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The Facts of Life
THE FACTS OF LIFE tells the story of an extraordinary family of seven sisters living in Coventry during the Second World War. Presided over by an indomitable matriach, the sisters live out a tangled and fraught life that takes them through the Blitz, war work and on into the hopeful postwar years, and a bizarre interlude for one of them in a commune. And through it all wanders the young son of one of the sisters, passed from sister to sister, the innocent witness to a life that edges over into the magical.
298 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
About the author
Graham Joyce
70 books573 followersGraham Joyce (22 October 1954 – 9 September 2014) was an English writer of speculative fiction and the recipient of numerous awards for both his novels and short stories.
After receiving a B.Ed. from Bishop Lonsdale College in 1977 and a M.A. from the University of Leicester in 1980. Joyce worked as a youth officer for the National Association of Youth Clubs until 1988. He subsequently quit his position and moved to the Greek islands of Lesbos and Crete to write his first novel, Dreamside. After selling Dreamside to Pan Books in 1991, Joyce moved back to England to pursue a career as a full-time writer.
Graham Joyce resided in Leicester with his wife, Suzanne Johnsen, and their two children, Joseph and Ella. He taught Creative Writing to graduate students at Nottingham Trent University from 1996 until his death, and was made a Reader in Creative Writing.
Joyce died on 9 September 2014. He had been diagnosed with lymphoma in 2013.
After receiving a B.Ed. from Bishop Lonsdale College in 1977 and a M.A. from the University of Leicester in 1980. Joyce worked as a youth officer for the National Association of Youth Clubs until 1988. He subsequently quit his position and moved to the Greek islands of Lesbos and Crete to write his first novel, Dreamside. After selling Dreamside to Pan Books in 1991, Joyce moved back to England to pursue a career as a full-time writer.
Graham Joyce resided in Leicester with his wife, Suzanne Johnsen, and their two children, Joseph and Ella. He taught Creative Writing to graduate students at Nottingham Trent University from 1996 until his death, and was made a Reader in Creative Writing.
Joyce died on 9 September 2014. He had been diagnosed with lymphoma in 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
September 12, 2020
According to the inside flap of the cover, with this book "Grahamn Joyce directs his immense storytelling gifts in an altogether new direction and achieves the most ambitious and psychologically captivating work of his career."
This is my first Joyce title, so I can't compare this book to his others, but this is the second time I've read Facts Of Life and I enjoyed it just as much this time around.
It is a story set in Coventry during WWII. We are immersed in the lives of the Vine family, matriarch Martha and her seven daughters. Three of the daughters are married with their own households, the twins live together on their own as well, but Beatie and Cassie live at home.
Cassie is the pulse of the story. And Frank is her baby son who is supposed to be given away, handed over to some other woman to raise as her own, the same way Cassie's first baby was. Because as the family knows, Cassie would not be a good mother, she simply is not mentally stable enough.
Cassie cannot go through the hand-off this time and returns to the house with baby Frank, triggering an emergency meeting of the Vine women. in the end, Martha declares that Frank can stay, and that all sisters will take their turns minding him. And so it is.
The story follows Frank for ten years, as he lives first in Martha's house, then out on the farm with Una and Tom, and then so on through the other sisters. Along the way Frank learns a lot more about life than anyone expects.
One of the threads in this story is the supernatural talent belonging to Martha (she gets warnings of what is to happen), Cassie (connected to the spirit world in ways few will ever understand), and even Frank for a time (the Man-Behind-The-Glass talked to him). I don't usually care for books with too much of such stuff going on, but anytime this subject came up in the story it did not feel creepy or scary, rather just a part of life that the people concerned all accepted, even if they did not always understand.
I thought this was beautifully written, and I will be looking into other titles by this author, even though at first glance some seem a bit more on the horror side than I care for. I will have to do more research, but Joyce is definitely going onto my Someday list of authors.
One last comment on this book: there are some scenes that may disturb some readers. One of the husbands is a mortician (these episodes, while graphic, are also portrayed with great delicacy) and at other points in the tale, there is quite blunt sexual language and innuendo. I didn't find it too offensive, but some people might.
This is my first Joyce title, so I can't compare this book to his others, but this is the second time I've read Facts Of Life and I enjoyed it just as much this time around.
It is a story set in Coventry during WWII. We are immersed in the lives of the Vine family, matriarch Martha and her seven daughters. Three of the daughters are married with their own households, the twins live together on their own as well, but Beatie and Cassie live at home.
Cassie is the pulse of the story. And Frank is her baby son who is supposed to be given away, handed over to some other woman to raise as her own, the same way Cassie's first baby was. Because as the family knows, Cassie would not be a good mother, she simply is not mentally stable enough.
Cassie cannot go through the hand-off this time and returns to the house with baby Frank, triggering an emergency meeting of the Vine women. in the end, Martha declares that Frank can stay, and that all sisters will take their turns minding him. And so it is.
The story follows Frank for ten years, as he lives first in Martha's house, then out on the farm with Una and Tom, and then so on through the other sisters. Along the way Frank learns a lot more about life than anyone expects.
One of the threads in this story is the supernatural talent belonging to Martha (she gets warnings of what is to happen), Cassie (connected to the spirit world in ways few will ever understand), and even Frank for a time (the Man-Behind-The-Glass talked to him). I don't usually care for books with too much of such stuff going on, but anytime this subject came up in the story it did not feel creepy or scary, rather just a part of life that the people concerned all accepted, even if they did not always understand.
I thought this was beautifully written, and I will be looking into other titles by this author, even though at first glance some seem a bit more on the horror side than I care for. I will have to do more research, but Joyce is definitely going onto my Someday list of authors.
One last comment on this book: there are some scenes that may disturb some readers. One of the husbands is a mortician (these episodes, while graphic, are also portrayed with great delicacy) and at other points in the tale, there is quite blunt sexual language and innuendo. I didn't find it too offensive, but some people might.
January 11, 2020
Theoretically, this is considered magical realism and inched into the World Fantasy Awards, but to be honest, it's not like that at all. I consider this regular, traditional fiction.
Good fiction, mind you, but in almost no ways can I consider this novel about post-WWII life in Coventry among a group of sisters passing along a boy to share... MAGICAL. I mean, yes, the writing is quite good and fun. I really enjoyed how we passed this poor kid along from sister to sister. And they're all nutjobs, not least his real mom.
I thought this was REFRESHING. Eclectic. And, as the title seems to hint at, a pretty interesting primer for LIFE, itself. It touches on just about everything we need to get by in it. :)
I like this. I really do. But Fantasy? No. Nope, nope, nope. Gotta love Lady Godiva, tho!
Good fiction, mind you, but in almost no ways can I consider this novel about post-WWII life in Coventry among a group of sisters passing along a boy to share... MAGICAL. I mean, yes, the writing is quite good and fun. I really enjoyed how we passed this poor kid along from sister to sister. And they're all nutjobs, not least his real mom.
I thought this was REFRESHING. Eclectic. And, as the title seems to hint at, a pretty interesting primer for LIFE, itself. It touches on just about everything we need to get by in it. :)
I like this. I really do. But Fantasy? No. Nope, nope, nope. Gotta love Lady Godiva, tho!
April 20, 2026
Uff, no sé bien qué he leído todavía y ni siquiera comprendo lo que el autor me quiso contar. Terror cero, vaya por delante.
Es una novela histórica y realismo mágico, con el trasfondo de la II GM en Inglaterra, los bombardeos, cazas nazis y demás. En medio del conflicto nos encontramos a la familia Vine: Martha y su descendencia; muchas hijas casadas o no, que viven una vida normal dentro de un conflicto bélico. Solo su nieto Frank, hijo de Cassie, muestra signos de tener alguna suerte de poder mágico que le permite comunicarse con los muertos y tener visiones de futuro. Esta es la parte de “terror”. Martha, Cassie y Frank son los únicos en la familia que tienen ese don.
Lo demás, pues es un batiburrillo de manifiestos políticos, anarquía y bacanales, mezclado con relaciones incestuosas, problemas mentales, bullying y un espacio mínimo pero mínimo para la imaginería paranormal.
Se nos narra el día a día de la Familia, sus costumbres y hábitos; Frank es el personaje central en el que todo gira y que va de un lado a otro como la “farsa monea” que va de mano en mano y nadie se la queda. Ni siquiera su historia bajo el puente con el cristal consiguió conmoverme o impactarme.
Terminé la novela y solo se me ocurrió mirar de un lado a otro, sin emoción alguna y teniendo la sensación de que había perdido el tiempo.
Es una novela histórica y realismo mágico, con el trasfondo de la II GM en Inglaterra, los bombardeos, cazas nazis y demás. En medio del conflicto nos encontramos a la familia Vine: Martha y su descendencia; muchas hijas casadas o no, que viven una vida normal dentro de un conflicto bélico. Solo su nieto Frank, hijo de Cassie, muestra signos de tener alguna suerte de poder mágico que le permite comunicarse con los muertos y tener visiones de futuro. Esta es la parte de “terror”. Martha, Cassie y Frank son los únicos en la familia que tienen ese don.
Lo demás, pues es un batiburrillo de manifiestos políticos, anarquía y bacanales, mezclado con relaciones incestuosas, problemas mentales, bullying y un espacio mínimo pero mínimo para la imaginería paranormal.
Se nos narra el día a día de la Familia, sus costumbres y hábitos; Frank es el personaje central en el que todo gira y que va de un lado a otro como la “farsa monea” que va de mano en mano y nadie se la queda. Ni siquiera su historia bajo el puente con el cristal consiguió conmoverme o impactarme.
Terminé la novela y solo se me ocurrió mirar de un lado a otro, sin emoción alguna y teniendo la sensación de que había perdido el tiempo.
August 13, 2024
Un libro buenísimo, emotivo, de fantasmas, muertos y locura. La historia de una familia (y que familia) en medio del conflicto bélico en Inglaterra, escenario preciso para tensar los puntos donde la realidad se diluye con la fantasía. La prosa es tan ligera que se lee de una zampada, ideal para prestar.
De los libros del autor, de momento el que más me ha gustado.
De los libros del autor, de momento el que más me ha gustado.
September 26, 2011
Joyce made a glaring mistake, in my opinion - the title. It provides no clue whatsoever to the kind of book it is, and it's a real shame (speaking as one who has read many an inferior novel simply because the titles had magic - Joyce seems to have used up all his imagination on the novel itself and then got his accountant to name it). I like the quote from Isabel Allende on the cover,"I have not been so charmed by a novel in a long time." My sentiments exactly. I would call this book a kind of "family picaresque" - something I've never encountered before. Through Frank, the young boy who is passed from one sister to another to be raised (his mother, though loving, has bouts with what seems to be mental illness, and has no concept of responsibility), we get to see a wide variety of relationships and experiences - from life in a commune, to the twin-sister spinster spiritualists. Intertwined throughout all the stories is the impact of the London Blitz and a something that I have decided to call magic realism, although it's not quite what you think of when you think of that genre. Some people out there would call it everyday experience, but I can't say I am one of them. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's on the gentler side - not too dark or heavy, but full of interest and magic and humour.
May 8, 2011
I almost feel badly categorizing this as "fantasy," because it is far and away the lightest (or most normal, mainstream, or conventional) of the Graham Joyce books I've read. The fantastical elements are mere color or flavor, whereas the overall work is an appealing, well-crafted, moving, or even touching chronicle of a large, complicated family surviving and evolving during a difficult time (World War II and the aftermath, in Coventry, England).
What's funny is that I'd be less inclined to recommend this book to my fantasy-reading friends who've enjoyed Joyce's other works. I'd be more inclined to recommend this to some of my literary fiction readers, for example the folks who are partial to Penelope Lively (still one of my all time favorites) or even Carol Shields - indeed, this book felt more like The Stone Diaries to me than, say, something by Neil Gaiman... Granted, Joyce can be a tad graphic at times, and he doesn't shy away from the mechanics of sex, but this story is really about families and relationships and the roles and challenges that face the matriarch, the difficulties of the prodigal daughter, the coming of age of a young boy, etc... All in all, a pleasant surprise...
What's funny is that I'd be less inclined to recommend this book to my fantasy-reading friends who've enjoyed Joyce's other works. I'd be more inclined to recommend this to some of my literary fiction readers, for example the folks who are partial to Penelope Lively (still one of my all time favorites) or even Carol Shields - indeed, this book felt more like The Stone Diaries to me than, say, something by Neil Gaiman... Granted, Joyce can be a tad graphic at times, and he doesn't shy away from the mechanics of sex, but this story is really about families and relationships and the roles and challenges that face the matriarch, the difficulties of the prodigal daughter, the coming of age of a young boy, etc... All in all, a pleasant surprise...
July 18, 2013
дуже майстерно написано: чверть книги - типова сімейна сага, реалізм аж зашкалює, але потім непомітно з'являється магія, дозовано,
так, що межа цього переходу - від реального до фантастичного - якщо не начисто витерта, то надзвичайно розмита, і в цьому величезний кайф для читача.
вражає дивовижне балансування між жанрами: тут і війна, і привиди, і психічні розлади, і фемінізм, і відверті сцени, і навіть розтини трупів.
здавалося б, з такої мішанини нічого доброго не мало би вийти, але Джойс так класно все це обігрує, що нема до чого й причепитися, більше того: від книжки просто неможливо відірватися.
одночасно нагадує "Таємне життя бджіл", "Вбити пересмішника", "Сто років самотності" і ще бозна-скільки всього іншого.
пятьорочька.
так, що межа цього переходу - від реального до фантастичного - якщо не начисто витерта, то надзвичайно розмита, і в цьому величезний кайф для читача.
вражає дивовижне балансування між жанрами: тут і війна, і привиди, і психічні розлади, і фемінізм, і відверті сцени, і навіть розтини трупів.
здавалося б, з такої мішанини нічого доброго не мало би вийти, але Джойс так класно все це обігрує, що нема до чого й причепитися, більше того: від книжки просто неможливо відірватися.
одночасно нагадує "Таємне життя бджіл", "Вбити пересмішника", "Сто років самотності" і ще бозна-скільки всього іншого.
пятьорочька.
November 12, 2011
He disfrutado muchísimo de este libro. Tiene el punto exacto de realismo mágico y costumbrismo, sin que el primero desvirtúe al segundo.
Destacar, sobre todo, los inmensos personajes y las relaciones familiares. Reales, muy reales, sin que sean buenos, buenísimos, ni malos, malísimos. Personajes entrañables, con sus virtudes y defectos, dispuestos para lo que haga falta para sacar adelante a la familia.
Destacar, sobre todo, los inmensos personajes y las relaciones familiares. Reales, muy reales, sin que sean buenos, buenísimos, ni malos, malísimos. Personajes entrañables, con sus virtudes y defectos, dispuestos para lo que haga falta para sacar adelante a la familia.
November 25, 2011
I would have liked this book more if I had read it before "The Limits of Enchantment."
It has most of the same elements: rural British life, a midwife whose traditional methods come into conflict with the National Health Service, an 'intellectual' commune where the reality fails to live up to the ideal, etc, etc.
I mean, it has so much of the Same Stuff that it's a little weird. I was trying to figure out if they were supposed to be connected in some way - but I don't think so.
This one adds in the Blitz, and a family of women, all coming together to raise a little boy who may or may not have special talents.
Where 'Limits' is a very personal story, centered on one character, this is an ensemble novel. I don't prefer ensemble stories - but I have to say, the format does point out Joyce's real talent for characterization. It's like watching a talented sketch artist - one line, two, three... and suddenly the likeness is there, to the life.
It has most of the same elements: rural British life, a midwife whose traditional methods come into conflict with the National Health Service, an 'intellectual' commune where the reality fails to live up to the ideal, etc, etc.
I mean, it has so much of the Same Stuff that it's a little weird. I was trying to figure out if they were supposed to be connected in some way - but I don't think so.
This one adds in the Blitz, and a family of women, all coming together to raise a little boy who may or may not have special talents.
Where 'Limits' is a very personal story, centered on one character, this is an ensemble novel. I don't prefer ensemble stories - but I have to say, the format does point out Joyce's real talent for characterization. It's like watching a talented sketch artist - one line, two, three... and suddenly the likeness is there, to the life.
May 21, 2010
Set in war-torn Coventry, England, during and just after WWII, this is the story of the Vine family, through the focus of Frank, the illegitimate son of unstable, fey Cassie, who has periods of depression and sees odd visions, and the grandson of sensible, strong Martha, who can talk to the dead. Because Cassie isn't competent to take care of Frank, he is passed around among his grandmother and several aunts, all quirky in different ways.
The Facts of Life is subtly fantastic, full of ghosts and visions, yet down-to-earth, funny, and tender. I especially liked the setting, as Joyce examines the intense bombing Coventry received during the war and how it affected the lives of its inhabitants.
The Facts of Life is subtly fantastic, full of ghosts and visions, yet down-to-earth, funny, and tender. I especially liked the setting, as Joyce examines the intense bombing Coventry received during the war and how it affected the lives of its inhabitants.
July 10, 2013
This is the fourth Graham Joyce novel I've read, and the fourth I've been sad to let go. His books are unassumingly perfect little things -- gentle, welcoming, and warm. Joyce has a knack for turning modest tales into proufoundly moving meditations on what it means to be alive, to be frightened, to be loved and in love, to be young or old or normal or extraordinary. His fantasies are never just about themselves -- they're about real things: growing up, raising children, coping with violence, being a good friend. I can't get enough of it. I feel as though these books are making me a better person.
The Facts of Life, in particular, struck me as strange, at times. The plot is a vague, amorphous thing ... while the characters are masterpieces, every one. They *are* the plot, they hold all the suspense and momentum, the tension and sadness and hope and beauty. They seem as real as you or I. Upon finishing the book, I closed it and immediately began wondering how the Vines were doing over there in Coventry? How is the 21st century treating them? Is Frank someone terribly important? I hope he's happy, etc.
That's the sort of thing Joyce can do to you.
The Facts of Life, in particular, struck me as strange, at times. The plot is a vague, amorphous thing ... while the characters are masterpieces, every one. They *are* the plot, they hold all the suspense and momentum, the tension and sadness and hope and beauty. They seem as real as you or I. Upon finishing the book, I closed it and immediately began wondering how the Vines were doing over there in Coventry? How is the 21st century treating them? Is Frank someone terribly important? I hope he's happy, etc.
That's the sort of thing Joyce can do to you.
March 6, 2014
One reviewer wrote that she thought Joyce made a mistake in the title and I couldn't agree more. But that was his only mistake, in my opinion. Having just read The Monuments Men, I decided to stick to World War 2 for my next book and picked this one. It took a few pages to get into the groove of the book, but to allow the magical realism to pick me up and carry me on it's meandering way. But as I got to know all the characters, I loved all of them. I wasn't sure about any of them at the beginning, but slowly, Cassie, Martha, Beatie and even Gordon (yes, even him!) grew on me. A pleasant book about family and overcoming struggles together, set against the backdrop of bombed-out Coventry, England.
June 2, 2012
Quando comecei a ler não sabia o que esperar... Não conhecia o autor, não tinha lido nenhuma critica ou comentário, apenas tinha lido a sinopse: a história de sete irmãs, passado nos tempos imediatamente a seguir à 2ª Guerra Mundial! E uma frase de Isabel Allende na capa do livro: Há muito tempo que um romance não me encantava a este ponto.. Como tinha lido quase toda a obra dela, confiei. E não me enganei!
Um dos melhores romances que li nos ultimos tempos. Uma história de família (com uma matriarca fascinante), amor, amizade, união e muita magia! Um romance intenso, apaixonante e muito bem escrito. Cativante, que prende desde o inicio! Gostei muito! Recomendo!
Um dos melhores romances que li nos ultimos tempos. Uma história de família (com uma matriarca fascinante), amor, amizade, união e muita magia! Um romance intenso, apaixonante e muito bem escrito. Cativante, que prende desde o inicio! Gostei muito! Recomendo!
December 11, 2018
I absolutely loved this novel. Low-fantasy, but the best parts is that the reader gets to experience a part of the lives of Martha and her daughters and of course the young Frank. Really enjoyable and a great story about how families can stay together, even during the hard times.
June 23, 2024
Sin ser una novela fantástica maravillosa, es muy entretenida y está bien escrita.
March 8, 2020
Set in a post-war Coventry dealing with the horrific aftermath of its Blitz, this wonderful novel is the story of the Vine family. Despite the trauma there is hope for a new era, and despite those lost, a new arrival, baby Frank born to Cassie. But Cassie is ‘scatty’, dealing with mental health issues that unquestionably these days would be diagnosed at PTSD. She is one of 7 sisters and to prevent an adoption, the tough matriarch Martha decides that all 7 will be responsible for raising him, the only male child.
Joyce likes to include a hint of the supernatural in his novels, and here Martha and Cassie are psychics, though Martha has always fought against it; she gets the occasional “knock at the door” that proceeds some major event in the family’s life.
This is first-rate storytelling; Joyce at his very best telling of this highly unusual family in post-war Britain. The combination of history, social observation, humor and fantasy make it hugely entertaining.
Joyce is a favourite of mine. I can thoroughly recommend The Tooth Fairy as well as many of his others.
Joyce likes to include a hint of the supernatural in his novels, and here Martha and Cassie are psychics, though Martha has always fought against it; she gets the occasional “knock at the door” that proceeds some major event in the family’s life.
This is first-rate storytelling; Joyce at his very best telling of this highly unusual family in post-war Britain. The combination of history, social observation, humor and fantasy make it hugely entertaining.
Joyce is a favourite of mine. I can thoroughly recommend The Tooth Fairy as well as many of his others.
March 31, 2016
[4.5/5]
Coventry, petite ville tranquille d'Angleterre, se reconstruit doucement après les bombardements de la Seconde Guerre. Là-bas y vit une famille nombreuse composée de membres aux personnalités aussi colorées que différentes. Une famille qui gravite principalement autour de son caractère le plus farfelu, Cassie, la tête en l'air, mais pas seulement. Il lui arrive de faire des trucs bizarres. Mais personne ne lui reproche vraiment puisqu'elle tient ça de sa mère Martha, à un degré différent. Et tout porte à croire que son fils Frank suit le même chemin...
Il est aussi difficile de classer ce roman que de le chroniquer. Rien qu'au quatrième de couverture, je sentais qu'il avait quelque chose de spécial et je ne m'étais pas trompée.
Cassie, bien trop fantasque pour être responsable d'elle-même et encore moins d'un gosse, ne se voit pourtant pas abandonner son bébé. Martha, la matriarche au tempérament bourru décide donc que l'éducation du jeune Frank se fera au sein des différentes soeurs Vine. Frank sera alors ballotté à plus ou moins long terme à la ferme, avec Tom et Una, dans une maison aussi propre qu'ésothérique avec les jumelles Ina et Evelyn, dans une communauté aux moeurs très libérées avec Beatie et Bernard ainsi que dans l'étrange maisonnée d'Aida et de son mari Gordon, un embaumeur... Autant de profils divers pour enrichir et forger la personnalité "Vine" de ce petit bonhomme.
Les personnages hauts en couleur sont la force de ce roman. L'histoire, l'environnement et l'ambiance ont eux, tout d'un film de Tim Burton. Martha, Cassie et Frank ont un don (ou une malédiction), ils sont en quelque sorte dotés d'une seconde vue. Martha a appris à vivre avec, Cassie a quelques difficultés à la gérer et Frank l'apprivoise petit à petit, avec l'innocence d'un enfant.
La touche de fantastique reste assez légère ; certains lecteurs pourraient donc être déçus de ne pas en voir/savoir davantage. C'est pour cette raison qu'il est compliqué de parler de Lignes De Vie car il est avant tout une histoire d'amour au sein d'une famille soudée. Il n'y a pas vraiment d'action ; en fait, cette lecture, c'est s'installer confortablement dans une barque et se laisser porter. Graham Joyce a écrit un conte moderne attachant et coloré et s'est servi du registre fantastique pour faire passer des messages forts, à la philosophie profonde, mine de rien.
J'ai beaucoup ri tellement certaines répliques, descriptions et actions sont subtilement drôles. C'est très bien écrit/traduit, ce qui ajoute également une peu de poésie à l'ouvrage. Si je devais le résumer en un seul mot, je dirais : touchant.
Même si j'aurais aimé que le fantastique soit plus imposant, même juste un peu, j'ai adoré Lignes De Vie et ce n'est pas sans déception que j'ai su, en entamant ce livre que son auteur nous avait déjà quitté. En tout cas, je compte bien découvrir ses autres ouvrages qui semblent bénéficier de cette "patte" si particulière.
Coventry, petite ville tranquille d'Angleterre, se reconstruit doucement après les bombardements de la Seconde Guerre. Là-bas y vit une famille nombreuse composée de membres aux personnalités aussi colorées que différentes. Une famille qui gravite principalement autour de son caractère le plus farfelu, Cassie, la tête en l'air, mais pas seulement. Il lui arrive de faire des trucs bizarres. Mais personne ne lui reproche vraiment puisqu'elle tient ça de sa mère Martha, à un degré différent. Et tout porte à croire que son fils Frank suit le même chemin...
Il est aussi difficile de classer ce roman que de le chroniquer. Rien qu'au quatrième de couverture, je sentais qu'il avait quelque chose de spécial et je ne m'étais pas trompée.
Cassie, bien trop fantasque pour être responsable d'elle-même et encore moins d'un gosse, ne se voit pourtant pas abandonner son bébé. Martha, la matriarche au tempérament bourru décide donc que l'éducation du jeune Frank se fera au sein des différentes soeurs Vine. Frank sera alors ballotté à plus ou moins long terme à la ferme, avec Tom et Una, dans une maison aussi propre qu'ésothérique avec les jumelles Ina et Evelyn, dans une communauté aux moeurs très libérées avec Beatie et Bernard ainsi que dans l'étrange maisonnée d'Aida et de son mari Gordon, un embaumeur... Autant de profils divers pour enrichir et forger la personnalité "Vine" de ce petit bonhomme.
Les personnages hauts en couleur sont la force de ce roman. L'histoire, l'environnement et l'ambiance ont eux, tout d'un film de Tim Burton. Martha, Cassie et Frank ont un don (ou une malédiction), ils sont en quelque sorte dotés d'une seconde vue. Martha a appris à vivre avec, Cassie a quelques difficultés à la gérer et Frank l'apprivoise petit à petit, avec l'innocence d'un enfant.
La touche de fantastique reste assez légère ; certains lecteurs pourraient donc être déçus de ne pas en voir/savoir davantage. C'est pour cette raison qu'il est compliqué de parler de Lignes De Vie car il est avant tout une histoire d'amour au sein d'une famille soudée. Il n'y a pas vraiment d'action ; en fait, cette lecture, c'est s'installer confortablement dans une barque et se laisser porter. Graham Joyce a écrit un conte moderne attachant et coloré et s'est servi du registre fantastique pour faire passer des messages forts, à la philosophie profonde, mine de rien.
J'ai beaucoup ri tellement certaines répliques, descriptions et actions sont subtilement drôles. C'est très bien écrit/traduit, ce qui ajoute également une peu de poésie à l'ouvrage. Si je devais le résumer en un seul mot, je dirais : touchant.
Même si j'aurais aimé que le fantastique soit plus imposant, même juste un peu, j'ai adoré Lignes De Vie et ce n'est pas sans déception que j'ai su, en entamant ce livre que son auteur nous avait déjà quitté. En tout cas, je compte bien découvrir ses autres ouvrages qui semblent bénéficier de cette "patte" si particulière.
January 12, 2017
1940, Bienvenue à Coventry, et plus particulièrement chez les Vine. Cette étrange famille composée d'une mère charismatique, Martha, et de ses 7 filles, fait front aux bombardements et à la reconstruction qui s'impose alors. Cassie, la plus fragile des soeurs, met au monde un enfant, Frank. Elle a déjà abandonné un bébé et ne peut se résoudre à en abandonner un deuxième, mais elle n'a en aucun cas les capacités pour élever son petit de manière sereine. Martha prend alors les choses en main : Si Cassie ne peut pas se débrouiller, alors l'enfant sera élevé par toute la famille, et sera envoyé chez une soeur, puis chez l'autre... Et ainsi de suite. Frank a un pouvoir un peu spécial. Une sorte de deuxième oeil, il voit des choses que les autres ne voient pas.
*
Quand la keupine de mon coeur m'offre un livre (comprenez par là : meilleure amie), je suis d'office certaine que je vais prendre une claque. C'est encore une fois le cas !
Quand j'ai commencé cette lecture, je m'attendais à quelque chose de principalement fantastique, et pourtant non. Le "pouvoir" de Frank (qui ne vient pas de nulle part, puisque sa grand mère et sa mère l'ont aussi, à différents niveaux) n'est pas le thème principal du livre.
Le thème principal, c'est celui d'une famille soudée, qui reste solidaire malgré les tempêtes. Et des tempêtes, il y en a ! Chacune des soeurs a une histoire bien différente et connaît des tourments qui le sont tout autant. Mine de rien, Graham Joyce aborde une foule de sujets différents. Tout y passe : la solidarité, la politique, l'infidélité, les relations mères-filles ou soeurs-soeurs, l'enracinement, l'amour, l'amitié, la folie.. etc, etc.
Ce qui est génial dans ce livre, c'est qu'absolument tous les personnages ont leur petite particularité. On s'attache très vite à l'ensemble des protagonistes, et même à ceux qu'on voit un petit peu moins. Joyce dépeint un tableau haut en couleurs et en caractères.
"Lignes de vie" est encore meilleur que ce que j'imaginais. Certains pourraient être gênés par le fait que le côté fantastique de l'histoire soit relégué au second plan (voire au troisième), personnellement je préfère comme ça. Je referme ce livre en regrettant de ne pas connaître cette famille dans la réalité. Et je le ré-ouvrirai dans quelques temps, probablement... Quelque chose me dit qu'ils vont me manquer.
*
Quand la keupine de mon coeur m'offre un livre (comprenez par là : meilleure amie), je suis d'office certaine que je vais prendre une claque. C'est encore une fois le cas !
Quand j'ai commencé cette lecture, je m'attendais à quelque chose de principalement fantastique, et pourtant non. Le "pouvoir" de Frank (qui ne vient pas de nulle part, puisque sa grand mère et sa mère l'ont aussi, à différents niveaux) n'est pas le thème principal du livre.
Le thème principal, c'est celui d'une famille soudée, qui reste solidaire malgré les tempêtes. Et des tempêtes, il y en a ! Chacune des soeurs a une histoire bien différente et connaît des tourments qui le sont tout autant. Mine de rien, Graham Joyce aborde une foule de sujets différents. Tout y passe : la solidarité, la politique, l'infidélité, les relations mères-filles ou soeurs-soeurs, l'enracinement, l'amour, l'amitié, la folie.. etc, etc.
Ce qui est génial dans ce livre, c'est qu'absolument tous les personnages ont leur petite particularité. On s'attache très vite à l'ensemble des protagonistes, et même à ceux qu'on voit un petit peu moins. Joyce dépeint un tableau haut en couleurs et en caractères.
"Lignes de vie" est encore meilleur que ce que j'imaginais. Certains pourraient être gênés par le fait que le côté fantastique de l'histoire soit relégué au second plan (voire au troisième), personnellement je préfère comme ça. Je referme ce livre en regrettant de ne pas connaître cette famille dans la réalité. Et je le ré-ouvrirai dans quelques temps, probablement... Quelque chose me dit qu'ils vont me manquer.
February 7, 2015
En lisant le résumé de ce livre j'ai tout de suite était intriguée par le sujet. Je n'ai pas voulu trop en savoir en allant à la pêche aux infos sur le web, je souhaitais vraiment être surprise par l'histoire d'autant que je n'avais jamais entendu parler de ce roman auparavant. J'ai tout de suite était accrochée par le récit, un mélange de chronique familiale avec de petites touches de fantastique qui prennent forme à travers le don de Franck, ce jeune garçon élevé par toute la famille Vine. Je ne parlerai pas trop de l'histoire pour laisser la magie opérer sur les futurs lecteurs et pour ne pas dévoiler tout ce qui fait le charme du roman.
J'ai beaucoup aimé ce livre, particulièrement la façon dont l'auteur a su tisser toutes ces "lignes de vie" entre les personnages et leurs interactions entre magie et réalité. C'est délicat, drôle et plein de tendresse et on ne peut que s'attacher à toutes ces sœurs au fur et à mesure que l'on avance dans l'histoire. Cassie est fragile mais déterminée, les jumelles un peu barrées, les hommes un peu dépassés par toutes ces femmes… mais toutes et tous ont le cœur sur la main. Les personnages sont tous attachants à leur manière, et c'est ce qui fait la force du roman, c'est un livre qui vous donne le sourire, qui vous fait passer du rire aux larmes en un rien de temps. Les défauts des uns deviennent des qualités, les qualités des autres finissent par nous agacer et les personnalités de dévoilent dans cette Angleterre en pleine convalescence. Si la relation entre Franck et Cassie sa mère m'a particulièrement plu, je dois dire que j'ai aimé toute cette famille qui gravite autour de Martha la matriarche. On se laisse tranquillement bercer par la délicatesse qui se dégage de l'ensemble, pas de gros rebondissements à attendre mais une douceur tranquille qui embarque le lecteur au fil des pages. L'aspect fantastique est présent mais n'est pas vraiment le propos du roman, on le retrouve à travers de petits détails grâce à Franck et à son talent particulier, comme de petites coïncidences qui apparaissent de temps en temps pour interpeller le lecteur. C'est un récit plein de bonté et de tendresse qui diffuse son charme au fil des pages.
J'ai beaucoup aimé ce livre, particulièrement la façon dont l'auteur a su tisser toutes ces "lignes de vie" entre les personnages et leurs interactions entre magie et réalité. C'est délicat, drôle et plein de tendresse et on ne peut que s'attacher à toutes ces sœurs au fur et à mesure que l'on avance dans l'histoire. Cassie est fragile mais déterminée, les jumelles un peu barrées, les hommes un peu dépassés par toutes ces femmes… mais toutes et tous ont le cœur sur la main. Les personnages sont tous attachants à leur manière, et c'est ce qui fait la force du roman, c'est un livre qui vous donne le sourire, qui vous fait passer du rire aux larmes en un rien de temps. Les défauts des uns deviennent des qualités, les qualités des autres finissent par nous agacer et les personnalités de dévoilent dans cette Angleterre en pleine convalescence. Si la relation entre Franck et Cassie sa mère m'a particulièrement plu, je dois dire que j'ai aimé toute cette famille qui gravite autour de Martha la matriarche. On se laisse tranquillement bercer par la délicatesse qui se dégage de l'ensemble, pas de gros rebondissements à attendre mais une douceur tranquille qui embarque le lecteur au fil des pages. L'aspect fantastique est présent mais n'est pas vraiment le propos du roman, on le retrouve à travers de petits détails grâce à Franck et à son talent particulier, comme de petites coïncidences qui apparaissent de temps en temps pour interpeller le lecteur. C'est un récit plein de bonté et de tendresse qui diffuse son charme au fil des pages.
May 11, 2025
Uno de los mejores exponentes de lo que se ha dado en llamar “realismo mágico”, narra la historia de una saga familiar en el Coventry de la Segunda Guerra Mundial formada por siete hermanas, el “especial” hijo de una de ellas y la imponente matriarca del clan, con pasajes tan evocadores como el de la noche del bombardeo de la ciudad o la del paseo de una resucitada Lady Godiva, ambas protagonizadas por la “melancólica” Cassie, probablemente el mejor personaje de la historia.
Inclasificable y poético a partes iguales, sólo apta para lectores de paladar exquisito.
Inclasificable y poético a partes iguales, sólo apta para lectores de paladar exquisito.
August 10, 2018
*”Cassie continued to stare at her brother-in-law, a glistening seed, naked and white, popped from the husk of war.”*
I find it astounding that the late Graham Joyce’s books seem so little known here in the US.
He won some awards back in the early years of the century and seems to have a solid base of readers in the UK, but here in the US he seems a virtual unknown.
The loss is ours.
THE FACTS OF LIFE is my third Joyce book, after SOME KIND OF FAIRY TALE and THE SILENT LAND.
It may well be the best of the three.
It takes place in and around Coventry, England shortly after WWII (with some flashbacks to earlier events) and centers around a single eccentric family, and the raising of a boy born to the youngest sister.
If that brief synopsis of family drama and the lackluster title don’t sound all that appealing, let me say that the beauty and depth of the narrative transcend the mundane.
Each of the characters, from the steady and sensible matriarch who pulls the strings like a master puppeteer, to the brother-in-law mortician who resembles a walking corpse, to the dreamy and simple youngest daughter with her “blue funks” and sexualized nature, ooze life and personality and depths that books four times this length rarely expose.
It manages to be, by turns: philosophical, witty, funny, moving, sexy, provocative, and mystical, all within a few pages, and without relying on gimmicks or exposing a hidden agenda.
This is a book that deserves readers. The characters’ brushes with the supernatural are subtle and poignant and vital to the story, the way the everyday magic of our own world should be vital to us.
This was one of those novels I really didn’t want to finish, and what better recommendation can I give to a book than that?
I find it astounding that the late Graham Joyce’s books seem so little known here in the US.
He won some awards back in the early years of the century and seems to have a solid base of readers in the UK, but here in the US he seems a virtual unknown.
The loss is ours.
THE FACTS OF LIFE is my third Joyce book, after SOME KIND OF FAIRY TALE and THE SILENT LAND.
It may well be the best of the three.
It takes place in and around Coventry, England shortly after WWII (with some flashbacks to earlier events) and centers around a single eccentric family, and the raising of a boy born to the youngest sister.
If that brief synopsis of family drama and the lackluster title don’t sound all that appealing, let me say that the beauty and depth of the narrative transcend the mundane.
Each of the characters, from the steady and sensible matriarch who pulls the strings like a master puppeteer, to the brother-in-law mortician who resembles a walking corpse, to the dreamy and simple youngest daughter with her “blue funks” and sexualized nature, ooze life and personality and depths that books four times this length rarely expose.
It manages to be, by turns: philosophical, witty, funny, moving, sexy, provocative, and mystical, all within a few pages, and without relying on gimmicks or exposing a hidden agenda.
This is a book that deserves readers. The characters’ brushes with the supernatural are subtle and poignant and vital to the story, the way the everyday magic of our own world should be vital to us.
This was one of those novels I really didn’t want to finish, and what better recommendation can I give to a book than that?
August 2, 2013
So I had to knock off a point for the worst title ever. I can't even write this review without getting The Facts of Life theme song in my head. Clearly that show wasn't a big hit in England! But the book has nothing to do with that and is a beautiful story of a family in Coventry, England during WWII. The cover describes it as a "heartrending novel of one family's quest to begin again - without forgetting the lives they left behind"' in a "haunting, war-torn terrain." Fans of magical realism and historical fiction will enjoy this book. Also, if you like this book, I highly recommend Joyce's Some Kind of Fairytale.
April 2, 2022
This novel won the World Fantasy Award, but I wouldn't try to sell it to anyone on that basis. It is a historical novel about the trials and tribulations of a large family in Coventry during and following World War II. There is a supernatural element but it is subdued, and in some instances, ambiguous. Magical realism might cover it. It is a good book, and you will always get excellent writing from Joyce, but it wasn't completely my cup of tea.
February 9, 2014
This is one of the most amazing books I've ever read. Graham Joyce is an extremely gifted and skilled writer and I am a huge fan.
August 31, 2018
Sometimes it’s just entirely unfortunate that a novel is under 300 pages!! Charming, funny, unbelievably real and down to earth. I loved it
May 26, 2020
Nheca...não gostei. Não consegui estabelecer uma ligação às personagens, tudo parece-me demasiado...sei lá. Inicio prometedor, mas depois começa a grande salganhada entre que há choques elétricos no hospício, uma mulher nua a cavalo no meio da cidade, cuidam-se de cadáveres na mortuária, fantasmas, e claro, isto tudo num cenário da II Guerra Mundial em que bombardeiam Coventry, algo que parece apenas um pequeno detalhe no livro...e não me façam falar das cenas eróticas. Muito brega! Pareciam saídas do Biancas ou Harlequins da vida...
February 10, 2021
Uma história de família, amizade e união
June 4, 2012
This is an odd, twisty-turny type of book - and I'm not sure that's a good thing in this case.
It starts out with a very Latin American magical realism feel, until it suddenly feels nothing at all like magical realism and feels entirely like Joyce's typical explicit sex-talk prose.
And then it'll be drifty and dreamy again for awhile until suddenly it's dealing with concrete, post-WWII real life issues. Then it's back to magical realism again until suddenly you're in a flashback to the Blitz and a bad night of shelling - and just at the climax of that night (pun intended) you're back to drifty, dreamy visions all over again.
I was continually struggling to keep my footing and I'm not sure I really enjoyed the sensation.
There were bits that I did find fantastic - I loved the father and the mother and Cassie's relationship with him. I loved the man behind the glass though I'm STILL confused as to how he could have gotten there without anyone noticing... Despite being put off balance, I did like the last bit of the Coventry bombing and the ambiguity that gives to the question of Frank's parentage.
But then there's parts that I didn't like AT ALL - one being the creepy Feek at the commune.
And as much as I liked the scenes with the father, certain aspects of them don't make sense in retrospect. That whole concept just has me confused.
It starts out with a very Latin American magical realism feel, until it suddenly feels nothing at all like magical realism and feels entirely like Joyce's typical explicit sex-talk prose.
And then it'll be drifty and dreamy again for awhile until suddenly it's dealing with concrete, post-WWII real life issues. Then it's back to magical realism again until suddenly you're in a flashback to the Blitz and a bad night of shelling - and just at the climax of that night (pun intended) you're back to drifty, dreamy visions all over again.
I was continually struggling to keep my footing and I'm not sure I really enjoyed the sensation.
There were bits that I did find fantastic - I loved the father and the mother and Cassie's relationship with him. I loved the man behind the glass though I'm STILL confused as to how he could have gotten there without anyone noticing... Despite being put off balance, I did like the last bit of the Coventry bombing and the ambiguity that gives to the question of Frank's parentage.
But then there's parts that I didn't like AT ALL - one being the creepy Feek at the commune.
And as much as I liked the scenes with the father, certain aspects of them don't make sense in retrospect. That whole concept just has me confused.
May 9, 2008
I'll pass on the wonderful translation and how I find the French title even better than the original one (yes for once!). Lignes de Vie has something that also reminds you of palm reading and points right at the magic realism of the book (which is not quite obvious at first).
Coventry, at the end of WW2. Everyday life is somewhat upset for Martha and her seven daughters when her youngest, Cassie refuses to give up her baby boy, Frank for adoption. Cassie is unstable, often phased out, makes little sense in both actions and words... clearly, she cannot be a suitable mother. The father's identity remains a mystery. Family members therefore decide to take on turns in the bringing up of the child. Frank goes froom his grandmother's, to Una and her farmer of husband, to his twin aunts devoted to spiritualism, to Beatie the family's educated radical, to Aida married to the town's embalmer, to Olive and her unfaithful husband...
But like his grandmother and his mother, Frank is not exactly your regular little boy. While Martha is often visited by strange apparitions announcing the future and Cassie is able to speak with her deceased father (among other things!), Frank too has an unusual intuition and is able to see things that no other can.
At the core of Cassie's mysteries is the night Coventry was attacked by German bombardment during WW2. Thus, in addition to magic realism, is historical realism (let us mention that the author was born in the town of Coventry). And the book also depicts the many facets of post war working class life.
I found the Facts of Life to be an interesting and mature combination of fantasy, historical facts and social observation.
Coventry, at the end of WW2. Everyday life is somewhat upset for Martha and her seven daughters when her youngest, Cassie refuses to give up her baby boy, Frank for adoption. Cassie is unstable, often phased out, makes little sense in both actions and words... clearly, she cannot be a suitable mother. The father's identity remains a mystery. Family members therefore decide to take on turns in the bringing up of the child. Frank goes froom his grandmother's, to Una and her farmer of husband, to his twin aunts devoted to spiritualism, to Beatie the family's educated radical, to Aida married to the town's embalmer, to Olive and her unfaithful husband...
But like his grandmother and his mother, Frank is not exactly your regular little boy. While Martha is often visited by strange apparitions announcing the future and Cassie is able to speak with her deceased father (among other things!), Frank too has an unusual intuition and is able to see things that no other can.
At the core of Cassie's mysteries is the night Coventry was attacked by German bombardment during WW2. Thus, in addition to magic realism, is historical realism (let us mention that the author was born in the town of Coventry). And the book also depicts the many facets of post war working class life.
I found the Facts of Life to be an interesting and mature combination of fantasy, historical facts and social observation.
January 27, 2018
Libro que narra las vivencias de una matriarca y sus siete hijas en los años posteriores a la segunda guerra mundial. De temática costumbrista muy evocadora con añadidos de fantasía en el ámbito de lo sobrenatural (fantasmas).
El libro me gana por la parte costumbrista y sus personajes. Son bastantes, bien caracterizados y aunque cada uno representa un arquetipo estereotipado son carismáticos a su modo. Mientras el foco está en ellos el libro me gusta mucho aunque la historia no lleve a ningún sitio pero cuando trata de contar algo directamente sin basarse en las relaciones entre ellos pierde bastante.
Narrado de una forma sencilla y con buenos diálogos, en donde incluso lo que no se dice es relevante, va uniendo muchos elementos de un modo muy natural todo ello con una pátina evocadora.
El libro me gana por la parte costumbrista y sus personajes. Son bastantes, bien caracterizados y aunque cada uno representa un arquetipo estereotipado son carismáticos a su modo. Mientras el foco está en ellos el libro me gusta mucho aunque la historia no lleve a ningún sitio pero cuando trata de contar algo directamente sin basarse en las relaciones entre ellos pierde bastante.
Narrado de una forma sencilla y con buenos diálogos, en donde incluso lo que no se dice es relevante, va uniendo muchos elementos de un modo muy natural todo ello con una pátina evocadora.
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