Weggelopen

by Marion McGilvary, Annemarie Verbeek (Translator)

Edith Lutz wil niet gevonden worden. Ze is met haastig gepakte koffers gevlucht naar een anoniem leven in de grote stad. Met een nieuw uiterlijk en een andere naam gaat ze werken in Londen als huishoudster bij Adam, een uitgever. Adam is pas gescheiden en snakt naar positieve aandacht. De gezellige avonden thuis worden steeds romantischer van aard. Edith en Adam raken straalverliefd. Maar beiden hebben geen idee hoe wankel de fundamenten van hun ontluikende relatie zijn. Ediths duistere verleden zit haar op de hielen…

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Roman

318 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Tiffani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pull up a chair, this may take awhile (and there will be spoilers)...

If you are not currently on nerve medication, it may be a good idea to call for a prescription before reading this book.

While browsing through a bargain bin of books, I was immediately intrigued by both the cover and the synopsis on the back of "A Lost Wife's Tale", so I bought it.

I began reading with hopeful anticipation of what this "lost wife's tale" would be and I was instantly drawn in to the story. The writing at times was exquisitely done...metaphors and word pictures that had me underlining and circling text like crazy. But, it got a bit tiresome wading through so much first person narration with very little dialogue. The author was constantly dropping clues (and f-bombs) as to a dark, hidden past of this "Edith" and I was reading, excited--with bated breath...waiting and waiting...literally reading faster and faster to see what in the world could this girl have possibly done...KGB?? CIA?? MURDER?? I'd read over 100 pages, halfway through and on and on it goes--another mysterious clue, another f-bomb...my nerves are shot and still NOTHING!

I cannot believe the speed at which I am reading this teeny font begging Edith/Agnes: "TELL ME WHAT YOU DID ALREADY!!!". No family contact for years, "scandal", hiding out, lies upon lies to her kind, new lover/employer and I can feel it coming in the storyline, shoulders to my ears with tension and then I read it, the sentence I'd waited for for 893 paragraphs: WHAT?! A BABY?! YOU GAVE UP A BABY?! YOU'RE NOT JASON FREAKIN' BOURNE?!! YOU WEREN'T STAGING A COUP IN SCOTLAND?!

Deflated, I carried on hoping I could make it through the disjointed flashbacks and transitions to present day without completely depleting my prozac bottle. Yes, the terrible event that led up to this "shocking" admission was tough but it in NO WAY merited the exhaustive build-up I had just experienced.

So I find myself in a bit of a rating-quandry. Clearly, I was compelled enough to turn every page and get to the bottom of the psychotic actions of Edith...stylistically, the writing had parts I absolutely loved. I never wanted to put the book down--so why 2 stars?! One star for every $1.25 I spent on this book! Just kidding.

Actually, because with so much secrecy, so much anticipation, I needed a blow-me-away event that I could've said "oh my heckadoodle!! no wonder she lied for years, no wonder she felt as if someone were looking over her shoulder all the time!!" And that just didn't happen.

But, that's ok. That's the beauty of stories. Some are bitter. Some are sweet.

NOTE: no pills were actually abused or harmed during the reading of this novel or writing of this review. drug references were for entertainment purposes only. thank you.

[Sónia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mesmo tendo lido opiniões menos positivas sobre este livro, decidi lê-lo. Passadas umas páginas, pensei nessas opiniões e em quão certas estavam as pessoas que as tinham dado. Isto porque o início da estória é demasiado confuso. Muitos nomes para uma personagem, muitas referências a diversos locais e uma escrita muito pouco atractiva. Estive mesmo para desistir, mas ainda bem que não o fiz.

Depois de lido, cheguei à conclusão de que o cerne da estória está na sua segunda metade. Um discurso menos confuso, mais discurso directo e, acima de tudo, é aí que começamos a ser elucidados sobre o propósito da fuga de Agnes. Ou de Edith... É aí que o romance se torna forte muito por "culpa" da personagem principal. Uma pessoa determinada e marcada pelos traumas do passado.

Pode-se mesmo dizer que, a partir do momento em que a narrativa oscila entre o passado e o presente, é que o livro se torna muito interessante e com uma linguagem bastante fluída que nos prende até à última página. Tinha tudo para ser um excelente livro, caso não enveredasse pelos caminhos menos felizes que atrás referi. Em todo o caso, é um livro que recomendo, assim como recomendo a não desistência a quem for tenaz...

[L Y N N · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quite effective effort for a debut novel! I liked the characterization of the two main characters, which was quite mysterious with many unanswered questions. Quite ironic that just as you believe you have hidden your past it can make it's way into your present world with a real punch! I wanted life to be better for Edith, though I was a bit wary of her seeming lack of maternal instinct, though she was only hired as a housekeeper, after all, not a nanny! This was well written with well-defined characters and I could sympathize with Edith to a great degree, though it would be hard to accept knowledge of her past and continue on, I wasn't sure she deserved the bad reception she received immediately following the revelations...

[Denise]

I picked this book up for a bargain price of $2 brand new, it was small and thought it would just fill the time between books. The first couple of pages certainly didn't grab my attention but such a small book can't be given up on. By the end of it though, I loved it. THis book was fab, it kept me guessing all the way through. A brilliant debut book for a new author, well done.

[Rhonda · Rating 1 out of 5]

The language was terrible. The author goes on and on about little details that I could care less about and the ending is severely lacking.

[Nadine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really didn’t like it

It is rare that I do not finish a book. But I really didn’t like the writing style. I disliked Edith. Couldn’t connect, couldn’t relate, couldn’t care what happened next. I just could not get into in, no matter how hard I tried. Sorry to be so harsh, because I know the author has worked hard to write this book, but I regret spending money on this...

[Ilse · Rating 1 out of 5]

eerste boek dat ik lees van deze schrijfster. maar een veelbelovende achterflap.

maar daar is het dan ook mee gezegd, veelbelovend, wil hier dus zeggen dat het hard tegenvalt.

onrealistisch, personages en situaties zijn erg slordig uitgewerkt. pas de laatste pagina's begrijp je waar dit boek over gaat. maar dan moet je echt al door ploeteren om zo ver te geraken. een uitdaging dus

[Shannan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a muddled mess. Abrupt plot changes, unsympathetic and unlikeable protagonist, unrealistic leaps of logic, topped off with the worst ending I have read in a long time. Definitely would not recommend.

[Margarida Cruz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marion McGilvary estreia-se como escritora com um livro que nos retrata o drama vivido por Agnes, uma mulher assombrada pelos acontecimentos do passado.

Creio que qualquer leitor que olhe para a capa deste livro e leia o título sentir-se-á irremediavelmen te tentado a saber mais sobre esta dita Mulher em Fuga. Afinal, uma boa intriga, repleta de suspense, segredos arrebatadores e personagens perigosamente misteriosas são os elementos mais eficazes na conquista de leitores interessados. E este primeiro romance de McGilvary não foi excepção.

Quando me deparei com esta imagem de uma elegante mulher a correr, acompanhada do vibrante título Uma Mulher em Fuga, senti de imediato uma necessidade urgente de a conhecer. Precisava de saber quem era ela, qual a sua história e porque fugia. Foi terrivelmente difícil resistir ao impulso consumista e não comprar imediatamente esta irresistível obra que prometia uma história tão empolgante e arrebatadora, daquelas que prendem o leitor da primeira à última página e nos oferecem uma leitura impetuosamente viciante e imparável. Sinceramente, ainda bem que assim foi.

Depois de ler e me desiludir com a história da aparentemente misteriosa de Agnes, não sinto vontade de correr para uma livraria para comprar este livro e guardá-lo cuidadosamente na minha estante. Não sinto sequer arrependimento de não o ter lido mais cedo, de ter esperado todo este tempo para conhecer e desvender finalmente o mistério que pairava em torno do título Uma Mulher em Fuga. Suponho que as expectativas eram demasiado altas e que isso foi o que fez com que a "queda" e o sentimento de desilusão fosse maior. A verdade é que Uma Mulher em Fuga não é, de longe, a história que esperava. Em vez de uma história empolgante, de uma intriga estonteante, repleta de mistérios e segredos, deparei-me com uma leitura monótona, por vezes desinteressante . A primeira metade do livro, principalmente, exigiu algum esforço e insistência para ser levada a cabo. Ao invés do esperado, a protagonista revelou-se uma personagem com a qual o leitor não sente qualquer tipo de empatia, afeição ou mesmo interesse. Agnes é uma personagem bastante complexa, sem dúvida, mas, ainda assim, tem uma personalidade que não vai, certamente, de encontro com muitos leitores. Achei-a demasiado estranha e incredível.

O facto de a história ser narrada na 1ª pessoa, portanto, pela própria protagonista, pode ter sido o grande erro de McGilvary uma vez que, pelo facto de Agnes não vingar numa relação de proximidade com o leitor, há uma permanente distância entre o mesmo e a história da personagem. De qualquer das formas, a essência da história não é a melhor. A expectativa para algo grandioso foi confrontada e dominada por um cenário banal e bastante previsível até.

Quanto a isto, a sinopse é uma grande culpada pois promete-nos uma história bastante diferente daquilo que se vai encontrar ao longo das páginas do livro. A sinopse diz que a protagonista passou grande parte da vida a reinventar-se e a criar constantemente novas identidades o que é desde logo mentira. Agnes mudou uma única vez de identidade. Se ao casar com alguém e juntar o apelido do marido ao nosso nome é considerado uma mudança de identidade, desconhecia. Mas a mudança de Anges McBride para Agnes Morales deve-se apenas a este pequeno pormenor: o casamento. Já Edith Lutz é um caso diferente, mas inédito na vida de Agnes, ao contrário do que nos é dado a parecer. E não, ela não inventa todas esta snaturalidades diferentes (Escócia, Nova Iorque, América do Sul, Londres). Ela chega a falar na América do Sul, sim, mas como um destino onde esteve, não como o sítio de onde vem. O mesmo se passa com Nova Iorque e Londres. Seja qual for a sua identidade, a naturalidade manteve-se sempre a mesma: Escócia.

Estes foram alguns dos muitos aspectos que encontrei em Uma Mulher em Fuga e me fizeram sentir "enganada" pela sinopse apresentada na contracapa do livro. Esperava também uma história de amor forte e verdadeira entre Adam e a protagonista, tal como nos é prometido também na sinopse. Esperava algo riquíssimo em emoções tendo em conta a situação de "fuga" da protagonista. Ao invés, mais uma vez, o leitor leva com outro "balde de água fria" no momento em que é confrontado com um romance injustificado, sem razão de ser, sem química e sem "alma". Aquilo que Agnes partilha com Adam não é uma história de amor. Está bem longe disso. Se McGilvary arriscar numa sequela, talvez possa vir a chegar a esse patamar, mas por enquanto mantém-se no estado "passatempo". Ou, pelo menos, é essa a imagem que a autora transmite uma vez que a sua escrita é, só por si, dolorosamente pobre em emoções.

A alternância entre passado e presente é igualmente mal conseguida. Por vezes perdi-me e não sabia onde me encontrava (se no antes, se no agora). Isso acontecia principalmente quando Agnes falava de Francisco, o seu ex-marido e personagem comum aos dois tempos.

Onde McGilvary podia também ter trabalhado melhor era na revelação das peças do puzzle final. O facto de deixar tudo para a segunda metade do livro até podia funcionar, se a autora não passasse a primeira metade a falar por enigmas e a dizer coisas que o leitor não faz ideia do que possam ser, confundindo-o e incomodando-o com um sentimento de "não à vontade".

Uma nota menos positiva vai também para o excessivo número de referências a personalidades (grande parte delas desconhecidas em Portugal e pelo leitor comum) e a títulos de literatura que não vincaram nome no nosso mercaddo e que, por isso, nos são estranhos. Tudo isto atribui a muitas deixas de McGilvary o grau de total incompreensão.

Uma Mulher em Fuga não é um livro mau. Mas também não é um livro bom, daqueles que queremos guardar na estante para mais tarde reler e recordar. É um livro que se lê calmamente, sem grandes sobressaltos de picos de interesse e que não deixa saudades uma vez terminada a sua leitura. O final pode ficar a ecoar nas nossas cabeças durante um breve período de tempo, mas não passa disso.

[Kimberly Westrope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the writing in this story is quite lyrical and beautiful. So much so, that I liked the author’s writing style more than either the characters or the plot of the story, both of which were only mildly interesting. I did like the way the story unfolded, revealing little pieces of the past a bit at a time. It moved along a bit too slow, and I didn’t find any of the characters particularly interesting. Still, I liked the writing well enough that I may check out more works by this author.

[Penelope Lennon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up a free library stand. It was a great book with excellent characters, suspense, and it moved along at a good pace. The cover and title gave me the impression it would be an ‘airport’ book but it was excellent.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Kept my attention from the beginning wondering what secret would come to the surface next. Well written, heartbreaking story with bits of humor thrown in.

[P.a.m.]

I could not put this book down!

[Babi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pensei que este livro ia ser um bom romance, mas a parte do romance foi aquilo que menos gostei.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good one...I kept trying to make this book take place in an earlier era, in my mind, but it takes place fairly recently.

This is one of those books that starts in the middle, only revealing bits of the past as you go along, but it is done superbly, always at the right time, just enough to keep the reader completely engrossed in the story.

We meet Edith Lutz, as she calls herself now, applying for a housekeeper job to a single father in New York City. It's clear she's living a lie, making up her story as she goes, hiding, trying not to be found. She soon becomes more than just a housekeeper to the man. She is runnign from her past, which is quite close behind her, threatening her new life....

Not chick lit...this is a great novel.

Favorite Quotes:

"It's funny how the weather can change from sun to storm in the blink of an eye..." p 312


"You know, I might not have a row of certificates from the University of Durban, but I was right about one thing. It doesn't go back into the box once you've let it out. Your past arranges itself in the here and now, like your possessions in a hotel room. When you arrive, it's bland and anonymous---white sheets, clear surfaces, a white bathroom with the soap in a little wrapper---and then suddenly there's a hair in the sink and the pointy end of the toilet paper is flushed away. You put your dressing gown behind the door, your nightdress under the pillow. That's what happens with the past---it draws up a chair in the present and sits down with its feet on the table. It finds a place and stays there, like the guest who won't leave." p 341

[Peggy Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This contains more details than most of my reviews, but there is no spoiler alert. I questioned finishing the book because I did not like the main character, Agnes, as an adult or in flashbacks as a child. That dislike lasted for over half of the book. She lied constantly, did not like children, was promiscuous, and used the word "fuck" often. She wasn't a person I wanted to be around. UNTIL… she explained her past and received insightful feedback. Then her behavior and reactions were understandable. Then I realized what a huge event in her past she had to overcome and what a strong person Agnes really was. Then I was rooting for her. But that was dangerously late in the book.

If the editor had put a few pages from the cabin scene at the front of the book, - not the entire event, just a glimpse of the trouble - the reader would be rooting for Agnes as the story moves along and be curiously turning pages to see how it all played out. Instead we see her as a horrible, selfish lowlife for the better half of the book.

There is much to like about the book - if you're willing to finish it.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although slow to start this story really fascinated me. While I wanted to see how it all turned out, it is a hard story to walk away from. It is one that has come to mind over and over today wondering what happened next in Edith's life. The main character, is Agnes McBride Morales who we first meet as Edith Lutz, is hiding. She has reinvented herself to take a job as housekeeper though hinting that she has been and could be much more. Marion McGilvary flips back and forth in time filling in the the past that was Agnes. It is rich in character development and I found it more about "who" than "what". Towards the end when all the dangling bits were coming together I felt truly anxious and uncomfortable as if I were actually in her shoes. Very well done Ms. McGilvary!

[Suzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The big secret of A Lost Wife's Tale was easy enough to discern early in the story, but McGilvary kept me turning the pages to find out how it all went down. Agnes/Edith is the only fully fleshed out character, and while she is sympathetic, an entire novel with only one realized character feels somewhat unsatisfying. The issue of rape culture that sits at heart of Agnes' decision to flee Scotland is one that would make for good book club or a feminism-focused literature class. The crux of her problems lies in how rape victims are still blamed for their rapes and how Agnes internalized the shame.

[Cathy Serpico · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised at how dark this book became, and I loved it for that - it unfolded like an onion from Tim Burton's garden. Edith's voice is biting, honest, frank, and so smart -- her constantly running interior monologue included gems like 'I was drinking white wine, so I had the chardonnay ring of confidence.' McGilvary adapted her original novel to set the American edition in New York, and her edits were exemplary. All in all I didn't want to put this down. Though it's a dense read, the psychological and emotional suspense pulled me through quickly.

[Jenny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Got to page 96 and realised, life's too short! It's written well enough, though narrator, MC Edith (who's not really Edith) comes across as a pretentious smart 'A'. Childhood flashbacks in present tense felt wrong, as did character's Scottish syntax. And even if I could have got past all that - not to mention the over-use of metaphors and similies - the story is simply too boring to stick with any longer.

Thankfully I only paid $10 for this one. Stangely it was on sale less than a year after publication.

[Lesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book for the most part. It was interesting to try to find out what Edith was running from. The answer was not was I was expecting. She is definitely a bit of an odd character. My biggest complaint about this book is the ending. Very unsatisfying. It just sort of stopped. It would have been nice to know if Edith ever stopped running and settled someplace. But I guess the ending is telling us that the answer to that question is "no." I loved the author's writing style. Her descriptive similes were very creative and often made me laugh. I would definitely read another book by her.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel about a middle-aged widow who takes a new name and invents a new history and background for herself then seeks work where she can leave her past behind. She finds a post as a live-in housekeeper for a newly divorced man. Eventually they fall in love and become lovers. Over time her stories begin to unravel and the reader learns about the past that she is running from---a past which is catching up with her.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was a little confusing a first because the author kept switching between the present and the past while introducing characters. I had trouble keeping past and present separate for a while. It's one of those stories where the main character is hiding from events in her past and through events unfolding in the present her past is revealed. It got pretty suspenseful toward the end and I couldn't put it down.

[Alan Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a pleasant surprise. Picked, almost at random, from the library when in a hurry I held few hope for it. However, it prove to be an extremely well written book. Genuinely humourous and witty but also managing to keep a taut psychological drama running through its length. I won't give away any spoilers but well worth reading; it won't take long as it will keep you gripped.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a weird book. I felt compelled to see what happened next and yet the main character is not exactly someone you find yourself cheering for. I think the book ended well in that it left you wondering if Edith/Agnes would have a happy ending. In real life the answer would probably be no so to leave off with some shred of hope for her was nice.

[Jennifer S. Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim and I felt conflicted the entire time I was reading it. It was horribly overwritten and some of the mysteries were clear from the start, but I was so compelled by the main character and the story that I couldn't stop myself from continuing. It was surprisingly, wonderfully dark and never before has a last line stayed with me so long.

[Ingrid · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished it , but only out of desperation (on a a plane with only Sky Mall as an alternative.) I found the writing clunky, and the main character thoroughly unlikeable. Not that you have to like all fictional characters, but between the novice storytelling and the unreflective and crabby main character, it was a slog.

[Jenny Milligan · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK book. Not great as it can be confusing, going backwards in time then forwards again.. you keep reading thinking you'll get the full story of what happened during Agnes's childhood...Disappointing as no proper ending..It just leave you wondering what will happen next...BUT not wondering enough to want a sequel!!

[Lexi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book itself was very well written and for about 2/3 of the book I felt as though I could even relate a bit to the character, thinking how she was making it on her own,etc. then when I found out why she left her life, I stopped being able to identify with her and couldn't understand her reasoning in things. Regardless, I enjoyed the book and happily finished it.

[Caryatid · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange book. A strange heroine. Rather disjointed, like this review!. Nevertheless I thought it very readable, just rather abrupt at the end, and unnecessarily so. It's ok to have a final ending, to tie things up, literature with a capital L tends to lean towards enigmatic endings which, frankly, rather annoy me.
All in all, a good read but unfinished.