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Temples of Delight: A Novel
Jem McCrail is a fantastical godsend to the timid young Alice Pilling. “Like a dropped acorn,” she appears halfway through the week, halfway through the term, and halfway through Miss Aldridge's Silent Reading Hour. Through the doorway she barely clears, wearing clothes like the urchin she encountered in her favorite P. G. Wodehouse story, Jem leads the stammering Alice into a world of culture, truancy, and bizarrerie-a world far beyond the dull lessons of school. The girls cultivate a steadfast bond based on a wicked and encircling sense of humor, an impish joy in indelicate literature, and Mozart's The Magic Flute.Then, as abruptly as she came, Jem disappears.The years and schools that follow, as well as the lovers, do not dim the image of the wondrous Jem. The disheartened Alice is almost ready to settle into an ordinary life when an accident and the intervention of a latter-day fallen angel impel her to go on one more wild and extravagant journey. Like the opera it echoes, the result is pure enchantment. “Why did it take me so long to discover the singular joys of Barbara Trapido's novels? Why, for so many years, had I missed these witty, soulful, heartbreaking, expansive, brilliant tales? I have become a literary evangelist on her behalf. On account of my badgering, all my friends now love her, too.I won't rest until everyone in America has read (and fallen in love with) this fabulous author.” -Elizabeth Gilbert
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
September 8, 2012
As I have mentioned before, I read the Book Brahmin questions and answers at shelf-awareness.com. Recently, Maria Semple was the subject because she has a new book coming out. Her book sounds good and I purchased it for the library.
The one answer that caught my attention was what she said to the question about her "Top Five Authors". It was Jonathan Franzen, Philip Roth, James Salter, Edward St. Aubyn and Barbara Trapido. I definitely know the first two, the third sounds familiar and I don't know the last two authors at all. I focused on the only woman author and decided to learn more about her. Our library has two books by Barbara Trapido and I randomly started with Temples of Delight.
This book was a very pleasant surprise. Alice misses her childhood friend, Jem, and survives some odd people and events before even coming close to finding her. On the surface, Alice's life is fairly normal, but coincidence and serendipity take over her story near the end of the book. It is hard to explain because it all seemed plausible while reading and now I just marvel about how very strange it all was. I have never read a book before with such a weird plot line. Weird was not bad, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
I am not sure to whom I would recommend this book. Various reviews say it is joyful, quirky, witty, painful and pleasurable at the same time, even mysterious. I checked NoveList Plus for suggestions and I believe they were way off base. So, I suggest this book to those who are open to unusual plots, to folk who have a childhood friend they have lost and to lovers of British fiction.
The one answer that caught my attention was what she said to the question about her "Top Five Authors". It was Jonathan Franzen, Philip Roth, James Salter, Edward St. Aubyn and Barbara Trapido. I definitely know the first two, the third sounds familiar and I don't know the last two authors at all. I focused on the only woman author and decided to learn more about her. Our library has two books by Barbara Trapido and I randomly started with Temples of Delight.
This book was a very pleasant surprise. Alice misses her childhood friend, Jem, and survives some odd people and events before even coming close to finding her. On the surface, Alice's life is fairly normal, but coincidence and serendipity take over her story near the end of the book. It is hard to explain because it all seemed plausible while reading and now I just marvel about how very strange it all was. I have never read a book before with such a weird plot line. Weird was not bad, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
I am not sure to whom I would recommend this book. Various reviews say it is joyful, quirky, witty, painful and pleasurable at the same time, even mysterious. I checked NoveList Plus for suggestions and I believe they were way off base. So, I suggest this book to those who are open to unusual plots, to folk who have a childhood friend they have lost and to lovers of British fiction.
June 24, 2008
This novel contains a moment in which I actually had to slam the book shut and run around the room because it was too, too good -- unexpected, hilarious, and perfect. The italic ending is a little draggy, but this book will forever hold a place in my heart for that perfect scene.
January 10, 2020
I totally enjoyed this one. And like another reader mentioned, there is one scene in this that will have you snorting with laughter!
But essentially, it begins with a story many can relate to--did you ever have a friend who shook your world up, and made life brighter and more interesting? In this case, that friend disappears, but life takes some very unexpected turns for Alice, the main protagonist. There are lots of allusions to "The Magic Flute" which I didn't get, but you needn't. This book, like all the Trapido I have read, is smart (need I also say British) fun.
From my BookList Book Group Buzz blog post from 2009:
Jem was a joyful mystery to Alice. She was something to give thanks for. She had first appeared in the classroom, not at the beginning of term like a normal person, but mid-term on a Wednesday. She had appeared, ‘like a dropped acorn’, halfway through the term, halfway through the week, halfway through the Silent Reading Hour. Suddenly there she was in the doorway, almost as tall as the doorway itself. …
It was all so delightful and so thoroughly unscheduled. Jem’s coming. It had all happened so quickly. In the blinking of an eye. Everything had changed. Alice knew at once, on that very first day, that she loved Jem and esteemed her above all others. And that, because of Jem, her whole life–even the Silent Reading Hour–would never be boring again.” (pages 3, 10, Penguin Books, UK edition)
Have you ever had a friend who changed the world for you, who opened it up, made it sparkle? Barbara Trapido’s Temples of Delight opens with the entrance of just such a person into Alice Pilling’s life. When Jem McCrail enters Alice’s school, everyone takes notice, but few are prepared. Even Alice is unprepared what their friendship will mean for her life. Jem comes in full of vivacity and vinegar, spinning tales and throwing out references that keeps Alice’s head spinning with mystery and possibility. And just as suddenly as Jem enters Alice’s life, she disappears.
Because of Jem, Alice’s life is anything but ordinary. Echoes of the opera The Magic Flute, that Jem loved, begin erupting in Alice’s life, as she goes in search of the friend that got away.
Barbara Trapido’s novels are decidedly British, so while I have reveled in them, I have wondered if others would take to them or not. Her characters are touching, wacky, witty, and exasperating, and her plots are cleverly coincidental with a flair for the dramatic. There are allusions to literature, art and music that often fly over my own head, but that lend a certain delectable freight to her work. For me, her writing is as enchanting as Jem McCrail is for Alice Pilling–mysterious, fun, exciting, surprising and over all too soon.
If you like a little drama, a little romance, a little wit and magic, then delve into Trapido’s world. Start with Brother of the More Famous Jack, followed by its sequel The Traveling Hornplayer. Or start with Temples of Delight. And let me know what you think. Or if you hear rumors of anything new from this fabulous, under-the-radar author.
https://www.booklistreader.com/2009/0...
But essentially, it begins with a story many can relate to--did you ever have a friend who shook your world up, and made life brighter and more interesting? In this case, that friend disappears, but life takes some very unexpected turns for Alice, the main protagonist. There are lots of allusions to "The Magic Flute" which I didn't get, but you needn't. This book, like all the Trapido I have read, is smart (need I also say British) fun.
From my BookList Book Group Buzz blog post from 2009:
Jem was a joyful mystery to Alice. She was something to give thanks for. She had first appeared in the classroom, not at the beginning of term like a normal person, but mid-term on a Wednesday. She had appeared, ‘like a dropped acorn’, halfway through the term, halfway through the week, halfway through the Silent Reading Hour. Suddenly there she was in the doorway, almost as tall as the doorway itself. …
It was all so delightful and so thoroughly unscheduled. Jem’s coming. It had all happened so quickly. In the blinking of an eye. Everything had changed. Alice knew at once, on that very first day, that she loved Jem and esteemed her above all others. And that, because of Jem, her whole life–even the Silent Reading Hour–would never be boring again.” (pages 3, 10, Penguin Books, UK edition)
Have you ever had a friend who changed the world for you, who opened it up, made it sparkle? Barbara Trapido’s Temples of Delight opens with the entrance of just such a person into Alice Pilling’s life. When Jem McCrail enters Alice’s school, everyone takes notice, but few are prepared. Even Alice is unprepared what their friendship will mean for her life. Jem comes in full of vivacity and vinegar, spinning tales and throwing out references that keeps Alice’s head spinning with mystery and possibility. And just as suddenly as Jem enters Alice’s life, she disappears.
Because of Jem, Alice’s life is anything but ordinary. Echoes of the opera The Magic Flute, that Jem loved, begin erupting in Alice’s life, as she goes in search of the friend that got away.
Barbara Trapido’s novels are decidedly British, so while I have reveled in them, I have wondered if others would take to them or not. Her characters are touching, wacky, witty, and exasperating, and her plots are cleverly coincidental with a flair for the dramatic. There are allusions to literature, art and music that often fly over my own head, but that lend a certain delectable freight to her work. For me, her writing is as enchanting as Jem McCrail is for Alice Pilling–mysterious, fun, exciting, surprising and over all too soon.
If you like a little drama, a little romance, a little wit and magic, then delve into Trapido’s world. Start with Brother of the More Famous Jack, followed by its sequel The Traveling Hornplayer. Or start with Temples of Delight. And let me know what you think. Or if you hear rumors of anything new from this fabulous, under-the-radar author.
https://www.booklistreader.com/2009/0...
October 1, 2023
This is one of my favourite novels, one I would take with me to a desert island. I read it for the first time in the early nineties, and three or four more times since. I love the characters, the friendship between the two girls, and the humour. I remember laughing out loud throughout it. Although it has a sad ending, it still feels uplifting and extraordinarily inspiring. I would recommend it wholeheartedly.
I have just finished re-reading this amazing novel, without a doubt among my top five. What prompted it this time was a comment from one of the editors at Faber's, asking readers why they reread.
The novel remains all-consuming, defying the passing of time. Giovanni Angeletti is an extraordinary character, who transforms Alice's life, but pretty much everybody in this book brings something to the plot, which is why it feels a bit like peeling an onion every time one returns to their world. Stunning.
I have just finished re-reading this amazing novel, without a doubt among my top five. What prompted it this time was a comment from one of the editors at Faber's, asking readers why they reread.
The novel remains all-consuming, defying the passing of time. Giovanni Angeletti is an extraordinary character, who transforms Alice's life, but pretty much everybody in this book brings something to the plot, which is why it feels a bit like peeling an onion every time one returns to their world. Stunning.
April 1, 2010
Take a more modern Pippi Longstocking, throw in a bit of Roald Dahl, and some bits of a bodice ripping romance and a little bit of Christian fiction and you've got Temples of Delight. A strange and sometimes delightful concoction. I could have done without the bodice ripping and Christian fiction half but it was fun reading and showed how a friend can transform your world.
April 19, 2020
I am finding it hard to know what to think about this book. On the one hand, I was completely caught up in it and read it in 36 hours. It's witty and perceptive, and sometimes profound, and I found the heroine very endearing. On the other hand, the second half is so melodramatic as to stretch the readers credulity to breaking point. The major love story felt a bit far-fetched. I was disappointed that we didn't get to unpick Jem's character a bit more.
I think I'd have given the first half of this book 5* (up to and including the bit with the bridge), and the second half 3*.
Definitely worth reading - its interesting and fun and thought-provoking - but if you're new to Trapido I'd start somewhere else, perhaps with Brother Of The More Famous Jack.
I think I'd have given the first half of this book 5* (up to and including the bit with the bridge), and the second half 3*.
Definitely worth reading - its interesting and fun and thought-provoking - but if you're new to Trapido I'd start somewhere else, perhaps with Brother Of The More Famous Jack.
August 26, 2024
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October 21, 2022
Barbara Trapido has an authorial voice quite unlike any other writer I know; her mix of farcical comedy, profound seriousness, sparkling dialogue and innocent but multifaceted characters is instantly recognisable. Temples of Delight, with a plot loosely based on The Magic Flute (allusions to which reappear throughout the book) is in equal parts a joyful coming of age romp, an anatomy of friendship, an unlikely love story, a clear-eyed study of male desire and power and of female autonomy. In the last quarter the pace slackens somewhat and the balance of the book tips more towards theological and philosophical considerations, resulting in a change of balance that jars somewhat against the previous 250 pages or so.
July 20, 2009
I whipped through this wonderful story in two days. The book's protagonist, Alice, is deeply affected by an adolescent friendship with Jem who appears and then disappears in a shroud of mystery. This friendship colors Alice's whole life and the story is as much about her own search for self as her search for her long lost friend. The "romance" that appears at the end of the book didn't completely convince me, but for the most part I loved the book. It also made me realize that I very much need a "mystery" (and I don't read mysteries) or an unknown that will only be revealed in the act of continued reading to really capture me.
January 6, 2023
you might think that this is another of those chick lit romance novels I’m always reading
But you’d be wrong!
No. I found this book somewhat randomly from a Vogue list of “7 literary classics from Normal People” that pocket recommended.
Is this a classic? Haven’t lots of people normally rated and reviewed classics?
Whatever. The first third of this was an absolute delight. It got a bit meandering after that, but there were still enough outrageously funny lines peppered through to make me laugh
But you’d be wrong!
No. I found this book somewhat randomly from a Vogue list of “7 literary classics from Normal People” that pocket recommended.
Is this a classic? Haven’t lots of people normally rated and reviewed classics?
Whatever. The first third of this was an absolute delight. It got a bit meandering after that, but there were still enough outrageously funny lines peppered through to make me laugh
October 3, 2022
Took me a while to get into it but a very enjoyable read which made me chuckle a few times!
April 27, 2024
Temples of Delight tells the story of Alice, a somewhat cosseted only child growing up in the suburbs and attending a convent school. There, she meets Jem McCrail, a breath of fresh air in her staid life, and a welcome distraction from the breakdown of Alice's friendship with the austere Flora. Jem introduces Alice to the wonders of music and storytelling, gifts that stay with her long after she and Jem were separated, and which shape her life in unexpected ways.
I re-read this straight after a disappointing re-read of Brother of the More Famous Jack, largely to reassure myself that my years of calling Barbara Trapido one of my favourite writers had not been in vain. This time, I was not disappointed. The writing is so good that I nearly missed my stop on the train on a couple of occasions. The characters in particular are beautifully written - Jem in particular just leaps off the page but even the briefest character sketch sings - and the searing intensity of schoolgirl friendships is perfectly done. In fact, it is so character driven that the contrivances of the plot of easy to swallow, in a way that perhaps isn't true of some of the other novels I revisited in my recent Trapido phase.
I re-read this straight after a disappointing re-read of Brother of the More Famous Jack, largely to reassure myself that my years of calling Barbara Trapido one of my favourite writers had not been in vain. This time, I was not disappointed. The writing is so good that I nearly missed my stop on the train on a couple of occasions. The characters in particular are beautifully written - Jem in particular just leaps off the page but even the briefest character sketch sings - and the searing intensity of schoolgirl friendships is perfectly done. In fact, it is so character driven that the contrivances of the plot of easy to swallow, in a way that perhaps isn't true of some of the other novels I revisited in my recent Trapido phase.
October 5, 2014
I had never heard of Barbara Trapido before and I picked this book up in a charity shop, mainly on the basis that it was a copy signed by the author (dedicated to someone called Ainslie but you can't have everything). For the first couple of chapters I was convinced that I'd found my new favourite book - the writing is beautiful, and so funny to boot, and the characters of Jem and Alice and the assortment of oddballs surrounding them are wonderfully described.
But the further I read on, the less I liked it. Jem, having made a strong impression from the start, more or less disappears, and with her goes a lot of the appeal. Alice gets involved with a number of men who are less and less likeable - from the benevolently sexist Roland through faithless Matthew, and finally the awful Angeletti. I am still not sure if I was meant to like or admire this guy, but sorry, he was unbearable, and I downright hated the ending, which was inconclusive and somewhat disappointing.
I may have missed something because of my lack of Magic Flute knowledge. I also wondered if we were meant to draw parallels between Angeletti and the villain in Jem's novel.
I would read more by Trapido but wish that the charm and magic of the first chapters could have been sustained through the rest of this one.
But the further I read on, the less I liked it. Jem, having made a strong impression from the start, more or less disappears, and with her goes a lot of the appeal. Alice gets involved with a number of men who are less and less likeable - from the benevolently sexist Roland through faithless Matthew, and finally the awful Angeletti. I am still not sure if I was meant to like or admire this guy, but sorry, he was unbearable, and I downright hated the ending, which was inconclusive and somewhat disappointing.
I may have missed something because of my lack of Magic Flute knowledge. I also wondered if we were meant to draw parallels between Angeletti and the villain in Jem's novel.
I would read more by Trapido but wish that the charm and magic of the first chapters could have been sustained through the rest of this one.
September 1, 2020
A five-star book in the first half, then maybe three stars for the last half, so four overall. The beginning of the book is perfect and priceless - the friendship between Alice and Jem had me alternately howling with laughter and crying. The rest of the novel didn't quite hold up for me, especially towards the last quarter or so, which I found full of coincidences and some weird deus-ex-machina moments by a character I never quite bought. Still, it's a rollicking good read overall, so I'd recommend it. The first half of this is the best of the three of Barbara Trapido's I've read so far, but overall I think Noah's Ark is ultimately my favorite. It mines similar themes but does so a bit more consistently throughout.
July 18, 2022
The first thought that pops into the mind is Melodrama. It is beautifully done the whole thing with the shadowing of the Magic Flute and the Catholicism and the literature. The interweaving of the magic flute, Jem’s book, Jem’s life and Alices. It’s comedy and tragedy synonymously. Comedic in its unbelievability and tragic in its truth. I really enjoyed how it embraced imperfection, how the imperfection did not draw away from it but created the meaning for it.
November 17, 2017
Well-written and perfectly readable but overall I found the plot disjointed, so I finished this book feeling quite disappointed. Nothing like the same experience I had reading Brother of the More Famous Jack, which sits happily on my Favorites shelf.
March 17, 2013
By 'I'm finished' I mean 'I'm done'
I feel bad for thinking this way but I was hoping to at least give this book 3 stars but I did not even peak at that.
There was just too much unnecessary information and when I read it my brain felt like it was being set on fire.
I feel bad for thinking this way but I was hoping to at least give this book 3 stars but I did not even peak at that.
There was just too much unnecessary information and when I read it my brain felt like it was being set on fire.
October 24, 2022
Loved this book for about the first half, where it was a wonderfully quirky school/coming of age story - then it descended into a combination of utter chaos and promotional material for Catholicism. At times it honestly felt like it was being made up as it went along.
June 24, 2011
A disappointing badly conceived novel by an author I thought I admired! The story of a schoolgirl friendship
August 30, 2023
It's actually my fourth time reading this gem.
January 11, 2013
I found this book quite odd. The story dragged and the characters were ridiculous and insipid. All a bit blah.
September 17, 2013
I see others commenting so good about it , so i was excited ..
but to my expectations, it failed badly ..
after a few chapters, i decided not to continue ..
*Yawn*
but to my expectations, it failed badly ..
after a few chapters, i decided not to continue ..
*Yawn*
August 21, 2020
The only tolerable character in this—and to be fair, she was marvelous—was only in the first 1/4 of the book. Everyone else I hated. So sad when the book started so promisingly.
May 7, 2023
Read as part of a Litsy challenge-which was that you would share your TBR, and one of your friends on Litsy would pick 5 books that you would read this year-just a way to get one to tackle an ever-growing TBR! One of my favourite books is 'Brother of the more famous Jack' by the same author-I probably read it nearly once in 3 months, because it's so delightful.
Temples of delight isn't as good as that, but I enjoyed reading it, and raced through it. As nuanced as ever about class differences, and how they manifest themselves, and the awkwardness and difficulties of being a teenager, this was a moving read. It's a pitch-perfect depiction of female friendship-the sort you have where you have a friend whom you think is wonderful, and who introduces you to new experiences, and just seems so much more worldly than you are. The protagonist, Alice, is trying to find her place in her new school, and wants to be more than a properly turned out lady who would make a perfect wife-as her mother wants her to be. The new student in her school, Jem ( that's her nickname and is based on one of my favourite short stories )is quite the rebel and ALice is captivated by her ( as so easily happens when you're that age). Jem suddenly leaves school, however, and the book follows the rest of Alice's life, as she navigates professional difficulties, and complicated affairs of the heart-all very realistically depicted. There really are no villains here, only people who seem to think they know better than Alice, how she should lead her life. Trapido captures romantic confusion very well-it can be so difficult to know if you're really in love, or merely going along with someone you deeply like. THe theme of 'The Magic FLute', weaves through this book-Jem's favourite opera, and in Trapido's typical whimsical style, there's an introduction of a romantic interest in the last third of the book, that really should not work because it's quite sudden, but she writes so skillfully, that I found myself tearing up, and makes it seem completely plausible. Will they really be happy together, though? Is this a happy ending? Trapido leaves you feeling unsure, but also exhilarated by this ending.
Temples of delight isn't as good as that, but I enjoyed reading it, and raced through it. As nuanced as ever about class differences, and how they manifest themselves, and the awkwardness and difficulties of being a teenager, this was a moving read. It's a pitch-perfect depiction of female friendship-the sort you have where you have a friend whom you think is wonderful, and who introduces you to new experiences, and just seems so much more worldly than you are. The protagonist, Alice, is trying to find her place in her new school, and wants to be more than a properly turned out lady who would make a perfect wife-as her mother wants her to be. The new student in her school, Jem ( that's her nickname and is based on one of my favourite short stories )is quite the rebel and ALice is captivated by her ( as so easily happens when you're that age). Jem suddenly leaves school, however, and the book follows the rest of Alice's life, as she navigates professional difficulties, and complicated affairs of the heart-all very realistically depicted. There really are no villains here, only people who seem to think they know better than Alice, how she should lead her life. Trapido captures romantic confusion very well-it can be so difficult to know if you're really in love, or merely going along with someone you deeply like. THe theme of 'The Magic FLute', weaves through this book-Jem's favourite opera, and in Trapido's typical whimsical style, there's an introduction of a romantic interest in the last third of the book, that really should not work because it's quite sudden, but she writes so skillfully, that I found myself tearing up, and makes it seem completely plausible. Will they really be happy together, though? Is this a happy ending? Trapido leaves you feeling unsure, but also exhilarated by this ending.
January 25, 2022
4.5 stars. Read this book on Libby. Wow! The writing was so quick witted and quirky! I love reading something completely different. What a crazy set of circumstances Trapido threw these characters into. It was charming, it was weird and it was wonderfully written. The pace of Trapido’s writing had me flying through the pages wanting to know what might happen next. The way she wrote every character was like a caricature, just crazy, exaggerated features and personalities. It really reminded me of the A Series of Unfortunate Events tv show (visually), which wasn’t great but was so absurd visually. I imagine this is how they would do a movie for this book. Or it might fit awesomely with some animation. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of Alice, our leading girl, because she came across as a little whiny, I really liked many of the other characters. This is definitely a book that will stick with me for years to come and I’ll still be thinking about this story years from now. I highly recommend this book and I will be reading others of hers in the future. Also how does this not have more reviews?! Thanks to Jack Edwards from YouTube for putting me onto this book, otherwise I likely never would have heard of it.
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November 30, 2023Gosh this is good. It manages to be both an unforgiving dissection of girlhood, friendship and class, and shockingly, shriekingly funny. An appalling dinner at a restaurant in which a malevolent old lady falls over drunkenly, urinates on herself, and vomits, while her middle-aged son has a fatal anaphylactic reaction to seafood, all witnessed by two children, is somehow also one of the most snort-worthy scenes I’ve read in years. It’s got a weird atmosphere in that very particular way that novels from the ’80s and ’90s can: its social mores feel much older, like the characters are living in the ’60s or ’70s maybe, but then I consider the Britain of my mother’s young adulthood and, no, I think it really was like that for some people. The fraught, complex class snobbery and the sexism and the patronising schoolmasters and the peculiar prejudice about Catholics and Americans. Imagine the sparkle and the cleverness of Dodie Smith’s I Capture the Castle, but aged up slightly, and the Cassandra figure isn’t our protagonist but her best friend, who’s both wildly charismatic and also clearly a bullshit merchant, and you’ll have a sort of idea. Anyway, loved this far more than I expected to, can’t wait to reserve a stack of Trapidos for holiday reading. What a great find.
May 4, 2025
How? How have I never heard of Barbara Trapido before? I'm an avid reader, I've read thousands of books of all genres and on many subjects. By chance I bought Temples of Delight from a garden centre stand of all places.
From the first paragraph I was hooked. This is an amazing and wondrous tale of friendship, loyalty and love between two schoolgirls who were completely different from each other in their lives and upbringing.
Jem, a playful, intelligent girl full of mystery, intrigue and unbounded fun and literary talent, and Alice, a somewhat lonely child of wealthy, loving parents, who form a friendship that endures. But then Jem is expelled and Alice's tale begins.
A joyful, funny and beautifully written story of enduring friendship and love. Darn - it made me cry. Fully recommended and is firmly on my "Read Again" list.
Now I'm off to find the rest of Barbara Trapido's novels.
From the first paragraph I was hooked. This is an amazing and wondrous tale of friendship, loyalty and love between two schoolgirls who were completely different from each other in their lives and upbringing.
Jem, a playful, intelligent girl full of mystery, intrigue and unbounded fun and literary talent, and Alice, a somewhat lonely child of wealthy, loving parents, who form a friendship that endures. But then Jem is expelled and Alice's tale begins.
A joyful, funny and beautifully written story of enduring friendship and love. Darn - it made me cry. Fully recommended and is firmly on my "Read Again" list.
Now I'm off to find the rest of Barbara Trapido's novels.
January 12, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - Barbara Trepido is an excellent writer highly skilled at developing and describing characters. I particularly liked how she expressed the innocent and benevolent patriarchial attitudes of the men in the book which although exaggerated and sometimes comical in the book belied underlying truths in the experience of many women in society. It was telling, I thought, that the only 'perfect' man with a depth of wisdom and insight that saved the day was a catholic priest i.e unobtainable! I also noted that the man Alice eventually was destined to be with and was mature enough recognise that he needed to grow was 35, all other characters being in their 20's - significant I thought. Loved it and it made me giggle at times.
April 3, 2020
loved beginning of the book but when the friend was pregnant and dying and you just knew the main character was going to be asked to take the baby I thought- oh no Beaches! The two main characters in their girlhood along with families or lack of families but made up families was excellent. One friend Flora experiences horrific childhood but is resentful forever when her friend's family takes them to dinner and dad dies eating shellfish- yes, scenes like this make book worth the read. On the other hand, the Beaches thing- this book is about opera and you just can't criticize the turn toward soap opera villian/lover/husband and eventual ending that includes a nunnery and priest- Sarastro!
March 20, 2023
Either I have completely misunderstood this book or it is the most bizarre book I have ever read, I would give it 0 stars if I could. It also contains very casual references and themes to women being raped but belittled and described as being 'forced' and that if you're a women who has sex you get 'fucked' by the man. Firstly how Roland was going to stop in a forest and force himself on her because he had decided he had waited long enough, then she awoke to find Matthews hand inside her blouse, then Giovanni implying that it's not rape if she wasn't physically harmed, I could go on... and I would not recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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