المسبحة - الجزء الأول

by Florence L. Barclay, حلمي مراد (ترجمة)

عزيزى القـارئ :

كان أول ما لفت نظرى إلى هذه الرواية الصبغة المحلية التى اقترنت ببدايتها ، إذ يبدأ الفصل الأول منها وبطلتها ( جين شامبيون ) جالسة تحتسى قدحًا مـن الشـاى فى شرفة فندق ( مينا هاوس ) القديم المطل على أهرام الجيزة وهى تطالع العدد الأخير من جريدة ( الأحد ) التى تصدر فى لندن .. وفوجئت بخبر منشور فى تلك الصحيفة يفيد أن الشاب الذى تعتزم الزواج منه ـ وهو الفنان ( جارث دالمين ) ـ قد فقد بصره نهائيًّا ، فتسرع عائدة إلى لندن كى تقف إلى جواره فى محنتـه .. وكان ( جارث ) يصغرها سنًّا ، وكان باهر الجمال ، ذائع الصيت ، واسـع الثراء ، تتهافت عليه أجمل حسان المجتمع الراقى ، ويسعى دائمًا إلى أن يحيط نفسه بكل جميل ، فتدرك أن زواجهما لن يكتب له التوفيق ، لأن طـول المعاشرة لن يلبث أن يفتـح عينى ( جارث ) على دمامتها ، لذلك ترفض يده ، ولا تجد علة تبديها له سوى صغر سنه ، وأنه فى نظرها ( مجرد غلام ) ، وتشتد بها الحسرة وتباريح الحب فلا تلبث أن تقوم برحلة حول العالم ، وفى مصر تقرأ نبأ فقدانه البصر ، فتسرع عائدة إليه كى تواسيه وتخفف عنه مأساته .. والآن ، تعال نقرأ معًا هذه الرواية المشـئومة !

Genres: Romance, Classics, Fiction, Historical, British Literature, Victorian, Historical Fiction

231 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1909

About the author

She was born Florence Louisa Charlesworth in Limpsfield, Surrey, England, the daughter of the local Anglican rector. One of three girls, she was a sister to Maud Ballington Booth, the Salvation Army leader and co-founder of the Volunteers of America. When Florence was seven years old, the family moved to Limehouse in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

In 1881, Florence Charlesworth married the Rev. Charles W. Barclay and honeymooned in the Holy Land, where, in Shechem, they reportedly discovered Jacob's Well, the place where, according to the Gospel of St John, Jesus met the woman of Samaria (John 4-5). Florence Barclay and her husband settled in Hertford Heath, in Hertfordshire, where she fulfilled the duties of a rector's wife. She became the mother of eight children. In her early forties health problems left her bedridden for a time and she passed the hours by writing what became her first romance novel titled The Wheels of Time. Her next novel, The Rosary, a story of undying love, was published in 1909 and its success eventually resulted in its being translated into eight languages and made into five motion pictures, also in several languages. According to the New York Times, the novel was the No.1 bestselling novel of 1910 in the United States. The enduring popularity of the book was such that more than twenty-five years later, Sunday Circle magazine serialized the story and in 1926 the prominent French playwright Alexandre Bisson adapted the book as a three-act play for the Parisian stage.

Florence Barclay wrote eleven books in all, including a work of non-fiction. Her novel The Mistress of Shenstone (1910) was made into a silent film of the same title in 1921. Her short story Under the Mulberry Tree appeared in the special issue called "The Spring Romance Number" of the Ladies Home Journal of 11 May 1911.

Florence Barclay died in 1921 at the age of fifty-eight. The Life of Florence Barclay: a study in personality was published anonymously that year by G. P. Putnam's Sons "by one of Her Daughters.

Reviews

[Andrei Bădică · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Pe tatăl ei, Ioana îl vedea foarte rar; în primul rând pentru că omul acesta nu o putuse ierta niciodată, că se născuse fată, când el ar fi dorit un băiat și în al doilea, pentru că născându-se fată moștenise urâțenia lui, în loc să fi moștenit frumusețea mamei ei. Părinții nu-și dau seama că sunt nedrepți cu copiii lor, când nu-i pot suporta pentru însușirile și defectele pe care ei înșiși li le-au transmis."
"-Esențialul este să insuflăm bolnavului interes pentru ceea ce se întâmplă în jurul lui. Oamenii care își pierd vederea în mod subit, se simt ademeniți să trăiască într-o lume a lor interioară, o lume plină de închipuiri, de amintiri și vedenii pe care le dezgroapă din trecut; în fond aceasta este singura lume care se mai poate potrivi cu el."

[Maria Elmvang · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rosary is one of those wonderful but unfortunately completely overlooked books. It deserves to rank as high as books by Jane Austen, L.M. Alcott, Charlotte Bronte and L.M. Montgomery, yet few people have ever heard of it. Such a shame because it is one of the most beautiful and romantic books I've ever read. Florence L. Barclay paints very vivid pictures for her readers and makes the book impossible to put down. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Unfortunately it's very difficult to find the book except through second-hand bookstores. However, it's available as an e-book through Project Gutenberg here and as an audiobook through Librivox here - both absolutely free for your enjoyment! [/Shameless plug]

Reread 2023: Hadn't realized it had been 11 years since I read this last!

The last half is by far the best - I do love reading about Jane as Rosemary Grey - but it baffles me that nobody seems to mind that she deceived Garth in that way by pretending to be somebody else. It's just... glossed over as being completely inconsequential.

Ah well. Still a beautiful story... if a bit over the top in some places.

[Hend · Rating 5 out of 5]

this quote summarize the whole theme of the novel...
"Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart"
Kahlil Gibran
i read it, and really enjoyed...

talks about the inner beauty And the extent to which it can overcome the beauty of appearance......and that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.....

The story of Jean Champion .. a Woman in her thirties ,

she is simple looking but has a sweet voice and is talented in playing piano ....
Garth .. A young man who is very handsome, and wealthy .. Well-known, as a painter with great skills ...
during one of the concerts, attended by both, the singer didnt come , Jane replaced her.. she agreed to sing but was .. too shy to sing in front of people ...

she sang the rosary:



The hours I spent with thee, dear heart
Are as a string of pearls to me
I count them over, ev'ry one apart
My rosary, my rosary

Each hour a pearl, each pearl a prayer
To still a heart in absence wrung
I tell each bead unto the end
And there a cross is hung

O, memories that bless and burn
O, barren gain and bitter loss
I kiss each bead and strive at last to learn
To kiss the cross, sweet heart, to kiss the cross

her soft and affectionate voice and the tone of nostalgia in her song
Garth was completely surprised! ..her beautiful soul was unfolded and her sweetness!


he asks to marry her but she rejected his love as he is a (boy)and too young,for her!
Jane was not ugly, but her excessive sensitivity make her feel that she didnt deserve his love..

he was hurted as he love her deeply and see her prettiness and beauty,,,

the story makes you want to keep reading till you find out how the lovers reunite.....


this novel takes you to the perfect love emotions....

If you like stories like Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Sense and Sensibility, you'll enjoy this....

[ياسمين Thabet · Rating 5 out of 5]

هذة الرواية قنبلة
قنبلة موقوتة من الحب والرومانسية

قصتها باختصار عن نبيل وسيم وهو رسام يعشق الجمال ويقع قلبه في حب كل فتاة جميلة فبالتالي بمجرد ان يرسم تلك الجميلة ينسى حبها وكأنه لم يكن...له صديقة من النبلاء تدعى جين وهي لم تكن بالجميلة قط كانت اكبر منه وكذلك كانت صديقة مقربة له لكنها احبته في اعماقها
وذات حفلة قررت الصعود على المنصة والغناء اغنية المسبحة التي تشتاق فيها الفتاة الى حبيبها وتعد الساعات بعيدا عنه بالمسبحة
فجأة ينظر لها وكأنه يراها لأول مرة حيث يراها من اعماقها يرى شخصيتها وجوهرها
ووجدها في غاية الجمال ووقع في حبها على الفور
ونتيجة لأنها اكبر منه ولأنها تعرف تقلب مزاجه كرسام وكعشاق فكانت جين تدرك ان مشاعره اتجاهها غير واقعية فرفضت عرضه للزواج
مما جعله يتألم ما تبقى من عمره وكذلك هي فهو يحبها بصدق وهي كذلك ولكنها تعرف حبه للجمال فادركت انه لو تزوجها سيأتي يوم ويسأم منها

ثم اصيب البطل بالعمى جراء حادثة بندقية وعرفت البطلة بذلك فذهبت اليه تنتحل شخصية ممرضة باسم آخر وبقيت في منزله ترعاه وتساعده....في البداية كان يعذبه صوتها الذي يشبه صوت حبيبته جين ولكنه شيئا فشيئا اقتنع انها ليست هي حبيبته

اجمل ما في الرواية ان يحكيي الحبيب عن حبيبته لحبيبته نفسها دون ان يدرك ذلك فتتجلى عظمة حبه وشوقه أمامها قمة الحب والابداع

على فكرة انا اكتب فكرة الرواية من الذاكرة فأنا قرأتها منذ حوالي 9 أعوام
ولكنها بقيت بكل حذافيرها في ذاكرتي لأنها محفورة في قلبي ولأنها قطعا اروع قصة حب قرأتها
انصح الجميع بقراءتها

[Laura McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a find! I'm so glad I found this book. It is truly engrossing from the first pages. And as deeply moving as any Bronte or Austen work. The first half of the book is so perfectly written and edited that I could see the scenes enacted in my head as if watching a movie--for some reason I pictured James McAvoy as the hero. She lags somewhat in the second half, but the urge to know what happens speeds you along. Please read this one--it's such a beautiful book. Now I'm off to read another Florence Barclay book, and it looks to be as good as this one!

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I give this 6 stars? Or more? It was so, so sweet, and I am learning that I really love these obscure books written around the turn of the 20th century. The dialogue was rich and thoughtful and the characters were all just entirely lovable. There was a strong sense of nobility, dignity, and faithfulness that was part of the plot. It was just great.

[ناني ماكفي · Rating 4 out of 5]

المسبحة .الجزء الاول
للكاتبة الإنقليزية فلورانس باركلي
إستمعت لها على قناة يوتيوب لسان عربي بقراءة مميزة
وهي قراءة نزار طه حاج احمد
كقراءة ممتاز
الصوت والتقديم إحترافي بشكل مذهل .مريح جدا وقراءة رصينة ومواضع التوقف مظبوطة

الترجمة لا غبار عليها مع وجود بعض الكلمات المحلية البسيطة
لكن المترجم اعطاها جمالية اللغة العربية بحيث أنك لو تستمع لها او تقرأها دون الرجوع لاسم الكاتب ستظنها عربية بامتياز وليس عربية فقط بل عربية الألفية الماضية ذات الجمالية والإتقان والهدوء والرصانة واللذة و مقارنة بعربيتنا اليوم فلننتح ركنا بزاوية ونندب حظ لغة اليوم العاثر الذي جعلها هجينة لقيطة مغتربة بين أهلها
ربما الأربع نجوم وحدها لترجمة فهناك شبه مترجم" متسلق مندس " يضيع كتابا كاملا ويشوهه وهناك مارجم ارفع له القبعة لتشبعه بلغته قبل كل شيء وتمكنه منها ومستلزماتها
لقد أعطى لنص الإنڨليزي روحا عربية جعلته حيا ينبض

الرواية
مقدمة عن الكتاب وكيف تم ترجمته
ثم الرواية
يليها طبعا جزء آخر
تتحدث عن علاقة حب جين تشامبيان إمرأة ارستقراطية غنية لا تتمتع بجمال باهر لكنها ذات قلب ذهبي نادر و صديقها غاريث معشوق النساء .الوسيم الغني الفنان
وتنتهي القصة برفض جين لحب غاريث نظرا لأنها غير جميلة ولا تليق به
الإطار المكاني والزماني هما نقطة أساسية في الرواية ..
إنقلترا الأرستقراطية اظن اواخر الزمن الفكتوري في الأغلب
المهم عصر أن راس مال المراة جمالها وإلا تعتبر ثانوية .
عصر يستطيع فيه الاباء لوم اطفالهم على بشاعتهم رغم انهم ورثوها منهم
عصر يهتم بالقشور ويدعي العمق والتحضر والفن والجمال
عصر يشفع للمراة ان تكون فاتنة كل افعالها المشينة ويحكم على قليلة الجمال بالدونية مهما كانت ثروتها او جاهها

وهكذا ترسم باركلي تأثير تلك النظرة الدونية على المراة لدرجة ان تستكثر على نفسها حب حياتها ولا تتخيله حتى ينظر لها ولا تصدقه
بل ترفضه بشدة لان مظهرهما معا لا يليق بالشاب الوسيم !!!

[Stil de scriitor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cartea are într-adevăr aspect de telenovela, dar sa nu uitam ca a fost scrisa in secolul XX. Ceea ce inseamna ca atmosfera, personajele si descrierile sunt specifice acelor vremuri. Povestea in sine este sensibila, chiar daca inceputul a fost incarcat de o multime de descrieri si discuții interminabile. La un moment dat, intri direct in acțiune si afli o poveste de dragoste oarecum neobisnuita, ceva in genul telenovelelor.

[Teresa Scotton-williams]

Teresa Scotton Williams (5/5):
"The Rosary" is an exquisitely timeless story of Jane Champion,beauteous of soul and voice but enclosed in a plain though intensely feminine body. When the star singer has an illness, Jane is called upon to sing "The Rosary" which she does with amazing sweetness, power and beauty. Garth Dalmain, extremely handsome and artistically gifted in his own right, found that the veil is lifted to reveal his perfect soul mate. Believing that his love would not stand the test of time, Jane rejected him but suffered deeply and, secretly proclaimed him king of her heart. Blinded in an accident, Garth refused Jane's attempts to come to him. Eventually, through many sacrificial trials, these exquisitely drawn lovers overcame all barriers to the perfection of their love.
Florence Barclay was a profoundly gifted author of "The Rosary", translated into many languages and transcending time. She portrayed the deeply spiritual and emotional aspects of enduring, eternal love. Mrs. Barclay redefined true love as a meeting of two souls in a divine union with each other and God.

[Mela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a little torn. The love story in this book is really touching and unique. And there is so many true and beautiful thoughts:

"but I suddenly became conscious that, for the first time in my whole life, I was essential to somebody. I could not enter a room without realising that he was instantly aware of my presence; I could not leave a room without knowing that he would at once feel and regret my absence"

"and I knew the day did not begin for him until we had met, and was over when we had said good-night"

Furthermore, the characters are so well chosen and described. And they feelings... Sometimes characters in books are doing things just because it is needed for a plot and one sees their actions don't fit to their personalities. But not here. And I am not sure which love is the most beautiful: Jane's, Gareth's or Deryck's.

So, where is a 'but'? This is another thing I am not sure. Initially, I had no 'but'. I think that somewhere in the last parts of the novel the story started to hung around. It isn't the best definition but I can't find better. [My English is too poor.]

In other words, if this story had written in a little different way it would have been an amazing book. As it is I am torn because I was really tired at the end. And it is sad because I am sure Barclay had a gift for inventing sweet and thoughtful love stories.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melodramatic suffering, sighing and professions of love at their height, which in any other book would induce episodes of gagging and eye rolling in this reader, but which, for some reason, induced feelings of protective loyalty instead. I was convinced that though the dialogue exchanged would be permitted only at the opera today, it was befitting the characters written, whose intense, artistic passions were meant to be felt with intense, dramatic phrases.

Of course pure, old fashioned morals, the testament to the nobility of marriage and themes of our dependence on God which were wound throughout the entirety of this truly engaging storyline, secured my allegiance like only early 20th century literature can. Certainly not for everyone, and definitely not for the those who are adverse to "sappy", (Mys--you would hate it!) but great lessons about pure love, selflessness, endurance and humility, if you can just make it through hands that are always flying to hearts, overemotional exclamations and the deep wells of love filled eyes.

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5* Was intrigued by the very high ratings - 4.12! Had to see what the fuss was about! Apparently a bestseller in 1910. Well...it had it's appeal for me too - I love a heroine who is "plain" (what does that really mean, anyway - not "ugly", it seems, only heroes are allowed to be downright hideous) and logical - Jane Eyre, for instance. Setting Jane Champion against an artist who values physical beauty above all is interesting, I liked that a lot. However, I found it hard to suspend my disbelief about the "nurse" bit - Garth wasn't just blind, he was an idiot! And everyone was too nice - no one had any failings or quirks or real personality. Contrast that with a Rochester - gruff, rude at times, hiding a dark secret (but for good reason) and it's easy to see why a book like this doesn't stand the test of time as "Jane Eyre" has. Still, I have to give Barclay credit for a very readable novel.

[Madalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Povestea dintre cei doi este despre frumos, dar nu despre frumosul superficial, ci despre frumosul din adâncul sufletului…despre frumosul care iese la suprafață după ce cunoști omul în profunzime, despre cât de greșite pot fi deciziile luate în numele celuilalt sub pretextul că “este spre binele lui” și despre dragoste nemărginită.

“Înainte de toate mi-am dat seama că libertatea de a trăi pentru tine însuți nu este decât un fel de sclavie, căci ești sclavul singurătății, și în clipa aceea mi-am adus aminte că îl condamnasem și pe el să ducă aceeași viață deșartă pe care o duceam eu.”
https://mbuubooks.blogspot.com/2019/0...

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1513757.html

This romance novel was apparently the best-seller of the year 1910, so I thought I would test the durability of its appeal. What immediately struck me was that this tale of the young English gentry working through the difficulties of their love lives in order to reach the safe haven of engagement and marriage is exactly the kind of thing that P.G. Wodehouse was parodying (there is even an eccentric Duchess with peculiar taste in pets here); so even if nobody actually reads The Rosary these days, it has a certain legacy.

It is well enough written - I certainly liked it much more than 1909's bestseller - with the plot concerning a youngish woman who turns down a proposal of marriage because she feels she is not beautiful enough for her artistic admirer, though she lies and tells him that he is too young for her. She then travels around the world, bitterly regretting her choice, and on hearing that her young man has been struck blind by a plot device, persuades a friendly doctor to allow her to nurse him while pretending to be someone else who just happens to have a similar voice to the woman he loves. Well, you can guess how it ends, but it would probably make a decent film, either set in 1910 or updated to the present. Though we might skip over the unexpected revelation two-thirds of the way through that she had gained nursing experience in the Boer War (why did this not come up earlier?) and I suspect that the author is not well-informed about Scottish marriage law (oh, darn, I gave away the ending).

The Rosary of the title, incidentally, was a very popular song of the day which our heroine sings, thus convincing our hero that she is the one for him. If you really want to hear it, I've found a Vera Lynn rendition on Youtube, though I could have done without the picture sequence.

And my friends list have satisfied me about the sperm.

[Cris · Rating 3 out of 5]

O poveste de iubire imposibila dintre o tanara “stearsa” (cum se autodeclara) si un crai al vremurilor. Destinul tragic al acestuia si adevarata putere de a iubi ii aduc impreuna la finalul povestii.

“Parintii nu-si dau seama ca sunt nedrepti cu copiii lor, cand nu-i pot suporta pentru insusirile si defectele pe care ei insisi le-au transmis.”

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so wonderful! I really, really, enjoyed and loved it.
There were some humorous parts, some tense parts, some that were lovely and beautiful, and some that made me want to cry. I loved all the life-like characters, and their development was very well done. Definitely one of my favorite romances!
Much of a hidden gem, The Rosary follows Jane Champion who thinks herself rather plain and unattractive. When handsome Garth Dalmain promptly falls hard for her, it takes a horrifying accident for her to accept his proposal of marriage and for their love to blossom. A truly beautiful story of love that sacrifices itself for the other and gives all!

[C.G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not really historical in that, though it is set in the early part of the 20th century, it was written around that time so it was contemporary for the author. "The Rosary" is one of my five favourite books - all romances. I have read it more than a dozen times since I first read it as a young teenager and it can still make me cry.

Because it is a contemporary novel of the early 20th century, it is a very 'gentle' book, interested in the relationship of the two main characters and a few of their close friends. Many of today's readers would find it very slow, but I still love it.

[Hasan حسن منصور · Rating 4 out of 5]

هذه الرواية من أجمل الروايات الرومانسية والإنسانية معا! ويمكن القول أن الكثير من الأفلام الكلاسيكية القديمة (أبيض وأسود) مأخوذة أو مقتبسة عن هذه الرواية. إذ تتداعى العديد من المشاهد في الذاكرة وأنت تقرأ فصلا ما منها وتقول أين رأيت هذا المشهد؟
رواية تحرك المشاعر كما تحرك الأصابع حبات المسبحة

[Pamela Shropshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quite old-fashioned romance, but well-written. Some of the characters are rather stock in nature, but nonetheless well drawn. It's true that the story is full of sentiment and religion, but the religion is genuine and the so is the sentiment.I quite enjoyed it.

[Cecilia Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Might be my favorite book I’ve ever read. Incredible example of how fiction can be used to communicate the transcendentals!! Although I wish I could say I feel transformed by the truth contained in it, there’s still doubts in my interior. Nonetheless, has brought a lot up in prayer - shoutout fran for mailing this book to me🫶

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit too overly dramatic.

Also someone should seriously stop Deryck from giving advice on how to regain someone's trust and forgiveness.

[Hend Aboul Gada · Rating 4 out of 5]

ايه دة ايه دة
جميلة اكثر من رائعة
مش هقدر اتكلم عنها اكتر من الوصف اللى
كتبته عنها فى معلومات الرواية
رواية خلتنى اصمم انى اضيفها
للموقع هنا

" إن الساعات التي قضيتها معك ياقلبي الحبيب ..

تتمثل لي كعقد من اللأليء .. أعدها ، واحدة فواحدة ..

إنها مسبحتي ..

كل ساعة لؤلؤة .. وكل لؤلؤة أدعية ..

لتهدئة قلب يعتصره الشوق ..

وإني لأناجي كل حبة ، حتى آخر الحبات ..

لأجد في نهايتها .... محراب حبنا !

ياللذكريات التي تبارك ، وتحرق .. !

ياللكسب العقيم ، وياللخسارة المريرة ..

إني أقبل كل حبة وأسعى جاهدة لأتعلم ..

كيف أقبل محراب حبنا ! " *

[Rebekah Giese Witherspoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Rosary” is a gorgeous love story about two beautiful souls.

"You painted her soul…and it illuminated her plain face."

"I SAW her soul," said Garth, almost in a whisper; "and that vision was so radiant that it illumined my dark life. The remembrance lightens my darkness, even now."

[Dana Iacomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un roman clasic, o poveste de iubire emoționată , despre cum dragostea învinge orice prejudecăți. ❤️
O recomand cu tot dragul!

“Petrecutele ceasuri cu tine , suflet drag ,
Sunt pentru mine perle insirate in matanii,
Le picur cate una, incet cate una ,
Șirag de mărgele, mataniile mele. “

[3houd · Rating 3 out of 5]

يقع الشاب الرسام (جارث دالين) في حب صديقته آنسة المجتمع شبه العانس (جين تشامبيون). و من ناحية أخرى فإن (جين) لديها من العُقد ما يكفيها.
رواية بسيطة جميلة, و ما زادها جمالا الترجمة الرائعة من مترجمها الذي عربها تعريبا كاملا تاما بديعا.
إلا أن السلبية الوحيدة و القاتلة لهذه الرواية هي كثرة الترديد و التفسير و التفكير و الكلام الكلام الكلام الكلام حتى مللت و سئمت.

[Lynette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved stories of romance between two unlikely people, and this is a sweet story. It almost wanders in and out of the cliche, but there’s enough deep water in the story to keep it real.

[Lynden Wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bestseller in the US a year after its publication in 1910, this love story is somewhat obscure now. Florence Barclay is one of the authors whose works I inherited from my great aunt, and I realised I had seen her name on a memorial in St. Anne’s in Limehouse, where Florence spent her childhood. So is it worth reviving?
The story of a beauty-loving artist who falls in love with a large, plain woman because of the soul she puts into singing, and her struggle to accept that love even when an accident leaves him blind, has its share of heaving hearts and hands clasped to the bosom which may not appeal to all; neither will the explicit references to the Bible in a secular age. But it is not overblown, and some gently comic characters break up the pathos. Its themes, however, have not dated. The exploration of the value of beautiful exteriors is more relevant than ever in our size-obsessed, beauty-mad society, and it interlocks in clever ways with the theme of adapting to blindness in a seeing world. If you want more romance than Jane Austen is prepared to give, but despair of the serried ranks of historical romances with athletic heroes and gorgeous, witty heroines, this may be the book for you. “The Wheels of Time” and “The Mistress of Shenstone” tell the stories of friends of Jane and Garth, the hero and heroine.
The title might seem odd for a book by the wife of an Anglican cleric. It is the name of the song Jane sings and is woven through the book, each verse paralleling the lovers’ journey. You can find Vera Lynn singing it on Youtube with a cinematic score, but I also found it useful to look at Liberace’s version on the piano to get a feel of what Garth would have heard.

[Em Chainey (Bookowski) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Konusundan bahsemeyeceğim pek ama şöyle kısaca bir geçeyim: Jane Champion her genç erkek tarafından adeta bir abla gibi görülen saygıdeğer bekar bir genç kadın (30 yaşında). Garth Dalmain ise 27 yaşında uçarı ve güzelliğe düşkün yakışıklı bir ressam. Jane'i de arkadaşı olarak çok seviyor. Ama bir akşam bir partide ondan ilk defa "Tesbih" adında bir şarkıyı dinlediğinde adeta kadının ruhunun güzelliğini görüyor ve ona aşık oluyor. Jane ise şimdiye değin hiç aşkı yaşamamış birisi, dolayısıyla aşkın ne demek olduğunu bilmiyor. Garth ona duygularını açıkladığında onu (kendi yetersizliğini düşündüğünden) reddediyor ve sonra... sonra pişman oluyor ve sevdiği adama dönmek istiyor ama Garth'ın başına öyle bir şey gelmiş oluyor ki genç adam kimsenin merhametini istemeyecek duruma geliyor. İşte burada devreye Jane'in arkadaşlarından Dicky giriyor ve cin bir fikirle Garth'a Jane'i Jane olduğunu bildirmeden sevdiriyor. Mutlu son, duygu dolu güzel bir kitap. Esas güzelliğin ruh güzelliği olduğunu ve bulunduğunda aşkın değerinin bilinmesi gerektiğini belirten bir kitap. Ben şahsen beğendim. Duyguları çok iyi yansıtmış yazar. Biraz eski Türk filmleri tadında. Aslında bu kitabın filmi çekilmeli bence. BBC bu işi iyi yapar gibi:)

[Lora Cumbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Champion - a "plain" or "homely" girl, quickly approaching middle age. She's a a pal to the boys. They simply love her as their friend and confidant. She is gifted with a beautiful musical talent. She is bright, witty, and strong, both inside and out.

Garth Dalmain - Young, charismatic, gifted in visual arts, loves all things beautiful to the eye, but has a depth of soul and wisdom that is not initially evident.

They are an unlikely pair, who begin their relationship as friends, and are long-time pals. This is a story of love deeper than simply flesh, but love of the soul, love on a truly spiritual level.

This is my absolute favorite book of all time. So sweet, so tender, simply precious. I highly recommend this gem of a book to all!

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love it, but there were too many times that I wanted to kick both of the main characters in the seat of the pants (especially Jane). I wouldn't have minded the predictably of the story if there had been more levity in the novel. The constant grand and poetic feelings and speeches made it hard for me to truly sympathize with anyone. Perhaps I am getting too modern in my sensibilities.