorry when I finished the book!

[Joanna Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

Loathsome. Cardboard characters who I was none the wiser about after 400+ pages. I very nearly threw the book to the side halfway through but carried on. Boring. Slow. Induced no great rush of feeling in me other than a desperation to finish it. Don't bother.