How Bright Are All Things Here

by Susan Green

Drama is a hard habit to break, and besides, life is awfully dull when it's naked and truthful.Glamorous, charismatic Bliss Henderson has led a flawed, fascinating life; from country Australia to the art world of 1960s London; from lust to love and loss.Now, in her last days, she is reliving it all. But as she excavates her past, deeper layers emerge. Secrets she still can't reveal, not even to herself.As her stepchildren hover around her, she wants them to judge her fairly. But how can they when they don't really know who she is?Susan Green has created a charming, lyrical novel of secrets, art and love.

336 pages, Paperback

Published August 29, 2017

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Sheridan Jobbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

'How Bright Are All Things Here' is a sly book. It seems simple and relatable - the stuff of everyday life, but at its heart is the universal truth that the world inside our memories is more complex and more whole than we can ever show. Behind the eyes of a dying woman, Elisabeth - known as Bliss, is a whole life unrevealed to her children. Her youth. Susan Green captures (perfectly and relatably) the tension between the generations. The nervous denial of a mother dying. The brittle feuds. The bitter administrations. The loving tenderness. The meeting of adults. The reversal of roles. If a man wrote this, it would be called, 'While I Lay Dying' and it would be considered art. But this has been written by a woman and her tone is light, engaging, and embroidered. This is a story told with craft. Importantly (for me, anyway) I couldn't put it down. It's a well-told yarn. I wanted to know Bliss's secrets. I wanted to fold and unfold her memories and understand what was at the heart of her concern to not be judged harshly. My sister-in-law gave me this book for Christmas - and it was a gift. Thank you.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in one sitting on a flight from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur. A terrific read with interesting, well drawn characters, that stay with you long after you have finished reading the book. I love the sense of place from Melbourne to the UK to country Victoria. Highly recommend!

[Kirsti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably not my style of book as I found it too slow moving but overall it was a good read and thought provoking

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book that snuck up on me until I couldn’t put it down. The tie in the title was on point.

[Michelle Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the tone of storytelling from Bliss, I could imagine one of my friends being very similar to her in a few decades. However, the present day accounts of the extended family weren’t at the level of Bliss’ tales and became a distraction for me in the book. Bliss could have her own story without the interruptions of the others.

[Gavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really crept up on me - the more I read the more I liked it. Wonderfully crafted backstory development of the key characters. Beautifully written - great love and affection shown to the characters in Bliss' life - and what a great narrator.