The Fifth Summer

by Titia Sutherland

Black Swan 1997 trade edition paperback, fine In stock shipped from our UK warehouse

Genres: Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family go for the fifth summer to a villa in Italy. Each of them has secret worries or concerns, and on holiday they meet and interact with new people as well as with each other.

The main characters are believable and I could relate to at least two of them. The constant switch of viewpoint was a bit disturbing at first, but I quickly got used to it. Some of the minor characters are perhaps a bit caricatured, but it didn't matter.

Relationship-based, set in the 1990s, this is a well-constructed book with a sudden tense climax and a satisfactory ending.

Four and a half stars, really.

Longer review: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...

[Kingfan30 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this a number of years ago and I must have enjoyed it at the time as I only keep books I think I will read again at some point. Mmmmm taste change and that obviously doesn't apply to just food. It was a light read, almost trying to be more but not quite succeeding in my eyes. The story if a familiar one, of a family growing up and apart, spending a holiday in Italy as they do every year. The ending tried to be dramatic but was still fluffy round the edges. It is not continuing its journey having languished on shelf for many years.

[Annie Day · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is quite a dated book about a relationship in crisis. A stereotypical middle class family spend a month’s holiday in Italy, and during that time various tensions surface. This is a well used plot formula for a relaxing summer novel, but I didn’t think that Titia Sutherland pulled it off.

Will, the husband, is keeping a serious illness from his wife Lorna. She is going through a crisis in confidence and feels ignored by him. They have two teenage children, Debbie and Nick, though I didn’t find the interactions between them and their parents believable. At the Italian villa, the matriarchal neighbour Phoebe welcomes the family’s annual visit and takes on a slightly overbearing grandparent-type role. However towards the end of the book we begin to realise the reason for her interest in them. Phoebe has two house guests staying with her who get to know the family, and that is where a lot of complications begin.

I felt that this book was far too long and that the author tries to include too many angles in the plot. It is perhaps indicative of the time when the book was written (1991) that the focus is on the rather dreary middle class British family whereas in contemporary times I think the story would be about the character Phoebe.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Blair family, Lorna and Will with their two children, Debbie and Fergus, stay in a villa in Italy. The villa is owned by a friend of Lorna's, Phoebe, an eccentric woman who has a plethora of odd friends. The family has been coming for 5 years.

The relationship between Will and Lorna is a bit strained as he's got a pretty serious diagnosis that he's not sharing with his wife, ergo, communication is a bit stifled. Then he gets a call from his London office requesting he return to handle an emergency. Off he goes, leaving Lorna wondering what's up?

The children, Debbie is concerned about her appearance, she's a bit heavy and a teenage girl. You can figure the rest out. Fergus is falling in love with all the awkwardness of a first love.

Everyone is consumed with their own lives and then Bruno shows up and upsets all the balances.

I enjoyed the story, human and interesting.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get in to this. Not my cup of tea.

[Francis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have just spent over three hours writing a damning review of this book, only to have my computer go on the blink. I am not going to write it all again. Suffice to say that, apart from sporadic flashes of lyricism, this story about a smug middle-class London family undergoing various forms of stress on holiday is a tedious tale, with a thin plot that relies on heavy-handed hints and semi-farcical coincidences. Most of the cardboard characters are straight out of Central Casting, including at least one walking cliché. The stereotypical depiction of Italians is trite and offensive. The only really interesting person in the book is treated with homophobic contempt. Supposedly a novel about human relationships, The Fifth Summer contains about as many profound psychological insights as any issue of Hello! magazine.

[Christine Monk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Felt perplexed with this book . Storyline was mediocre, but I felt I had to keep going. In a way I was glad I did , but why?