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Hugo & Rose
Rose is disappointed with her life, though she has no reason to be - she has a beautiful family and a perfectly nice house in the suburbs. But to Rose, this ordinary life feels overshadowed by her other life - the one she leads every night in her dreams.
After a childhood accident, Rose's dreams take her to a wondrous island fraught with adventure. On this island, she has never been alone: she shares it with Hugo, a brave boy who's grown up with her into a hero of a man.
But when Rose stumbles across Hugo in real life, both her real and dream worlds are changed forever. Here is the man who has shared all of her incredible adventures in impossible places, who grew up with her, even if they aren't what either one imagined. Their chance encounter begins a cascade of questions, lies, and a dangerous obsession that threatens to topple everything she knows. Is she willing to let go of everything she holds dear to understand their extraordinary connection? And will it lead her to discover who she truly wants to be?
After a childhood accident, Rose's dreams take her to a wondrous island fraught with adventure. On this island, she has never been alone: she shares it with Hugo, a brave boy who's grown up with her into a hero of a man.
But when Rose stumbles across Hugo in real life, both her real and dream worlds are changed forever. Here is the man who has shared all of her incredible adventures in impossible places, who grew up with her, even if they aren't what either one imagined. Their chance encounter begins a cascade of questions, lies, and a dangerous obsession that threatens to topple everything she knows. Is she willing to let go of everything she holds dear to understand their extraordinary connection? And will it lead her to discover who she truly wants to be?
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 5, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 337 reviews
April 13, 2015
I really enjoyed the unique concept of this novel. I think as kids most of us fantasize about sharing our dreams with our friends in the most literal way, at least I did. The descriptions of the dreams were amazing and I felt myself easily transported to Hugo's Island.
For the first half of the novel I felt really sympathetic towards Rose, but the second half, well that's a whole 'notha story. The second half of the book takes such a dramatic departure from the beginning that it took me a while to get re-immersed into the story.
Everything changed really fast and I found myself resenting Rose for her poor choices more and more. I didn't really like the almost blase way that Rose came to her epiphany about her life at the end of the novel, but I did think that the end twist was very creative, if disturbing. This book turned out a lot differently than I was expecting, but overall I still found this to be an inspired mesmerizing read.
Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Buy
Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2015
I had high expectations for this one. Rose, is 30 something and ever since she was a little girl, she dreams about the same island where her playmate is Hugo a little boy who has aged alongside her every night. She dreams this dream every single time she goes to sleep and entertains her children the next day with her stories of Hugo and their quest to reach Castle City on the island. This is a quest which is thwarted nightly by the dangers on the island, and it seems as if they will never get there. Hugo has become something of a legend in her house with the kids seeing him as a superhero type figure and husband Josh learning to live with “the other man in her life”. Rose is in for a shock when she finally bumps into the real life Hugo. The real life Hugo is nothing like the sexy sweet young man in her dreams – he is fat and short sighted, but then again after three kids, Rose is not exactly projecting the same hot image she does in her dreams either. I loved the idea of the ramifications of their meeting on Rose’s life and marriage and also how would the meeting affect her dream world?
In reality though the book was quite dull and boring. It takes quite some time for Rose to meet Hugo, time which is spent listening to Rose explaining how dissatisfied she is with her life and moaning about her family. In reality she doesn’t have it bad at all. Her husband is loving and supportive, her kids are nice and they have enough money to live on. I never really “got” what her problem was. The thing is, when you are married yourself and raising a family you read for a bit of escapism and don’t necessarily want to hear someone moaning about the trials and tribulations of being a wife and mother, or at least not for as long as Rose does. She is just not a very pleasant person.
Husband Josh is wonderful, supporting her in every way but I found him irritating with his constant “you are such a great person, Rose”. No she isn’t, she is mean and moaning and telling you lies. I felt like shaking him and telling him to man up and deal with her. When he did finally say “enough is enough”.
The real life Hugo wasn’t particularly appealing at all and just came across as incredibly creepy for the most part and I had no interest in him at all.
The book does pick up for the last 20% when her dream world and real life do start to collide with dramatic results, but by then I had totally lost interest in it. Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
In reality though the book was quite dull and boring. It takes quite some time for Rose to meet Hugo, time which is spent listening to Rose explaining how dissatisfied she is with her life and moaning about her family. In reality she doesn’t have it bad at all. Her husband is loving and supportive, her kids are nice and they have enough money to live on. I never really “got” what her problem was. The thing is, when you are married yourself and raising a family you read for a bit of escapism and don’t necessarily want to hear someone moaning about the trials and tribulations of being a wife and mother, or at least not for as long as Rose does. She is just not a very pleasant person.
Husband Josh is wonderful, supporting her in every way but I found him irritating with his constant “you are such a great person, Rose”. No she isn’t, she is mean and moaning and telling you lies. I felt like shaking him and telling him to man up and deal with her. When he did finally say “enough is enough”.
The real life Hugo wasn’t particularly appealing at all and just came across as incredibly creepy for the most part and I had no interest in him at all.
The book does pick up for the last 20% when her dream world and real life do start to collide with dramatic results, but by then I had totally lost interest in it. Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
February 26, 2015
I won this in a goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
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This was up and down for me, at times it was very interesting and other times, I was "hmm" It;s a lovely idea but I couldn't get fully invested in it.
Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book and the writing pulls you into the story.. just not "in love" with it.
Rose's inner thoughts annoyed me alot of the time and a few instances I wanted to smack her. Hugo came as a tad creepy sometimes too..
A like not love situation, I would go for it and read the book if you are still curious about it... for me this was a "sort of miss"
Side note: I would love to see Hugo's comic book about the Island adventures.
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This was up and down for me, at times it was very interesting and other times, I was "hmm" It;s a lovely idea but I couldn't get fully invested in it.
Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book and the writing pulls you into the story.. just not "in love" with it.
Rose's inner thoughts annoyed me alot of the time and a few instances I wanted to smack her. Hugo came as a tad creepy sometimes too..
A like not love situation, I would go for it and read the book if you are still curious about it... for me this was a "sort of miss"
Side note: I would love to see Hugo's comic book about the Island adventures.
May 10, 2021
This is a wildly inventive and equally imaginative novel and I hate to say more about it because I don't want to spoil the read for anyone. Suffice it to say that the author creates a dream world within a real world in which two characters who are the sole players in the dream world meet in real life. The dream world is a fanciful island where the main character (Rose) has existed every night since her childhood. It's on this island that she meets the secondary character (Hugo). They meet as children, on the island in their dream. And then one day at a fast food restaurant, they meet as adults. The blending of these two worlds leads to...what it leads to. It's a cautionary tale about appreciating what you have rather than dwelling upon what you might have had if only you'd made different decisions. I quite enjoyed it.
April 29, 2015
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an advance copy of Hugo & Rose. I don't think I was the intended audience for this book, but I'm not sure who is. The premise starts as somewhat of an interesting thought experiment -- what if a character from a recurring dream crossed over into your real life. In the vein of much contemporary domestic fiction, it starts with a bored stay at home mother -- Rose. What saves her from boredom is a dream she has been returning to every night since childhood involving Hugo and a magic world they are trying to attain. Ok -- a magic world with monsters isn't really my thing -- I tend to stay away from fantasy. So when the monsters show up fairly early in the book, I was already on shaky footing. And then when Hugo crosses over into Rose's real world as a chubby middle aged man, things get really weird -- no spoilers except to say Hugo is creepy and there are too many monster scenes. It's really not my kind of book and I should have given up on it. But I'm not good at giving up on books and I was a bit curious about how weird the story could get. Sometimes I like reading books outside my comfort zone to test myself -- to make sure I'm not too conservative in my choices -- and sometimes I am happily surprised -- like with my recent reading of Boo by Neil Smith. But in this case, my foray into something different didn't work out. There must be an audience for this mash up domestic fiction/fantasy, but it's not me.
July 31, 2015
To preface: I read this book after meeting the author, I'm planning to write an article on the process of recording an audiobook and she was nice enough to give me access to the recording.
Of course, meeting the author and liking her has little to do with liking the book. I was worried I wouldn't like it, worried I'd have to listen to the whole thing when I wasn't enjoying it. Happily, I liked it very much even though this book tends to fall into the categories of books I don't really go for. (Which explains why I didn't request a galley when I could have pre-release.)
Unhappy housewife books can rub me wrong. I've been that woman, so to some extent this is just not wanting to read about a territory I already know quite well, and in other cases it can be all about privileged women and stories with no real stakes. This book doesn't do that, instead it addresses in many ways that biggest dilemma of stay-at-home-motherhood: how to deal with the inevitable unhappiness of it.
Being a SAHM to young children and a spouse who works out of the home, is living 24/7 to serve the demands of others. It's frustrating and thankless in the best of circumstances. Rose is not quite in the best of circumstances. She has normal children with normal needs, she has enough money to get by, she has a husband who loves her deeply. These are all wonderful things. But her husband is a surgeon and gone all the time, her youngest child is still young enough to need nearly-constant care, and her life is just stuck in that rut where years go by with very little change in the day-to-day routine.
Rose's one escape is her dreams, which have always been the same since she was young, about her and a boy named Hugo roaming a fantastical island. The engine that moves the book forward is the moment Rose sees a man in her waking life who looks an awful lot like the boy she knows so well.
The biggest struggle with the book, for me, was the dream sequences. They are really well thought out, the worldbuilding there is nicely done, but the stakes there tend to disappear since it is, after all, just a dream. But I recognize the inevitability of them in the narrative, since this is how Rose really experiences her life and every dream puts off her reality and having to deal with it.
Foley is more than competent as a reader, I'd be surprised if audiobook listeners noticed the difference between her and a professional reader. (Foley has experience as an actress, FWIW.)
This is a solid book club pick, especially if your club is made up mostly of mothers. The reason I like this book so much is that it doesn't flinch or hold back from difficult truths or plot twists. This is not a book where you're just waiting for a happy ending. The stakes build significantly while never making you feel disconnected from Rose as a character. There is much to talk about.
Of course, meeting the author and liking her has little to do with liking the book. I was worried I wouldn't like it, worried I'd have to listen to the whole thing when I wasn't enjoying it. Happily, I liked it very much even though this book tends to fall into the categories of books I don't really go for. (Which explains why I didn't request a galley when I could have pre-release.)
Unhappy housewife books can rub me wrong. I've been that woman, so to some extent this is just not wanting to read about a territory I already know quite well, and in other cases it can be all about privileged women and stories with no real stakes. This book doesn't do that, instead it addresses in many ways that biggest dilemma of stay-at-home-motherhood: how to deal with the inevitable unhappiness of it.
Being a SAHM to young children and a spouse who works out of the home, is living 24/7 to serve the demands of others. It's frustrating and thankless in the best of circumstances. Rose is not quite in the best of circumstances. She has normal children with normal needs, she has enough money to get by, she has a husband who loves her deeply. These are all wonderful things. But her husband is a surgeon and gone all the time, her youngest child is still young enough to need nearly-constant care, and her life is just stuck in that rut where years go by with very little change in the day-to-day routine.
Rose's one escape is her dreams, which have always been the same since she was young, about her and a boy named Hugo roaming a fantastical island. The engine that moves the book forward is the moment Rose sees a man in her waking life who looks an awful lot like the boy she knows so well.
The biggest struggle with the book, for me, was the dream sequences. They are really well thought out, the worldbuilding there is nicely done, but the stakes there tend to disappear since it is, after all, just a dream. But I recognize the inevitability of them in the narrative, since this is how Rose really experiences her life and every dream puts off her reality and having to deal with it.
Foley is more than competent as a reader, I'd be surprised if audiobook listeners noticed the difference between her and a professional reader. (Foley has experience as an actress, FWIW.)
This is a solid book club pick, especially if your club is made up mostly of mothers. The reason I like this book so much is that it doesn't flinch or hold back from difficult truths or plot twists. This is not a book where you're just waiting for a happy ending. The stakes build significantly while never making you feel disconnected from Rose as a character. There is much to talk about.
May 1, 2015
eARC: Netgalley
The concept is original and I was looking forward to this book but it just never seemed to live up to its potential.
Rose irritated me to no end with her constant whining and negativity. She had a pretty easy life except her surgeon husband worked long hours. It didn't seem to matter to her that he adored her.
Hugo initially seemed like a Peter Pan type character, but he quickly became a creepy loser.
I started to rate it three stars, but I just couldn't justify it. Maybe 2.5 stars is more accurate.
The concept is original and I was looking forward to this book but it just never seemed to live up to its potential.
Rose irritated me to no end with her constant whining and negativity. She had a pretty easy life except her surgeon husband worked long hours. It didn't seem to matter to her that he adored her.
Hugo initially seemed like a Peter Pan type character, but he quickly became a creepy loser.
I started to rate it three stars, but I just couldn't justify it. Maybe 2.5 stars is more accurate.
June 3, 2015
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You dream the same dream your whole life. You're on a magical beach with a beautiful man who saves you from the dangers and treachery the island hides. A city filled with castles is seen in the distance but after years of trying you can't quite reach it. Then one day you see the man in real life. He sees you and it makes you question your reality, your life.
That's the premise of Hugo & Rose. I was so intrigued by it and just had to pick up the book. It took me a really long time to get into the book, and by the end, I really think the book didn't live up the book as a whole.
Rose is a mother to three kids and happily married to Josh, an ER doctor. Rose is in the trenches of motherhood. Her point-of-view is brutally honest. She loves her children, but she has no time to herself. Her once fit figure has changed due to having children and she's ashamed of her outward appearance. She doesn't feel desirable to her husband and her kids annoy her most days. During the day she's barely holding it all together, but at night escapes to her dreams with an adventurous man who slays life-size spiders and who's an expert at grass sword-fighting. Her Hugo.
Then she sees a man who looks eerily similar to her dream Hugo. A little pudgier and aged, this man is Hugo. His mannerisms, his eyes. It shakes her and leads her down a dark path that makes her question her sanity, her reality, and her life.
I read a few early reviews of this book, many of which say that the synopsis is slightly misleading. I don't know if I would use the word "misleading" because that word implies you were told one thing but you got another. I think the conclusion I drew from the cover and the summary was a much lighter feel. But I was pleasantly surprised when I got deeper into the book and it was actually a much darker read in tone. Everyone in this book goes a little crazy and that part of the book was entertaining and propelled me to keep reading (once I got to the crazy).
This book was really slow for awhile and it took awhile for it to stick. While Rose is an unlikable character, the author made me understand her plight and the darker thoughts she has about her children and her husband. The dream sequences, with the exception to the ones towards the end, were mostly filler and I wasn't interested in reading them. I found myself skimming many parts of this book. I wasn't truly hooked until things started going terribly wrong in the latter half of the book.
For me, the book didn't hold my attention at all times and I was not impressed with it as a whole. If you're looking for a unique women's fiction novel combined with a bit of a thriller vibe, you might pick this one up. I didn't really love it though.
2 stars
* I received an advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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You dream the same dream your whole life. You're on a magical beach with a beautiful man who saves you from the dangers and treachery the island hides. A city filled with castles is seen in the distance but after years of trying you can't quite reach it. Then one day you see the man in real life. He sees you and it makes you question your reality, your life.
That's the premise of Hugo & Rose. I was so intrigued by it and just had to pick up the book. It took me a really long time to get into the book, and by the end, I really think the book didn't live up the book as a whole.
Rose is a mother to three kids and happily married to Josh, an ER doctor. Rose is in the trenches of motherhood. Her point-of-view is brutally honest. She loves her children, but she has no time to herself. Her once fit figure has changed due to having children and she's ashamed of her outward appearance. She doesn't feel desirable to her husband and her kids annoy her most days. During the day she's barely holding it all together, but at night escapes to her dreams with an adventurous man who slays life-size spiders and who's an expert at grass sword-fighting. Her Hugo.
Then she sees a man who looks eerily similar to her dream Hugo. A little pudgier and aged, this man is Hugo. His mannerisms, his eyes. It shakes her and leads her down a dark path that makes her question her sanity, her reality, and her life.
I read a few early reviews of this book, many of which say that the synopsis is slightly misleading. I don't know if I would use the word "misleading" because that word implies you were told one thing but you got another. I think the conclusion I drew from the cover and the summary was a much lighter feel. But I was pleasantly surprised when I got deeper into the book and it was actually a much darker read in tone. Everyone in this book goes a little crazy and that part of the book was entertaining and propelled me to keep reading (once I got to the crazy).
This book was really slow for awhile and it took awhile for it to stick. While Rose is an unlikable character, the author made me understand her plight and the darker thoughts she has about her children and her husband. The dream sequences, with the exception to the ones towards the end, were mostly filler and I wasn't interested in reading them. I found myself skimming many parts of this book. I wasn't truly hooked until things started going terribly wrong in the latter half of the book.
For me, the book didn't hold my attention at all times and I was not impressed with it as a whole. If you're looking for a unique women's fiction novel combined with a bit of a thriller vibe, you might pick this one up. I didn't really love it though.
2 stars
* I received an advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
____________________________________________
★ Check out my list of UPCOMING BOOK RELEASES!!
____________________________________________
Find more of my reviews & other bookish things here:
✥ Read this review on the blog!
✥ My blog Reading Books Like a Boss
✥ Like on Facebook
✥ Follow on Twitter
✥ Pin with me on Pinterest
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July 20, 2015
I guess this was about having a traumatic brain injury as a child. Hugo and Rose is just not a believable work of fiction. The fantasy/dream parts were down right boring. It made me want to go fold laundry...
March 30, 2016
3.5
"Due menti sognanti, smarrite nel terrore, naufragate sulle coste di una terra inventata. I sogni di bambini spaventati in cerca di un riparo."
Perennemente in bilico tra sogno e realtà.
A quale dimensione apparteniamo veramente?
Rose è insoddisfatta della sua vita, grigia e monotona. L'unico luogo dove si sente realmente a casa, viva e felice, è sull'Isola. Con Hugo.
Ogni volta che chiude gli occhi e si addormenta riesce a respirare la felicità, a toccarla e a guardarla negli occhi.
Le cose si complicano quando realtà e fantasia si incontrano o, meglio, si scontrano.
I sogni sono potenti e possono cambiarci la vita; se da una parte ci portano a detestarla, a causa della bellezza che li caratterizza, dall'altra possono renderci coscienti di quanto non sia poi così male, in fondo.
Lo stile dell'autrice è molto semplice e coinvolgente. La lettura scorre e ti lascia col fiato sospeso, pagina dopo pagina.
Il bello di questa storia è che per quanto possa sembrare scontata e banale, in realtà è tutt'altro.
Originale e ben strutturata.
Interessante la tematica di fondo. Buona la resa.
Il finale è geniale.
I personaggi sono ben caratterizzati e soprattutto non rappresentano nessun ideale.
Rose, Hugo, Josh, persino i bambini, sono estremamente veri, rintracciabili nella vita di tutti i giorni. Persone comuni, con i loro difetti e le loro vite imperfette.
Il mondo fantastico ideato da Bridget Foley è davvero meraviglioso.
"Due menti sognanti, smarrite nel terrore, naufragate sulle coste di una terra inventata. I sogni di bambini spaventati in cerca di un riparo."
Perennemente in bilico tra sogno e realtà.
A quale dimensione apparteniamo veramente?
Rose è insoddisfatta della sua vita, grigia e monotona. L'unico luogo dove si sente realmente a casa, viva e felice, è sull'Isola. Con Hugo.
Ogni volta che chiude gli occhi e si addormenta riesce a respirare la felicità, a toccarla e a guardarla negli occhi.
Le cose si complicano quando realtà e fantasia si incontrano o, meglio, si scontrano.
I sogni sono potenti e possono cambiarci la vita; se da una parte ci portano a detestarla, a causa della bellezza che li caratterizza, dall'altra possono renderci coscienti di quanto non sia poi così male, in fondo.
Lo stile dell'autrice è molto semplice e coinvolgente. La lettura scorre e ti lascia col fiato sospeso, pagina dopo pagina.
Il bello di questa storia è che per quanto possa sembrare scontata e banale, in realtà è tutt'altro.
Originale e ben strutturata.
Interessante la tematica di fondo. Buona la resa.
Il finale è geniale.
I personaggi sono ben caratterizzati e soprattutto non rappresentano nessun ideale.
Rose, Hugo, Josh, persino i bambini, sono estremamente veri, rintracciabili nella vita di tutti i giorni. Persone comuni, con i loro difetti e le loro vite imperfette.
Il mondo fantastico ideato da Bridget Foley è davvero meraviglioso.
February 17, 2015
I received this book as a first read giveaway. I thought the premise of the story was interesting and had promise. But the story just did not hold together for me. I did not like the main character, probably mostly because she doesn't like herself. It was difficult to understand why her husband loves her so devotedly. The story gets very weird, annoyingly so, and I found myself skim reading about 3/4 of the way through, just to get to the end as quickly as possible. The various aspects of the story do finally come together and get explained to a satisfactory degree, but it seems too late.
June 18, 2015
Why had the universe conspired to send her dreams of the same person every night of her life and then present him to her now, when there was nothing to be done about it? When her life was already locked into place. Her husband chosen. Children born. Investment plans selected.
How inconvenient it all was. To meet the man from her dreams now.
I was initially drawn to this book for its creative synopsis (as well as, let's face it, its beautiful cover), and while it isn't everything I hoped for it to be, it definitely surprised me in many areas, and I'm glad I was able to give it a chance.
Rose is a jaded housewife—a self-admitted "bad" mother and wife who hates tending to her kids and putting up with her loyal husband, but feels obligated to, in order to be a "good" person. Approaching middle age, she's not attractive, not strong, and feels like she isn't fulfilling anything, except for when she is asleep, in her nightly dreams, where she is a brave, slender adventurer with a handsome lifelong companion, Hugo.
When Rose encounters Hugo unexpectedly, jarringly, in her waking life, any literary audience would anticipate drama and threat to her mediocre living to unfold. True to expectation, this is a story about an ordinary woman with an extraordinary condition that follows the dangers of fantastical obsessions and idealized prospects when they intervene with real life.
While narrated in close third person, Rose is a very distant, detached character. I didn't necessarily not like her, and because she herself acknowledges her extreme defects (such as neglecting her children, pushing away her husband, Josh, etc.), I felt like she was somewhat relatable as a character who hasn't yet discovered herself, someone who just wants something more out of life. However, the path to her foolish decisions seemed very unnatural; I personally found myself wondering what was wrong with her inability to ever be rational.
One major thing that irked me was how Josh, Rose's husband, is an extremely two-dimensional character; more a plot device than anything. You would think that a literary/family story would incorporate more intimacy or complexity regarding the marriage or husband—the more you have, the more to lose—but he seemed thoroughly flat. What bothered me the most is that Foley relies on Josh (not completely, but heavily) to convey Rose's appearance and personality; he's constantly talking about how beautiful and wonderful a wife she is (which I personally couldn't see...) but it was a major point-of-view inconsistency, as the narrative is meant to be immediate to Rose.
Rose's obsessive, narrow-minded search for finding out what she really wants through incorporating Hugo into her waking life, when it's clear he was meant to only stay in her dreams, takes the thriller route in the last 25% of the book, which I didn't foresee at all, but still ate up every bit. The pure domestic suspense that expands into an actual struggle between life or death is flawlessly executed, and it was certainly my favorite part.
The interpretation of how Rose and Hugo are actually connected is beautiful, and quite haunting as well (I won't give it away, as it's a huge "aha!" scene in the book). The fantasy layer of the story drew me in at first, but I still appreciate how a real-life explanation was still provided; readers will find it moving, or interesting at least.
Pros
Unique plot, unlike anything I've ever come across before // Vividly imagined // Children are well characterized and lovable // Overall fascinating concept of connecting with another real-life person in dreams // Seamless backstory incorporated
Cons
Rose's character... I could relate to her in some respects but hated her most of the time because of her socially inept/questionable decision-making // Josh's character (Rose's husband) seemed like a plot device more than an actual person // Many clichéd phrases scattered throughout so-so quality writing // Very odd POV shifts
Verdict
Uniquely imagined and poignant in its implications about the human subconscious, Hugo and Rose is not your average things-fall-apart literary novel. Incorporating the fantastical element of dreams and a thrilling twist of a climax, it is captivating and thoroughly original, although not without faults. Looking past the annoying characters and problems I had with the narrative voice, I would definitely recommend Bridget Foley's debut for fans of strange but wondrous plots and blurry distinctions between dream and reality. It runs in the vein of magical realism, which in literature, is actually quite difficult to pull off, as Foley has.
Rating: 7 out of 10 hearts (3.5 stars): Not perfect, but overall enjoyable; borrow, don't buy!
Source
Complimentary copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, St. Martin's Press!)
February 15, 2015
3.5 stars, really. This was one of those books where the summary is incredibly misleading, and not in a bad way.
Rose is a thirtysomething housewife and mother of three children. Her unhappiness comes from her aging body, her husband not being home enough, and the fact that she can't forever live in her dream world with Hugo, the beautiful boy that goes on adventures with her. In this dream world, around since she was in a coma when she was six years old, Rose is perfect as she fights huge spiders and angry deer, and she's forever beautiful. She even tells her children the adventures of Hugo and Rose, and they eat it all up. But then Rose runs into Hugo in real life and things...quickly escalate from that point.
Where I thought that this would be a romance novel, one filled with swash buckling adventure and finally meeting one's soulmate, this book took a really dark turn near the end. What happens after Rose meets Hugo in real life is crazy and so unexpected that I kept waiting for the cliché woman waking up from coma or woman changing her entire life for her soulmate or woman leaving her soulmate for a crippling life of normality because she can't possibly leave her children. None of those happened, and I think I kept waiting for it because I was not anticipating everything that Rose had to go through when her dream world collided with her real world.
This book was slow to start, because the first couple of chapters are about setting the story up and there were some moments in there where I absolutely hated Rose because she had this wonderful life, but all she wanted to do was sleep so she could go off to Castle City with Hugo. I think the only character in this novel that didn't annoy me at least once was Adam, Rose's six year old son. But it made the characters real, and even though I hated them in those moments of realness, I understood. Of course Rose would want to spend so much time with this man she thought was only in her dreams. Of course her husband would be angry that she was spending time with the man in her dreams. Of course her son would be a spoiled brat on his birthday. So, while they were all slightly annoying, I was sympathetic toward them all, even Hugo.
It was a great read, but just remember, after reading the summary, this is not a run of the mill romantic women's fiction novel. This is so completely different that if I tried explaining it to you, we would both think I was nuts.
Rose is a thirtysomething housewife and mother of three children. Her unhappiness comes from her aging body, her husband not being home enough, and the fact that she can't forever live in her dream world with Hugo, the beautiful boy that goes on adventures with her. In this dream world, around since she was in a coma when she was six years old, Rose is perfect as she fights huge spiders and angry deer, and she's forever beautiful. She even tells her children the adventures of Hugo and Rose, and they eat it all up. But then Rose runs into Hugo in real life and things...quickly escalate from that point.
Where I thought that this would be a romance novel, one filled with swash buckling adventure and finally meeting one's soulmate, this book took a really dark turn near the end. What happens after Rose meets Hugo in real life is crazy and so unexpected that I kept waiting for the cliché woman waking up from coma or woman changing her entire life for her soulmate or woman leaving her soulmate for a crippling life of normality because she can't possibly leave her children. None of those happened, and I think I kept waiting for it because I was not anticipating everything that Rose had to go through when her dream world collided with her real world.
This book was slow to start, because the first couple of chapters are about setting the story up and there were some moments in there where I absolutely hated Rose because she had this wonderful life, but all she wanted to do was sleep so she could go off to Castle City with Hugo. I think the only character in this novel that didn't annoy me at least once was Adam, Rose's six year old son. But it made the characters real, and even though I hated them in those moments of realness, I understood. Of course Rose would want to spend so much time with this man she thought was only in her dreams. Of course her husband would be angry that she was spending time with the man in her dreams. Of course her son would be a spoiled brat on his birthday. So, while they were all slightly annoying, I was sympathetic toward them all, even Hugo.
It was a great read, but just remember, after reading the summary, this is not a run of the mill romantic women's fiction novel. This is so completely different that if I tried explaining it to you, we would both think I was nuts.
April 4, 2021
Un libro dolcissimo. Mi è piaciuto molto. Un lungo racconto onirico è fantastico, reale e concreto sulla vita di viviamo e che sogniamo. Mi torna in mente la frase: attenzione a cosa sogni, potrebbe avverarsi.
Consigliato.
Consigliato.
June 19, 2018
Tratta in inganno dalla copertina gradevole e dalla sinossi che mi aveva in qualche modo ricordato l'intenso e commovente "La moglie dell'uomo che viaggiava nel tempo" di Audrey Niffenegger, mi sono lasciata tentare... E questa volta ho proprio sbagliato!
LA STORIA
Quando aveva sei anni, Rose cadde dalla bicicletta. Rimase incosciente per diversi giorni, e quando si risvegliò non riuscì a smettere di piangere per un giorno intero: ma non era stata la paura la causa di quelle lacrime. Nel suo lungo sonno infatti Rose aveva incontrato Hugo: un bambino dagli occhi color cioccolato, con il quale aveva vissuto un'avventura strepitosa su un'isola dove erano loro gli unici esseri umani, potevano mangiare conchiglie al sapore di caramello, combattere ragni pericolosissimi, sfuggire a branchi di cervi composti soltanto da animali maschi, e tentare di accedere a Città Castello. Il mondo dei sogni era parso a Rose preferibile a quello quotidiano della sua infanzia, ed enorme fu la sua gioia nell'accorgersi che poteva farvi ritorno ogni notte non appena si riaddormentava, e vivere interminabili altre avventure con Hugo.
Trent'anni dopo, Rose è madre di tre bambini (Isaac, Adam e la piccola Penny), moglie di Josh, chirurgo sempre impegnato, ma è ancora la Rose che ogni notte incontra Hugo nei sogni: Hugo che è cresciuto con lei ed ora è un uomo, e le fa dimenticare ogni notte la monotonia della sua vita di madre casalinga, spesso frustrata dalla propria situazione. Questo apparente equilibrio però si spezza in un giorno come tanti: entrata con i figli in un fast-food, Rose scorge dietro il bancone un uomo incredibilmente simile a Hugo, e ciò che è ancora più incredibile è il fatto che l'uomo la riconosca a sua volta e si riveli essere proprio quel Hugo che popola, da trent'anni, i sogni di Rose, la quale è da trent'anni ogni notte nei sogni di lui.
COSA NE PENSO
Hugo e Rose è un romanzo che definirei sbilanciato. Nella prima metà infatti siamo davanti ad un romanzo rosa dalle tinte fantasiose: una protagonista come tante, una vita familiare che non ha nulla di straordinario, ed un rapporto relegato al mondo dei sogni con un personaggio per lei indispensabile, Hugo. La fantasia è per Rose assai meglio della realtà, e rendiamo merito all'autrice per aver creato un universo onirico che i lettori immaginano con facilità (sabbie rosa, città inespugnabili, creature pericolose e rifugi in legno che si lasciano cullare dalle onde).
Dopo l'incontro con Hugo in carne ed ossa però il tono del romanzo cambia completamente, assumendo tinte cupe proprie di una narrazione tragica: il matrimonio sembra entrare in crisi, i bambini sono sempre più spesso trascurati, Hugo stesso non è limpido ed ideale come Rose lo aveva sognato. Nella conclusione poi la vicenda cambia nuovamente forma, tramutandosi in una sorta di thriller carico di tensione e di imprevedibilità, sia nel mondo onirico sia nel più concreto Colorado.
Anche i punti di vista dei personaggi sono a mio parere non sempre equilibrati: senza dubbio quella che riveste un ruolo di primo piano è Rose, tuttavia ogni tanto compare Adam, il secondo figlio: l'autrice dà a questo bambino un rilievo particolare rispetto agli altri componenti della famiglia e descrive Adam in modo più generoso rispetto alla descrizione di Isaac. Adam infatti non è prepotente come il fratello maggiore, anzi ne è alla costante ricerca di attenzione nonostante questi lo maltratti in presenza degli amici; viene descritto come un bambino dolce e sensibile, ed infatti è lui ad entrare in contatto direttamente con Hugo (elemento a mio parere superfluo all'interno della trama). Il punto di vista di Adam talvolta è quello attorno al quale si sviluppano intere pagine, per poi scomparire rapidamente non appena Rose ritorna al ruolo di protagonista, creando così un'alternanza tra i punti di vista decisamente sbilanciata.
Un'ultima nota negativa sento di doverla dedicare ai termini usati nel romanzo, che renderebbero felici la maestra colpevole dell'aver fatto riconoscere persino all'Accademia della Crusca il termine "petaloso": qui infatti abbondano parole come "biciclettosità" ed altri orrori vari, che per il mio gusto personale sono veramente inaccettabili.
Nel complesso, penso si sia già capito, questo romanzo non mi ha convinta; nonostante si tratti di un romanzo di intrattenimento semplice e scorrevole, il rovesciamento del tono spensierato e romantico che speravo di trovarvi mi ha delusa e lasciata in conclusione piuttosto delusa ed insoddisfatta.
La recensione la trovate anche qui: http://collezionedistorie.blogspot.co...
LA STORIA
Quando aveva sei anni, Rose cadde dalla bicicletta. Rimase incosciente per diversi giorni, e quando si risvegliò non riuscì a smettere di piangere per un giorno intero: ma non era stata la paura la causa di quelle lacrime. Nel suo lungo sonno infatti Rose aveva incontrato Hugo: un bambino dagli occhi color cioccolato, con il quale aveva vissuto un'avventura strepitosa su un'isola dove erano loro gli unici esseri umani, potevano mangiare conchiglie al sapore di caramello, combattere ragni pericolosissimi, sfuggire a branchi di cervi composti soltanto da animali maschi, e tentare di accedere a Città Castello. Il mondo dei sogni era parso a Rose preferibile a quello quotidiano della sua infanzia, ed enorme fu la sua gioia nell'accorgersi che poteva farvi ritorno ogni notte non appena si riaddormentava, e vivere interminabili altre avventure con Hugo.
Trent'anni dopo, Rose è madre di tre bambini (Isaac, Adam e la piccola Penny), moglie di Josh, chirurgo sempre impegnato, ma è ancora la Rose che ogni notte incontra Hugo nei sogni: Hugo che è cresciuto con lei ed ora è un uomo, e le fa dimenticare ogni notte la monotonia della sua vita di madre casalinga, spesso frustrata dalla propria situazione. Questo apparente equilibrio però si spezza in un giorno come tanti: entrata con i figli in un fast-food, Rose scorge dietro il bancone un uomo incredibilmente simile a Hugo, e ciò che è ancora più incredibile è il fatto che l'uomo la riconosca a sua volta e si riveli essere proprio quel Hugo che popola, da trent'anni, i sogni di Rose, la quale è da trent'anni ogni notte nei sogni di lui.
COSA NE PENSO
Hugo e Rose è un romanzo che definirei sbilanciato. Nella prima metà infatti siamo davanti ad un romanzo rosa dalle tinte fantasiose: una protagonista come tante, una vita familiare che non ha nulla di straordinario, ed un rapporto relegato al mondo dei sogni con un personaggio per lei indispensabile, Hugo. La fantasia è per Rose assai meglio della realtà, e rendiamo merito all'autrice per aver creato un universo onirico che i lettori immaginano con facilità (sabbie rosa, città inespugnabili, creature pericolose e rifugi in legno che si lasciano cullare dalle onde).
Dopo l'incontro con Hugo in carne ed ossa però il tono del romanzo cambia completamente, assumendo tinte cupe proprie di una narrazione tragica: il matrimonio sembra entrare in crisi, i bambini sono sempre più spesso trascurati, Hugo stesso non è limpido ed ideale come Rose lo aveva sognato. Nella conclusione poi la vicenda cambia nuovamente forma, tramutandosi in una sorta di thriller carico di tensione e di imprevedibilità, sia nel mondo onirico sia nel più concreto Colorado.
Anche i punti di vista dei personaggi sono a mio parere non sempre equilibrati: senza dubbio quella che riveste un ruolo di primo piano è Rose, tuttavia ogni tanto compare Adam, il secondo figlio: l'autrice dà a questo bambino un rilievo particolare rispetto agli altri componenti della famiglia e descrive Adam in modo più generoso rispetto alla descrizione di Isaac. Adam infatti non è prepotente come il fratello maggiore, anzi ne è alla costante ricerca di attenzione nonostante questi lo maltratti in presenza degli amici; viene descritto come un bambino dolce e sensibile, ed infatti è lui ad entrare in contatto direttamente con Hugo (elemento a mio parere superfluo all'interno della trama). Il punto di vista di Adam talvolta è quello attorno al quale si sviluppano intere pagine, per poi scomparire rapidamente non appena Rose ritorna al ruolo di protagonista, creando così un'alternanza tra i punti di vista decisamente sbilanciata.
Un'ultima nota negativa sento di doverla dedicare ai termini usati nel romanzo, che renderebbero felici la maestra colpevole dell'aver fatto riconoscere persino all'Accademia della Crusca il termine "petaloso": qui infatti abbondano parole come "biciclettosità" ed altri orrori vari, che per il mio gusto personale sono veramente inaccettabili.
Nel complesso, penso si sia già capito, questo romanzo non mi ha convinta; nonostante si tratti di un romanzo di intrattenimento semplice e scorrevole, il rovesciamento del tono spensierato e romantico che speravo di trovarvi mi ha delusa e lasciata in conclusione piuttosto delusa ed insoddisfatta.
La recensione la trovate anche qui: http://collezionedistorie.blogspot.co...
April 29, 2015
I found this book to be quite frustrating. I loved the concept, but wanting to slap every single character constantly is not a likely path to enjoyment. I didn't like Rose, her husband, her children, or her dream-time playmate Hugo, and the more I read, the less I liked them. Rose's struggle between two worlds was interesting I suppose, but... It turns decidedly darker at the end (much darker than the cheerful, girly cover would indicate), which is when I thought it found its stride. As the reason for the dreams becomes more clear, so too do the central themes that were painfully struggling to emerge for most of the book. There are certainly some positive aspects to this novel, and a certain reader will enjoy it, but I continue to need one likeable character to get behind.
The fine print: ARC received from NetGalley.
The fine print: ARC received from NetGalley.
March 1, 2015
ARC received courtesy of Goodreads.com giveaway
This book has the oddest plotline that I've ever read; so odd that I'm not even sure how to describe it! As the novel begins, all the reader knows is that Rose has been dreaming about the same island adventure with the same boy, Hugo, ever since she can remember. The island is a magical place that is full of fun and adventure. Rose can't wait to put her kids to bed every night so that she can escape her hum-drum life by having fun in her dreams with Hugo. Imagine never having a nightmare and knowing what you'll dream about every night! When Rose comes across Hugo in real life, her problems really begin.
This was a wonderful book with an unusual plot. I'll be passing my copy along to friends.
This book has the oddest plotline that I've ever read; so odd that I'm not even sure how to describe it! As the novel begins, all the reader knows is that Rose has been dreaming about the same island adventure with the same boy, Hugo, ever since she can remember. The island is a magical place that is full of fun and adventure. Rose can't wait to put her kids to bed every night so that she can escape her hum-drum life by having fun in her dreams with Hugo. Imagine never having a nightmare and knowing what you'll dream about every night! When Rose comes across Hugo in real life, her problems really begin.
This was a wonderful book with an unusual plot. I'll be passing my copy along to friends.
October 24, 2015
Nel 1610, Shakespeare scrive ne 'La tempesta' che siamo fatti della stessa sostanza dei sogni.
Nel 1635, Pedro Calderón de La Barca scrive 'La vita è sogno', riflessione teologico-filosofica sulla futilità dell'esperienza umana.
Nel 1976, Vecchioni canta 'Sogna ragazzo sogna'.
Nel 1980, Springsteen canta 'is a dream a lie that won't come true, or is it something worse' nella sua The River, che fa venire la pelle d'oca ad ogni ascolto.
Nel 2015 arriva Bridget Foley, e prova a parlare di sogni, e dimostra solo che tutta la gente summenzionata poteva farlo, e lei no.
Hugo e Rose è il triste risultato.
Nel 1635, Pedro Calderón de La Barca scrive 'La vita è sogno', riflessione teologico-filosofica sulla futilità dell'esperienza umana.
Nel 1976, Vecchioni canta 'Sogna ragazzo sogna'.
Nel 1980, Springsteen canta 'is a dream a lie that won't come true, or is it something worse' nella sua The River, che fa venire la pelle d'oca ad ogni ascolto.
Nel 2015 arriva Bridget Foley, e prova a parlare di sogni, e dimostra solo che tutta la gente summenzionata poteva farlo, e lei no.
Hugo e Rose è il triste risultato.
August 13, 2020
When I started this book I already felt a connection. Rose was unhappy with herself, hating herself, hating her dull life, ignoring reality. I related to her in that way. Throughout this book I felt angry with her rash decisions at times. There were multiple occasions when I yelled at her,Josh, Hugo and many more individuals while reading this story. There were many times when this book made me angry but still I couldn't let it go. I loved the concept of this book overall. It wasn't my favorite book but it definitely deserves four stars from my view because of the amazing writing that took me away.
July 30, 2015
Oh, how I absolutely adored HUGO AND ROSE by Bridget Foley. It's the story of a married woman who dreams of the same man every night. And then one day, she meets him in real life.
Rose's dreamscape is so vivid, I felt like I was transported to another place. It reminded me so much of ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND and PUSHING DAISIES, in all the best possible ways. HUGO AND ROSE is so incredibly dark and surrealist, but somehow, it really got me to think about my life, and the nature of love and marriage.
Rose's dreamscape is so vivid, I felt like I was transported to another place. It reminded me so much of ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND and PUSHING DAISIES, in all the best possible ways. HUGO AND ROSE is so incredibly dark and surrealist, but somehow, it really got me to think about my life, and the nature of love and marriage.
August 6, 2016
This is a really different kind of novel- I'm going to disagree with other reviewers and state that I felt the first few chapters dragged (or were just odd ) and then the story picked up speed. Foley's descriptions of some of the more mundane aspects of motherhood (toilet training, soccer practices ) had me rolling at times, and then her portrayal of Rose's internal conflict broke my heart at times. I really enjoyed this book.
April 7, 2016
This was on one of those must read summer book lists. Let me tell you don't waste your time. This book is so boring.
September 18, 2015
Misterioso, avventuroso, speciale, strano, inimmaginabile! Geniale!!!
December 19, 2015
Hugo & Rose was just meh. I read this book so you wouldn't have to.
May 17, 2023
***Update*** I changed the rating to two stars because the longer I was away from this book, the less I remembered any of the things I actually liked about it, while all of the awful things just crystallized in my brain. ***End Update***
This is a tough book for me to rate. There were parts that I really connected to, and others that just infuriated me. I couldn't decide between two or three stars, but in the end I went with three, because while I disliked a lot about the character of Rose and her decisions, there were aspects that I really enjoyed, and the concept was really intriguing.
MASSIVE SPOILERS FORTHCOMING:
Rose is a SAHM with three kids. Much of the novel centers around her feelings and thoughts as she goes through the motions of parenting. She does all of the things a SAHM is 'supposed' to do, but none of it actually seems to bring her joy. She feels inadequate when comparing herself to what she imagines the other moms are like. I don't think that's necessarily an uncommon thing. Many people struggle with their own insecurities when comparing themselves to their neighbors...it's that 'grass is always greener' mentality. I actually appreciated this part of the story, because it felt vaguely familiar to me. Rose finding her only joy in her dreams is where this novel veers off the course of a run-of-the-mill fiction.
Rose dreams of a boy named Hugo every night. In her dreams, they are in a different land and trying to get to a castle in the distance. There are barricades and obstacles in their way, and they never make it to the castle before Rose wakes up.
Then she meets a man who reminds her of Hugo...and surprise, surprise...it IS Hugo! She stalks him for several weeks before actually approaching him, and their relationship progresses from there, in the real world as well as the dream world.
This is where I started having real issues with the book. In the first part, she obviously not happy but she is still doing what she needs to do as a mother. When she starts following Hugo, she begins to shirk her responsibilities. She doesn't take her daughter to preschool because it interferes with her time to spy on Hugo. So she takes her daughter WITH her and they spend all day in the car being stalkery. She takes too long to get home from being with Hugo and her young sons have to wait for two hours outside their house for her to get home and let them in. After they actually meet face to face, it just gets worse.
My biggest aggravation with this book is the infidelity on Rose's part. Now, her husband is a trauma surgeon. He works insane hours, as is to be expected for someone in his line of work. And as someone who is a SAHM with a husband who sometimes has to work extra long hours, I understand that it isn't always easy. It's hard to get any time for yourself, and that can be stressful. But her husband is awesome. He thinks she is beautiful and sexy. She hates her body and turns away from him any time he tries to initiate intimacy with her. When she actually DOES reciprocate, she admits that she is disgusted by it because of her post-baby body. She admits to just going through the motions there too. But then Hugo kisses her in the dream world (where they both look hot), and she gets all lusty over him in the real world (where he is overweight and not especially attractive.) Now, if the kids had happened before Rose realized that Hugo was actually REAL, I could understand that, and it wouldn't bother me. But she knew he was real. She had invited him TO THEIR HOUSE for her son's birthday party and for dinner later on.
Later in the book she completely sets fire to her marriage vows by going to his home for the sole purpose of being with him physically. They begin kissing and messing around but he can't get it up so they decide to take sleeping pills so they can fool around in the dream world. While all of this is happening she thinks in passing about her responsibilities to her kids and her husband, but pushes it aside. "She wanted this, she wanted to know what it would be like." As if that is a good reason to step out on your marriage.
She continues to justify her disgusting behavior thusly:
"And besides, it was just sleep.
She had stopped just shy of any REAL infidelity. What haunted her was the possibility that she would have to think of herself as an unfaithful wife. A few minutes more and she would've been denied that...but this...
Well really...this was just a nap."
Someone needs to tell this bitch that emotional cheating is the same as physical cheating...and kissing another man and letting him rub all over you IS physical! She is an unfaithful wife!
Also, while the drug-induced sleep-cheating was happening her sons were waiting for hours at their front steps until someone called the hospital and her husband was pulled out of surgery because they couldn't get hold of her.
So needless to say, I had a real problem with Rose's character, as far as her moral compass goes. I felt like she redeemed herself somewhat after that point, once she realized that she was completely throwing her life away for what was essentially a fantasy. But the redemption didn't really click with me. I wanted to see her appreciation and love for Josh more than I did. I wanted a conversation and an apology AFTER the final incident with Hugo. I just felt like Josh deserved a lot better than what he got from her.
Hugo was creepy. From the very beginning he really weirded me out. They way he stared at Penelope when Rose brought her over, his demeanor when talking about his ex-wife and daughter, his coming over to their home uninvited and telling the boys who he was, and finally taking Adam in order to lure Rose to him...it was all freaking creepy. And when we learned his backstory, how he ended up in the dream...I didn't really feel sorry for him. I felt bad for the boy he'd been, because what happened was awful. Having his parents die the way they did would be traumatizing for anyone. But the fact that he was trying to take Rose away from her family...that was sick. And any romantic moments they had made my stomach turn because he creeped me out.
I did appreciate the whole idea of the dream world and its purpose. I didn't really care for the earlier dream scenes, but later on in the scenes when Rose's dreams and her reality were colliding...those were pretty compelling.
One last thing, and this may seem like a nitpick, but oh well. I don't feel like the cover to this book accurately conveys the tone and themes of this story. From the cover and the brief synopsis I read, I assumed that this was going to be a light, quirky story. That is not the case whatsoever, which could also add to the slight disappointment I felt after reading this book. I felt like it was misleading in some way.
All in all, I appreciated aspects of this book and could identify with some of the things going on in Rose's life as it pertained to motherhood and its struggles. But Rose's actions in reaction to her boredom just rubbed me the wrong way, and it was difficult to get past it.
This is a tough book for me to rate. There were parts that I really connected to, and others that just infuriated me. I couldn't decide between two or three stars, but in the end I went with three, because while I disliked a lot about the character of Rose and her decisions, there were aspects that I really enjoyed, and the concept was really intriguing.
MASSIVE SPOILERS FORTHCOMING:
Rose is a SAHM with three kids. Much of the novel centers around her feelings and thoughts as she goes through the motions of parenting. She does all of the things a SAHM is 'supposed' to do, but none of it actually seems to bring her joy. She feels inadequate when comparing herself to what she imagines the other moms are like. I don't think that's necessarily an uncommon thing. Many people struggle with their own insecurities when comparing themselves to their neighbors...it's that 'grass is always greener' mentality. I actually appreciated this part of the story, because it felt vaguely familiar to me. Rose finding her only joy in her dreams is where this novel veers off the course of a run-of-the-mill fiction.
Rose dreams of a boy named Hugo every night. In her dreams, they are in a different land and trying to get to a castle in the distance. There are barricades and obstacles in their way, and they never make it to the castle before Rose wakes up.
Then she meets a man who reminds her of Hugo...and surprise, surprise...it IS Hugo! She stalks him for several weeks before actually approaching him, and their relationship progresses from there, in the real world as well as the dream world.
This is where I started having real issues with the book. In the first part, she obviously not happy but she is still doing what she needs to do as a mother. When she starts following Hugo, she begins to shirk her responsibilities. She doesn't take her daughter to preschool because it interferes with her time to spy on Hugo. So she takes her daughter WITH her and they spend all day in the car being stalkery. She takes too long to get home from being with Hugo and her young sons have to wait for two hours outside their house for her to get home and let them in. After they actually meet face to face, it just gets worse.
My biggest aggravation with this book is the infidelity on Rose's part. Now, her husband is a trauma surgeon. He works insane hours, as is to be expected for someone in his line of work. And as someone who is a SAHM with a husband who sometimes has to work extra long hours, I understand that it isn't always easy. It's hard to get any time for yourself, and that can be stressful. But her husband is awesome. He thinks she is beautiful and sexy. She hates her body and turns away from him any time he tries to initiate intimacy with her. When she actually DOES reciprocate, she admits that she is disgusted by it because of her post-baby body. She admits to just going through the motions there too. But then Hugo kisses her in the dream world (where they both look hot), and she gets all lusty over him in the real world (where he is overweight and not especially attractive.) Now, if the kids had happened before Rose realized that Hugo was actually REAL, I could understand that, and it wouldn't bother me. But she knew he was real. She had invited him TO THEIR HOUSE for her son's birthday party and for dinner later on.
Later in the book she completely sets fire to her marriage vows by going to his home for the sole purpose of being with him physically. They begin kissing and messing around but he can't get it up so they decide to take sleeping pills so they can fool around in the dream world. While all of this is happening she thinks in passing about her responsibilities to her kids and her husband, but pushes it aside. "She wanted this, she wanted to know what it would be like." As if that is a good reason to step out on your marriage.
She continues to justify her disgusting behavior thusly:
"And besides, it was just sleep.
She had stopped just shy of any REAL infidelity. What haunted her was the possibility that she would have to think of herself as an unfaithful wife. A few minutes more and she would've been denied that...but this...
Well really...this was just a nap."
Someone needs to tell this bitch that emotional cheating is the same as physical cheating...and kissing another man and letting him rub all over you IS physical! She is an unfaithful wife!
Also, while the drug-induced sleep-cheating was happening her sons were waiting for hours at their front steps until someone called the hospital and her husband was pulled out of surgery because they couldn't get hold of her.
So needless to say, I had a real problem with Rose's character, as far as her moral compass goes. I felt like she redeemed herself somewhat after that point, once she realized that she was completely throwing her life away for what was essentially a fantasy. But the redemption didn't really click with me. I wanted to see her appreciation and love for Josh more than I did. I wanted a conversation and an apology AFTER the final incident with Hugo. I just felt like Josh deserved a lot better than what he got from her.
Hugo was creepy. From the very beginning he really weirded me out. They way he stared at Penelope when Rose brought her over, his demeanor when talking about his ex-wife and daughter, his coming over to their home uninvited and telling the boys who he was, and finally taking Adam in order to lure Rose to him...it was all freaking creepy. And when we learned his backstory, how he ended up in the dream...I didn't really feel sorry for him. I felt bad for the boy he'd been, because what happened was awful. Having his parents die the way they did would be traumatizing for anyone. But the fact that he was trying to take Rose away from her family...that was sick. And any romantic moments they had made my stomach turn because he creeped me out.
I did appreciate the whole idea of the dream world and its purpose. I didn't really care for the earlier dream scenes, but later on in the scenes when Rose's dreams and her reality were colliding...those were pretty compelling.
One last thing, and this may seem like a nitpick, but oh well. I don't feel like the cover to this book accurately conveys the tone and themes of this story. From the cover and the brief synopsis I read, I assumed that this was going to be a light, quirky story. That is not the case whatsoever, which could also add to the slight disappointment I felt after reading this book. I felt like it was misleading in some way.
All in all, I appreciated aspects of this book and could identify with some of the things going on in Rose's life as it pertained to motherhood and its struggles. But Rose's actions in reaction to her boredom just rubbed me the wrong way, and it was difficult to get past it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2018
a dream world becomes a living nightmare + modern fable about appreciating what you have
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“Besides, she was happy with her dreams.
It was her life she didn’t like.”
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instagram book reviews @brettlikesbooks
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“Besides, she was happy with her dreams.
It was her life she didn’t like.”
•
instagram book reviews @brettlikesbooks
April 23, 2023
The premise is amazing - what would happen if you met the person you dreamed about for decades in real life? Except your a mom and wife?
Not going to lie, I expected this to be more sci-fi/fantasy but it’s mostly dramatic women’s fiction, which was a downer for me. While I got the character of Rosie and her various problems with motherhood and being a wife, it all felt very sinister for no reason. Especially when her husband seemed so supportive yet clueless. I also thought her total lack of care for her children and husband past the halfway mark went too far to justifiably be forgiven, which dinged the book for me.
It was a good read as I was sucked in to it because I wanted to know what was going to happen. I would love to see another author do this premise with a more sci-fi/fantasy slant.
Not going to lie, I expected this to be more sci-fi/fantasy but it’s mostly dramatic women’s fiction, which was a downer for me. While I got the character of Rosie and her various problems with motherhood and being a wife, it all felt very sinister for no reason. Especially when her husband seemed so supportive yet clueless. I also thought her total lack of care for her children and husband past the halfway mark went too far to justifiably be forgiven, which dinged the book for me.
It was a good read as I was sucked in to it because I wanted to know what was going to happen. I would love to see another author do this premise with a more sci-fi/fantasy slant.
February 27, 2015
This book was . . . not quite what I was expecting.
To start, the cover is just so whimsical. Reading the description — about a stay-at-home mom who has dreamed of the same man and their adventures every night since childhood — made me think of the imaginary friends who once accompanied me at recess, lending an ear to all my troubles and taking my side in sister fights.
But this was . . . darker. Textured. Nuanced. I liked that, but it startled me. In a good way, perhaps? It’s not too often that I’m left with such mixed feelings on a story. Have I been ambivalent about a novel in the past? Absolutely. But I’m not suffering from a lack of opinion on Hugo & Rose — just a lack of clarity.
So Rose — our dear, troubled Rose — is in a bit of a rut. She deeply loves Josh, her doctor husband, and their three children — but Josh’s hours are long and his attention short, and the boys can be a bit much to handle. Now in her mid-thirties, Rose struggles to believe she’s an aimless woman with a baby on her hip. It’s in her dreams that she finds relief, escape, fulfillment: her dreams with Hugo.
After a bike accident knocks her unconscious as a child, Rose finds herself on Hugo’s island locked in eternal struggle to get to a glistening city on the horizon. Like “Lost” without the other castaways, Rose and Hugo help each other fight off enemies and battle evil forces — both seen and unseen. While they start their time there as kids, they grow together into adulthood. No matter how they may look in reality, their island selves are strong, lean, tan. More beautiful. Powerful.
Following a kids’ soccer match in a nearby Colorado town, Rose succumbs to temptation and takes her bawling boys for fast food on their drive home. It’s there that she first sees Hugo perched in a take-out window, hunched and weary at work. He’s thicker in the middle, balding, less enigmatic — but definitely Hugo.
Hugo in real life.
Shocked and inexplicably drawn to this strange not-stranger, Rose tumbles down an obsessive path. Foley excelled at showing Rose’s deepening preoccupation with this man, eventually demonstrating what can happen when reality and fantasy collide. There is a touch of magical realism to Hugo & Rose — a little suspension of disbelief. But Foley is a talented writer, and I felt the transitions between the island and reality were well done.
While I didn’t always like Rose, I did appreciate her challenges and nuanced personality. Who hasn’t longed to feel like a better, stronger version of themselves? I could sense her physical and mental exhaustion in Foley’s descriptions, feeling a very suburban desperation in it all. That’s why sleep is so welcome for Rose . . . well, until it isn’t.
The story becomes increasingly sinister — almost frightening. While I didn’t always enjoy it, I was invested in the characters’ fates and racing to finish. At times I wanted to slap some sense into Rose, desperately not wanting her to ruin everything good and whole in her life, but our heroine has spent so much time feeling powerful on an island and powerless in reality; it’s easy to see why escapism appeals to her.
The twists and turns were not ones I saw coming. Though I wondered how the island would be explained, of course, I wasn’t preoccupied with knowing all the hows and whys. It’s fiction, not science. Hugo’s back story is a fascinating, tragic one, but I was glad that Foley never took the easy route to cast him entirely as a villain. No one here is a saint, and no one just a sinner.
I wasn’t always in love with the story, but Foley made me care about her characters. There’s no denying Hugo & Rose makes — and leaves — an impression.
To start, the cover is just so whimsical. Reading the description — about a stay-at-home mom who has dreamed of the same man and their adventures every night since childhood — made me think of the imaginary friends who once accompanied me at recess, lending an ear to all my troubles and taking my side in sister fights.
But this was . . . darker. Textured. Nuanced. I liked that, but it startled me. In a good way, perhaps? It’s not too often that I’m left with such mixed feelings on a story. Have I been ambivalent about a novel in the past? Absolutely. But I’m not suffering from a lack of opinion on Hugo & Rose — just a lack of clarity.
So Rose — our dear, troubled Rose — is in a bit of a rut. She deeply loves Josh, her doctor husband, and their three children — but Josh’s hours are long and his attention short, and the boys can be a bit much to handle. Now in her mid-thirties, Rose struggles to believe she’s an aimless woman with a baby on her hip. It’s in her dreams that she finds relief, escape, fulfillment: her dreams with Hugo.
After a bike accident knocks her unconscious as a child, Rose finds herself on Hugo’s island locked in eternal struggle to get to a glistening city on the horizon. Like “Lost” without the other castaways, Rose and Hugo help each other fight off enemies and battle evil forces — both seen and unseen. While they start their time there as kids, they grow together into adulthood. No matter how they may look in reality, their island selves are strong, lean, tan. More beautiful. Powerful.
Following a kids’ soccer match in a nearby Colorado town, Rose succumbs to temptation and takes her bawling boys for fast food on their drive home. It’s there that she first sees Hugo perched in a take-out window, hunched and weary at work. He’s thicker in the middle, balding, less enigmatic — but definitely Hugo.
Hugo in real life.
Shocked and inexplicably drawn to this strange not-stranger, Rose tumbles down an obsessive path. Foley excelled at showing Rose’s deepening preoccupation with this man, eventually demonstrating what can happen when reality and fantasy collide. There is a touch of magical realism to Hugo & Rose — a little suspension of disbelief. But Foley is a talented writer, and I felt the transitions between the island and reality were well done.
While I didn’t always like Rose, I did appreciate her challenges and nuanced personality. Who hasn’t longed to feel like a better, stronger version of themselves? I could sense her physical and mental exhaustion in Foley’s descriptions, feeling a very suburban desperation in it all. That’s why sleep is so welcome for Rose . . . well, until it isn’t.
The story becomes increasingly sinister — almost frightening. While I didn’t always enjoy it, I was invested in the characters’ fates and racing to finish. At times I wanted to slap some sense into Rose, desperately not wanting her to ruin everything good and whole in her life, but our heroine has spent so much time feeling powerful on an island and powerless in reality; it’s easy to see why escapism appeals to her.
The twists and turns were not ones I saw coming. Though I wondered how the island would be explained, of course, I wasn’t preoccupied with knowing all the hows and whys. It’s fiction, not science. Hugo’s back story is a fascinating, tragic one, but I was glad that Foley never took the easy route to cast him entirely as a villain. No one here is a saint, and no one just a sinner.
I wasn’t always in love with the story, but Foley made me care about her characters. There’s no denying Hugo & Rose makes — and leaves — an impression.
October 5, 2015
"Dai sogni ci si sveglia. I sogni dovrebbero aiutarci a vivere meglio la vita...non impedircelo."
Hugo & Rose è una storia in bilico tra sogno e realtà. Rose è una donna con una bella famiglia,tre bambini e un marito che la ama follemente, ha una bella casa, un'esistenza che sembrerebbe praticamente perfetta.
Ma per Rose non è affatto perfetta, lei si sente inutile, una fallita quasi, l'unico momento in cui torna ad essere sè stessa è durante i suoi vividi sogni. Ogni notte Rose sogna e incontra la persona che fin da bambina ha incontrato nei suoi sogni: Hugo.
Hugo e Rose si sognano a vicenda fin da bambini, non è passata notte senza che si ritrovino insieme sull'isola di Hugo mentre tentano di raggiungere Città Castello.
Sognare e passare del tempo con Hugo che la conosce meglio di chiunque altro, per Rose è l'unico modo di sottrarsi ad una realtà che diventa sempre più ingestibile. Poi accade l'inaspettato: un giorno Rose incontra Hugo, ma non nei suoi sogni, nella vita reale. Quell'incontro sconvolge la sua esistenza e la porta a mettere in dubbio tutto quello che ha e che pensava di desiderare...
Questo romanzo è davvero unico nel suo genere, all'interno dei capitoli sogno e realtà si confondono fino al punto da diventare un'unica cosa.
Dal punto di vista della trama si potrebbe pensare, leggendola, che il libro non sia niente di speciale, ma in realtà la semplicità della trama è perfettamente calibrata dall'evoluzione della storia che prende una piega inaspettata e molto particolare.
Rose e Hugo si conoscono fin da quando, complice un incidente, si sono incontrati in un sogno. Un sogno molto realistico che li vede protagonisti, eroi di una storia che si svolge su un'isola fantastica fatta di spiagge rosa, conchiglie di zucchero, città di vetro e creature pericolose.
Scopo ultimo delle loro avventure è sempre raggiungere Città Castello, dove pensano di dover liberare le persone che vivono lì dentro.
Quando si incontrano per caso e per la prima volta nella vita reale, il sogno inizia a sbiadire contaminato dalla realtà, da loro stessi che sono diversi da come si vedono nei loro sogni. In loro c'è poco degli eroi dell'isola di Hugo, nella realtà sono due persone comuni che vivono una vita fin troppo normale e anche deludente da un certo punto di vista.
E' qui che entra in scena il tema centrale del romanzo: il sogno, l'influenza che può avere nella realtà e sopratutto se i sogni sono davvero migliori della vita reale.
Il romanzo d'esordio di Bridget Foley è ben scritto, caratterizzato da uno stile narrativo molto delicato, descrittivo ma non banale. La storia in un certo senso si divide in due parti: la vita reale che Rose vive quotidianamente e la vita che vive ogni notte nei suoi sogni. Realtà ben divise che con l'arrivo dell'Hugo reale però iniziano a mescolarsi, il sogno contamina la realtà e viceversa.
La vita che Rose ha costruito col marito Josh inizia a creparsi. Hugo sconvolge tutta l'esistenza di Rose, la spinge a mettere in discussione tutto.
Ho letto questa storia in un paio di sere catturata dalla prosa elegante e da una storia piuttosto fuori dal comune che tiene il lettore incollato alle pagine!
Il tema del sogno è sfruttato in modo molto originale ed interessante, mi è piaciuto il modo in cui i personaggi si evolvono e come man mano che si avanza verso il finale, sogno e realtà diventano sempre più confusi tanto che anche per il lettore diventa complicato capire cosa sia reale e cosa no.
Molto interessante la riflessione che il romanzo spinge a fare: i sogni sono davvero migliori della realtà? O forse quello che ci circonda, quello che costruiamo, è il vero sogno?
Hugo & Rose è una storia in bilico tra sogno e realtà. Rose è una donna con una bella famiglia,tre bambini e un marito che la ama follemente, ha una bella casa, un'esistenza che sembrerebbe praticamente perfetta.
Ma per Rose non è affatto perfetta, lei si sente inutile, una fallita quasi, l'unico momento in cui torna ad essere sè stessa è durante i suoi vividi sogni. Ogni notte Rose sogna e incontra la persona che fin da bambina ha incontrato nei suoi sogni: Hugo.
Hugo e Rose si sognano a vicenda fin da bambini, non è passata notte senza che si ritrovino insieme sull'isola di Hugo mentre tentano di raggiungere Città Castello.
Sognare e passare del tempo con Hugo che la conosce meglio di chiunque altro, per Rose è l'unico modo di sottrarsi ad una realtà che diventa sempre più ingestibile. Poi accade l'inaspettato: un giorno Rose incontra Hugo, ma non nei suoi sogni, nella vita reale. Quell'incontro sconvolge la sua esistenza e la porta a mettere in dubbio tutto quello che ha e che pensava di desiderare...
Questo romanzo è davvero unico nel suo genere, all'interno dei capitoli sogno e realtà si confondono fino al punto da diventare un'unica cosa.
Dal punto di vista della trama si potrebbe pensare, leggendola, che il libro non sia niente di speciale, ma in realtà la semplicità della trama è perfettamente calibrata dall'evoluzione della storia che prende una piega inaspettata e molto particolare.
Rose e Hugo si conoscono fin da quando, complice un incidente, si sono incontrati in un sogno. Un sogno molto realistico che li vede protagonisti, eroi di una storia che si svolge su un'isola fantastica fatta di spiagge rosa, conchiglie di zucchero, città di vetro e creature pericolose.
Scopo ultimo delle loro avventure è sempre raggiungere Città Castello, dove pensano di dover liberare le persone che vivono lì dentro.
Quando si incontrano per caso e per la prima volta nella vita reale, il sogno inizia a sbiadire contaminato dalla realtà, da loro stessi che sono diversi da come si vedono nei loro sogni. In loro c'è poco degli eroi dell'isola di Hugo, nella realtà sono due persone comuni che vivono una vita fin troppo normale e anche deludente da un certo punto di vista.
E' qui che entra in scena il tema centrale del romanzo: il sogno, l'influenza che può avere nella realtà e sopratutto se i sogni sono davvero migliori della vita reale.
Il romanzo d'esordio di Bridget Foley è ben scritto, caratterizzato da uno stile narrativo molto delicato, descrittivo ma non banale. La storia in un certo senso si divide in due parti: la vita reale che Rose vive quotidianamente e la vita che vive ogni notte nei suoi sogni. Realtà ben divise che con l'arrivo dell'Hugo reale però iniziano a mescolarsi, il sogno contamina la realtà e viceversa.
La vita che Rose ha costruito col marito Josh inizia a creparsi. Hugo sconvolge tutta l'esistenza di Rose, la spinge a mettere in discussione tutto.
Ho letto questa storia in un paio di sere catturata dalla prosa elegante e da una storia piuttosto fuori dal comune che tiene il lettore incollato alle pagine!
Il tema del sogno è sfruttato in modo molto originale ed interessante, mi è piaciuto il modo in cui i personaggi si evolvono e come man mano che si avanza verso il finale, sogno e realtà diventano sempre più confusi tanto che anche per il lettore diventa complicato capire cosa sia reale e cosa no.
Molto interessante la riflessione che il romanzo spinge a fare: i sogni sono davvero migliori della realtà? O forse quello che ci circonda, quello che costruiamo, è il vero sogno?
September 10, 2015
*3.5 stars*
Ringrazio molto la casa editrice Edizioni e/o per avermi dato l'opportunità di leggere "Hugo e Rose" in anteprima.
Rose è una giovane donna di circa trent’anni che conduce una vita non diversa da quella di tante altre donne della sua età: sposata con Josh e madre di tre bambini, sembrerebbe non dover chiedere nulla di più alla sua esistenza più che agiata. Per qualche motivo, però, Rose non riesce a sentirsi completamente felice e appagata. Fin da quando era molto piccola, continua a sognare di vivere delle avventure su un’isola fantastica, insieme a un ragazzino di nome Hugo. Quando arriva il momento di dormire, Rose vive davvero.
Ma, sì sa, il destino è sempre più imprevedibile di quanto non si pensi davvero, e decide di far incontrare Rose e Hugo nella vita reale. Cosa farà Rose? Sceglierà la stabile realtà della sua famiglia o si abbandonerà a quel mondo fatto di sogni in cui, insieme a Hugo, si sente davvero se stessa?
“Il cielo lì era sempre nuvoloso, ma quando il sole faceva capolino i raggi andavano a colpire la spiaggia, e la sabbia cambiava. I granelli cominciavano a scintillare.”
Il legame con questo libro è scattato fin da subito, fin dal primo momento in cui ho posato gli occhi sulla copertina e, come ogni rapporto che si rispetti, è stato animato da alti e bassi. Per prima cosa, ho adorato l’originalità del tema presente nel romanzo, la possibilità di vedere qualcosa di così intimo e personale come un sogno, condiviso in tutto e per tutto con un’altra persona.
Nella prima parte del libro, non ho fatto alcuna fatica a immedesimarmi in Rose al punto di rendere mie le sue paure e le sue preoccupazioni, pur non vivendole in prima persona. Nella seconda parte, invece, sono iniziati i “bassi”: non riuscivo più a sentirmi in sintonia con Rose e ho perso l’appiglio che mi univa a questo personaggio.
Nonostante ciò, ho apprezzato molto la piega del tutto inaspettata che il libro prende verso la fine, quando i sogni si evolvono e si catapultano nella realtà in un modo in cui non avrei mai immaginato possibile.
“Man mano che Rose cresceva, cresceva anche Hugo. Maturò, e dal bel ragazzo divenne un bell’uomo. I due persistevano nel loro intento. Arrivare a Città Castello e salvare la gente lì imprigionata.”
Oltre a Rose, mi è piaciuto parecchio Josh, marito attento, ottimo padre e amante fedele. In poche parole, Josh rappresenta la ragione per cui mi chiedo come Rose possa anche solo pensare di essere infelice della propria vita. A differenza di Hugo, personaggio che più volte ho trovato incomprensibile, Josh riesco a capirlo totalmente, nel corso dell’intero libro.
Infine, è impossibile per me non soffermarmi sullo stile di scrittura di Bridget Foley, uno stile di scrittura che sono stata più che felice di conoscere e che ho amato immediatamente e senza sforzo. Pura poesia.
“L’asfalto prese a scorrere sotto i suoi piedi quando fece per posarli a terra. Rose si sentì disorientata. Confusa, per un momento. Il mondo dei sogni si stava di nuovo infiltrando in quello reale?”
Il verdetto finale è il seguente: Hugo e Rose mi è piaciuto sinceramente molto, anche se non pienamente. Ci sono stati momenti in cui determinate scene mi fanno storcere il naso, ma ciò non toglie che si tratta di un romanzo più che soddisfacente. Consigliato!
Recensione completa: http://questionedilibri.altervista.or...
Blog:http://questionedilibri.altervista.org/
Ringrazio molto la casa editrice Edizioni e/o per avermi dato l'opportunità di leggere "Hugo e Rose" in anteprima.
Rose è una giovane donna di circa trent’anni che conduce una vita non diversa da quella di tante altre donne della sua età: sposata con Josh e madre di tre bambini, sembrerebbe non dover chiedere nulla di più alla sua esistenza più che agiata. Per qualche motivo, però, Rose non riesce a sentirsi completamente felice e appagata. Fin da quando era molto piccola, continua a sognare di vivere delle avventure su un’isola fantastica, insieme a un ragazzino di nome Hugo. Quando arriva il momento di dormire, Rose vive davvero.
Ma, sì sa, il destino è sempre più imprevedibile di quanto non si pensi davvero, e decide di far incontrare Rose e Hugo nella vita reale. Cosa farà Rose? Sceglierà la stabile realtà della sua famiglia o si abbandonerà a quel mondo fatto di sogni in cui, insieme a Hugo, si sente davvero se stessa?
“Il cielo lì era sempre nuvoloso, ma quando il sole faceva capolino i raggi andavano a colpire la spiaggia, e la sabbia cambiava. I granelli cominciavano a scintillare.”
Il legame con questo libro è scattato fin da subito, fin dal primo momento in cui ho posato gli occhi sulla copertina e, come ogni rapporto che si rispetti, è stato animato da alti e bassi. Per prima cosa, ho adorato l’originalità del tema presente nel romanzo, la possibilità di vedere qualcosa di così intimo e personale come un sogno, condiviso in tutto e per tutto con un’altra persona.
Nella prima parte del libro, non ho fatto alcuna fatica a immedesimarmi in Rose al punto di rendere mie le sue paure e le sue preoccupazioni, pur non vivendole in prima persona. Nella seconda parte, invece, sono iniziati i “bassi”: non riuscivo più a sentirmi in sintonia con Rose e ho perso l’appiglio che mi univa a questo personaggio.
Nonostante ciò, ho apprezzato molto la piega del tutto inaspettata che il libro prende verso la fine, quando i sogni si evolvono e si catapultano nella realtà in un modo in cui non avrei mai immaginato possibile.
“Man mano che Rose cresceva, cresceva anche Hugo. Maturò, e dal bel ragazzo divenne un bell’uomo. I due persistevano nel loro intento. Arrivare a Città Castello e salvare la gente lì imprigionata.”
Oltre a Rose, mi è piaciuto parecchio Josh, marito attento, ottimo padre e amante fedele. In poche parole, Josh rappresenta la ragione per cui mi chiedo come Rose possa anche solo pensare di essere infelice della propria vita. A differenza di Hugo, personaggio che più volte ho trovato incomprensibile, Josh riesco a capirlo totalmente, nel corso dell’intero libro.
Infine, è impossibile per me non soffermarmi sullo stile di scrittura di Bridget Foley, uno stile di scrittura che sono stata più che felice di conoscere e che ho amato immediatamente e senza sforzo. Pura poesia.
“L’asfalto prese a scorrere sotto i suoi piedi quando fece per posarli a terra. Rose si sentì disorientata. Confusa, per un momento. Il mondo dei sogni si stava di nuovo infiltrando in quello reale?”
Il verdetto finale è il seguente: Hugo e Rose mi è piaciuto sinceramente molto, anche se non pienamente. Ci sono stati momenti in cui determinate scene mi fanno storcere il naso, ma ciò non toglie che si tratta di un romanzo più che soddisfacente. Consigliato!
Recensione completa: http://questionedilibri.altervista.or...
Blog:http://questionedilibri.altervista.org/
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