Duet

by Kimberley Freeman

A story of passion, greed, secrets and lies.A reclusive woman living in outback Australia receives a letter acknowledging a terrible secret from her past. Thirty years before, she stole another woman's life. From the moment the letter is opened two women are on a collision course with destiny. From the London pop scene, to the opera stages of Europe; from a tiny Greek island, to a stifling manor house full of secrets and deceptions; from the sun-drenched Queensland coast, to the silent outback; Angela and Ellie are two women both looking for something. One in search of her identity and her memory, the other in search of the love that she had and lost ? theirs is a duet whose last note will not be sung until the heart-stopping climax, when a shadow from the past returns to claim them both. `If you enjoy the novels of Paullina Simons you will love Duet? - Courier MailAuthor BiographyKimberley Freeman was born in London and grew up in Brisbane. She is the author of Duet (2007), winner of the Ruby Award, Gold Dust (2008), Wildflower Hill (2010), Lighthouse Bay (2012), Ember Island (2013) and Evergreen Falls (2014). Her bestselling books have been translated into over twelve languages.For more information visit facebook.com/KimberleyFreemanAuthor, read her blog on kimberleyfreeman.com or follow her on twitter.com/KimberleyTweets.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Australia, Audiobook, Contemporary, Romance, 20th Century

522 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Pen name of Kim Wilkins.


Kimberley was born in London and her family moved back to Australia when she was three years old. She grew up in Queensland where she currently lives.

Kimberley has written for as long as she can remember and she is proud to write in many genres. She is an award-winning writer in children’s, historical and speculative fiction under her birth name Kim Wilkins. She adopted the pen name Kimberley Freeman for her commercial women’s fiction novels Duet and Gold Dust to honour her maternal grandmother and to try and capture the spirit of the page-turning novels she has always loved to read. Kim has an Honours degree, a Masters degree and a PhD from The University of Queensland where she is also a lecturer. She lives in Brisbane with her young family.

Reviews

[Lena Papanikolaou · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://lovebooksloveread.blogspot.gr...
Η Kimberley Freeman επιστέφει με ένα δυνατό μυθιστόρημα που αν και γραμμένο το 2007 δεν έχει να ζηλέψει τίποτα από τις πιο πρόσφατες δουλειές της. Οι ηρωίδες Άντζι και Έλι ,διαφορετικές και συγχρόνως τόσο όμοιες που πραγματικά παίζουν με τα συναισθήματά σου. Λυπάσαι, αγανακτείς με τις λανθασμένες επιλογές, τις αρρωστημένες εμμονές που έχουν ως αποτέλεσμα να χάνουν την ευτυχία της ζωής μέσα από τα χέρια τους . Ένα κεφάλαιο εναλλάξ για να τις γνωρίσεις από την παιδική τους ηλικία ,για να μάθεις τα όνειρά τους, τις αδυναμίες τους ,τις φοβίες τους .Βιώνεις μια έντονη εναλλαγή συναισθημάτων στις δυο παράλληλες ζωές.Μια μαγική ιστορία γεμάτη από μυστικά ,πάθη, απληστία,προδοσία και λάθη, πολλά λάθη,από όλους τους ήρωες. Στην αρχή του βιβλίου τα νήματα κινούνται κάπως αργά αλλά η ένταση και το μυστήριο είναι διάχυτα παντού όσο όμως προχωράς στην συνέχεια η πλοκή σφίγγει και τη σκυτάλη παίρνουν κάποια γεγονότα που τρέχουν καταιγιστικά . Η αγωνία κορυφώνεται καθώς προσπαθείς να αφομοιώσεις τις αναπάντεχες αποκαλύψεις που έρχονται μπροστά σου μια ανάσα πριν από το λυτρωτικό του τέλος.

[Kristal Kitap]

Ne kitaptı be. Çok uzatılmıştı. 800 sayfa yazmanın hikayeyi uzatacağım diye gereksiz detayları eklemenin ne anlamı vardı çözemedim. 600 sayfaya bana kalırsa rahatlıkla indirilebilirdi. Mantığımın almadığı da birçok konu vardı. George'un finalde yaptığı *şey* ne olduğunu söyleyemiyorum spoiler olur takdir edersiniz ki, gereksizdi bence. Hatta finali okurken içinizden "E salak hiç mi anlamadın?" bile diyebilirsiniz. Sonuçta işin içinde *takip* falan var. Öf yazamıyorum açık seçik. amdkaldj ama okuyanlar anlayacaktır derdimi. Kurguda hatalı bulduğum noktalar var diyeyim geçeyim en iyisi. Sonra bir de Ivan'ın durumu var. Gay mi yoksa iktidarsız mı diye döndüm durdum bari öyle bişi çıksaydı da karısı adamı ellerken bile "niye sertleşemiyor yahu bu adam, sorunu ne?" diye dert tasa edinmeseydik. ajdsöfksöfk Kısa keseceğim🙄. Sonuç olarak Kimberley Freeman, öyle çok aman aman sevdiğim ve kesinlikle takip etmem gereken bir yazar diyemeyeceğim biri oldu. Daha önce de Zümrüt Şelaleri'ni okumuştum. O da aynı şekilde mantıksız gelen, kafamda oturtamadığım deli sorularla bitmişti. Demek yazarın tarzı bu diyor ve beni cezbedemediği için Kimberley Freeman maceralarıma bu kitapla son veriyorum.

[Γιώτα Παπαδημακοπούλου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Η Kimberley Freeman είναι μία εξαιρετικά αγαπημένη συγγραφέας, σε παγκόσμιο επίπεδο, με τα βιβλία της να εκτοξεύονται στις λίστες των ευπώλητων σχεδόν με την κυκλοφορία τους. Από τις εκδόσεις Διόπτρα, για ακόμα μία χρονιά, κυκλοφόρησε ένα ακόμα της βιβλίο, το οποίο έφτασε στη χώρα μας με αρκετά μεγάλη καθυστέρηση, δεδομένου ότι η πρωτότυπη κυκλοφορία του στο εξωτερικό έγινε το 2007, δηλαδή, δέκα χρόνια νωρίτερα. Αυτό, αυτομάτως, δημιουργεί μια σύγχυση στον αναγνώστη που καλείται να το κρίνει αφού, αναπόφευκτα, μπαίνει στη διαδικασία να συγκρίνει το συγκεκριμένο της έργο με άλλα που ακολούθησαν, πράγμα αρκετά άδικο αφού ένας από τους σκοπούς της συγγραφής είναι και το να βελτιώνεται ο δημιουργός χρόνο με το χρόνο. Από την άλλη, υπάρχουν κι εκείνοι που σταδιακά χάνουν την έμπνευση και την πρωτοτυπία τους. Όσον αφορά τη Freeman, νομίζω πως η δική της πραγματικότητα βρίσκεται κάπου στη μέση.

Η Έλι, γεννημένη και μεγαλωμένη από τον πατέρα της στη Γερμανία, έχοντας μια αγγελική φωνή, ονειρεύεται να κάνει μια μεγάλη καριέρα στην όπερα. Παρά, όμως, που έχει όλα τα φόντα για να γίνει διάσημη, ανακαλύπτει με τον δύσκολο τρόπο πως τα πράγματα δεν έρχονται πάντα όπως θέλουμε. Στον αντίποδα βρίσκεται η Άντζι, μια έφηβη κοπέλα που μην αντέχοντας την καταχρηστική συμπεριφορά της οικογένειάς της, αποφασίζει να το σκάσει από το σπίτι της με αποτέλεσμα να καταλήξει στους δρόμους. Όμως, τελικά, καταφέρνει να ανακαλύψει τον εαυτό της αλλά και να μεταμορφωθεί σε μια πριγκίπισσα της ποπ μουσικής σκηνής, υιοθετώντας το όνομα Πένι Μπράιτ, μέχρι που μια βίαιη επίθεση εις βάρος της θα την οδηγήσει στο δρόμο του φόβου, της ανασφάλειας και των ναρκωτικών ουσιών. Μέχρι που οι δρόμοι τους θα συναντηθούν και η μία θα κλέψει τη ζωή της άλλης, με ένα σκοτεινό μυστικό να πλανιέται ανάμεσά τους δένοντάς τες με τρόπους που ούτε καν μπορούσαν να φανταστούν, έρμαια των παθών τους και της χειραγώγησης ενός δισκογραφικού παραγωγού. Άραγε, θα καταφέρουν ν' αποκτήσουν τον έλεγχο της ζωής τους;

Στον πυρήνα της αφήγησης βρίσκονται δύο γυναίκες που αν και φαντάζουν διαφορετικές μεταξύ τους, είναι τόσο όμοιες στην πραγματικότητα. Οι ζωές τους παράλληλες, όπως και οι διαδρομές που ακολουθούν στην πορεία αυτών, που αν και στην ουσία τους είναι πολύ διαφορετικές, στην βαθύτερη πραγματικότητά τους, είναι παρόμοιες. Όνειρα, καριέρες κι επιθυμίες αλληλένδετες, με τα φώτα των μουσικών σκηνών που υπηρετούν να τις τυφλώνουν κάνοντάς τες να χάνουν πότε-πότε το δρόμο τους, για να τον ξαναβρούν με τη δύναμη της θέλησής τους και ξανά από την αρχή. Ένας φαύλος κύκλος μέσα στον οποίο κινούνται, μπλεγμένες στα δίχτυα του πεπρωμένου μα και των προσωπικών τους θέλω που άλλοτε τις βυθίζουν στην παραίτηση και άλλοτε τους δίνουν δύναμη να συνεχίσουν, να προσπαθήσουν να πετύχουν το καλύτερο για εκείνες. Είμαι, όμως, η θέληση αυτή αρκετή για να ξεπεράσουν το παρελθόν τους ή χρειάζεται κάτι περισσότερο;

Αν κάτι αγαπώ στην Freeman είναι ο τρόπος με τον οποίο χειρίζεται τους ήρωές της, τα άρτια ψυχογραφήματα αυτών, μα και το πως η ίδια τους προσεγγίζει σε πολλαπλά επίπεδα. Οι ήρωές της δεν είναι χάρτινοι, έχουν ψυχή, καρδιά, χαρακτήρα, προσωπικότητες πολυδιάστατες που δεν αναλύονται μοναχά σε ένα επίπεδο αλλά σε πολλά περισσότερα, και αυτό γιατί οι εξελίξεις της ζωής τους οδηγούν σε αυτό. Δεν μένουν στάσιμοι αλλά εξελίσσονται, όχι απαραίτητα με τρόπο που έχει θετικό πρόσημο γι' αυτούς, αλλά με εκείνον που αποδίδει λογοτεχνικά και πλησιάζει με πιο ρεαλιστικό τρόπο στην αλήθεια της πραγματικής ζωής. Ακριβώς αυτό συμβαίνει και στο "Ντουέτο", με τις Έλι και Άντζι ν' αποτελούν δύο εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρουσες προσωπικότητες, όπως εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρων είναι και ο τρόπος με τον οποίο συνδέονται οι ζωές αυτών των δύο, που οδηγούν σ' ένα γαϊτανάκι ανατρεπτικών εξελίξεων που μας παρασύρει, χωρίς, ωστόσο, οι δευτερεύοντες χαρακτήρες της ιστορίας αυτής να μένουν στη σκιά, αφού ο καθένας απ' αυτούς εξυπηρετεί κι από έναν σκοπό, και δεν αποτελούν τυχαία πρόσωπα που βρέθηκαν από σύμπτωση στα αφηγηματικά χνάρια αυτής.

Ουσιαστικά το βιβλίο χωρίζεται σε τρεις ενότητες, με την πρώτη εξ αυτών ν' αποτελεί και το μοναδικό μειονέκτημα του βιβλίου, αφού η ροή της αφήγησης είναι λίγο πιο αργή και κουραστική απ' όσο θα ήθελα. Ωστόσο, αυτό το συναίσθημα ανατρέπεται όταν η αφήγηση παύει να είναι εναλλασσόμενη και η ζωές των δύο γυναικών, αφηγηματικά, γίνονται παράλληλες και μπλέκονται, με μαεστρία, η μία με την άλλη. Σίγουρα δεν πρόκειται για το καλύτερο βιβλίο της Freeman στη μέχρι τώρα καριέρα της, αλλά στην άποψή μου αυτή σίγουρα παίζει ρόλο το γεγονός πως έχω διαβάσει αρκετά μεταγενέστερα έργα της, με την ίδια να έχει βρει καλύτερες ισορροπίες αλλά και, ξεκάθαρα, το δικό της, ολότελα προσωπικό ύφος. Το "Ντουέτο" μού θύμισε κάτι από Kate Morton -πράγμα που ίσως να σημαίνει πως η Freeman ακόμα πειραματιζόταν τότε, αναζητώντας την ταυτότητά της-, κάτι που δεν είναι απαραίτητα κακό. Όπως και να 'χει, το "Ντουέτο" είναι ένα πολυσχιδές μυθιστόρημα με σπειροειδή αφήγηση κι ένα τέλος που δεν θ' αφήσει κανέναν ανικανοποίητο, και που σίγουρα πρέπει να διαβαστεί από τους αναγνώστες της.

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Άλλο ένα (σχετικά) καλό βιβλίο από μια αγαπημένη συγγραφέα. Λέω "σχετικά καλό" γιατί αυτό το βιβλίο δεν το λάτρεψα, παρόλο που τα προηγούμενα της τα είχα και τα έχω λατρέψει. Το συγκεκριμένο είχε αρκετά τεχνικά προβληματάκια.
Μια πολύ δυναμική και τραγική ιστορία για δυο δίδυμες αδελφές, οι οποίες χωρίστηκαν, όταν ήταν πολύ μικρές. Η καθεμιά έζησε τη δική της ζωή και πέρασε τα δικά της βάσανα μέχρι τελικά να βρεθούν και να γνωριστούν χρόνια αργότερα. Η υπόθεση ήταν πολύ καλή, οι χαρακτήρες αδύναμοι και δυναμικοί συγχρόνως.
Όμως, πρέπει να αναφερθούν μερικά τεχνικά προβλήματα του βιβλίου. Είχε πολλές, πολλές σελίδες και αυτό με κούρασε (γενικά τα πολυσέλιδα (600 και πάνω σελίδες) βιβλία με κουράζουν :( . Άλλο πρόβλημα ήταν οι χρονιές. Έχασα τον οιρμό με τις χρονιές. Ένα πράγμα που συνέβη το 1997 σε άλλο κεφάλαιο συνεχίζει να μιλά για το ίδιο γεγονός αλλά λέει ότι συνέβη το 1977. Γενικά η επιμέλεια του βιβλίου είχε μερικά προβληματάκια.
Όμως, η συγγραφέας αξίζει ένα μπράβο γιατί χειρίστηκε την υπόθεση που είχε αρκετά καλά. Δεν είχε άσχετες λεπτομέρειες που να ανακατεύονται στην υπόθεση (ανούσιες περιγραφές πραγμάτων κλπ). Μόνο καθαρή υπόθεση. Πως δεν μπερδεύτηκε με τα τόσα πολλά γεγονότα που συνέβησαν, απορώ. Και πάλι μπράβο της!

[Harmonyofbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Kalbin sol anahtarı suskun melodilerde gizlidir."
4,5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bu tarz kalın ve roman türünde kitaplara ayrı bayıldığımı, okurken çok büyük zevk aldığımı artık biliyorsunuzdur. Özellikle de bu kitaplar dram-romantizm türlerinde olunca kitabı elime aldığımda bile beni farklı bir his sarıyor. Sekiz yüz küsürlük bu romanda da uzun bir yolculuk okuyucuyu bekliyor. Bu yüzden derin bir nefes alarak kitaba başlıyorsunuz. Birbirlerinden tamamen farklı hayatlar yaşayan Ellie ve Fanny'in ortak tek yanları müziğe olan tutkularıdır. Bu yeteneklerini en zirvede görebilmek için hayatlarından büyük feragatlar veren bu ikisi bu tutkunun bir hırsa dönüşerek hayatlarını mahvetmesine de engel olamaz. Birbirlerinden tamamen farklı kişiliklere sahip olan Ellie ve Fanny'nin müziğe duydukları ilginin yönleri de tamamen farklıdır. Kitapta birçok karakterin bakış açısından anlatım mevcut. Geniş bir karakter kadrosuna sahip diyebiliriz. Ellie ve Fanny'in aşk hayatına, müzik hayatlarında kariyelerinde adım attıkları yolda onlara eşlik eden insanlara ve ikilinin yollarının nerede birleşeceğine dair hep merak dolu bir kitap. Eleştirebileceğim bir iki unsursa anlatımdaki yıl sıralamasının bu kadar karmaşık olması ve ikincisi de kitaptan iki yüz sayfa kadar eksiltilseydi bile bir eksiklik hissinin oluşmayacağı çünkü kitap yer yer insanı sıkmadan edemiyor. Tam bu çok fazla yer verilen ama genel anlamda çok şey ifade etmeyen bölümler sürerken en başından beri okuduğumuz bir karakterin iki şarkıcının hayatlarının nasıl zamanında keşiştiğini açığa çıkarmasıyla dehşet heyecanlı oluyor. O mektupları ve geçmiş yaşamı okurken hiç beklemediğim bir sonla karşılaşmış oldum. Ortaya çıkan son sır sayesinde kitap bir anda gözümde harika bir konuma yerleşti. Gerçekten çok ama çok güzel bir kitaptı. Sizlere de önerir ve keyifli okumalar dilerim.

[Dora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Η παλιά καλη για μένα Freeman. ντάξει.. . Η έκδοση ήταν για το ανάθεμα... λάθος χρονολογίες λάθος το όνομα της ηρωίδας.... εκεί που μιλά για την Ελι πετάγεται το όνομα της Άντζελας και το αντίθετο. Αλλά προσπάθησα να μη με βγάλει από το στόρι και makes my day
4.5 stars

[Kate Loveday · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. It is a very long and involved story and I almost gave it away a couple of times but I persevered because I wanted to see how the author, who is very talented, would draw all the pieces together in the end.
It is a tale of two women, alike but different, and how their lives intertwine. Angela is a pop singer and Ellie is a soprano with a passionate love of opera.When Angela suffers an accident with a blow to the head and loses her memory, she disappears and George, her manager, frantic at losing her, persuades Ellie to take her place. What is intended as a short, temporary measure, becomes longer as George is unable to find Angela.
What ensues is a deception fuelled by greed on both Ellie's and George's side, and a desire by Angela to
remain unaware of her past, flashes of which tell her that it is best left unknown.
Of the two women, Angela is the most likeable character, but I felt sorry for Ellie too, as she finds fame but happiness seems to elude her.
I'm afraid I found the ending was based on just too many coincidences to be totally plausible. I wavered between giving this three or four stars, I would like to be able to use three and a half, but as I rated Wildflower Hill by the same author, which I thoroughly enjoyed, as four, I am giving this three stars.

[Theresa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duet is a sweeping saga that follows the lives of two women, and those they are involved with, for several decades. It swings from one side of the world to the other, detailing the rise and fall and rise again of music star Penny Bright and the two women she is the pseudonym of.

I really enjoy Kimberley Freeman’s storytelling, she is utterly brilliant at crafting complex and engrossing stories. There was so much happening in Duet, multiple stories about multiple characters unfolding all at once, yet Kimberley expertly threads everything together, even when you aren’t yet aware of the connections she’s laying down. Duet is a long novel, published back in 2007 when books with 500+ pages were a lot more common, but my attention never wavered. I was captivated right the way through, stealing minutes whenever I could in order to find out what was happening next. As well as crafting memorable characters and spinning out complex plotlines, Kimberley strings her sentences together with such beauty.

There were so many times when I thought I knew where Kimberley was headed with the storyline of Duet, but I was wrong every time! She is truly a master storyteller, so skilled in the art of plotting and character development. Her two leading ladies, Ellie and Angela, were crafted so convincingly. My feelings for each of them changed so much throughout the novel but one thing stayed certain: I liked both of them the least when they were wearing the persona of Penny Bright. Each woman was not at her best when caught up with the quest for stardom.

The suspense attached to this storyline forms the backbone of this novel, so I have to be deliberately vague here in my review. So much happens to these two women as we live alongside them from age 14 through to 42. There is an absolute wealth of supporting characters that crop up along the way, some for the long haul, some for barely any time at all, but each adds weight to this story in their own unique way. One thing to note with this novel: nothing happens for no reason and no character makes an appearance for no reason. Duet is very much a six degrees of separation type of story – unfortunate circumstances meeting with serendipitous moments for two women who are linked without having ever met.

Sweeping sagas are not as popular as they used to be, more’s the pity. I love a lifelong journey with a character, a big doorstopper of a book. But it certainly does take a special sort of storyteller to maintain the distance with a saga, and I can say with absolute certainty that Kimberley Freeman has produced one of the best I’ve read in a long time with Duet.

[HÜLYA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beş yıldızdan fazlası olsa onu da verirdim.800 kusur sayfa...Okurken hiç farketmiyorsunuz..Yazar bence gittikçe kalemini geliştiriyor...Bayıldım.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Duet by Kimberly Freeman is a book I have mixed feelings about. I finished the book last week, but am still unsure how to review it. Reading a novel is either an emotional experience or an intellectual one; Duet left me with neither. It is an intricate and complex story, albeit somewhat unbelievable, told by a talented story-teller. It was a long novel and I almost stopped reading it three times because it felt slow and I struggled to see the ‘road-map’. But I muddled through because I wanted to know how the story ended – not the last page kind of ‘end’ but how Freeman was going to weave the chaotic threads of the story into one final piece of cloth. I am glad I finished Duet, mostly because I feel that I accomplished reading this book, however parts of this story will remain with me always.

The story centers around the lives of two women. Freeman tells these stories side by side and from various points in their lives – from young girls to middle age women. But there is a third story enmeshed with the lives of these women, the story of a man who’s youthful indiscretion leads to lifelong struggles for the women. In that respect, I think this book should have been called ‘Medley’, rather than ‘Duet’ because without George, there is no Angela or Ellie. By the final pages, I did feel like I truly knew the characters, but this is mostly because I had been involved with so many aspects of their lives. I wasn’t surprised in the end to find that Freeman finally released them from the dark cloud that had hung over their entire lives, but I did found myself irritated with the perfect ending. It’s the kind of story that leaves you saying ‘if only’.

There was a part of the novel I loved, and felt could have been a novel of it’s own. Angela, having suffered a head trauma and lost her memory, travels to a small Greek island in search of her identity. She doesn’t find out who she is, but she creeps into the hearts of the town members and discovers that she can exist happily without learning who she was in the past. She convinces a resident, ‘Crazy Mia’, a powerful and mysterious character, to let Angela turn old home into a bed and breakfast – on the condition that she changes everything so it bears no resemblance to the tragic events that happened to Mia in the house many years ago. The island is warm and inviting, and the town Freeman creates is somewhere I’d like to visit. But just as I was starting to feel comfortable there, in a sudden twist of events, Angela abruptly leaves the island. I felt cheated by this, having finally discovered a place within the pages I wanted to stay only to be torn away without the hope of returning.

This isn’t a book I can recommend because there is quite a lot of questionable content within it’s pages. The kind of content that makes you ache for the characters but sticks in your head too long, and not in a good way. Freeman has the talent for weaving a story together, but I wish this story had been half it’s length.

My Rating: 3 Stars

Memorable, but not recommended.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a reasonably long book (I listened as an audiobook and it was almost 20 hours), but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the different backstories of the various characters. The narrator, Caroline Lee, did a great job with all the accents - German, English, Greek!

I liked that part of the book is set in Coolum - which is a gorgeous part of Queensland!

And since I’ve just reached a 12 month anniversary of singing with JAFA, a local community choir, it was interesting to read a book about singing - although the focus is more on opera singing than what we sing in our choir. I had a chuckle to myself when classically-trained Ellie, who is trying to copy one of pop star Penny’s songs says that she can copy Penny’s singing by doing the things that she has been taught not to do such as poor breathing because they are bad habits, but she refused to throw in the occasional flat note as Penny did! And I’m afraid that when it comes to singing technique and bad habits, I resemble Penny more than Ellie :-(

The ending seemed a little contrived, but still enjoyable, despite that. 3.5★

[Kate Forsyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

a compelling family saga - a great fun read

[Georgette Nanou · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://georgette60.blogspot.gr/2017/...

Ένα γοητευτικό ταξίδι μέσα στον χρόνο όπου συναντάς τους ίδιους χαρακτήρες σε διάφορα σημεία της ζωής τους από νεαρά ηλικία – ενηλίκων – Μέσης ηλικίας.
Κεντρικοί χαρακτήρες η Έλι και η Πένυ όπου η ζωή τους περνά από πολλά μεταβατικά στάδια μέσα από μία αλληλένδετη ιστορία χωρίς να συναντηθούν.
Γενικά είναι μία περίπλοκη πλοκή σε μάκρος με μυστήριο,αγωνία,απληστία,φιλοδοξία,απροσδόκητες ανατροπές,με την ιστορία δύο γυναικών που είναι διαφορετικές μεν αλλά συγχρόνως όμοιες δε και το διαπιστώνουμε κατά την διάρκεια των παράλληλων ταξιδιών τους σε πολλές και μεγάλες περιοχές.
Άργό στην αρχή και ίσως λίγο κουραστικό,αλλά μετά γίνεται πιο ενδιαφέρον και ειδικά όταν απελευθερώνονται οι ήρωες.Η συγγραφέας γράφει με επιδεξιότητα και ευκολία χειρίζοντας τους ήρωες με ωραίο τρόπο και αναπτύσσοντάς τους με την κατάλληλη προσέγγιση εκ μέρους της με καλούς χαρακτήρες ενδιαφέροντες και καλά ανεπτυγμένους.

[Katerina · Rating 1 out of 5]

The bad translation didn't help the flat plot of this book that at least for me was predictable from one particular point!
I enjoyed other books from this author and sadly this one was an exception!

Η κακή μετάφραση δεν βοήθησε καθόλου την χλιαρή πλοκή της ιστορίας που δεν κατάφερε να με εκπλήξει σε κανένα σημείο της!
Μου άρεσαν αλλά βιβλία της συγγραφέως δυστυχώς αυτό αποτελεί εξαίρεση!

[Ariadne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kimberley Freeman hozta a formáját, a könyv szórakoztatott, lebilincselt. A karakterei összetettek, egyáltalán nem tökéletesek, kellően esendőek, emberiek. A tájleírások épp csak annyira részletesek, hogy a leírásoknak köszönhetően az események filmszerűen peregnek le az ember szeme előtt. Egyetlen egy dolog volt számomra negatívum, mégpedig az Ellie szerelmi élete körüli kissé eltúlzott huzavona. Nekem az már kicsit sok volt. Ám maga a történet nagyon tetszett, a könyv olvastatta magát, ha az embernek van egy kis ideje, egy-két nap alatt a könyv végére érhet.

Bővebben: https://ariadneolvasmanyai.blogspot.c...

[JudiAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two young women who remarkably resemble each other but have never met are intertwined in the entertainment world. One has dreams of being a famous opera singer and one is a pop star. They follow similar but different paths crossing over each other but never meeting.

Ellie is from Germany but speaks several languages including English. She is raised by her father who introduces her to opera. She has the voice of an angel and knows she can be famous through her singing but she finds that it is not to be. Angela comes from England where she grows up in an abusive home and runs away to end up living on the street. She eventually has the opportunity to reinvent herself as Penny Bright rising to become the darling of the pop scene. Of course, Ellie and Angela are the main characters but there are a lot of essential supporting characters who are well developed and help bring the winding plot together. The reader is taken from a small village in Germany, to London and Australia and then to a Greek Island where Angela escapes to hide from the rest of the world while unusual circumstances find Ellie leaving behind her opera ambitions to successfully takeover the role of Penny Bright.

I have to say the first third of the book is rather confusing because the author rapidly switches between the stories of Ellie and Angela. I stuck with this long novel because I love the author and had faith I would get used to the flow of her new writing style. As the lives of Ellie and Angela blended together the read finally became most enjoyable. The saga of two women whose lives were filled with passion, greed, love and loss bring this novel to a spiraling and surprising end and left me satisfied that I’d read a very good novel. I am giving it 4 stars even though I wavered between three and four. I actually thought three and one half stars would have been appropriate. I think that Goodreads should allow the reviewers that flexibility in the star ratings!

[Rori Rockman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took a little while to get going, but I adore the author from reading Wildflower Hill and trusted that if I kept reading, it would be worth the effort. It was. As more and more mysteries and intriguing characters were added, I became much more engrossed in the book, and it had a kick-ass ending. If you read and enjoyed Wildflower Hill, I think you'll still enjoy this, but probably not quite as much. And if you enjoyed this book and haven't checked out Wildflower Hill yet, definitely do.

[Angeliki Parpara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Είναι η πιο αγαπημένη μου συγγραφέας τα τελευταία χρόνια. Το Ντουέτο είναι από τα πρώτα της μυθιστορήματα οπότε έχοντας ήδη διαβάσει τα επόμενα μιας και κυκλοφορήσαν με διαφορετική σειρά στα ελληνικά ανακάλυψα ξανά τη γνωστή γραφή της. Παράλληλες ιστορίες, ταξίδια στον χρόνο, μυστήριο και αγωνία, ανατροπές ως την τελευταία σελίδα.

Αν και στην αρχή η υπόθεση είναι λίγο περίπλοκη προσπαθώντας να συνδυάσεις τις διαφορετικές ιστορίες και τα πρόσωπα και η πλοκή ξετυλίγεται λίγο αργά, η συνέχεια σε αποζημιώνει και από τη μέση και μετά σε καθηλώνει ως το τέλος και την κάθαρση.

[Senagg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Açıkçası okuduğum son kitapları beklentimi karşılamadığından bu kitabına başlarken biraz isteksiz olduğumu itiraf ediyorum ve tabii kitabın uzunluğu da korkuttu. Kitap, genel olarak idare ederdi. Evet, yazarın okuduğum son kitapları için bunu söylemekten ben de sıkıldım ama diyebileceğim başka bir şey yok. Aslında beklediğim kadar sıkmadı beni, belki de gereksiz ayrıntılı yerleri atladığım için olabilir. Kitabı okurken eski türk filmi senaryosu okuyor gibiydim ama bu, hoşuma gitmek yerine biraz yavan geldi. Hikâyedeki kişilerin eski hayatlarına değiniyor, sonra asıl hikâyenin eskisine değiniyor ve bir de günümüz kısmına değiniyor; resmen bir curcuna. Bilemiyorum, bu kadar karmaşıklaştırmaya gerek var mıydı?
Kitaptaki bazı şeyler duygusal olarak dokundu ama anlatmak isteneni daha farklı anlatılmasını isterdim. Kitaba fazlasıyla yoksulluk psikolojisi, para hırsının o acizliği, aşk kırıklıkları, yalanlar, sırlar ve pişmanlıklar hakimdi.

Penny Bright, ünlü bir pop yıldızıdır, buna nazaran oldukça da kırılgan bir yapıya sahiptir. Ellie Frankel ise Almanyanın yoksul kesiminde yaşama mücadelesi veren ama opera sanatçısı olma hayaline sıkı sıkıya bağlı bir kızdır. Penny, yaşadığı kötü bir olaydan sonra kayıplara karışırken onu yerine geçen Ellie de gözünü karartan hırslarıyla baş başadır. Geçmiş, şimdiki anları tehdit ederken belki bir kayıp belki de bir buluşma yaşanacaktır...
.
Karakterlerin hiçbirini sevemedim. Yazar önce karmaşık bir kurgu sunuyor sonra da son sayfalarda hepsini birbirine bağlıyor ama bu, çok eğreti duruyordu. Dediğim gibi resmen türk filmi. Ellie karakterinin hırslı tutumu ve bu uğurda yaptıklarını okumak gerçekten rahatsız ediciydi. Kitabı okurken başka şeyler beklerken kitap öyle bir noktaya geliyor ki; hem şaşırdım hem de gereksiz buldum. Paranın varlığı da zarar azlığı da... Ikisinin de etkisini gösteriyor ve iki türlü de mutlu veya mutsuz olunabileceğini gözler önüne seriyor.

[Ευα Μηλιά Κουτσουμπα · Rating 3 out of 5]

Η Freeman είναι από τις αγαπημένες μου συγγραφείς. Μου αρέσουν πάρα πολύ τα βιβλία εποχής. Το ντουέτο όμως είναι από τα βιβλία της που δε μου προξένησε τόσα πολλά συναισθήματα όσα τα Αλλά της βιβλία.
Χρησιμοποιεί ίδιο μοτίβο όπως όλα της Αλλά σε αυτό το βιβλίο κάτι μου έλειπε και ήταν έντονο. Δε μπορώ να προσδιορίσω ακριβώς τι. Ίσως να ήταν η έλλειψη της ψυχογραφησης ηρώων η ακόμη και η έλλειψη του "ταξιδιού" σε μια άλλη εποχή. Ίσως ακόμη να φταίει ότι εγώ αναζητούσα πολλά περισσότερα που το βιβλίο δε μπορούσε να μου δώσει.
Όμως δε είναι σίγουρα ένα κακό βιβλίο. Η ιστορία είναι δυνατη αν και κάπου πλαταγιαζε και επαναλαμβανόταν. Δε ταξίδεψα, δε μαγνητιστικα από εικόνες. Και το τέλος μου άφησε πάρα πολλά ερωτήματα αναπάντητα. Θα ήθελα να εστιάσει λίγο περισσότερο στα γεγονότα που ήρθαν στο φως στις τελευταίες σελίδες.!
Κάτι έλειπε και ήταν τόσο έντονο.!!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this one, it reminded me a lot of the Kate Morton books (same narrator for audio version too), except that it wasn't multi-generational. It was from multiple viewpoints though, and everytime the story twisted to another character, you couldn't wait to get back to the one you just left.

[Özlem Yazıcı · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muhteşem........ 813 sayfa nasıl bitti anlamadım. Aşk, müzik, kardeş, aile... Kalbin sol anahtarı suskun melodilerde gizlidir 👏🏻👏🏻😍😍

[Evi Partakidou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just perfect!

[Euphemia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 stars

Kimberley Freeman is one of my favorite contemporary authors. Duet is a compelling story, I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended!

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ένα αρκετά μέτριο βιβλίο κατά τη γνώμη μου. Φυσικά μεγάλο μέρος ευθύνης αυτής της μετριότητας το είχε και η ελληνική μετάφραση που ήταν απαράδεκτη. Πολλά λάθη, ιδιώματα της αγγλικής να μεταφράζονται κατά λέξη και όχι κατά αντιστοιχία, απλοικές προτάσεις συνέθεταν μια αφήγηση που σίγουρα έχανε του πρωτότυπου.
Σε επίπεδο πλοκής δεν ήταν λίγες οι φορές που εκνευρίστηκα με την εξέλιξη των γεγονότων. Μία εντελώς μη ρεαλιστική ιστορία που παρουσιάζεται στον αναγνώστη ως η ζωή δύο γυναικών. (Spoilers) Ο θάνατος του πατέρα της Ελι ακριβώς την μέρα που θα πήγαινε στην σχολή, η προθυμία της 'Ελι να εγκαταλείψει τα πάντα και μέσα σε μία μέρα να φύγει και να κλέψει τη ζωή μιας άλλης, το σμίξιμο των τριών χαρακτήρων (Έλι, Άντζελας, Ντίτερ) στην Αυστραλία μέσα από τυχαία γεγονότα, το νησί που η Άντζελα εντελώς τυχαία ανακάλυψε κι αποδείχτηκε πως εκεί ζούσε η μητέρα της και πολλά πολλά ακόμα με έκαναν να θέλω να πετάξω το βιβλίο στον τοίχο! Επίσης παρά το μεγάλο του μέγεθος η πλοκή εξελισσόταν ραγδαίως, μη αφήνοντας σε μικρά επεισόδια να εξελιχθούν όπως θα έπρεπε. Δεν υπήρχε βάθος στην αφή��ηση ούτε στους χαρακτήρες. Στα θετικά οφείλω να αναγνωρίσω το ανατρεπτικό τέλος που δεν περίμενα να έρθει. Σε γενικές γραμμές το "Ντουέτο" είναι ένα ευκολοδιάβαστο, επιπέδου παραλίας, βιβλίο που θα ικανοποιήσει αναγνώστες light μυθιστορημάτων, αλλά όχι εκείνους που περιμένουν κάτι παραπάνω από την λογοτεχνία της εποχής μας.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Kimberley Freeman since reading Wildflower Hill and Evergreen Falls, an Australian author who reminds me of Kate Morton. Yes, that is right I said Kate Morton, those that know me know my feeling towards Kate Morton and it takes some mighty big shoes to come close to her. But what can I say, if the shoe fits...

I think Duet might be one of Freeman's first books, there is a definite growth from this one to the 2 mentioned above. Duet was an enjoyable read (listen - audiobook) with its mystery, suspense, and intrigue. As you can read in the blurb there is a lot going on. Spanning many decades and reading from 3 different pov's I was trying to figure out the connections, guess at the outcome and walked my dog many miles waiting. Seeing the different angles and getting to know these characters gave the plot more depth and added to the mystery. I did find it a little long in the middle and that did take some of the enjoyment away. But already being familiar with the author kept me going and I was not disappointed.

Duet is a hard-to-find book in print but it is readily available at Audible

[Nina Draganova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Историята е интересна,малко не ми достига за да съм напълно удовлетворена. Малко повече е разтеглена за моя вкус и объркваща. Но има хляб в тази авторка.Наподобява ми Пени Винченци.

[Jill Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a brilliant story with intertwining lives and memories made and hidden.

Penny Bright is a rising pop star who struggles with being a celebrity. London is an exciting place to live but she hides in her little flat. George Fellows her manager has big plans for her career and continues to set a tough schedule. He ignores threats being made to his rising star, thinking it is just an over zealous fan. Too late he discovers that the threat is real when Penny's shady past catches up with her.

Ellie lives in Germany and has trained to be an opera singer by her father. He ingrains in her determination and self-pride but is an alcoholic and causes her to work to live in poverty, while endlessly practising to become a performer. Family friends the Newmann's have a farm nearby and their son Dieter is very handsome.

When Penny Bright is rescued from her abductor she finds the memories of her experience rising to overwhelm her. The sleeping tablets and uppers are the only way she can cope. George wants her to take a holiday and recover, to get off the drugs, so she can return to rehearsals and the upcoming tour he'd sunk all his money into.

George needs someone to step into Penny Bright's shoes, someone who looks very like Penny and can sing. He travels to Germany to meet Ellie, who has these qualities but is a different personality. The backers must believe the tour is going ahead. Ellie is poor and having lost the opportunity to audition for the Munich Opera company as her father died the day of the audition. She grasped the chance to escape poverty.

Penny Bright disappeared and her only memory was her name on her passport, her true name Angela Smith. Now George Fellows needed his substitute Ellie to take over as Penny Bright to avoid financial ruin.

How were all these lives intertwined? The page turning intrigue continues till the last chapter.

I loved this book. Kimberley Freeman really delivers in this genre, although I've always loved her writing as Kim Wilkins, I'm delighted to find joy in these pages.

[Mervenur · Rating 2 out of 5]

Keşke okumasaydım dediğim bir kitaptı. Olaylar gereksiz uzatılmıştı. Öyle ki okurken çok kez sıkıldım, atladım. Kurguda çok büyük hatalar vardı, o konuya değinmiyorum bile. Olay örgüsü başta ilgi çekici gelse de bir yerden sonra sıkmaya başladı. Sayfaları atlamasam kitap bitmeyecekti.

Puan kırma sebebime gelirsek, hayatımda ilk kez bir kitap için böylesine puan kırıyorum. Neticede emek var, kurgu da fena değilse idare eder diyordum ama bu kitapta öyle değildi. Kitapta Dieter ve Ellie’nin birbirlerine çok büyük aşkla bağlı olduğu gerekçesiyle ihanetleri mazur gösterilmeye çalışılmıştı. Dieter’in kızı Sarah’ın, babasına sevgilisini bulması için yardım etmesi akıl alır gibi değil mazur gösterilemez. Elbette ki bu bir kitap, kurgu ancak ihanetin böylesine mazur gösterildiği bir kitap daha okumamıştım.

Kitap bitti herkes mutlu oldu peki ya Aila ve Ingrid? Sonu ille de bağlanacaksa Ellie başka biriyle olabilirdi. Dieter’in yeniden dahil edilmesi fazlasıyla saçmaydı.

[Bookish Bluestocking · Rating 3 out of 5]

Συμπαθητική ιστορία από την Kimberley Freeman που δένει με ενδιαφέροντα τρόπκ και χωρίς κενά και κοιλίες τις ιστορίες των δυο γυναικών που συμβολίζουν το Ντουέτο. Είναι το πρώτο βιβλίο της που διαβάζω και οι παράλληλες ιστορίες διαδραματίζονται στο παρόν και κοντινό παρελθόν και είναι εναδιφέροντα τα μέρη στα οποία τοποθετεί στις ιστορίες της. Βέβαια, όσον αφορά την Ελλάδα δεν έχει καμμία σχέση η ιστορία όπως την παρουσιάζει από πλευράς αληθοφάνειας (δεν είναι τόσο απλό ένας άνθρωπος να ανοίξει τουριστική επιχείρηση) αλλά αυτό δεν αφαιρεί από την γοητεία της ιστορίας.
3,5 λοιπόν αστεράκια για το βιβλίο αυτό και μια σταθερή εκτίμηση στη συγγραφέα που γενικώς με ταξιδεύει ευχάριστα και είναι πολύ καλή πρέσβειρα της πατρίδας της , της Αυστραλίας.