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Uma Mulher Diferente

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U najbogatijoj četvrti Londona umire beskućnik koji se pijan skitao ulicama. Umire sam, od gladi i žeđi, u garaži bogate i poznate arhitektice koja mu na čuđenje jednog novinara, kojega će taj slučaj zaintrigirati, plaća kremiranje i pogreb.

696 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

238 people are currently reading
733 people want to read

About the author

Penny Vincenzi

65 books923 followers
Penny was nine years old when she embarked on her storytelling career. She wrote her own magazine called “Stories”, which she copied out three times on carbon paper and sold for two pence at school. So began a career in writing which has seen 7 million copies sold, and 17 bestselling novels.

After secretarial college, Penny worked as a junior secretary at Vogue and Tatler magazines, before moving to the Daily Mirror as personal assistant to Marje Proops, Britain's legendary agony aunt.
Marje encouraged her to write, and she became fashion editor and beauty writer at the Mirror, working for the women's editor in what was irreverently known as the "fragrant department". Penny’s journalistic career as a celebrated writer and columnist spanned several decades working for many of the leading newspapers and magazines of the time.
She once asked bestselling British author Jilly Cooper for advice on writing a novel while interviewing her for a magazine profile. Jilly put Penny in touch with her own agent, who promptly auctioned off her (then unwritten) first novel. It was quickly snapped up and the rest, as they say, is history.
Penny died in 2018. She was the proud and much-loved mother of four equally proud daughters, and grandmother to nine grandchildren.

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5 stars
1,000 (36%)
4 stars
905 (32%)
3 stars
601 (21%)
2 stars
189 (6%)
1 star
61 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
Profile Image for Sue Gerhardt Griffiths.
1,231 reviews80 followers
July 30, 2021
3.5 stars

An awfully long book but fortunately not tedious.
Teeny-weeny font, a magnifying glass is recommended (lol, only kidding) glasses are needed though :-)
My daughter spent time in the Lions book store choosing lots of books I might enjoy and this was one of them and I did enjoy it.
My first read by this author and I’m sure I’ll be reading more of her works.
A huge cast of characters, very confusing at first but I did manage to keep them all straight in my head eventually, and enjoyed the tale from all the various perspectives.
It read like a TV soap opera but I loved that!

POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2021: #40 - A book that has fewer than 1,000 reviews on Amazon or Goodreads
Profile Image for Ang.
1,841 reviews53 followers
February 9, 2012
Meh. Typical Penny Vincenzi. Ending slightly unsatisfactory: after all, what the HELL was UP with Cressida?
Profile Image for Diane Klajbor.
389 reviews5 followers
July 13, 2018
I enjoy Penny Vincenzi's books. They are long, rambling, have multiple storylines and many, many characters. It takes a little time to sort out who's who, but by 50 pages in I have it figured out. This book involves a missing bride on the eve of her wedding, family secrets and long lost loves. I spent several hot summer days sipping my Starbucks drink and enjoying the complicated lives of these people. Hope you can do the same.
Profile Image for Les.
2,911 reviews1 follower
April 16, 2023
He Loves her and shes love him and she loves somebody else, you just can't win" - J Giles

This is one of those books about unlikable people you would never meet in real life. The Upper class not quite gentry of the UK; the wealthy professionals with their easy lives and busy calendars who all lie cheat and defraud one another.

A group of friends that are a bit too close (if you know what I mean nudge nudge wink wink) get together for a wedding that fails to come off when the Bride does a runner

Adult themes, adult language and sexual situations. Also some violence against women

I am simply addicted to this author who it turns out is deceased since 2018
Profile Image for Maria Lavrador.
510 reviews33 followers
November 19, 2014
Um livro que não me cativou muito nas primeiras paginas. Mas conforme fui lendo fui ficando cada vez mais interessada na história, para saber o que tinha acontecido na realidade. Mas o final foi muito estanho, fiquei na duvida sobre o destino de algumas personagens e sem saber o que tinha acontecido na realidade... Um livro longo, que me fez lembrar uma novela, em que estendem o enredo por muito tempo e nas ultimas paginas tudo se decida, mas deixando pontas soltas.
231 reviews
February 18, 2024
This is the second time I’ve read this book but I still enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Lisa D.
177 reviews3 followers
April 1, 2024
Another easy and enjoyable read - ideal escapism
Profile Image for Nicholas George.
Author 2 books69 followers
November 8, 2018
If this had been about 300 pages shorter, I might have thought more of it. But it wore me out. Endless soap opera on a continuous reel. Brave, strong, forthright women and weak, possessive, indecisive men. All terribly rich and all with terrible communication skills. I suppose there's an audience that eats up all of Vincenzi's novels, but this will definitely be my first and last.
111 reviews1 follower
August 3, 2018
Well plotted and engrossing. Unusual choice to leave the gun on the mantelpiece unfired, in a sense, in that we never see the disappeared.
Profile Image for Margarida Cruz.
58 reviews37 followers
September 28, 2011
Depois de O Jogo do Acaso, o primeiro e único livro que li de Penny Vincenzi, as expectativas eram altas para Uma Mulher Diferente, a nova aposta da Porto Editora nesta que é uma das mais estimadas autoras de todo o Reino Unido. No entanto, é com pena que digo que essas mesmas expectativas não foram atingidas. A história de Uma Mulher Diferente ficou, aliás, aquém do esperado depois do excelente e arrebatador trabalho conseguido em O Jogo do Acaso.

Sinceramente, não consigo definir ao certo a minha opinião relativamente a esta obra de Penny Vincenzi. Li-o com fôlego mas não houve empatia alguma com as várias personagens que a autora nos apresenta. Há livros que lemos com gosto, com devoção e que não queremos largar. Depois há livros que lemos com facilidade e algum gosto mas que não nos prendem, não nos conquistam por inteiro a atenção e o interesse. Foi este o caso de Uma Mulher Diferente.

Não sei se culpo o curto espaço de tempo em que ocorrem todos os acontecimentos do livro, se as personagens em si que não conseguem despertar em nós o fascínio necessário para uma leitura empolgante e dinâmica, se ambos.

Confesso que ao início houve a já familiar sensação de "confusão" tendo em conta o elevado número de personagens que nos é apresentada repentinamente. Além disso, se não me engano, em O Jogo do Acaso o leitor tinha uma lista de personagens no início do livro como guia ao longo da obra, o que ajudava imenso, sobretudo enquanto o leitor não se encontrasse devidamente familiarizado com as mesmas. Em Uma Mulher Diferente não temos esse tão ansiado suporte o que dificulta e nos constrange imenso a leitura da primeira parte da história.

Custa até o leitor se adaptar e conhecer devidamente as personagens da história e, assim, se sentir à vontade e motivado para seguir em frente com a leitura.

Depois, as histórias que acompanham as personagens não são propriamente originais e tão inesperadas com as que podemos ler em O Jogo do Acaso. Lembro-me que a cada novo rumo da história no último livro de Penny Vincenzi ficava absolutamente incomodada com o choque e a surpresa provocados.
Aqui nem os casos de adultério, nem os pares supostamente mais improváveis, nem os respectivos finais conseguiram sequer sensações idênticas. Foi tudo, não digo inteiramente previsível, mas, pelo menos, não de todo imprevisível e inesperado.

A própria história não tem o potencial e a originalidade de O Jogo do Acaso (embora pudesse facilmente adquiri-los atriuindo outras reviravoltas à trama). A verdade é que a autora deixou que se tratasse de um enredo bastante banal e com o qual já estamos quase que habituados a conviver na realidade, daí que não desperte a mesma sensação de descoberta do novo que saboreamos ao longo de, mais uma vez, O Jogo do Acaso.

A história da presumida (afinal a sua história quase que cai para segundo plano) protagonista, Cressida, podia tomar contornos inteiramente distintos, oferecendo à história outro toque, outra dose de originalidade. Os próprios desenlaces das demais histórias podiam adquirir novos moldes e assim provocar a dita ansiedade no leitor. Infelizmente, isso não aconteceu.

No geral, foi uma leitura agradável mas que peca por elementos inovadores e avassaladores, tornando-se, portanto, num virar de páginas automático e sentido ao invés do despecebido esvoaçar no último romance da autora.

Diria que é um bom livro de Verão, não para aqueles que procuram um livro inteligente e provocador, mas sim para se ler calmamente numa tarde à beira da piscina.
Profile Image for Keturah.
180 reviews
September 6, 2016
Not my favorite Vincenzi, for sure. Truthfully, I wasn't sure I'd finish it or not. I think I finished it because I wanted to find out the truth about Cressida. But we never really do! So it was frustrating, although I don't think Vincenzi wanted us to focus on her. I had a difficult time liking any of the characters. And I detested the only 'poor' character- Tilly, because she had such a huge chip on her shoulder and then she abruptly dropped the whole thing and at the end no more was said about her vendetta against James Forrest. So odd. The story was okay, but there were a lot of loose ends and dead ends and it seemed the author had trouble keeping track of the many characters herself. Not a Vincenzi I'd recommend.
Profile Image for Karen.
1,254 reviews
March 6, 2012
This is one of my most favorite authors but the least favorite read, for me, of the books she has written. This is one of those authors that if she wrote a book about paint drying...I would read it. Her writing style cannot be beat. That being said, this book has way to many characters...to the point I'm making a chart to keep them all straight. Over dramatic on some of them and then they just dropped out of the story line. One of those characters goes into the very MacDonald's I was in while in London! I'm only giving it three stars instead of two because of her writing style. The best Vincenzi of all is her "The Spoils of Time" trilogy.
Profile Image for Crvena Kraljica.
109 reviews4 followers
May 5, 2015
Kod nas prevedena pod nazivom "Pravo lice Cresside Forrest", ova knjiga me oduševial zbog samog načina pisanja. Davno sam ju čitala, ali mi je ostala u sjećanju kao jedna lagana i opuštajuća, ali ne kao tipičan ljubavni roman, već kao knjiga koja ima neku dubinu u sebi zbog same radnje. Zašto je Cressida nestala i kakav je u stvari bio njen život, saznaje se tek na samom kraju. Isto tako dozanju se i neke obiteljske tajne koje su bile zakopane dugo vremena...
Profile Image for Lauren.
8 reviews
August 19, 2012
love love loved it.....until the last page. it was like I was reading my very first penny. lots of interesting characters, strong women, interest men. just wish something ACTUALLY happened to one of them. No real answers to any questions
10 reviews
June 27, 2024
I have always enjoyed Penny Vincenzi’s novels, despite their length and the multitude of characters that often take some time to keep straight. One of the aspects I appreciate most is her ability to weave multiple storylines together, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected lives. This book was no exception, and I was thoroughly engaged, especially as the various threads began to unravel around Cressida’s disappearance.

Vincenzi crafted compelling characters and intriguing relationships, making the middle of the book, where Cressida’s story gradually unfolds, particularly enjoyable. However, my enjoyment waned as the book approached its conclusion. It felt as if Vincenzi struggled with how to wrap up the complex narratives she had developed. None of the character arcs were resolved in a satisfying manner, which was particularly disappointing given the buildup.

Cressida’s storyline, central to the plot, deserved a more impactful conclusion. Similarly, Harriet, who was a strong and interesting character, met an abrupt end with a car accident, which felt like a missed opportunity for a more unique resolution. Tilly’s rapid and unexplained reconciliation with James, despite the extensive detail given to her character throughout the book, was equally unsatisfying.

Despite these shortcomings, the book remained a captivating read. Once I got a handle on all the characters, I was hooked, especially during the middle sections. However, the disappointing ending left me wishing for an additional hundred pages or so to properly conclude the story.
Profile Image for Annie.
Author 17 books22 followers
March 1, 2025
I read six books by Penny Vincenzi last year - and mostly enjoyed them, though there were always aspects that I found dissatisfying. But they all drew me in and wouldn't let me go.

And that was the same for Another Woman, which turned up at the free book exchange at our local station, so I couldn't resist.

Compulsive is probably the best word. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it and wishing I was reading it - and I got through the whole 550-page book in about three days.

So many characters (and there was James, Josh, Julia, Janine, Jackie, Johno, Jemima and Janet - I mean, really???), so many POVs, so many scandalous reveals - it was like a bad soap opera I just couldn't look away from.

And there were definitely issues - a lot of the male characters were truly appalling (and even the half-decent ones had their moments of terrible attitudes or behaviour), there was a huge amount of privilege, snobbery, misogyny, fatphobia and very bad choices.

But I was still going to give it four stars for being just so incredibly entertaining - until the last couple of pages, when one of the only fairly sympathetic characters ended up in a situation I just couldn't countenance - and I think I was supposed to find it romantic. But no. Just no.

Which leaves me extremely conflicted about this book I spent the last three days absolutely devouring in every free minute... Sigh...

But if I spot another Penny Vincenzi at the station book exchange, or even for £2.00 at a local charity shop - will I pick it up? Yes, yes I will...
Profile Image for Ruth Harwood.
527 reviews13 followers
July 20, 2020
Not what I thought it would be about, when I read the title! It's interesting how, in one day, the house of cards can come tumbling down and all you thought you knew about those around you, those you love, is proven false. Vincenzi takes this thought by the bit and races with it, showing a character that we never see through snippets of the past and revelations by those within to show that there really is no way that you can know someone. However much you think you do.
The writing is superb, as in all her books, and the characters are all believable, in characters at once all shades of grey and all colours of the rainbow in their attitudes, behaviour, revelations about the character all are mistaken about. It makes for a fine story of love, loss, hard choices and revelations that will surprise even the most familiar of readers - not all books are the same.
I have noticed Vincenzi likes to use the words Actually. As an addendum to what the character is saying, to underline the character's speech or actions. I'm not sure it affects her writing overmuch, it's a tool used to underline a point - in every book of hers it's there, I just didn't notice it quite so much as I did here. Actually. It doesn't take the joy from her writing, and in some places adds to it, I just noticed it as interesting.
Profile Image for Ieva Pelekaite.
36 reviews28 followers
July 30, 2017
¨Another Woman¨ is a usual chick-lit. Warning: Spoilers ahead. I was reading it in the original language and I can state that the language of it is quite simple and you can easily understand everything without much difficulty. However, I don't think that this book is actually worth reading. I really disliked the fact that the ending of this book was so hazy. Even though there are some facts about the characters and their future lives, we can not say what really happened to Cressida or did Harriet end up with Theo for real. What is more, I really hate the concept of a young woman having a relationship with 20+ years older man, it just sounds really sick and terrible to me. The worst part was that the man who became Harriet's lover was actually her father's best friend, who saw how Harriet grew up. I just can't understand such kind of relationship, such kind of love. So, in the end, I just like to say, that it was ok, but nothing really special and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Profile Image for What to read next ........
358 reviews3 followers
July 6, 2018
Another Woman was an excellent Super read, it’s a book that is hard to stop reading, and makes you keep guessing and thinking what is going to happen next, this is definitely a page turner very addictive 📖 reading.
This book is definitely unpredictable it keeps you guessing till the very end of the book, the story is so powerful you want more.
The characters had so much to give, that you were very satisfied by the end..

Penny Vincenzi is a delightful exciting author she never disappoints.

Oliver and Cressida are ready for their lavish 🎩 👰🏼 wedding, suddenly the morning after the bride to be Cressida vanishes without a trace the family have no idea what has happen to her.
The two families face a long painful day of revelations.
Throughout the storyline the family are forced to ask who was the woman they thought they knew, perfect daughter, sister and a lovely wife never to be ?

This read is full of dark secrets, glamour and sex which is always a pleasure 😋
11 reviews
September 3, 2017
Too many characters, you follow all the stories throughout the book and then she wraps up the storylines within about a page and a half which feels a little unsatisfying. Also annoyed me that we didn't really find out what happened to Cressida, over the course of the book we find out that she is a manipulative incredibly spoiled brat but by the end of the book her family seem to be on her side again with the exception of Harriet. I found it a little frustrating really.
Profile Image for Marie Horáčková.
47 reviews
August 9, 2022
I finished the book today and I was surprised by its ending. The whole thing was suspenseful and we learned the past of both Cressida and her entire family and relatives. We went into secret relationships, the past and also found out a lot of lies and truths. The ending froze me the most, where I was partly surprised. I shed a few tears at the event that happened there and at the same time I was sad because I don't know how it will turn out and I can only guess...
1,000 reviews2 followers
January 28, 2021
It took me about 30-40 pages to get into this book. Only because there were so many characters. Blimey. I had to get my head round, who was who, and who went with who. Once I had done that, it was totally gripping. It's got a bit of everything, humour, intrigue, love and a bit of raciness. I like the way this author writes and look forward to reading another one of hers.
1,224 reviews24 followers
February 9, 2021
A re-read of this one and it's still enjoyable. When miss goody Cressida Forrest disappears on her wedding day her family discover she wasn't such a goody after all. For Cressida had secrets, but then so to do her family and friends and these unravel in the wake of her disappearance. Enjoyable escapism.
105 reviews
June 7, 2017
I have liked and loved some of Penny Vincenzi's other works, but his was not my favorite. You wait the entire novel for some explanation of Cressida's behavior and in the end you really never get one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Afroditi Gagatsi (booklover_and_more).
50 reviews8 followers
March 11, 2018
This a typical novel of Penny Vincenzi. It keeps you turning the pages and you want to continue spending time with the characters. While it will not rock you world, it is perfect for what it says: curl up on your couch on a rainy day!
6 reviews
November 29, 2019
Disappointing

Not a patch on precious reads from Penny V. I just didn’t like the characters and as the book went on, I found their stories less likeable and engaging until I didn’t really care about the outcome. Nothing exciting to bring the book to a close either.
37 reviews
June 26, 2022
I like her writing, mostly. I've enjoyed a few of her others, but this one got a little tedious after the halfway point. Too much repetition about women who can't make up their mind what they want. I finished it but it wasn't my favorite.
1 review1 follower
September 29, 2024
Had a hard time getting through this book. Could not stomach any of the characters. I tend to go ahead and finish a book once I start it, but this one was a challenge because of the awful behavior of every single person. I have enjoyed other Penny Vincenzi books, but do not recommend this one.
Profile Image for Mols.
21 reviews
December 28, 2024
The overall storyline was a cool idea, but the amount of characters confused me so much 😭 i loved the reveal of all the affairs and a not so perfect family but i feel like im still confused about how some characters stories ended
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kim.
29 reviews
May 31, 2017
Loved it!
Great characters, great story line.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews

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