Polly

by Freya North

Polly Fenton loves her job teaching English, and she's mad about Max Fyfield. That is, until she embarks on a year-long teachers' exchange programme to Vermont. Max proposes at the airport, but Polly doesn't even have time to say yes. In any case, things change while she's in America.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary

416 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 1998

About the author

Freya North is the author of many bestselling novels which have been translated into numerous languages. She was born in London but lives in rural Hertfordshire, where she writes from a stable in her back garden. A passionate reader since childhood, Freya was originally inspired by Mary Wesley, Rose Tremain and Barbara Trapido: fiction with strong and original characters. To hear about events, competitions and what she’s writing, join her on Facebook, Twitter and her website.

Reviews

[Hannie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Polly vertrekt voor een jaar naar de VS vanwege een uitwisselingsproject. Dat jaar heeft een effect op haar relatie met Max, onder andere door een stomme fout die ze maakt. Hier wordt ze uiteindelijk voor gestraft. Hoewel het voor een groot deel toch haar eigen schuld is, bleef ik toch met haar meeleven en wilde ik dat het toch weer goed kwam. Het einde van het boek vind ik wat langdradig, vandaar dat ik het boek in zijn totaliteit maar twee sterren heb gegeven. Ik heb betere boeken van Freya North gelezen. Wat ik wel leuk vond is dat een hoofdpersoon uit een eerder boek, Chloe, een kleine bijrol in dit boek heeft. Dat doet me denken aan Maeve Binchy, die regelmatig karakters uit andere boeken terug liet komen in andere boeken. Al hadden ze bij haar dan een grotere rol dan bij Freya North. Mensen die het boek Chloe niet gelezen hebben, kunnen dit boek ook prima los lezen. Al mis je dan wel de link met het andere boek.

[Ilse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik las dit boek met niet al te hoge verwachtingen. freya North schreef voor mij al een paar toppertjes, maar ook een paar floppers.
Deze hoort voor mij ergens er tussenin.
Ik hield absoluut niet van de vertelwijze in dit boek. Het springt van het ene op het andere, zijn soms gedachten van Polly, soms van de verteller soms nog van iemand anders. verwarrend dus

[Robin Hall · Rating 1 out of 5]

rubbish rubbish rubbish. one of those books that makes me wish I didn't have a compilation to finish everything I start reading....

[Rosie Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taken from my blog: www.rosierevie.wordpress.com where you'll find other reviews

Polly is one of my favorite Freya North novels. It isn’t traditional chick lit and tells quite a different story to the usual boy meets girl. I wouldn’t mind to be a teacher, just so I could do a job swap with someone in another country – especially America! Polly is already in a relationship from the start of the book, which is unusual as normally the leading lady is single and the book is about how she finds her man. Freya touches on real problems a long term and long distance relationship may encounter. I love the language Freya uses, the imagery is so realistic; even though I’ve never been to New England I can imagine the setting. Again Freya converses with her reader through the book, by providing a narrating voice which is fantastic. It helps to set the scene and also give more understanding of what is going on. I’m rating this as a good read

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[Sandy Millin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the premise behind this book intriguing: a teacher doing a kind of exchange to America. Unfortunately, I found the reality to it pretty annoying, especially the constant 'discussions' between the narrator and Polly, and the references to how many chapters were left. I know it's fiction, but I wanted a bit of escapism, and instead I was constantly reminded I was reading a book, especially towards the end.
The teaching side of it also frustrated me: only a very irresponsible teacher or school would ever allow a newly-arrived teacher to walk in on the first day and immediately begin teaching, without planning or any kind of thought for the syllabus. North wanted to portray Hubbardton's School as the very best, and this aspect of it didn't ring true.

[Dominique Schoon Krog · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I'm a big Freya North fan, this was my least favourite of her books. The narration confused and annoyed me a bit, and felt a bit neither here nor there. Agreeing with a previous reviewer, the fact that Polly is confused that a year apart from her boyfriend might rock the boat a bit, is too far fetched. Maybe if we knew more about them pre- America. Anyways, fine for a couple of hours holiday read, but don't expect more.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A frisky light read, which was just perfect for a mid-January peppered with illness, hospital visits and a minor op. It cheered me up no end and gave me hope for a future filled with possible travels and adventures never before dreamed of.

Freya North's easy writing style gallops along and is a joy to read. Her characters leap off the page and are a pleasure to spend time with. Max is every girl's perfect hero.

[Dennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really my cup of tea but entertaining in its fashion. Usually there aren't such heavy sex scenes in books of this sort (the frothy romance) but there was a hot one here in a swimming pool so it wasn't a complete waste of time! Can't really complain, though, it was what it was and it could have been a lot worse.

[Kezza22 · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an on read but not one of her best... Found the writing style odd and I did find it hard to get really into the characters... I also found the whole cheating in the one you love kinda difficult to read and maybe that's what put me off the book

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usual chick lit but written in a different way with you being narrated to through some of it ... things like you only have 8 chapters left and they seem to be so far apart!

Enjoyed it and made me smile!

[Colette Flaherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy enough read, but found I just couldn't be all that bothered about the characters.

Kinda wish they all got their comeuppance. Suppose they two main characters deserved each other. Don't know, maybe it's just that I don't like people cheating on each other, but just get into this book.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

An OK chick lit with lots of heavy sex scenes which has it bordering in the erotica catergory. Much preferred Fen by Freya North.

[Claudia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very poor

[Vivelavie · Rating 5 out of 5]

great plot, addictive writing style. will definitely read freya north again.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not her best. Polly was distinctly unlikeable for me, which made it incredibly hard to root for her.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Put a different perspective on relationships. I definately couldn't live with an affair. Enjoyed the New England setting.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute quirky love story.

Deeper than it seems on the surface. This is a story of what happens when we take our partners for granted. I liked it.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant book only took me 3 days to read

[Zoë · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a little in two minds about Polly. Having recently revisited Freya North via the enjoyable Cat, and with Chloë and later Sally the core tomes in my teen bookcase of light-raunch, perhaps I’d put poor Polly on a pedestal prematurely. She’s an English teacher after all – my favourite sort of person…

I can see there’s a transition from being teen reading about 20-something love dilemmas to being practically middle-aged and trying to remember a time of romantic indecision and conflict. That said, North does deftly capture that desire for adventure outside of a stable relationship and the shift in personality and identity that might make it so. In the last few decades, I’d ruled out ‘Polly’ as light entertainment thinking the plot too conceited – couple-swapping, declarations in airports, what was this, a Richard Curtis film?

But actually, North does portray love and lust in all their complexity with poetic grace and I make no apologies for being delighted by her prose. Plus the smattering of supporting characters is as colourful and strong as ever, and I’ll admit I positively squealed with delight at discovering another of North’s narratives woven in to this plot.

A solid turn – not my favourite, but more complicated and maybe more self-aware than some of North’s other work.

[Rowena Reads Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Polly is one of my favorite Freya North novels. It isn’t traditional chick lit and tells quite a different story to the usual boy meets girl. I wouldn’t mind to be a teacher, just so I could do a job swap with someone in another country – especially America! Polly is already in a relationship from the start of the book, which is unusual as normally the leading lady is single and the book is about how she finds her man. Freya touches on real problems a long term and long distance relationship may encounter. I love the language Freya uses, the imagery is so realistic; even though I’ve never been to New England I can imagine the setting. Again Freya converses with her reader through the book, by providing a narrating voice which is fantastic. It helps to set the scene and also give more understanding of what is going on. I’m rating this as a good read

[Lisa Sunderland · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible book. Literally every single character was unlikeable. The plot line was ridiculous - guy cheats on girl and then she's begging to stay with him and he never even says he is sorry. But this is ok because readers no she cheated on him too? Erm no he thinks he is the only cheater yet he is the one in control of the situation and doesn't even seem to be repentant or care that he's cheated on the supposed love of his life? Absolute nonsense. Also written in a. Very weird way ie with authors comments included kind of like a super annoying narrator who isn't part of the story at all? Worst book I've read in ages

[Joanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

A necessary bit of chick-lit for a holiday. Their advice seemed to be not to disclose to one’s boyfriend that you’ve cheated on them, even though he’s been honest with you. Not sure about this advice. Also the sex scenes were verging on comical. However, I thought the author’s observations of USA/UK culture were surprisingly accurate.

[Kayleigh Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book inspired me to go traveling 🙂

[Lynne Jenner · Rating 3 out of 5]

light and frothy - probably a good one for on the plane or beach

[Lesley Anderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Easy read but very out dated (it’s been in my drawer for years) and totally predictable so I wouldn’t bother starting it.

[Kirsten Enevoldson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Nia Jade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got myself Pip, Polly, Fen and Cat, and for no particular reason picked Polly first. From what I read, this is not one of her best. Was a quick read, but nothing that makes your toes curl.