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The Empty House
When you read a novel by Rosamunde Pilcher you enter a special world where emotions sing from the heart. A world that lovingly captures the ties that bind us to one another-the joys and sorrows, heartbreaks and misunderstandings, and glad, perfect moments when we are in true harmony. A world filled with evocative, engrossing, and above all, enjoyable portraits of people's lives and loves, tenderly laid open for us...
At twenty-seven, Virginia Keile had been through the most intense experiences life had to offer-a magical first love ending in heartbreak, a suitable marriage, motherhood, and widowhood. All she wanted now was to take her daughter and son to a seaside cottage and help them recover. But Virginia's true love was there, waiting, hoping, praying that this time she would be strong enough to seize happiness.
At twenty-seven, Virginia Keile had been through the most intense experiences life had to offer-a magical first love ending in heartbreak, a suitable marriage, motherhood, and widowhood. All she wanted now was to take her daughter and son to a seaside cottage and help them recover. But Virginia's true love was there, waiting, hoping, praying that this time she would be strong enough to seize happiness.
266 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
736 people are currently reading
2359 people want to read
About the author
Rosamunde Pilcher
175 books3,102 followersRosamunde Scott was born on 22 September 1924 in Lelant, Cornwall, England, UK, daughter of Helen and Charles Scott, a British commander. Just before her birth her father was posted in Burma, her mother remained in England. She attended St. Clare's Polwithen and Howell's School Llandaff before going on to Miss Kerr-Sanders' Secretarial College. She began writing when she was seven and published her first short story when she was 18. From 1943 through 1946, Pilcher served with the Women's Naval Service. On 7 December 1946, she married Graham Hope Pilcher, a war hero and jute industry executive who died in March 2009. They moved to Dundee, Scotland, where she remained until her death in 2019. They had two daughters and two sons, and fourteen grandchildren. Her son, Robin Pilcher, is also a novelist.
In 1949, her first book, a romance novel, was published by Mills & Boon, under the pseudonym Jane Fraser. She published a further ten novels under that name. In 1955, she also began writing under her married name Rosamunde Pilcher, by 1965 she her own name to all of her novels. In 1996, her novel Coming Home won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by Romantic Novelists' Association. She retired from writing in 2000 following publication of Winter Solstice. Two years later, she was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
In 1949, her first book, a romance novel, was published by Mills & Boon, under the pseudonym Jane Fraser. She published a further ten novels under that name. In 1955, she also began writing under her married name Rosamunde Pilcher, by 1965 she her own name to all of her novels. In 1996, her novel Coming Home won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by Romantic Novelists' Association. She retired from writing in 2000 following publication of Winter Solstice. Two years later, she was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 385 reviews
December 14, 2025
By gosh, by golly, I finally know what I want to do with the rest of my life: I want to be a character in a Rosamunde Pilcher novel!
It’s so silly to suffer, and who can suffer anyway in a place like Cornwall?
There were headlights like fireflies, coming from all directions, converging on Penfolda. From the road the farmhouse could be seen to be blazing with light. They joined the queue of assorted vehicles which bumped and groaned their way down a narrow, broken land and eventually were directed into a farmyard which had been turned temporarily into a car park. The air was full of voices and laughter as friends greeted friends, and already a steady trickle of people were making their way over a stone wall and down the pasture fields towards the cliffs.
So your spouse was killed in a car accident! That was months ago, and, be honest, you didn’t care for him much, anyway. Let’s face it: the whole marriage was a sham and you still look amazing in a bikini.
No billionaires or robots have taken over the world yet. It’s 1973 and you don’t even need to apply the damned sunscreen, if you don’t want to.
There’s not so much as one lousy cigarette butt on the beach.
You deserve such happiness. Jump in. The water’s freezing, but the people around you are so hot, you’ll be perfectly fine.
It’s so silly to suffer, and who can suffer anyway in a place like Cornwall?
There were headlights like fireflies, coming from all directions, converging on Penfolda. From the road the farmhouse could be seen to be blazing with light. They joined the queue of assorted vehicles which bumped and groaned their way down a narrow, broken land and eventually were directed into a farmyard which had been turned temporarily into a car park. The air was full of voices and laughter as friends greeted friends, and already a steady trickle of people were making their way over a stone wall and down the pasture fields towards the cliffs.
So your spouse was killed in a car accident! That was months ago, and, be honest, you didn’t care for him much, anyway. Let’s face it: the whole marriage was a sham and you still look amazing in a bikini.
No billionaires or robots have taken over the world yet. It’s 1973 and you don’t even need to apply the damned sunscreen, if you don’t want to.
There’s not so much as one lousy cigarette butt on the beach.
You deserve such happiness. Jump in. The water’s freezing, but the people around you are so hot, you’ll be perfectly fine.
October 15, 2016
A sweet, short, but very satisfying Pilcher novella. Her gorgeous descriptive powers at their best, she takes us once more to Cornwall and the sea. She makes me want a small cottage and a large country kitchen and a garden full of wildflowers. And, of course, a rugged handsome fellow to sweep me off my feet.
December 6, 2018
Wow. I just cannot. This book was published in 1971 so I tried to make allowances for the main character Virginia. I just gave up that at the point that she literally decides to move her two children, who just lost their father, to live in a place with a man that she talked to only twice in her life, more than 10 years ago.
I usually don't like to do spoiler reviews, but so great is my rage at this book, that I am going to do it.
So..."The Empty House" follows Virginia Keile. Virginia is visiting with an old friend of her mother's in Cornwall and essentially recovering from being made a widow at 27. Virginia has two young kids (a boy and girl) who are currently staying with her mother in law. It never seems to occur to Virginia that maybe she should be with her children by the way until the love interest pops up (I digress). This book really just goes into the backstory of Virigina and her love interest Eustace.
I hated almost every character in this one except for the kids and the poor mother in law. Virginia spends the book obsessing over Eustace. Though Virginia has been married for almost 10 years, she still wishes that Eustace had called her like he promised he would when she was visiting the family friends. She goes back and forth over everything and how even though she was 17 when she met his 28 year old self she fell for him. Their conversation was beyond boring and nothing of substance was even said. Sorry, the whole plot about her falling for him and he for her with the age differences just squicked me out. I would still argue how much did he fall for her though since the dialogue we get in this book is beyond boring. They just had two separate conversations.
Virginia's mother is made to be the villain of the piece since she wanted her daughter to marry well, and probably had qualms about a 28 year old farmer romancing her daughter. I also didn't like Eustace since he was rude to everyone in this one, but hey, I guess he had ethics or something. I don't know.
Yeah, if I meet someone for the first time that is trying to romance my daughter and they pulled this, I would totally be cool to them too.
Eustace is just nasty to Virginia from what I can see. He calls her a terrible mother for not being with her children and having them come and stay with her. He acts like the kids father as soon as they meet (it was disconcerting). And then pretty much within like a freaking day Virginia is all we will stay here and live with you forever. Let's go tell the children.
Literally hasn't seen her for 10 years and this comes up.
I guess screw kids being hungry and actually wanting food. I just cannot.
The book tries to paint Virginia as a victim to her mother and dead husband, but I had zero sympathy for her. She signed up for everything she got and didn't really care about her husband. She wanted something that she thought she glimpsed when she was in Eustace's home for maybe an hour 10 years ago. It felt childish to me. She put out zero effort with other people and just continued to allow things to happen to her. I assume if there was ever a sequel that Virginia would find herself fully under Eustace's thumb. That is 100 percent not love.
The writing wasn't great. It just read as repetitive after a while. The dialogue between characters was stilted. The great reveal in the end about how Virginia was kept apart from her first love was beyond dumb. How she couldn't see that baffled me. Also who cares at this point?!
The flow was not good. I loved Piclher's other books so much and this one was just a dud. It was a chore to keep going since we had Virginia going back and forth about things and just generally acting like a victim the whole time.
The ending was ludicrous. She and her two kids are leaving Scotland forever to live with Eustace in Cornwall. I assume if there was an epilogue we would have heard how the mother in law tried to fight for custody or something.
I usually don't like to do spoiler reviews, but so great is my rage at this book, that I am going to do it.
So..."The Empty House" follows Virginia Keile. Virginia is visiting with an old friend of her mother's in Cornwall and essentially recovering from being made a widow at 27. Virginia has two young kids (a boy and girl) who are currently staying with her mother in law. It never seems to occur to Virginia that maybe she should be with her children by the way until the love interest pops up (I digress). This book really just goes into the backstory of Virigina and her love interest Eustace.
I hated almost every character in this one except for the kids and the poor mother in law. Virginia spends the book obsessing over Eustace. Though Virginia has been married for almost 10 years, she still wishes that Eustace had called her like he promised he would when she was visiting the family friends. She goes back and forth over everything and how even though she was 17 when she met his 28 year old self she fell for him. Their conversation was beyond boring and nothing of substance was even said. Sorry, the whole plot about her falling for him and he for her with the age differences just squicked me out. I would still argue how much did he fall for her though since the dialogue we get in this book is beyond boring. They just had two separate conversations.
Virginia's mother is made to be the villain of the piece since she wanted her daughter to marry well, and probably had qualms about a 28 year old farmer romancing her daughter. I also didn't like Eustace since he was rude to everyone in this one, but hey, I guess he had ethics or something. I don't know.
“Hallo,” said Eustace, meeting her eye with an unblinking blue gaze.
Her hand was half-way out to shake his, but Eustace either didn’t see this or chose to ignore it.
Mrs. Parsons’s hand dropped back to her side.
Her manner became, subtly, a fraction more cool.
Yeah, if I meet someone for the first time that is trying to romance my daughter and they pulled this, I would totally be cool to them too.
Eustace is just nasty to Virginia from what I can see. He calls her a terrible mother for not being with her children and having them come and stay with her. He acts like the kids father as soon as they meet (it was disconcerting). And then pretty much within like a freaking day Virginia is all we will stay here and live with you forever. Let's go tell the children.
“I don’t think you can give a damn for your children. You don’t want to be bothered with them. Someone else has always done the washing and the ironing and you’re not going to start now. You’re too bloody idle to take them for picnics and read them books and put them to bed. It’s really nothing to do with Bosithick. Whatever house you found, you’d be sure to find something wrong with it. Any excuse would do provided you never have to admit to yourself that you can’t be bloody bothered to take care of your own children.”
Literally hasn't seen her for 10 years and this comes up.
“Well, what am I going to eat?” Eustace caught the tail end of this conversation as he came, dripping, up the beach. “What’s this?” He stopped to pick up a towel. “I’m very hungry and Mummy hasn’t brought anything to eat.” “Too bad,” said Eustace unsympathetically.
I guess screw kids being hungry and actually wanting food. I just cannot.
The book tries to paint Virginia as a victim to her mother and dead husband, but I had zero sympathy for her. She signed up for everything she got and didn't really care about her husband. She wanted something that she thought she glimpsed when she was in Eustace's home for maybe an hour 10 years ago. It felt childish to me. She put out zero effort with other people and just continued to allow things to happen to her. I assume if there was ever a sequel that Virginia would find herself fully under Eustace's thumb. That is 100 percent not love.
The writing wasn't great. It just read as repetitive after a while. The dialogue between characters was stilted. The great reveal in the end about how Virginia was kept apart from her first love was beyond dumb. How she couldn't see that baffled me. Also who cares at this point?!
The flow was not good. I loved Piclher's other books so much and this one was just a dud. It was a chore to keep going since we had Virginia going back and forth about things and just generally acting like a victim the whole time.
The ending was ludicrous. She and her two kids are leaving Scotland forever to live with Eustace in Cornwall. I assume if there was an epilogue we would have heard how the mother in law tried to fight for custody or something.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2017
Rosamunde Pilcher always makes me want to crawl into the pages of her books and live there. She is just the best. No one writes books like this anymore.
November 11, 2022
There are beginnings of the books when I know that I found another favorite author. I felt such in love with e.g. Georgette Heyer and Elizabeth Taylor. I am pretty sure that Rosamunde Pilcher will be my next precious writer (I must read another one book to be sure).
Pilcher made me feel Cornwall. I saw sunshine through the pages, I smelt the flowers and heard the sea. What is very important, she used so many description to made me feel that I am there but not too many, that I would have been overwhelmed or bored.
And the story. It was beautiful, charming, heartwarming, in some way simple but so true. For me, there was not enough place to evolve so strong love between Virginia and Eustace but it was a rather short story so I can forgive it.
I see that in reviews one word is often repeated: cozy, and it is a very accurate word for this novel. Because, although there were hard questions here (e.g. about a self-reliance, a motherhood) the narration made me feel whole (not like with some other books - broken into pieces).
I give it 4 instead 5 stars because as I wrote there wasn't enough time for evolving of love and the whole idea for the story could have made a longer book, e.g. we could have seen also more interaction between Virginia and her children, more of children at all, more of her becoming herself.
By the by, Eustace Phillips became one of my favorite heroes from romances. Hardworking, honest, understanding. This kind of a man one can easy fell in love with and what is even more important, this kind which is a good husband.
She stared at him, accepting for the first time the fact that personal tragedy is just that. Personal. Your own existence could fall to pieces but that did not mean that the rest of the world necessarily knew about it, or even bothered.
Pilcher made me feel Cornwall. I saw sunshine through the pages, I smelt the flowers and heard the sea. What is very important, she used so many description to made me feel that I am there but not too many, that I would have been overwhelmed or bored.
And the story. It was beautiful, charming, heartwarming, in some way simple but so true. For me, there was not enough place to evolve so strong love between Virginia and Eustace but it was a rather short story so I can forgive it.
I see that in reviews one word is often repeated: cozy, and it is a very accurate word for this novel. Because, although there were hard questions here (e.g. about a self-reliance, a motherhood) the narration made me feel whole (not like with some other books - broken into pieces).
It was disturbing, this awareness of the past, but somehow elemental, and so not really frightening.
I give it 4 instead 5 stars because as I wrote there wasn't enough time for evolving of love and the whole idea for the story could have made a longer book, e.g. we could have seen also more interaction between Virginia and her children, more of children at all, more of her becoming herself.
By the by, Eustace Phillips became one of my favorite heroes from romances. Hardworking, honest, understanding. This kind of a man one can easy fell in love with and what is even more important, this kind which is a good husband.
October 14, 2020
Adivinha-se o final logo após as primeiras páginas. Nada nos surpreende e a história é do mais corriqueiro dentro do leque das histórias fofinhas. Rosamunde Pilcher descreve a Cornualha sempre de forma generosa nas suas histórias e só por isso já vale a pena, ganha-se uma viagem imediata para aquelas bandas. Queria uma história levezinha para alternar com as outras leituras; cumpriu a função.
May 27, 2014
One of Pilcher's best novellas! There is so much atmosphere and a wonderful magical feeling in this story. It really sweeps you away to a wondrous place (unless you happen to live by the sea in Cornwall already) and her descriptive style really shines here. The story was sweet and charming and the characters endearing.
July 12, 2025
This is an interesting book.
Virginia meets Eustace when she's seventeen in Cornwall.
They part but apparently he doesn't contact her again when she goes back to London. She is disappointed, but on the rebound she meets and marries Anthony...think rich man, heir to a manor house in Scotland, mother is a 'Lady', has a grouse moor, has a family nanny etc etc. Anyway, Virginia isn't happy and thinks she is still in love with Eustace but still copes well enough to have two children with Anthony. Anyway, Anthony might or might not be having an affair when he drives back home in his big green Jaguar one night having drunk too much and ends up inside the car in a river. He drowns.
Are we supposed to feel sorry for Virginia?
Anyway, Virginia goes back to Cornwall and manages to meet Eustace, first without her children and then with her children. You can probably guess what happens although it turns out that Eustace did try to contact Virginia, it's just that Virginia's mother purloined his letters and didn't pass on his telephone messages.
Naughty mum.
Well, I think it would have a more interesting story if Anthony hadn't drowned, but couldn't go to Cornwall with Virginia and then she meets Eustace. That's probably been done to death in other novels, but if Virginia had expressed her desire for Eustace and he'd told her to go away, then that would have been a different ending.
Virginia meets Eustace when she's seventeen in Cornwall.
They part but apparently he doesn't contact her again when she goes back to London. She is disappointed, but on the rebound she meets and marries Anthony...think rich man, heir to a manor house in Scotland, mother is a 'Lady', has a grouse moor, has a family nanny etc etc. Anyway, Virginia isn't happy and thinks she is still in love with Eustace but still copes well enough to have two children with Anthony. Anyway, Anthony might or might not be having an affair when he drives back home in his big green Jaguar one night having drunk too much and ends up inside the car in a river. He drowns.
Are we supposed to feel sorry for Virginia?
Anyway, Virginia goes back to Cornwall and manages to meet Eustace, first without her children and then with her children. You can probably guess what happens although it turns out that Eustace did try to contact Virginia, it's just that Virginia's mother purloined his letters and didn't pass on his telephone messages.
Naughty mum.
Well, I think it would have a more interesting story if Anthony hadn't drowned, but couldn't go to Cornwall with Virginia and then she meets Eustace. That's probably been done to death in other novels, but if Virginia had expressed her desire for Eustace and he'd told her to go away, then that would have been a different ending.
January 11, 2018
3.5/5
Ενα μικρο βιβλιαρακι με μια γρηγορη ιστορια. Δε θεωρω πως ειναι το καλυτερο της Πιλτσερ αλλα ενταξει κυλισε ευχαριστα. Ειναι μια ιστορια χιλιογραμμενη σε πολλα βιβλια. Δε μου εδωσε αυτο το κατι παραπανω.
Ενα μικρο βιβλιαρακι με μια γρηγορη ιστορια. Δε θεωρω πως ειναι το καλυτερο της Πιλτσερ αλλα ενταξει κυλισε ευχαριστα. Ειναι μια ιστορια χιλιογραμμενη σε πολλα βιβλια. Δε μου εδωσε αυτο το κατι παραπανω.
May 20, 2017
οχι απο τα καλυτερα της ....παρολα αυτα με ηρεμησε και ξαναγυρισε η ορεξη για διαβασμα
January 16, 2008
This was a good, quick, clean romance. The reason I gave it four stars instead of five is I felt that Pilcher didn't spend enough time establishing why the main characters connected in the first place. In order to have a good romance, an author has to establish the sparks between the characters. In addition, this book was really more of a journey of self-actualization than a romance. It was nice to read a story about a woman coming into her own, so to speak, but unfortunately it made the romance feel rushed and skimped. It almost seemed like Pilcher needed to get this one done quick and didn't have time to really fill out the wonderful plot she set up. Just like the last Harry Potter book, this book would have been much better if it had had about 50 more pages to fill in the gaps. Overall, this is a good book to read on a sick day if you want to start and end a romance in one day.
August 29, 2013
Rosamund Pilcher, in my less than humble opinion, is one of the very best writers of gentle fiction. Of course, I have read The Shell Seekers and loved it, but haven't read anything of hers for a few years. I came across this short novel - not a novella - in a hospital bookstall and of course pounced on it. I read it in around 3 hours while waiting around and travelling home on the train.
Written in 1973 and first published in 1990, Pilcher's style of writing will no doubt not be fast-paced enough for the modern younger reader, but those of us who are rather longer in the tooth will be able to appreciate the delicate development of the quite traditional story. True to it's time, "House" is rich in imagery, more so than modern books,but fortunately not so much that one would skip pages!
Virginia, widowed only three months, has been pressured to marry at eighteen by her intimidating mother, then to "turn a blind eye" by her husband. His nanny and her mother-in-law, Lady Keile, are continuing the trend in successfully intimidating her into doing exactly what they want. But of course, the worm turns - gently but implacably, after a showdown with an old friend, engendering this reader's admiration for Virginia. I am not sure I would be as brave in the face of those formidable women!
What I particularly liked about this book, was the gradual unfolding - without fanfare, but easily understood-of the background and future of Virginia. Rosamund Pilcher’s genius creates characters with mundane lives, into people in whose future the reader cannot help but invest concern.
Highly recommended for those who appreciate the fine writing of past years and a traditional, but gentle story.
March 5, 2020
Τι κάνεις όταν το στενό οικογενειακό σου περιβάλλον εμποδίζει την ευτυχία σου; Η Βιρτζίνια ακολουθεί την επιθυμία της μητέρας της και παντρεύεται έναν άντρα που δεν αγάπησε ποτέ αλλά και ο ίδιος φαίνεται να τηρεί τις αποστάσεις του καλλιεργώντας ένα χάσμα μεταξύ τους. Ο ξαφνικός θάνατός του γεννά στην Βιρτζίνια την επιθυμία της επανάστασης αλλά και της πραγματοποίησης των ονείρων της. Η απόφασή της να επιστρέψει στην Κορνουάλη συνοδεύεται από την επιθυμία της να ξαναβρεί τον νεανικό της έρωτα και να γεμίσει με ζωή το άδειο σπίτι που νοίκιασε για να στεγάσει τα όνειρά της. Κι αυτό το βιβλίο της Pilcher κινείται στο μοτίβο των προηγούμενων βιβλίων που έχω διαβάσει με βασικά χαρακτηριστικά την περιγραφή και το happy end. Είναι ένα ευχάριστο ανάγνωσμα που ανταμείβει τον αναγνώστη στις τελευταίες σελίδες του. Ωστόσο θα ήθελα η συγγραφέας να σταθεί περισσότερο στην σχέση της ηρωίδας με τον αρρενωπό αγρότη.
September 7, 2009
A widow returns to Cornwall to recover from the 'flu. She feels that her mother-in-law and her children's Nanny are running her life, and decides to rent a rundown house and bring the children there for the month of August. She also meets a farmer that she had fallen in love with at 17, he lives close to her rented house and has still not married ten years later.
An early Rosamunde Pilcher, it is not as good as the later ones, but is still a good read.
An early Rosamunde Pilcher, it is not as good as the later ones, but is still a good read.
June 27, 2024
Even among Pilcher’s shorter books, this one is really short, but it’s one of my favorites! Re-reading this book was like enjoying my favorite dessert!
August 20, 2020
Sin lugar a dudas "La casa vacía" no es más que un cuentin. Uma de esas historias sumamente predecibles y con final feliz, pero he de reconocer que a pesar de su exagerada simpleza, yo he disfrutado con su lectura. ¿Por qué? Porque más allá de su argumento, para mí hay un claro protagonista en esta historia y ése es Cornualles. La ambientación es espléndida y te transporta totalmente allí y yo he disfrutado de ese viaje y me ha traído a la memoria el viaje real que hice allí el año pasado. ¿ Qué más quiero?
October 30, 2016
Having read this decades ago, I remembered all of it. It's the perfect length for this story.
It's more than just the usual current modern "coming of age" woman's tale (as if having sex and being adult in work or school decisions even approaches true adulthood LOL!) but much more. It's a full coming into her own will and identity as a self-directed person. And its context is also perfection for the majority of women's lives during the first 3/4ths of the last century. And not just in England, either. Remember, it's not just class distinctions but the fact that women in large percentages never worked outside the home or were far from sphere of family influences, and the young mothers of Virginia's class- never. Readers posting here upon this novella really did make me laugh. Their reactions! Influences of norm and society- and behaviors to fit that were necessary. They really don't grasp it.
Some note it is not the best of her novellas. I rather disagree. Pilcher even broaches the conflict with the minimal of unkindness (the cutting with Nanny)in language and with prose and manners excellence. Her disagreements are HUGE but do not carry backward looking victim resentments. What a psychology! Deciding that a victim self-classification is perpetually self-defeating is just a cornerstone of her life message that continually feels like a pair of strong arms around the vulnerable. No one does conflict resolution better than Pilcher. The kind that accomplishes real change and yet without nasty acrimonious offensive or defensive postures. Nor lingering ire of aftermath.
Here the romance is entirely second. People "fit" is first. And the way to grow up to understand how important the mix of now is to both.
I'm glad I reread this. Last time I didn't have the window to realize the crux of this book. Eustace telling her the truth after re-meeting 10 years later. How the ones who love you the most (and have your real best future and not just your good will in mind) if they DO care for you- will then and often tell you the truth that you don't want to hear.
It's more than just the usual current modern "coming of age" woman's tale (as if having sex and being adult in work or school decisions even approaches true adulthood LOL!) but much more. It's a full coming into her own will and identity as a self-directed person. And its context is also perfection for the majority of women's lives during the first 3/4ths of the last century. And not just in England, either. Remember, it's not just class distinctions but the fact that women in large percentages never worked outside the home or were far from sphere of family influences, and the young mothers of Virginia's class- never. Readers posting here upon this novella really did make me laugh. Their reactions! Influences of norm and society- and behaviors to fit that were necessary. They really don't grasp it.
Some note it is not the best of her novellas. I rather disagree. Pilcher even broaches the conflict with the minimal of unkindness (the cutting with Nanny)in language and with prose and manners excellence. Her disagreements are HUGE but do not carry backward looking victim resentments. What a psychology! Deciding that a victim self-classification is perpetually self-defeating is just a cornerstone of her life message that continually feels like a pair of strong arms around the vulnerable. No one does conflict resolution better than Pilcher. The kind that accomplishes real change and yet without nasty acrimonious offensive or defensive postures. Nor lingering ire of aftermath.
Here the romance is entirely second. People "fit" is first. And the way to grow up to understand how important the mix of now is to both.
I'm glad I reread this. Last time I didn't have the window to realize the crux of this book. Eustace telling her the truth after re-meeting 10 years later. How the ones who love you the most (and have your real best future and not just your good will in mind) if they DO care for you- will then and often tell you the truth that you don't want to hear.
January 21, 2020
I wonder how many times G'reads will say I've read this book already - I keep screwing that up! At any rate, this will be my first Rosamunde Pilcher novel. I was determined to read something from a different perspective than "Dog Soldiers"(very male) and this is what I wound up with. Seems like it will be some kind of a love story, but that's ok and it seems to be pretty smoothly written. My book is a hardcover large print edition from 1973.
I almost finished last night, but had to hit the sack. Right in the middle of the big emotional/relationship/communication crisis ... I ASSUME it's all going to turn out at least OK-ish but youneverknow. It would be very disappointing if these folks weren't happy. It all hinges on whether semi-ding-a-ling Virginia can get her act together. She's been doing pretty well so far, but love messes with one's head. This book is small beer but it's very well written, particularly in its physical descriptions = Cornwall never looked so good. There might be a bit too much of THAT, but the book's pretty short so I can't complain. This is pretty much a romantic fantasy, but quite engaging, and, after all, it IS fiction and meant to be entertaining and diverting. Manly-man of the soil and spoiled, rich twinkie fall in love but life interferes. Now they have another chance - how's it going to turn out?
- Reminds me a bit of my sister's post-divorce struggles.
- The kids are written very well. You definitely root for them.
Finished a couple of nights ago. Not much more to be said. A very enjoyable short read. I think I have "The Shell Seekers" and will read that at some point.
- The Title has a double meaning.
- The "lost letter" = "Tess of the D'Urbervilles"(along with a number of others - it's a familiar device).
- The ending smacks of the ending of Keira Knightley's version of "Pride and Prejudice."
- 3.5* rounds down to 3*.
I almost finished last night, but had to hit the sack. Right in the middle of the big emotional/relationship/communication crisis ... I ASSUME it's all going to turn out at least OK-ish but youneverknow. It would be very disappointing if these folks weren't happy. It all hinges on whether semi-ding-a-ling Virginia can get her act together. She's been doing pretty well so far, but love messes with one's head. This book is small beer but it's very well written, particularly in its physical descriptions = Cornwall never looked so good. There might be a bit too much of THAT, but the book's pretty short so I can't complain. This is pretty much a romantic fantasy, but quite engaging, and, after all, it IS fiction and meant to be entertaining and diverting. Manly-man of the soil and spoiled, rich twinkie fall in love but life interferes. Now they have another chance - how's it going to turn out?
- Reminds me a bit of my sister's post-divorce struggles.
- The kids are written very well. You definitely root for them.
Finished a couple of nights ago. Not much more to be said. A very enjoyable short read. I think I have "The Shell Seekers" and will read that at some point.
- The Title has a double meaning.
- The "lost letter" = "Tess of the D'Urbervilles"(along with a number of others - it's a familiar device).
- The ending smacks of the ending of Keira Knightley's version of "Pride and Prejudice."
- 3.5* rounds down to 3*.
July 10, 2020
Well, this was unexpected. An English friend of mine mentioned in passing that her favorite book was 'The Shell Seekers' by Rosamunde Pilcher. My interest was piqued, but I decided that I would read a shorter novel by Pilcher to get a taste of her brand of fiction before getting too invested. And thus I bought 'The Empty House'. I wasn't expecting to fall in love with English Women's Literature/Romantic fiction from the 1970s (my own tastes a conglomerate of Ernest Hemingway and Virginia Woolf), but, Oh!, how I was mistaken! If anything I've ever read can mirror my own style and themes in the slice-of-life feel-good fiction that I myself write, than Rosamunde Pilcher is it. 'The Empty House' felt life an English version of my own 'Clark's Turning Leaf', but with a female protagonist instead of a male. I'm not really possessed of the audacity to compare myself or my writing to Pilcher's, but I was just awestruck at reading such a kindred spirit and a kindred work. I felt very at home, and look forward greatly to exploring her other works.
October 17, 2019
Why was this so short? It finished just as it was getting really interesting! Actually, although it is a gentle, quick and easy read, this novella is beautifully and skilfully written; this is the Rosamunde Pilcher I have grown to love.
The romantic thread, and the plot as a whole, were extremely simple, but what made it so endearing were the descriptions. Yes, I know, one doesn't usually like a book full of descriptions, a weak plot and a heroine who does everything she's told to do, but this one is different. You can see the landscapes in your mind's eye, feel the atmosphere changing, understand the heroine's inner turmoil. And the complicated relationship between Virginia Keile and her children is remarkably related.
It is certainly not as mature as her later novels, such as "Coming Home", "The Shell Seekers" and "Winter Solstice", which are much longer, but it is a dIstinctly accomplished work.
The romantic thread, and the plot as a whole, were extremely simple, but what made it so endearing were the descriptions. Yes, I know, one doesn't usually like a book full of descriptions, a weak plot and a heroine who does everything she's told to do, but this one is different. You can see the landscapes in your mind's eye, feel the atmosphere changing, understand the heroine's inner turmoil. And the complicated relationship between Virginia Keile and her children is remarkably related.
It is certainly not as mature as her later novels, such as "Coming Home", "The Shell Seekers" and "Winter Solstice", which are much longer, but it is a dIstinctly accomplished work.
November 9, 2016
Delightful! I really liked this! Rosamunde Pilcher gave her heroine a second chance at happiness which made me think of scripture, "Your sorrow shall be turned into joy." I do wish this had been a little longer, it's really a novella, but it's sheer romance. The next time I read this, I will bake a batch of scones on a rainy morning and dive right in!
Pilcher always includes such lovely descriptions of the Cornish coast, gardens and delicious sensory details. Hot steaming cups of cocoa or tea, biscuits and thundering waves crashing in the distance. I just seem to go off in a trance every time I pick up one of her books. I'm off now to complete my collection of her work!
Pilcher always includes such lovely descriptions of the Cornish coast, gardens and delicious sensory details. Hot steaming cups of cocoa or tea, biscuits and thundering waves crashing in the distance. I just seem to go off in a trance every time I pick up one of her books. I'm off now to complete my collection of her work!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2022
Historia muy corta, floja y poco creíble, mas parece un cuento, pero si cabe destacar que tiene una prosa fácil de leer y logra maravillosas descripciones de cada escena y lugar, en este caso del paisaje de Cornualles.
Esta cita me gustó:
"Los amigos no son personas que te gustan por algún motivo especial. Muy al contrario, las personas te gustan porque son tus amigos"
Esta cita me gustó:
"Los amigos no son personas que te gustan por algún motivo especial. Muy al contrario, las personas te gustan porque son tus amigos"
January 1, 2025
Definitely not Rosamunde Pilcher’s best work. But you can always count on her for a cozy trip to England with always a bit of romance and many heartfelt relationships. This book doesn’t come close to the wonderfulness of The Shell Seekers, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
January 6, 2024
Newly widowed Virginia Keile, 27, has to come to terms with her present circumstances following the death of her husband in a car accident. As a mother to two young children, Virginia must learn to stand up for herself and decide the direction she wants her life to take. After renting a house in Cornwall, she encounters her first love, which complicates her decisions about her identity and desires.
Pilcher wrote some absolutely fantastic books. Three of her novels (September, Winter Solstice, and The Shell Seekers) elicited a response from me that has been a high I’ve been chasing ever since. Largely centered around family (both birth and found), when Pilcher got it right, as in those three, she really knocked it out of the park. However, as I’ve explored more of her backlist, I find that most of her other stories feature protagonists who are overwrought, angsty, and predictable, as seen here with The Empty House.
When Pilcher captures cozy just right, her novels exhibit all the warmth and familiarity that make that element work for both the author and the story. But here, as with most of her earlier work, everything shifts beyond cozy and quaint and veers into being twee and tiresome. Virginia oscillates between being realistic and really frustrating. The first love, Eustace, is fairly one-dimensional, and though the two have marginal chemistry, their connection, even considering the time in which this was written, borders on instant love.
I liked the idea of Pilcher’s Cornwall setting here — the author was born there — but she leaned too far into purple prose alongside her angsty, whining Virginia for it to be as immersive as it could have been.
All that aside, I still recommend the three previously mentioned books — they are absolute gems.
Audiobook, as narrated by Helen Johns: I've encountered Johns performing the narration for a Pilcher novel before and I find her voice is perfectly suited to the task — even when the task isn't quite up to snuff, so to speak. I felt as though Johns softened the blow of the overly angsty protagonist, Virginia, and I'd absolutely listen to her narration again.
Pilcher wrote some absolutely fantastic books. Three of her novels (September, Winter Solstice, and The Shell Seekers) elicited a response from me that has been a high I’ve been chasing ever since. Largely centered around family (both birth and found), when Pilcher got it right, as in those three, she really knocked it out of the park. However, as I’ve explored more of her backlist, I find that most of her other stories feature protagonists who are overwrought, angsty, and predictable, as seen here with The Empty House.
When Pilcher captures cozy just right, her novels exhibit all the warmth and familiarity that make that element work for both the author and the story. But here, as with most of her earlier work, everything shifts beyond cozy and quaint and veers into being twee and tiresome. Virginia oscillates between being realistic and really frustrating. The first love, Eustace, is fairly one-dimensional, and though the two have marginal chemistry, their connection, even considering the time in which this was written, borders on instant love.
I liked the idea of Pilcher’s Cornwall setting here — the author was born there — but she leaned too far into purple prose alongside her angsty, whining Virginia for it to be as immersive as it could have been.
All that aside, I still recommend the three previously mentioned books — they are absolute gems.
Audiobook, as narrated by Helen Johns: I've encountered Johns performing the narration for a Pilcher novel before and I find her voice is perfectly suited to the task — even when the task isn't quite up to snuff, so to speak. I felt as though Johns softened the blow of the overly angsty protagonist, Virginia, and I'd absolutely listen to her narration again.
October 19, 2018
"She was not happy, but, to all intents and purposes, she had everything. A lovely house, a handsome husband, and the children. The children were worth everything..."
Virginia Keile is recuperating from the death of her husband. Left to cope with a young son and daughter, she is given the gift of a vacation away in Cornwall, with her children cared for by their nanny at her in-laws home in Scotland. (What woman would not want a carefree vacation in Cornwall?) But Virginia is unhappily coming to terms with unpleasant memories. Her recent bereavement is especially difficult without her children around her and so she makes the brave decision to strike out and get them back.
In some ways a coming-of-age novel (yes Virginia, you can do this...) with a rekindled romance waiting in the wings, I enjoyed this novel's slow pace and homecoming feel.
"Now, only one light burned from a downstairs window, but a full moon, white as a plate, sailed high in the sky, filling all the night with silver light. As they came over the wall into the farmyard, a door in the house opened, yellow light spilled out over the cobbles, and a voice called out across the darkness.
"Tom! Alice! Come and have a cup of tea or coffee -- something to warm you up before you go home."
"The Empty House" is pure escapism. A fast, easy read, gentle and soothing (Rosamunde Pilcher's specialty). With a slate of likable characters, an appealing countryside setting (what is there not to love about Cornwall?), and the predictable outcome that doesn't disappoint, this short novel hits the spot for those readers seeking the occasional atmospheric, relaxing read.
Virginia Keile is recuperating from the death of her husband. Left to cope with a young son and daughter, she is given the gift of a vacation away in Cornwall, with her children cared for by their nanny at her in-laws home in Scotland. (What woman would not want a carefree vacation in Cornwall?) But Virginia is unhappily coming to terms with unpleasant memories. Her recent bereavement is especially difficult without her children around her and so she makes the brave decision to strike out and get them back.
In some ways a coming-of-age novel (yes Virginia, you can do this...) with a rekindled romance waiting in the wings, I enjoyed this novel's slow pace and homecoming feel.
"Now, only one light burned from a downstairs window, but a full moon, white as a plate, sailed high in the sky, filling all the night with silver light. As they came over the wall into the farmyard, a door in the house opened, yellow light spilled out over the cobbles, and a voice called out across the darkness.
"Tom! Alice! Come and have a cup of tea or coffee -- something to warm you up before you go home."
"The Empty House" is pure escapism. A fast, easy read, gentle and soothing (Rosamunde Pilcher's specialty). With a slate of likable characters, an appealing countryside setting (what is there not to love about Cornwall?), and the predictable outcome that doesn't disappoint, this short novel hits the spot for those readers seeking the occasional atmospheric, relaxing read.
October 2, 2011
I bought this book at the used paperback bookstore. It's been sitting on my desk for a month or so. Today I have a sore throat and am a little under the weather so I thought I'd take it easy and read a new book. This book was excellent!! It was way too short! It was really good but there was not enough detail--it was way too short! That's why I just gave it a 4. I really enjoyed the love story, Porthkerris, Virginia, her children, and Eustice.
Pilcher mentions Porthkerris so often in her books that I can feel a European trip coming on! There's something about the way Pilcher describes an English kitchen. The big hearth with hooks for pots, the windows with geraniums sitting in them, the well scrubbed wooden table, the low ceiling with beams, the smell of peat.....
Pilcher mentions Porthkerris so often in her books that I can feel a European trip coming on! There's something about the way Pilcher describes an English kitchen. The big hearth with hooks for pots, the windows with geraniums sitting in them, the well scrubbed wooden table, the low ceiling with beams, the smell of peat.....
March 11, 2017
Αν και θα ήθελα λίγο περισσότερο -όπως σε όλα τα βιβλία της άλλωστε, γιατί δεν τα χορταίνω ποτέ- μου πρόσφερε ακόμα ένα σίγουρο ταξίδι! Δεν περίμενα τίποτα λιγότερο από μια εξαιρετική συγγραφέα!!! Έπιασα τον εαυτό μου –μετά την ολοκλήρωση του βιβλίου– να αναζητώ πτήσεις και καταλύματα για Κορνουάλλη, με αποτέλεσμα να βρω ένα υπέροχο διαμερισματάκι με 32 ευρώ την ημέρα...
September 12, 2020
One of these little books by the author that, despite their size, can hold a lot of things. In it, a woman tries to continue her life after the death of her husband. Of course, the setting of these decisions she is called upon to make is Cornwall, that the author again praises her simple beauty, with her different rhythms and different people. It is these people who make her realize that she can do much more than just continue her life, that she can catch the thread from the beginning, correct the mistakes of the past and build a new life, next to the right people. Of course, to do this she needs to find the necessary courage that she did not have in the critical moments, something that is not at all easy. The solution, as expected, does not come through dramatic events but through the simplicity of everyday moments that always in the author's books show the way and are the ones that in the end offer the real emotion.
Ένα από αυτά τα μικρά βιβλία της συγγραφέως που, παρά το μέγεθός τους, χωράνε μέσα πάρα πολλά πράγματα. Σε αυτό μία γυναίκα προσπαθεί να συνεχίσει τη ζωής της μετά το θάνατό του συζύγου της. Φυσικά το σκηνικό αυτών των αποφάσεων που καλείται να πάρει είναι η Κορνουάλη, που η συγγραφέας ξανά υμνεί την απλή ομορφιά της, με τους διαφορετικούς ρυθμούς της και τους διαφορετικούς ανθρώπους. Αυτοί οι άνθρωποι είναι που την κάνουν να καταλάβει ότι μπορεί να κάνει πολλά περισσότερα από μία απλή συνέχιση της ζωής της, ότι μπορεί να πιάσει το νήμα από την αρχή, να διορθώσει τα λάθη του παρελθόντος και να χτίσει μία νέα ζωή, δίπλα στους κατάλληλους ανθρώπους. Φυσικά για να το κάνει αυτό χρειάζεται να βρει το απαραίτητο θάρρος που δεν είχε στις κρίσιμες στιγμές, κάτι που δεν είναι καθόλου εύκολο. Η λύση, όπως είναι αναμενόμενο, δεν έρχεται μέσα από δραματικά γεγονότα αλλά μέσα από την απλότητα των καθημερινών στιγμών που πάντα στα βιβλία της συγγραφέως δείχνουν τον δρόμο και είναι αυτές που στο τέλος προσφέρουν την πραγματική συγκίνηση.
Ένα από αυτά τα μικρά βιβλία της συγγραφέως που, παρά το μέγεθός τους, χωράνε μέσα πάρα πολλά πράγματα. Σε αυτό μία γυναίκα προσπαθεί να συνεχίσει τη ζωής της μετά το θάνατό του συζύγου της. Φυσικά το σκηνικό αυτών των αποφάσεων που καλείται να πάρει είναι η Κορνουάλη, που η συγγραφέας ξανά υμνεί την απλή ομορφιά της, με τους διαφορετικούς ρυθμούς της και τους διαφορετικούς ανθρώπους. Αυτοί οι άνθρωποι είναι που την κάνουν να καταλάβει ότι μπορεί να κάνει πολλά περισσότερα από μία απλή συνέχιση της ζωής της, ότι μπορεί να πιάσει το νήμα από την αρχή, να διορθώσει τα λάθη του παρελθόντος και να χτίσει μία νέα ζωή, δίπλα στους κατάλληλους ανθρώπους. Φυσικά για να το κάνει αυτό χρειάζεται να βρει το απαραίτητο θάρρος που δεν είχε στις κρίσιμες στιγμές, κάτι που δεν είναι καθόλου εύκολο. Η λύση, όπως είναι αναμενόμενο, δεν έρχεται μέσα από δραματικά γεγονότα αλλά μέσα από την απλότητα των καθημερινών στιγμών που πάντα στα βιβλία της συγγραφέως δείχνουν τον δρόμο και είναι αυτές που στο τέλος προσφέρουν την πραγματική συγκίνηση.
September 14, 2025
I didn't think this book was ready for publication. There were some good scenes of the type that you would expect from Pilcher, but I thought there were problems with structure. It felt to me as if Pilcher was in a hurry to finish the manuscript and said 'It's good enough, I want to move on.' Well, it's good enough for someone else, but I expect more from Pilcher. She needed a strong editor to tell her that the narrative was not sufficiently satisfying, that the flip between past and present was not smooth, that her main character Virginia was too much of a sap to be anything other than infuriating. The story centres on Virginia, who is a widow with two young children. She's visiting an old family friend, without her children and her mind keeps going back to a man she knew when she was 18. The description of their relationship is so slight that one is left wondering the significance, before it becomes clear that she had fallen in love with Eustace. But she was young and her domineering mother didn't like him and she ended up married to an upper class twit (he who is dead at the beginning). Virginia is dominated not only by her mother, but by her husband, her mother in law, the nanny and probably the postman tells her what for on his rounds, for all I know. The story is presumably meant to be a coming of age for Virginia who will grow up to assume the life that she wants, but Pilcher failed to put this reader on Virginia's side; except for the fact that nobody else was sympathetic, I would have lost interest.
Pilcher does a much better job with Eustace, Virginia's lost love. When he comes on the scene, the writing is what you expect from Pilcher- engaging, and fun and full of life. Eustace redeems the novel and although I would not read the book again, I might re- read the seashore picnic scene one day.
Pilcher does a much better job with Eustace, Virginia's lost love. When he comes on the scene, the writing is what you expect from Pilcher- engaging, and fun and full of life. Eustace redeems the novel and although I would not read the book again, I might re- read the seashore picnic scene one day.
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