What do you think?
Rate this book
The Marble Collector
TRY A FREE SAMPLE OF CECELIA AHERN’S NEW BOOK, THE MARBLE COLLECTOR
A forgotten childhood. A discovered life.
What if you only had one day to find out who you really were?
When Sabrina Boggs stumbles upon a mysterious collection of her father’s possessions, she discovers a truth where she never knew there was a lie. The familiar man she grew up with is suddenly a stranger to her.
An unexpected break in her monotonous daily routine leaves her just one day to unlock the secrets of the man she thought she knew. A day that unearths memories, stories and people she never knew existed. A day that changes her and those around her forever.
The Marble Collector is a thought-provoking novel about how the most ordinary decisions we make can have the most extraordinary consequences for how we live our lives. And how sometimes it’s only by shining on a light on someone else, that you can truly understand yourself.
THIS IS A FREE SAMPLE OF THE BOOK
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2015
782 people are currently reading
9255 people want to read
About the author
Cecelia Ahern
97 books19.4k followersCecelia Ahern was born and grew up in Dublin. She is now published in nearly fifty countries, and has sold over twenty-five million copies of her novels worldwide. Two of her books have been adapted as films and she has created several TV series.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,170 reviews
May 5, 2018
Cecelia Ahern is one my favourite authors. This wonderful story about the marble Collector took me back to my childhood playing games with my friends with my collection of marbles.
It is amazing that The Marble Collector is Cecelia Ahern's twelfth novel.
There is so much to look forward with Cecelia Ahern's new bright unusual novel.
This engaging story is about a daughter Sabrina who find a valuable collection of marbles of her father's. Sabrina finds that all of marbles have been catalogued with their description and value. It appears that some expensive marbles are missing which leads Sabrina to find out who took the most expensive marbles.
What I liked about The Marble Collector is that we had an insight into Fergus life growing up playing marbles with his brothers and friends in Dublin from the age of five.
There are so many secrets, so many things Sabrina didn't know. What else can Sabrina not know about her father Fergus?
The story is told from two perspectives from the father's Fergus perspective and from Sabrina. I loved reading about Sabrina and her father's Fergus life. I fell in love with Sabrina and Fergus world.
The Marble Collector is a novel about identity and about the importance of memories and about how we don't always know the very people we share a home and life with.
If you had a flair for playing marbles in your younger days then you will love The Marble Collector.
I just can't wait until Cecelia Ahern next novel is published.
It is amazing that The Marble Collector is Cecelia Ahern's twelfth novel.
There is so much to look forward with Cecelia Ahern's new bright unusual novel.
This engaging story is about a daughter Sabrina who find a valuable collection of marbles of her father's. Sabrina finds that all of marbles have been catalogued with their description and value. It appears that some expensive marbles are missing which leads Sabrina to find out who took the most expensive marbles.
What I liked about The Marble Collector is that we had an insight into Fergus life growing up playing marbles with his brothers and friends in Dublin from the age of five.
There are so many secrets, so many things Sabrina didn't know. What else can Sabrina not know about her father Fergus?
The story is told from two perspectives from the father's Fergus perspective and from Sabrina. I loved reading about Sabrina and her father's Fergus life. I fell in love with Sabrina and Fergus world.
The Marble Collector is a novel about identity and about the importance of memories and about how we don't always know the very people we share a home and life with.
If you had a flair for playing marbles in your younger days then you will love The Marble Collector.
I just can't wait until Cecelia Ahern next novel is published.
February 6, 2017
4,3/5 stars
I have always been a HUGE fan of Cecelia Ahern, for her fairy-like and delicate style of writing. This book of her is no exception.
It was told in two perspectives, Sabrina and her father Fergus. The book tells about the story of a daughter who comes looking for marbles in order to piece together her father's memory, as he is really passionate and interested in marbles. And throughout the search, she unexpectedly finds out about things she has never known about her father, and she also manages to find her true self again.
This is the kind of story which needs to be spent much time on, as readers may experience deep emotions for the meaning of family, passion, friendship, and the importance of being oneself.
Another fascinating thing about this is that I get to understand so much more about the world of marbles: its process of making, the uniqueness in each design and how one can be deeply taken to it. If you are an art love, you may well be surprise with this new perspective of art.
I have always been a HUGE fan of Cecelia Ahern, for her fairy-like and delicate style of writing. This book of her is no exception.
It was told in two perspectives, Sabrina and her father Fergus. The book tells about the story of a daughter who comes looking for marbles in order to piece together her father's memory, as he is really passionate and interested in marbles. And throughout the search, she unexpectedly finds out about things she has never known about her father, and she also manages to find her true self again.
This is the kind of story which needs to be spent much time on, as readers may experience deep emotions for the meaning of family, passion, friendship, and the importance of being oneself.
Another fascinating thing about this is that I get to understand so much more about the world of marbles: its process of making, the uniqueness in each design and how one can be deeply taken to it. If you are an art love, you may well be surprise with this new perspective of art.
September 4, 2017
This book really took me by surprise. I was expecting a light romantic comedy type thing but this was a whole different beast. There's no romance here and no schmaltz (well, hardly any). This is a book about family, loss and memory and I really, really enjoyed it. It was engaging, fast-paced and genuinely moving in places. Cecelia Ahern just went up in this reader's estimations.
Buddy read with my darling wife...
Buddy read with my darling wife...
February 6, 2016
Review was originally posted on Gone With The Books
I will never be a huge fan of Cecelia Ahern although I liked her novel "P.S. I love you" a lot. But this new book simply wasn't for me.
I don´t know for sure what it was, that kept me from getting really haunted by this novel. The lack of drive, the many things that I wasn´t really interested in or something else. I gave three stars because the characters saved this book from downfall.
Sabrina´s father Fergus suffers a stroke and loses some of his memories. He now lives in a nursing home and she visits him as often as she can. As a mother of three sons she has plenty to do, her job is boring and her marriage isn´t as happy anymore as she used to be. Although Sabrina would say that everything is fine. But her husband is differently minded. So they both go into action and from now on everything she says she wants to do, he lets her do it.
So when a few boxes arrive at her father´s nursing home and she gets called, she decides to take them to her place and to look inside. And discovers a stunning Marble collection, she didn´t knew that existed. But when she sees, that some of them are missing, she starts to search for them and unravels a side of her father, she never knew.
Cecelia Ahern writes very soft. The Marble Collector is on many pages very melancholic and you´ll read there a lot of things you´re not really interested in. I know that the author can do a lot better than that, ´cause I´ve read her first novel P.S. I love you – and that was a beautiful written novel. But this novel is average. It starts boring and need a long time, almost to the end of the book, to become fascinating for the reader.
You´ll get the story through two lines of action. One is told by Sabrina from her point of view, the other gets told by Fergus, her father, and his point of view. But that doesn´t save the story from being boring at the start. It takes some chapters before that changes.
I don´t know why the author decided to create some pale, weird and kind of awkward figures. She can do a lot better than that and it sounds strange when I say that, but for the plot that was exactly the right thing to do. Cecelia Ahern does with her characters that, what the plot can´t achieve: she bounds the reader to the book. You read it all to the end only for them. Only to see why Fergus did what he did.
Fergus Boggs is a nice guy, likeable and his passion for marbles is wonderful. He shows you how he grew up, what his eldest brother Hamish meant for him and it is the way Hamish used the people around him – even his little brothers – that made Fergus the way he became. His relationship to his eldest brother goes like a red fiber through his life.
Okay there is his daughter too. She is a bit pale, keeps everything to herself, and ignores the fact, that her husband isn´t too happy about that. She takes care of her three sons, goes to work and lives a life that isn´t worth called one. But when she gets to learn that her father had a secret passion, she starts to live again. She steps out of her daily routine, starts to question things, and becomes a real pain in the ass for her mother. Sabrina´s change through the story is remarkable and nice to watch.
For some reasons I couldn´t really warm up with this novel. I read it all through the end, because I got it for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, so I read it. But I wouldn´t have bought it in the first place, because I don´t like the optic of the cover (the German edition is not really my thing) and the story itself didn´t seem to be very promising either. Now I have to say that only the characters made it worth reading, that they could made up for the shortfall of the plot. And only because of them, it gets 3 stars.
I will never be a huge fan of Cecelia Ahern although I liked her novel "P.S. I love you" a lot. But this new book simply wasn't for me.
I don´t know for sure what it was, that kept me from getting really haunted by this novel. The lack of drive, the many things that I wasn´t really interested in or something else. I gave three stars because the characters saved this book from downfall.
Sabrina´s father Fergus suffers a stroke and loses some of his memories. He now lives in a nursing home and she visits him as often as she can. As a mother of three sons she has plenty to do, her job is boring and her marriage isn´t as happy anymore as she used to be. Although Sabrina would say that everything is fine. But her husband is differently minded. So they both go into action and from now on everything she says she wants to do, he lets her do it.
So when a few boxes arrive at her father´s nursing home and she gets called, she decides to take them to her place and to look inside. And discovers a stunning Marble collection, she didn´t knew that existed. But when she sees, that some of them are missing, she starts to search for them and unravels a side of her father, she never knew.
Cecelia Ahern writes very soft. The Marble Collector is on many pages very melancholic and you´ll read there a lot of things you´re not really interested in. I know that the author can do a lot better than that, ´cause I´ve read her first novel P.S. I love you – and that was a beautiful written novel. But this novel is average. It starts boring and need a long time, almost to the end of the book, to become fascinating for the reader.
You´ll get the story through two lines of action. One is told by Sabrina from her point of view, the other gets told by Fergus, her father, and his point of view. But that doesn´t save the story from being boring at the start. It takes some chapters before that changes.
I don´t know why the author decided to create some pale, weird and kind of awkward figures. She can do a lot better than that and it sounds strange when I say that, but for the plot that was exactly the right thing to do. Cecelia Ahern does with her characters that, what the plot can´t achieve: she bounds the reader to the book. You read it all to the end only for them. Only to see why Fergus did what he did.
Fergus Boggs is a nice guy, likeable and his passion for marbles is wonderful. He shows you how he grew up, what his eldest brother Hamish meant for him and it is the way Hamish used the people around him – even his little brothers – that made Fergus the way he became. His relationship to his eldest brother goes like a red fiber through his life.
Okay there is his daughter too. She is a bit pale, keeps everything to herself, and ignores the fact, that her husband isn´t too happy about that. She takes care of her three sons, goes to work and lives a life that isn´t worth called one. But when she gets to learn that her father had a secret passion, she starts to live again. She steps out of her daily routine, starts to question things, and becomes a real pain in the ass for her mother. Sabrina´s change through the story is remarkable and nice to watch.
For some reasons I couldn´t really warm up with this novel. I read it all through the end, because I got it for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, so I read it. But I wouldn´t have bought it in the first place, because I don´t like the optic of the cover (the German edition is not really my thing) and the story itself didn´t seem to be very promising either. Now I have to say that only the characters made it worth reading, that they could made up for the shortfall of the plot. And only because of them, it gets 3 stars.
February 6, 2017
5 stars of pure magic!
This has been one of the best books I read in 2016 - and it was at the same time my first Cecelia Ahern! I immediately fell in love with Fergus and the flashbacks to his childhood! I felt like I was right there - standing just beside him and I could feel all he went through! I have to admit that it took me a while to Sabrina's story, but once I managed to understand her reactions I couldn't stop wanting to know more about her too.
This is a masterpiece not needing much words! Read it!
This has been one of the best books I read in 2016 - and it was at the same time my first Cecelia Ahern! I immediately fell in love with Fergus and the flashbacks to his childhood! I felt like I was right there - standing just beside him and I could feel all he went through! I have to admit that it took me a while to Sabrina's story, but once I managed to understand her reactions I couldn't stop wanting to know more about her too.
This is a masterpiece not needing much words! Read it!
March 8, 2019
Eine rührende, nostalgische Geschichte über Vergangenheit und Vergessen. Darüber wie wichtig Erinnerungen sind, wie Menschen missverstanden werden und sich anpassen um dazu zu gehören.
Mit tollen Protagonisten. Melancholisch und einfühlsam erzählt.
Fergus erzählt von seiner Kindheit, die nicht immer einfach war, von seinem Bruder Hamish und wie wichtig dieser ihm war, davon wie Hamish das ausgenutzt hat, wie er sich immer Anerkennung und Zugehörigkeit gewünscht hat, jemanden der ihn akzeptiert - aber nur in seinen Murmeln wahre Freunde finden konnte. Vor allen Anderen musste er es sich anpassen und sein wahres Ich verstecken...
Sabrina lebt ihr monotones Leben bis sie eine Murmel-Sammlung bekommt, katalogisiert und teilweise von hohem Wert, die ihrem Vater gehören soll. Der ist aber senil, ihn fragen was es mit den Murmeln auf sich hat, kann sie nicht. Während sie versucht mehr herauszufinden lüftet sie einige Geheimnisse ihres Vaters und lernt ihn komplett neu kennen...
Die erschaffen Protagonisten machen die Geschichte aus. Vor allem Fergus ist besonders. Introvertiert, in sich gekehrt, still und wirkt kühl. Und auch Sabrina scheint anfangs blass und unglücklich. Aber je mehr sie über ihren Vater lernt - und wir über die beiden - desto klarer wird dass sie sich mehr ähneln als gedacht.
Und Ahern kann die Gefühle ihrer Protagonisten so irre gut transportieren. Wir lernen sie mit allen Schwächen, Wünschen, Fehlern und Problemen kennen. Anfangs war ich hin und her gerissen, da ich auch länger gebraucht habe um mit der Geschichte warm zu werden und hätte wohl drei Sterne gegeben. Aber je mehr ich darüber nachdenke, über Fergus und sein Leben, über die Geschichte und Erinnerungen, desto besser gefällt sie mir.
Mit tollen Protagonisten. Melancholisch und einfühlsam erzählt.
Fergus erzählt von seiner Kindheit, die nicht immer einfach war, von seinem Bruder Hamish und wie wichtig dieser ihm war, davon wie Hamish das ausgenutzt hat, wie er sich immer Anerkennung und Zugehörigkeit gewünscht hat, jemanden der ihn akzeptiert - aber nur in seinen Murmeln wahre Freunde finden konnte. Vor allen Anderen musste er es sich anpassen und sein wahres Ich verstecken...
Sabrina lebt ihr monotones Leben bis sie eine Murmel-Sammlung bekommt, katalogisiert und teilweise von hohem Wert, die ihrem Vater gehören soll. Der ist aber senil, ihn fragen was es mit den Murmeln auf sich hat, kann sie nicht. Während sie versucht mehr herauszufinden lüftet sie einige Geheimnisse ihres Vaters und lernt ihn komplett neu kennen...
Die erschaffen Protagonisten machen die Geschichte aus. Vor allem Fergus ist besonders. Introvertiert, in sich gekehrt, still und wirkt kühl. Und auch Sabrina scheint anfangs blass und unglücklich. Aber je mehr sie über ihren Vater lernt - und wir über die beiden - desto klarer wird dass sie sich mehr ähneln als gedacht.
Und Ahern kann die Gefühle ihrer Protagonisten so irre gut transportieren. Wir lernen sie mit allen Schwächen, Wünschen, Fehlern und Problemen kennen. Anfangs war ich hin und her gerissen, da ich auch länger gebraucht habe um mit der Geschichte warm zu werden und hätte wohl drei Sterne gegeben. Aber je mehr ich darüber nachdenke, über Fergus und sein Leben, über die Geschichte und Erinnerungen, desto besser gefällt sie mir.
December 20, 2015
When Sabrina Boggs stumbles upon a mysterious collection of her father’s possessions, she discovers a truth where she never knew there was a lie. The familiar man she grew up with is suddenly a stranger to her.
An unexpected break in her monotonous daily routine leaves her just one day to unlock the secrets of the man she thought she knew. A day that unearths memories, stories and people she never knew existed. A day that changes her and those around her forever.
Completely failed to get involved in this book at all. Usually I'm a fan of Cecelia Ahern's writing but I couldn't connect with her characters and found the story dull.
An unexpected break in her monotonous daily routine leaves her just one day to unlock the secrets of the man she thought she knew. A day that unearths memories, stories and people she never knew existed. A day that changes her and those around her forever.
Completely failed to get involved in this book at all. Usually I'm a fan of Cecelia Ahern's writing but I couldn't connect with her characters and found the story dull.
January 1, 2016
In my experience recent Cecelia Ahern novels have tended to have slower and more plodding story line, but with a focus on high emotion and connection. As a reader, I always identify and champion the characters and when I close the pages of that novel, I feel emotional.
In contrast I felt as though "The Marble Collector" had very little emotion, or at least that it's focus was on aspects of the story that had little emotion. For me, I connected with Fergus. His current health issues had affected his memory, and I wanted to see him journey through the reconstruction of his past. I wanted Fergus to go on the journey with Sabrina. Sabrina could have been his legs, driving him around to meet important people in his life. She could have filled in blanks and holes in his memories, and been the enabler. But Fergus should have been there throughout. This joint mission could have been the aspect that really strengthened their bond. Instead I found that their storylines were disconnected from each other, even though they were essentially the same - Fergus struggling with his state and Sabrina on some crazy crusade.
I couldn't connect to Sabrina at all. She came across as unstable and crazy and utterly unrelatable. I found myself skimming through her narratives and then slowing for Fergus'. Right through to the end Sabrina was selfish, directing anger at her father for hiding the secret from her, yet not stopping to consider why he felt that he had to. The fact that the whole novel centred around an eclipse was odd, and the 24-hour time limit for answers added an intensity to the story telling that was in contrast to the plodding topic.
I found this novel a fairly easy read, but it certainly hasn't been my favourite Ahern novel.
In contrast I felt as though "The Marble Collector" had very little emotion, or at least that it's focus was on aspects of the story that had little emotion. For me, I connected with Fergus. His current health issues had affected his memory, and I wanted to see him journey through the reconstruction of his past. I wanted Fergus to go on the journey with Sabrina. Sabrina could have been his legs, driving him around to meet important people in his life. She could have filled in blanks and holes in his memories, and been the enabler. But Fergus should have been there throughout. This joint mission could have been the aspect that really strengthened their bond. Instead I found that their storylines were disconnected from each other, even though they were essentially the same - Fergus struggling with his state and Sabrina on some crazy crusade.
I couldn't connect to Sabrina at all. She came across as unstable and crazy and utterly unrelatable. I found myself skimming through her narratives and then slowing for Fergus'. Right through to the end Sabrina was selfish, directing anger at her father for hiding the secret from her, yet not stopping to consider why he felt that he had to. The fact that the whole novel centred around an eclipse was odd, and the 24-hour time limit for answers added an intensity to the story telling that was in contrast to the plodding topic.
I found this novel a fairly easy read, but it certainly hasn't been my favourite Ahern novel.
February 13, 2022
I did not enjoy this book.
The writing style did not work for me.
The characters were very flat and I could not connect with them.
The plot was super boring.
Maybe the book might for someone else, but not for me.
The writing style did not work for me.
The characters were very flat and I could not connect with them.
The plot was super boring.
Maybe the book might for someone else, but not for me.
July 20, 2016
Naslovni skupljač pikula Irac je po imenu Fergus Boggs. Fergus je tek jedan od mnogobrojne braće iz obitelji Boggs/Doyle, dječak koji se ni po čemu posebnom ne ističe, osim po svojoj ljubavi prema pikulanju i iznimnoj vještini u tom hobiju, u kojem mu nema ravnog. Ljubav prema malenim staklenim kuglicama Fergusa prati kroz čitav život, no, kako odrasta, Fergus tu ljubav nauči skrivati, ne bi li se uklopio u sliku društveno prihvatljivog 'normalnog odraslog čovjeka'.
Sabrina Boggs Fergusova je kći. Sabrina je odana supruga i majka, posve posvećena toj svojoj ulozi i brizi za svoje sinove, i posve povučena u sebe, ne dajući drugima da uistinu do nje dopru, čak ni vlastitoj obitelji. Kad joj otac doživi moždani udar, koji uzrokuje da zaboravi neke dijelove svog života, Sabrina na sebe preuzme i brigu o njemu. Baveći se očevim stvarima koje je netko dostavio u dom za starije i nemoćne u kojem Fergus boravi, Sabrina naiđe na brižno spremljene kutije pikula, popraćene iscrpnim registrom svake pikule u toj novootkrivenoj zbirci. Uspoređujući registar s pikulama, Sabrina otkrije da neke nedostaju, a, kako ne može oca, zbog njegove demencije, pitati o tome, ona im odluči sama ući u trag. Tragajući za nestalim pikulama, Sabrina otkriva tajnu ljubav prema pikulanju koju je njen otac tako brižno skrivao sve do sada, a otkrije i još neke obiteljske tajne, koje će joj pokazati kako je ona sama puno sličnija ocu no što je do sada mislila...
Ova topla ljudska priča, puna emocija, prikazuje Ceceliju Ahern u njenom najboljem izdanju. Pisana njenim prepoznatljivim stilom, i ova je priča jedna od Cecelijinih predivnih 'modernih bajki', kako njene romane često vole nazivati. Ja bih ih radije nazvala 'stvarnim bajkama', jer, iako su sve Cecelijine priče u nekoj mjeri doista bajkovite, one su istovremeno i neporecivo stvarne: govore o stvarnim ljudima, sa svim njihovim vrlinama i manama, njihovim težnjama i željama, stvarnim problemima i preprekama sa kojima se ti likovi susreću, zbog čega se s njima lako poistovjetiti, suosjećati s njima i biti im suputnik na njihovom životnom putu, kamo god taj put vodio.
I u ovom romanu imamo baš takve likove: oca i kći, oboje šutljive introverte, nesklone dijeliti svoje najdublje emocije s drugima; naizgled hladne, nezainteresirane osobe, koje su u biti puno puno više od onog što drugima daju naslutiti na svojoj površini.
Fergus je netko tko je cijelog svog života samo htio nekamo pripadati, nekome dati cijelog sebe. Nažalost, gruba stvarnost i propuštene prilike u tome su ga, u velikom dijelu njegovog života, onemogućile. Fergus je naučio da, ukoliko se želi uklopiti u neku društveno prihvatljivu sliku odgovornog čovjeka, mora svoju najveću strast sakriti duboko u sebi i nastaviti glumiti ulogu koja mu je nametnuta. S Fergusovim se problemom svatko od nas vjerojatno koji put susreo, svaki put kada bi netko neki naš hobi ili neku našu strast ocijenio djetinjastim ili neprikladnim za sliku odrasle osobe u koju smo se trebali ukalupiti. No, stvar je u tome da ne bismo trebali skrivati ono što volimo, ma koliko zbog toga iskakali izvan naših 'kalupa', jer u suprotnom riskiramo biti nesretni i nepotpuni čitav život - a to je ono što Cecelia sjajno podcrtava u ovom romanu, ono što je napisano između njegovih redaka, ali se svejedno lako čita.
Sabrina je također lik u čijoj se koži lako zamisliti, a neki od nas su se u njoj već i našli. Sabrinin lik sjajno prikazuje način na koji okolina doživljava introvertne osobe - npr. kada Sabrinin muž inzistira na bračnom savjetovanju jer mu je teško 'pročitati je', jer nije dovoljno otvorena prema njemu. Sabrina nije namjerno povučena i uvučena u sebe, ona jednostavno jest takva. Ta njena osobnost ju ponekad i ljuti, ali teško joj se othrvati. Nije jednostavno promijeniti se i othrvati starim navikama i rutini svakodnevnog života, koja nam ne dopušta da si uzmemo vremena za promišljanje o samima sebi. Čitavo vrijeme dok se njom družimo, vidimo koliko se Sabrina trudi opustiti, promijeniti, koliko je frustrirana sama sobom jer ne može biti drugačija. Postoje milijuni ljudi sličnih Sabrini, a čitanje o njezinim naporima da svlada svoje prepreke na neki način podiže svijest o tome kroz što svi oni moraju prolaziti.
U ovom romanu skrivaju se zapravo dvije priče: Sabrinina i Fergusova. One su naizmjence ispričane i naizmjence nam otkrivaju dijeliće prošlosti i sadašnjosti, kao i dijeliće dvaju života, oca i kćeri, koji su povezaniji i sličniji no što se isprva moglo naslutiti. Volim priče ispričane na taj način, volim postpuno otkrivati uzroke i posljedice pomiješane u vremenu i skupljati dijelove životnih priča likova, koje je nalik Fergusovom skupljanju pikula: svaki otkriveni dijelić drugačiji je, poseban i sadrži neku drugu dragu uspomenu.
Posebna posebnost ove priče su pikule. Pikule će svakoga od nas, vjerujem, vratiti na trenutak u djetinjstvo i podsjetiti nas na šarene kuglice s kojima smo se i sami svojedobno igrali. Ja svakako jesam, premda mi nisu bile ni približno tako zanimljive kao Fergusu, zbog čega mi je sada čak nekako i žao, sada kada sam toliko naučila o pikulama i vidjela koliko mogu biti fascinantne. Pikule su ovdje poput nekog dodatnog lika - čuvara uspomena, možda, ili dragog prijatelja iz djetinjstva od kojeg se nikada ne želiš rastati.
Volim romane Cecelije Ahern, a ovaj se smjestio među, po meni, njene najbolje. Više je stvaran nego bajkovit, ali tu bajkovitu notu svejedno posjeduje. Osvojila me priča o skupljaču pikula, mislim da je dirljiva, emotivna i ima tu sposobnost da dopre do čitatelja, što je sposobnost koju dijele svi Cecelijini romani. Ako volite Ceceliju, uopće ne sumnjam da ste i ovaj njen roman već stavili na listu za čitanje. Ako ju pak još niste čitali, od srca ju preporučam.
Sabrina Boggs Fergusova je kći. Sabrina je odana supruga i majka, posve posvećena toj svojoj ulozi i brizi za svoje sinove, i posve povučena u sebe, ne dajući drugima da uistinu do nje dopru, čak ni vlastitoj obitelji. Kad joj otac doživi moždani udar, koji uzrokuje da zaboravi neke dijelove svog života, Sabrina na sebe preuzme i brigu o njemu. Baveći se očevim stvarima koje je netko dostavio u dom za starije i nemoćne u kojem Fergus boravi, Sabrina naiđe na brižno spremljene kutije pikula, popraćene iscrpnim registrom svake pikule u toj novootkrivenoj zbirci. Uspoređujući registar s pikulama, Sabrina otkrije da neke nedostaju, a, kako ne može oca, zbog njegove demencije, pitati o tome, ona im odluči sama ući u trag. Tragajući za nestalim pikulama, Sabrina otkriva tajnu ljubav prema pikulanju koju je njen otac tako brižno skrivao sve do sada, a otkrije i još neke obiteljske tajne, koje će joj pokazati kako je ona sama puno sličnija ocu no što je do sada mislila...
Ova topla ljudska priča, puna emocija, prikazuje Ceceliju Ahern u njenom najboljem izdanju. Pisana njenim prepoznatljivim stilom, i ova je priča jedna od Cecelijinih predivnih 'modernih bajki', kako njene romane često vole nazivati. Ja bih ih radije nazvala 'stvarnim bajkama', jer, iako su sve Cecelijine priče u nekoj mjeri doista bajkovite, one su istovremeno i neporecivo stvarne: govore o stvarnim ljudima, sa svim njihovim vrlinama i manama, njihovim težnjama i željama, stvarnim problemima i preprekama sa kojima se ti likovi susreću, zbog čega se s njima lako poistovjetiti, suosjećati s njima i biti im suputnik na njihovom životnom putu, kamo god taj put vodio.
I u ovom romanu imamo baš takve likove: oca i kći, oboje šutljive introverte, nesklone dijeliti svoje najdublje emocije s drugima; naizgled hladne, nezainteresirane osobe, koje su u biti puno puno više od onog što drugima daju naslutiti na svojoj površini.
Fergus je netko tko je cijelog svog života samo htio nekamo pripadati, nekome dati cijelog sebe. Nažalost, gruba stvarnost i propuštene prilike u tome su ga, u velikom dijelu njegovog života, onemogućile. Fergus je naučio da, ukoliko se želi uklopiti u neku društveno prihvatljivu sliku odgovornog čovjeka, mora svoju najveću strast sakriti duboko u sebi i nastaviti glumiti ulogu koja mu je nametnuta. S Fergusovim se problemom svatko od nas vjerojatno koji put susreo, svaki put kada bi netko neki naš hobi ili neku našu strast ocijenio djetinjastim ili neprikladnim za sliku odrasle osobe u koju smo se trebali ukalupiti. No, stvar je u tome da ne bismo trebali skrivati ono što volimo, ma koliko zbog toga iskakali izvan naših 'kalupa', jer u suprotnom riskiramo biti nesretni i nepotpuni čitav život - a to je ono što Cecelia sjajno podcrtava u ovom romanu, ono što je napisano između njegovih redaka, ali se svejedno lako čita.
Sabrina je također lik u čijoj se koži lako zamisliti, a neki od nas su se u njoj već i našli. Sabrinin lik sjajno prikazuje način na koji okolina doživljava introvertne osobe - npr. kada Sabrinin muž inzistira na bračnom savjetovanju jer mu je teško 'pročitati je', jer nije dovoljno otvorena prema njemu. Sabrina nije namjerno povučena i uvučena u sebe, ona jednostavno jest takva. Ta njena osobnost ju ponekad i ljuti, ali teško joj se othrvati. Nije jednostavno promijeniti se i othrvati starim navikama i rutini svakodnevnog života, koja nam ne dopušta da si uzmemo vremena za promišljanje o samima sebi. Čitavo vrijeme dok se njom družimo, vidimo koliko se Sabrina trudi opustiti, promijeniti, koliko je frustrirana sama sobom jer ne može biti drugačija. Postoje milijuni ljudi sličnih Sabrini, a čitanje o njezinim naporima da svlada svoje prepreke na neki način podiže svijest o tome kroz što svi oni moraju prolaziti.
U ovom romanu skrivaju se zapravo dvije priče: Sabrinina i Fergusova. One su naizmjence ispričane i naizmjence nam otkrivaju dijeliće prošlosti i sadašnjosti, kao i dijeliće dvaju života, oca i kćeri, koji su povezaniji i sličniji no što se isprva moglo naslutiti. Volim priče ispričane na taj način, volim postpuno otkrivati uzroke i posljedice pomiješane u vremenu i skupljati dijelove životnih priča likova, koje je nalik Fergusovom skupljanju pikula: svaki otkriveni dijelić drugačiji je, poseban i sadrži neku drugu dragu uspomenu.
Posebna posebnost ove priče su pikule. Pikule će svakoga od nas, vjerujem, vratiti na trenutak u djetinjstvo i podsjetiti nas na šarene kuglice s kojima smo se i sami svojedobno igrali. Ja svakako jesam, premda mi nisu bile ni približno tako zanimljive kao Fergusu, zbog čega mi je sada čak nekako i žao, sada kada sam toliko naučila o pikulama i vidjela koliko mogu biti fascinantne. Pikule su ovdje poput nekog dodatnog lika - čuvara uspomena, možda, ili dragog prijatelja iz djetinjstva od kojeg se nikada ne želiš rastati.
Volim romane Cecelije Ahern, a ovaj se smjestio među, po meni, njene najbolje. Više je stvaran nego bajkovit, ali tu bajkovitu notu svejedno posjeduje. Osvojila me priča o skupljaču pikula, mislim da je dirljiva, emotivna i ima tu sposobnost da dopre do čitatelja, što je sposobnost koju dijele svi Cecelijini romani. Ako volite Ceceliju, uopće ne sumnjam da ste i ovaj njen roman već stavili na listu za čitanje. Ako ju pak još niste čitali, od srca ju preporučam.
August 26, 2018
Got half way through and just couldn’t find any enjoyment from it at all 😐
January 18, 2016
I’ve been a reader of Cecelia Ahern’s books since her debut P.S. I Love You first released back when I was a teenager. Her books tend to be a bit hit or miss for me but The Marble Collector was one that I really enjoyed.
The book is told in alternate chapters between a daughter and her father and for the audiobook these chapters are narrated by Aoife McMahon and Aidan Kelly. Their Irish accents really helped set the scene for this book and I enjoyed both of their voices.
The book follows a daughter whose father has lost his marbles - quite literally! Throughout his life he has collected marbles and each one has a deep connection to his identity. Now that her father is struggling with his memory she goes on a journey to find his lost marble collection and reunite them and the memories they represent to her dad.
This book really touched my heart, it’s not often you see books about father/daughter relationships and I loved exploring this one. Fergus was a particularly fascinating character and I loved recovering his memories and learning more about his life.
The Marble Collector is such a brilliant book about identity and memory and how they go hand in hand. One of my favourites by Cecelia Ahern.
The book is told in alternate chapters between a daughter and her father and for the audiobook these chapters are narrated by Aoife McMahon and Aidan Kelly. Their Irish accents really helped set the scene for this book and I enjoyed both of their voices.
The book follows a daughter whose father has lost his marbles - quite literally! Throughout his life he has collected marbles and each one has a deep connection to his identity. Now that her father is struggling with his memory she goes on a journey to find his lost marble collection and reunite them and the memories they represent to her dad.
This book really touched my heart, it’s not often you see books about father/daughter relationships and I loved exploring this one. Fergus was a particularly fascinating character and I loved recovering his memories and learning more about his life.
The Marble Collector is such a brilliant book about identity and memory and how they go hand in hand. One of my favourites by Cecelia Ahern.
November 25, 2016
Una de mis autoras favoritas con un libro un poco diferente pero a la vez tan emotivo como sus otros libros.
Un libro sobre los secretos, las mentiras, los descubrimientos y como todo esto afecta a las personas. Un libro sobre las familia, sobre las perdidas, sobre el amor y sobre las decisiones que hacemos.
Un libro con el que, a pesar de en un principio sentirme un poco perdida, me super enganché, incluso como no podía ser de otra forma con un libro de esta autora, llore.
Un libro del que no tenía mucha información y que a pesar de no ser mi favorito de esta autora, fue un libro que me gustó, me movilizó, me hizo pensar.
Un libro sobre los secretos, las mentiras, los descubrimientos y como todo esto afecta a las personas. Un libro sobre las familia, sobre las perdidas, sobre el amor y sobre las decisiones que hacemos.
Un libro con el que, a pesar de en un principio sentirme un poco perdida, me super enganché, incluso como no podía ser de otra forma con un libro de esta autora, llore.
Un libro del que no tenía mucha información y que a pesar de no ser mi favorito de esta autora, fue un libro que me gustó, me movilizó, me hizo pensar.
January 21, 2016
Ich habe das Buch eben beendet und ich bin total begeistert :) Anfangs war ich mir noch nicht so sicher wie das Buch sein wird aber ab Mitte des Buches wurde es zu einem absoluten Gänsehautbuch die Geschichte von Vater und Tochter die sich neu kennenlernen und die Liebe zum Detail
Bei den Beschreibungen der Murmeln...ich hatte selbst Lust Murmeln zu spielen.
Bei den Beschreibungen der Murmeln...ich hatte selbst Lust Murmeln zu spielen.
September 20, 2016
Ovo me vratilo u djetinjstvo. Imala sam i ja svoje špekule koje sam ljubomorno čuvala.
January 16, 2016
I've not read any Cecelia Ahern before and then I heard her being interviewed on the Radio 2 book club and I just had to buy this book. Have a Listen here and tell me this book doesn't intrigue you ;)
Told as two points of view by Sabrina and her father Fergus and a with a dual time line this book could easily have been subtitled The Mystery of the Missing Marbles. Amongst her father’s belongings Sabrina finds a marble collection and an inventory, but the 2 most expensive collections are missing so she sets out to find them. Through her amateur sleuthing she discovers a lot more about her family history that she was ever aware of.
I really enjoyed the writing and the humour and how each chapter ended with a humorous or poignant quip. I particularly liked Fergus’s chapters about his childhood and growing up in Ireland where it was a very different time, when kids would play out from morning until dark. This had me fondly remembering my own school days of playing marbles on a drain cover in the playground in the 80s. I spent ages Googling one evening trying to find out the game we played and rules etc. Does anyone else remember doing this?
There’s some really beautiful marble descriptions that shows real depth of research. I loved how precious they were to Fergus but it’s very sad the sacrifices he makes to continue with his hobby. Not that I condone his behaviour but it was such a shame that he had to hide something he loved so much and never felt he could share his hobby with his family. I’m not quite sure I understood Sabrina’s over-reaction to what she discovered but I’m glad it was left as it was.
Oh and the cover is gorgeous. I love books that have the uncoated rough feeling jacket rather than the glossy shiny covers…so much more tactile.
Overall, a solid 4* read for me which I really enjoyed and will definitely read another Cecelia Ahern novel; I do actually have The Book of Tomorrow on my shelf.
Told as two points of view by Sabrina and her father Fergus and a with a dual time line this book could easily have been subtitled The Mystery of the Missing Marbles. Amongst her father’s belongings Sabrina finds a marble collection and an inventory, but the 2 most expensive collections are missing so she sets out to find them. Through her amateur sleuthing she discovers a lot more about her family history that she was ever aware of.
I really enjoyed the writing and the humour and how each chapter ended with a humorous or poignant quip. I particularly liked Fergus’s chapters about his childhood and growing up in Ireland where it was a very different time, when kids would play out from morning until dark. This had me fondly remembering my own school days of playing marbles on a drain cover in the playground in the 80s. I spent ages Googling one evening trying to find out the game we played and rules etc. Does anyone else remember doing this?
There’s some really beautiful marble descriptions that shows real depth of research. I loved how precious they were to Fergus but it’s very sad the sacrifices he makes to continue with his hobby. Not that I condone his behaviour but it was such a shame that he had to hide something he loved so much and never felt he could share his hobby with his family. I’m not quite sure I understood Sabrina’s over-reaction to what she discovered but I’m glad it was left as it was.
Oh and the cover is gorgeous. I love books that have the uncoated rough feeling jacket rather than the glossy shiny covers…so much more tactile.
Overall, a solid 4* read for me which I really enjoyed and will definitely read another Cecelia Ahern novel; I do actually have The Book of Tomorrow on my shelf.
December 17, 2016
3+
U ovom romanu pratimo dvije paralelne priče i to jednu iz prošlosti koju nam pripovijeda Fregus Boggs i jednu iz sadašnjosti koju pripovijeda njegova kćerka, Sabrina Boggs. Sve počinje kada Sabrina pronalazi tajnu kolekciju očevih stvari - starih pikula. On tada za nju postaje stranac, a ona se trudi otkriti kakvim je životom zapravo živio njen otac...
Lijep je ovo roman koji govori o prilagođavanju čovjeka društvenim normama i ljubavi prema jednoj neobičnoj igri, pikulanju. Ocjena 3 zbog nedorađenosti, karakterizacija likova bi mogla biti malo bolja, a priča koju pripovijeda Sabrina malo zanimljivija.
U ovom romanu pratimo dvije paralelne priče i to jednu iz prošlosti koju nam pripovijeda Fregus Boggs i jednu iz sadašnjosti koju pripovijeda njegova kćerka, Sabrina Boggs. Sve počinje kada Sabrina pronalazi tajnu kolekciju očevih stvari - starih pikula. On tada za nju postaje stranac, a ona se trudi otkriti kakvim je životom zapravo živio njen otac...
Lijep je ovo roman koji govori o prilagođavanju čovjeka društvenim normama i ljubavi prema jednoj neobičnoj igri, pikulanju. Ocjena 3 zbog nedorađenosti, karakterizacija likova bi mogla biti malo bolja, a priča koju pripovijeda Sabrina malo zanimljivija.
May 20, 2020
It's not that there was particularly anything wrong with this book.
It's just that I felt that there was no real plot. A women found some marbles tjay belonged to her father and decided to track their origins.
I didn't particularly enjoy it and found myself having to set small reading goals of 20 pages a day to actually get me through it.
I've heard good things about Cecelia Ahern and look forward to reading something a bit different from her.
It's just that I felt that there was no real plot. A women found some marbles tjay belonged to her father and decided to track their origins.
I didn't particularly enjoy it and found myself having to set small reading goals of 20 pages a day to actually get me through it.
I've heard good things about Cecelia Ahern and look forward to reading something a bit different from her.
February 19, 2016
Loved the book a fascinating story about a father and daughters relationship and secrets they have hidden from each other. Interesting learning about the marble collection visual descriptions brought it to life. Liked the changing narrative and timelines an enjoyable read
October 19, 2016
3.5-4 stars - v enjoyable family drama.
I picked this one up as it was on sale at audible (£2.99 = bargain) and I've read a couple of Cecelia's books before which I've enjoyed to varying degrees.
However glancing at the reviews I thought I may have made a mistake as this one is not overly popular...
...but I really enjoyed it and was very surprised that people didn't like it more (expectations low = higher score??).
It is the story of Fergus Boggs who has recently suffered a stroke and his daughter Sabrina Boggs who is juggling looking after her father and family with three young sons.
It's told from alternating perspectives;
Fergus tells his story from youth to present day as he gets certain memories back following the stroke. His passion is marbles.
Sabrina tells her own story (mostly present day) alongside her father's as she discovers he has been living a 'secret' life. Her passion is swimming.
I liked both characters despite their flaws and felt we got a good look at them! I loved the marbles bits *shiny shiny* to the point where I started wondering if I could start a collection myself?!
This isn't an in-depth book and the ending but actually that's part of why I liked it.
Interesting, amusing and heart-warming = good read.
I picked this one up as it was on sale at audible (£2.99 = bargain) and I've read a couple of Cecelia's books before which I've enjoyed to varying degrees.
However glancing at the reviews I thought I may have made a mistake as this one is not overly popular...
...but I really enjoyed it and was very surprised that people didn't like it more (expectations low = higher score??).
It is the story of Fergus Boggs who has recently suffered a stroke and his daughter Sabrina Boggs who is juggling looking after her father and family with three young sons.
It's told from alternating perspectives;
Fergus tells his story from youth to present day as he gets certain memories back following the stroke. His passion is marbles.
Sabrina tells her own story (mostly present day) alongside her father's as she discovers he has been living a 'secret' life. Her passion is swimming.
I liked both characters despite their flaws and felt we got a good look at them! I loved the marbles bits *shiny shiny* to the point where I started wondering if I could start a collection myself?!
This isn't an in-depth book and the ending but actually that's part of why I liked it.
Interesting, amusing and heart-warming = good read.
March 20, 2017
Until today I have to say I had never given marbles much thought. My sister had a marble run game and went through a phase of buying some pretty marbles for that, and despite me being a collector of many things I have never thought of marbles as a collectors item. In fact I've never thought of them as a competitive game with many variants, and tournaments either, so just from reading The Marble Collector I feel I have learnt a lot about a hobby I barely knew existed.
And from discovering all about marbles, I learnt all about Fergus, his marble collection and his love of the game, from when he was five years old, until the present day where he is recovering from a stroke, and having problems with his memory.
Sabrina is Fergus's daughter and the first time she even knows anything about Fergus' possible collection of marbles is when they turn up at the rehabilitation home. After a few phone calls she starts to realise there is a lot more to her father's life than meets the eye, and given her husband and kids are camping overnight, she has a 24 hour window to herself, which she uses to try and find out more about her father to help him with his memories.
The book is written from both perspectives, both in the first person. Fergus's chapters are always titled Playing with Marbles and then the name of either a sort of marble, or the game that is mentioned in the chapter. Sabrina's chapters are titled Pool Rules, which relates to Sabrina's love of water and her job as a lifeguard.
I was fascinated by Fergus' story, which starts with him being a sad and scared five year old boy receiving his first marbles, and we see it dip in and out of his life. Whereas Sabrina's story was also very interesting as she learns a bit about herself as she tries to work out the mystery of her father's marbles.
I really loved The Marble Collector which has been written in a way that really gets under your skin. I was continually curious as to what was going to happen next, and frankly feel a bit unsettled at the ending, as I was sure there was more story that could have been told.
January 9, 2022
Como me suele ocurrir con Cecelia Ahern... me ha resultado una lectura algo extraña pero interesante. Una novela que gira alrededor del mundo de las canicas (por extraño que resulte) y de la relación entre una hija y un padre, secretos e infancias duras. Se me ha hecho un poquito pesada la parte de las canicas, pero lo personal/familiar me ha parecido precioso.
Want to read
October 23, 2020Dnfed - it's just not really what I'm looking for right now 👉👈
But I'll come back to it in the future!
But I'll come back to it in the future!
January 10, 2023
*****3.5*****
I enjoyed this book. I’m reading all Ahern’s novels in order, and I’m ALMOST caught up to her after doing this for YEARS. This is definitely not my favorite (If You Could See Me Now still has that honor, I think), but I enjoyed it. A few thoughts are going through my mind together, so I don’t know how coherent this will be. Okay, I love the alternating points of view, which are Fergus Boggs and his daughter Sabrina’s. Fergus’ are Playing with Marbles, and Sabrina’s are Pool Rules. Fergus is the titular Marble Collector, and Sabrina is a lifeguard. The chapter organizations are clever as they connect to marbles and pools but obviously have multiple meanings. I love how the episodes from Fergus’s life seem so disconnected from each other in a way and from Sabrina’s narrative, which takes place over the course of one day, and I appreciate how Ahern brings everything together, even revealing nuances and depth in the very last chapter. That one tied everything together and was so incredibly moving. I loved it.
I found the story overall very moving. I felt connected to the characters and wanted to know what happened next to and for them. For me, Fergus’ chapters are very coarse, which is the point—there’s a clear difference between first-person perspectives, which I appreciate—but I don’t like all the cursing and sexual innuendos and references. Those things make sense for the character, but I didn’t like it. I also didn’t appreciate one thing that happens in Sabrina’s section, but overall, the plot and themes are strong and interesting. What I think I’ll remember most about this book is Fergus’ story. It was so detailed, and even though we don’t know everything important to him, the story is structured around his marble collecting, and I feel like those episodes come together so well and fill in the gaps somehow to give a full picture of a life.
Yes, this book is “about” marbles, but it’s about so much more than that—secrets, grief, shame, fear, vulnerability, relationships, love, and finding answers. Still, I LOVE that Ahern wrote this book about marbles. I didn’t know marbles were such a “thing.” I learned so much, and the concept is so clever, especially reading the interview at the end and finding out what inspired her to write this book and how it came together. It’s fascinating.
Finally, I’ve always loved books whose main focus isn’t a romantic relationship. As I’ve written in other reviews, some of the most beautiful love stories are platonic. For me, the dominant relationship, the most beautiful love, is between Fergus and his oldest brother, Hamish. This is the most interesting, sweetest, saddest, most moving aspect of the entire novel. Without this component to the book, it would be three stars for me.
Overall, I recommend this book to Ahern fans, to people who like dual perspectives and father/daughter stories and Irish novels, and to readers who enjoy a multi-faceted plot with various focal points over the course of years that all come together for one climactic moment and resolution.
I enjoyed this book. I’m reading all Ahern’s novels in order, and I’m ALMOST caught up to her after doing this for YEARS. This is definitely not my favorite (If You Could See Me Now still has that honor, I think), but I enjoyed it. A few thoughts are going through my mind together, so I don’t know how coherent this will be. Okay, I love the alternating points of view, which are Fergus Boggs and his daughter Sabrina’s. Fergus’ are Playing with Marbles, and Sabrina’s are Pool Rules. Fergus is the titular Marble Collector, and Sabrina is a lifeguard. The chapter organizations are clever as they connect to marbles and pools but obviously have multiple meanings. I love how the episodes from Fergus’s life seem so disconnected from each other in a way and from Sabrina’s narrative, which takes place over the course of one day, and I appreciate how Ahern brings everything together, even revealing nuances and depth in the very last chapter. That one tied everything together and was so incredibly moving. I loved it.
I found the story overall very moving. I felt connected to the characters and wanted to know what happened next to and for them. For me, Fergus’ chapters are very coarse, which is the point—there’s a clear difference between first-person perspectives, which I appreciate—but I don’t like all the cursing and sexual innuendos and references. Those things make sense for the character, but I didn’t like it. I also didn’t appreciate one thing that happens in Sabrina’s section, but overall, the plot and themes are strong and interesting. What I think I’ll remember most about this book is Fergus’ story. It was so detailed, and even though we don’t know everything important to him, the story is structured around his marble collecting, and I feel like those episodes come together so well and fill in the gaps somehow to give a full picture of a life.
Yes, this book is “about” marbles, but it’s about so much more than that—secrets, grief, shame, fear, vulnerability, relationships, love, and finding answers. Still, I LOVE that Ahern wrote this book about marbles. I didn’t know marbles were such a “thing.” I learned so much, and the concept is so clever, especially reading the interview at the end and finding out what inspired her to write this book and how it came together. It’s fascinating.
Finally, I’ve always loved books whose main focus isn’t a romantic relationship. As I’ve written in other reviews, some of the most beautiful love stories are platonic. For me, the dominant relationship, the most beautiful love, is between Fergus and his oldest brother, Hamish. This is the most interesting, sweetest, saddest, most moving aspect of the entire novel. Without this component to the book, it would be three stars for me.
Overall, I recommend this book to Ahern fans, to people who like dual perspectives and father/daughter stories and Irish novels, and to readers who enjoy a multi-faceted plot with various focal points over the course of years that all come together for one climactic moment and resolution.
October 29, 2020
As I kept reading The Marble Collector by Cecelia Ahern, I realized by the 10th chapter how excited I was to just finish this boring book quickly so I can be done with it and start reading something better. By the time I knew this book was bound to throw me into a reading slump by being so bland, it was too late – I was already buddy reading it with my friend and had already wasted 2 weeks of my time.
This book was about a man named Fergus who had a peculiar obsession towards collecting marbles. Even after living his whole childhood in an open environment with big mouthed siblings, he was unable to talk about this simple passion towards collecting marbles with his wife and daughter in fear of being laughed at and judged, so the whole story practically revolved around his mistakes. He somehow even managed to blame his passion of collecting marbles into being the main reason for cheating on his wife.
I had my mind open to hear his explanations throughout the book, but I got none. The author’s previous books had a lot more depth and emotions in them, but this lacked so much of them. I did not enjoy the story, nor could I connect to any of the characters. The only character I liked was Hamish, and even he wasn’t around much. The concept was good, but the writing wasn’t.
I would need to read another book ASAP to get rid of the tart taste this book left within my mouth and brain. As I’m writing this, I still can’t believe that I couldn’t like a Cecelia Ahern book. All her works always had such interesting stories in them, and they always had unusual hints of magic, it’s what made me love her previous books so much. This book didn’t have any of that. Don’t think I’m not open to diversifications; the story just needed to be written with conviction to be liked by me.
This book had too much of reality inside it to be considered fiction, if you’re someone who looks forward to some spice or magic in your books, this isn’t for you. 2/5 stars.
This book was about a man named Fergus who had a peculiar obsession towards collecting marbles. Even after living his whole childhood in an open environment with big mouthed siblings, he was unable to talk about this simple passion towards collecting marbles with his wife and daughter in fear of being laughed at and judged, so the whole story practically revolved around his mistakes. He somehow even managed to blame his passion of collecting marbles into being the main reason for cheating on his wife.
I had my mind open to hear his explanations throughout the book, but I got none. The author’s previous books had a lot more depth and emotions in them, but this lacked so much of them. I did not enjoy the story, nor could I connect to any of the characters. The only character I liked was Hamish, and even he wasn’t around much. The concept was good, but the writing wasn’t.
I would need to read another book ASAP to get rid of the tart taste this book left within my mouth and brain. As I’m writing this, I still can’t believe that I couldn’t like a Cecelia Ahern book. All her works always had such interesting stories in them, and they always had unusual hints of magic, it’s what made me love her previous books so much. This book didn’t have any of that. Don’t think I’m not open to diversifications; the story just needed to be written with conviction to be liked by me.
This book had too much of reality inside it to be considered fiction, if you’re someone who looks forward to some spice or magic in your books, this isn’t for you. 2/5 stars.
August 21, 2019
Me gusta mucho como escribe la autora y en esta ocasión sigue igual. La historia transcurre tanto en el presente como en el pasado, donde se centra en Irlanda y la infancia de cinco hermanos en situación de pobreza. Todo ello relacionado con el mundo de las canicas, algo que me ha traído muy buenos recuerdos. Lo que menos me ha gustado ha sido el final...me esperaba más y se me ha quedado algo flojete.
December 22, 2016
No es ningún secreto que siento predilección por esta autora. Me gusta que no sólo se centre en explicar una historia romántica y ya está, si no que siempre tiene muy presente dar importancia a otros temas como: la familia, el valorar lo que tienes, aprovechar el momento... etc.
En Memoria de cristal, por ejemplo, el lado romántico es prácticamente inexistente, ya que nos presenta la historia del padre de Sabrina, la protagonista, un hombre que ha sufrido un derrame cerebral y que debido a eso ha perdido parte de sus recuerdos.
Un día, buscando entre las cajas con sus pertenencias, Sabrina descubre algo que su padre, Fergus, ha estado ocultándole a toda su familia.
Extrañada por desconocer esta afición de su padre decide investigar y descubrir esa parte de su vida que no había compartido con ella.
Primero de todo, no os montéis historias raras, el padre de Sabrina no tiene aficiones extrañas o pervertidas, en realidad es de lo más normal e inocente. Pero las opiniones de los demás, que creían que era algo infantil y tonto, hicieron que decidiera mantenerlo en secreto y así evitar comentarios y que la gente lo juzgara.
Lo que Cecelia Ahern nos quiere hacer ver con esta historia es que pequeñas decisiones como esa, que parecen nimiedades sin importancia, pueden cambiar por completo tu vida y ocasionarte no llegar a ser completamente feliz hasta que no te muestras tal y como eres en realidad.
Reseña completa: http://beingsaray.blogspot.com.es/201...
En Memoria de cristal, por ejemplo, el lado romántico es prácticamente inexistente, ya que nos presenta la historia del padre de Sabrina, la protagonista, un hombre que ha sufrido un derrame cerebral y que debido a eso ha perdido parte de sus recuerdos.
Un día, buscando entre las cajas con sus pertenencias, Sabrina descubre algo que su padre, Fergus, ha estado ocultándole a toda su familia.
Extrañada por desconocer esta afición de su padre decide investigar y descubrir esa parte de su vida que no había compartido con ella.
Primero de todo, no os montéis historias raras, el padre de Sabrina no tiene aficiones extrañas o pervertidas, en realidad es de lo más normal e inocente. Pero las opiniones de los demás, que creían que era algo infantil y tonto, hicieron que decidiera mantenerlo en secreto y así evitar comentarios y que la gente lo juzgara.
Lo que Cecelia Ahern nos quiere hacer ver con esta historia es que pequeñas decisiones como esa, que parecen nimiedades sin importancia, pueden cambiar por completo tu vida y ocasionarte no llegar a ser completamente feliz hasta que no te muestras tal y como eres en realidad.
Reseña completa: http://beingsaray.blogspot.com.es/201...
December 11, 2021
I went into this book thinking it would be one thing and then it turned out to be something else entirely, something that I absolutely loved. I thought this was going to be a really cheesy romance driven book but it was the exact opposite; it was incredibly heartfelt and heartwarming, and although there was romance aspects it was never about that. It was about family and finding out that the people closest to you, can also be someone else entirely. I was so pleasantly surprised by this book and it made me feel such a range of emotions; happiness, anger, and sadness.
This is a nice contemporary story that focuses on finding yourself and finding those you love. This was a real page-turner for me and such quick and easy read. I don't know why i'm so surprised because I absolutely love Ceclia Ahern's books and own most of them.
The book alternates perspectives from the daughter Sabrina, discovering that she might not quite know who her father is, and Fergus, whose chapters mainly take place in the past and each one is titled with a marble name or a marble game. I really liked these changing perspective as it allowed us to understand the character of Fergus more and discover what made him who he was, which was then balanced out with Sabrina's search for who her father was. I would say that out of the two, Fergus is more developed, which makes sense because the book is really about him. I feel that Fergus is such a complex and interesting character; there is no doubt that he adored his daughter and his ex-wife, but he cheated on her countless times throughout their marriage, and couldn't be honest with them about something that now, seems so trivial. I think it is very interesting to consider that if Gina, the ex-wife, hadn't laughed at him when he told her about his hobby of marble collecting, how different their lives could have been. Fergus also has a very complex childhood background; one of 7(?) children with an absent mother and a harsh step-father, he wants to be someone different than where he came from. I was very torn on the character of Fergus; on one hand I felt sorry for him that he had to hide so much of his life from his family for fear of their laughter, but on the other side he cheated on his wife repeatedly and I just don't gel well with that.
The reason I haven't given this book 5 stars is partly due to the cheating; Fergus's and the cheating issues in Sabrina's marriage, which honestly i just don't understand why that was needed, but also because there were so many different characters that I just got quite lost at times about who was who.
Overall this was a really enjoyable read and I never knew there was so much to know about marbles!!
This is a nice contemporary story that focuses on finding yourself and finding those you love. This was a real page-turner for me and such quick and easy read. I don't know why i'm so surprised because I absolutely love Ceclia Ahern's books and own most of them.
The book alternates perspectives from the daughter Sabrina, discovering that she might not quite know who her father is, and Fergus, whose chapters mainly take place in the past and each one is titled with a marble name or a marble game. I really liked these changing perspective as it allowed us to understand the character of Fergus more and discover what made him who he was, which was then balanced out with Sabrina's search for who her father was. I would say that out of the two, Fergus is more developed, which makes sense because the book is really about him. I feel that Fergus is such a complex and interesting character; there is no doubt that he adored his daughter and his ex-wife, but he cheated on her countless times throughout their marriage, and couldn't be honest with them about something that now, seems so trivial. I think it is very interesting to consider that if Gina, the ex-wife, hadn't laughed at him when he told her about his hobby of marble collecting, how different their lives could have been. Fergus also has a very complex childhood background; one of 7(?) children with an absent mother and a harsh step-father, he wants to be someone different than where he came from. I was very torn on the character of Fergus; on one hand I felt sorry for him that he had to hide so much of his life from his family for fear of their laughter, but on the other side he cheated on his wife repeatedly and I just don't gel well with that.
The reason I haven't given this book 5 stars is partly due to the cheating; Fergus's and the cheating issues in Sabrina's marriage, which honestly i just don't understand why that was needed, but also because there were so many different characters that I just got quite lost at times about who was who.
Overall this was a really enjoyable read and I never knew there was so much to know about marbles!!
November 8, 2015
I love this time of year. October brings my birthday, November brings a Cecelia Ahern book, and then December gives me Christmas! (And an excuse to reread The Gift…) Cecelia Ahern has been my favourite author since I picked up P.S I Love You in the local library when I was 12 and we had a load of builders in ruining my after school television watching. I have devoured every single book she publishes within a few days of them coming out, and every time I finish I am so mad with myself for not savouring it. This year is no exception.
Sabrina Boggs (great name, by the way) is floundering, in the amazing way most of Cecelia Ahern’s protagonists are. Her Dad, Fergus Boggs (possibly an even better name?) is floundering ever more. This is how I like characters in a book – just as ready to fall apart as I sometimes feel I am. One thing I found particularly interesting about The Marble Collector in comparison to Ahern’s other novels is that Fergus is most definitely the core character. For an author who usually concentrates on female emotions and experiences it was great to read a male protagonist, particularly one with such a strong familial link to his brothers. This is the novel’s key selling point, with two scenes involving Fergus and his brother being arguably the best in the book. The first is a fraught chapter involving their mother being in labour – the tension is built until I could barely stand it as a reader, and you really feel for the boys. The second is the one that made me cry like a baby – the last chapter before the epilogue which contains a flashback to Fergus and his brother Hamish when they first discovered marbles – truly, truly beautiful.
This novel spans both one day and a whole lifetime, and I think it was the pacing works really well for such a short novel – it comes in at under 300 pages. It didn’t have the fantasy of some of Cecelia’s books, and until the end I would’ve said it didn’t pack as much of an emotional punch either, but there was something about the mystery whodunnit aspect that really caught my attention.
I didn’t know anything about marbles going in to reading this novel, and I don’t think I know all that much now either, but I do know I won’t be able to look at one without wondering about where it came from, or who owned it and what it meant to them. I’d give it a hundred stars without a moment’s consideration. Roll on next November!
Sabrina Boggs (great name, by the way) is floundering, in the amazing way most of Cecelia Ahern’s protagonists are. Her Dad, Fergus Boggs (possibly an even better name?) is floundering ever more. This is how I like characters in a book – just as ready to fall apart as I sometimes feel I am. One thing I found particularly interesting about The Marble Collector in comparison to Ahern’s other novels is that Fergus is most definitely the core character. For an author who usually concentrates on female emotions and experiences it was great to read a male protagonist, particularly one with such a strong familial link to his brothers. This is the novel’s key selling point, with two scenes involving Fergus and his brother being arguably the best in the book. The first is a fraught chapter involving their mother being in labour – the tension is built until I could barely stand it as a reader, and you really feel for the boys. The second is the one that made me cry like a baby – the last chapter before the epilogue which contains a flashback to Fergus and his brother Hamish when they first discovered marbles – truly, truly beautiful.
This novel spans both one day and a whole lifetime, and I think it was the pacing works really well for such a short novel – it comes in at under 300 pages. It didn’t have the fantasy of some of Cecelia’s books, and until the end I would’ve said it didn’t pack as much of an emotional punch either, but there was something about the mystery whodunnit aspect that really caught my attention.
I didn’t know anything about marbles going in to reading this novel, and I don’t think I know all that much now either, but I do know I won’t be able to look at one without wondering about where it came from, or who owned it and what it meant to them. I’d give it a hundred stars without a moment’s consideration. Roll on next November!
August 24, 2015
I've never really been tempted by Ahern's writing before: reading several books a week, the contemporary romantic story of which she seems to lead the pack just didn't really interest me.
And yet this book held me from the first, it didn't seem like a typical Ahern novel. In a split narrative, Fergus and his daughter Sabrina share the story. Fergus is now an old man suffering from dementia in a care home, Sabrina a lifeguard in another care home for wealthy pensioners, married with three children, and slightly out-of-sorts with her life.
One day, parcels of her father's belongings are delivered, and on opening them, she discovers a side to him she had never known before, a secret he's kept from his family for his entire adult life. On trying to piece together the history that he cannot himself share, she learns a lot more than she knew she ever would about her father, and maybe even look at her own life with more clarity and direction.
I thought I'd seen most of the 'hidden family secret' plots - Fergus's story is rather sweet, sad and moving. His upbringing in a large Irish family is well told as Ahern takes us through his childhood, his passions, his family life. His secrets gradually unwind as Sabrina learns just who her dad really is - even if he can't remember.
Sabrina is more a conduit than a character in her own right with a story of her own. She gets small chunks of action and thought but it's Fergus's story she is here to tell, I thought - her own possibly-troubled marriage doesn't become a major plot strand, her husband isn't at all developed but merely there so we can see that he's a decent bloke who loves her.
The denouement I found charming. In a Notebook-sort-of-way it was uplifting and warming, and instantly made me think that there will be a film adaptation not long in the making.
For me then, an enjoyable diversion, with more depth to it than I'd been expecting but still a genre I will only dip into occasionally for light relief.
And yet this book held me from the first, it didn't seem like a typical Ahern novel. In a split narrative, Fergus and his daughter Sabrina share the story. Fergus is now an old man suffering from dementia in a care home, Sabrina a lifeguard in another care home for wealthy pensioners, married with three children, and slightly out-of-sorts with her life.
One day, parcels of her father's belongings are delivered, and on opening them, she discovers a side to him she had never known before, a secret he's kept from his family for his entire adult life. On trying to piece together the history that he cannot himself share, she learns a lot more than she knew she ever would about her father, and maybe even look at her own life with more clarity and direction.
I thought I'd seen most of the 'hidden family secret' plots - Fergus's story is rather sweet, sad and moving. His upbringing in a large Irish family is well told as Ahern takes us through his childhood, his passions, his family life. His secrets gradually unwind as Sabrina learns just who her dad really is - even if he can't remember.
Sabrina is more a conduit than a character in her own right with a story of her own. She gets small chunks of action and thought but it's Fergus's story she is here to tell, I thought - her own possibly-troubled marriage doesn't become a major plot strand, her husband isn't at all developed but merely there so we can see that he's a decent bloke who loves her.
The denouement I found charming. In a Notebook-sort-of-way it was uplifting and warming, and instantly made me think that there will be a film adaptation not long in the making.
For me then, an enjoyable diversion, with more depth to it than I'd been expecting but still a genre I will only dip into occasionally for light relief.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,170 reviews