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The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson
Once upon a time Gabrielle Price wrote and published an extraordinary novel. But twenty years on her literary star has dimmed, her "work of genius" is all but forgotten, and no further novels have materialized. She now lives an unremarkable middle-aged, living alone in the sleepy village she grew up in, and working as a housekeeper for the local vicar. Her lonely existence is dominated by memories of her best friend Madeleine, who died young, in tragic and mysterious circumstances. Gabrielle’s quiet world is turned upside down when she meets and befriends Simon – young, attractive, a would-be writer, and enthusiastic fan of the astonishing novel that Gabrielle published all those years ago. Charmed and flattered, she recklessly invites him into her home and her heart. But Simon is mysterious and manipulative, and it’s not long before he forces Gabrielle to confront the demons in her past. Gabrielle’s obsession begins to destroy her carefully cultivated life, and she comes to feel increasingly threatened by Simon’s presence. Who is he? Why did he seek her out? And what does he really want?
- GenresFictionLiterary Fiction
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2019
4 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Helen Kitson
7 books40 followersI live in Worcester with my husband (YA author Elon Dann) and our two grown-up children. I hold an MA in Art History and work as a legal secretary.
My first poetry collection was nominated for the Forward Best First Collection Prize. In 1996 I was joint winner of the BBC Wildlife Magazine Poet of the Year competition. In 2016 I was shortlisted for the Dundee Book Prize.
My short fiction has appeared in many magazines, including Ambit, The Reader, Feminist Review, and Stand.
My novels, 'The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson' and 'Old Bones', are published by Louise Walters Books and set in the fictional Shropshire village of Morevale.
My first poetry collection was nominated for the Forward Best First Collection Prize. In 1996 I was joint winner of the BBC Wildlife Magazine Poet of the Year competition. In 2016 I was shortlisted for the Dundee Book Prize.
My short fiction has appeared in many magazines, including Ambit, The Reader, Feminist Review, and Stand.
My novels, 'The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson' and 'Old Bones', are published by Louise Walters Books and set in the fictional Shropshire village of Morevale.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
February 15, 2019
ARC provided by Louise Walters Books in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. Yes, giving me books will make me well disposed towards you but all opinions are decidedly my own.
This was a very strong four stars. I can already tell that this novel is going to repeat on me in the best possible way. However I will preface this review by saying that The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson won't be for everyone because by it's very nature it's a quiet but very multilayered book. Those looking for straight forward access may find the main thrust of the plot puzzling in its simplicity. In fact it's quite a complex novel but if you're someone who doesn't tend to pick up on chains of association in text or varying degrees of character interaction, then you might find this book is not to your taste.
As the blurb states, twenty years ago Gabrielle Price wrote a novel that became a literary sensation. Now middle aged, she has been unable to duplicate her success and a second novel has not appeared. Surely this is the private nightmare of all authors? Being stuck for twenty years in second book syndrome! Gabrielle herself is on the surface an unremarkable character. Drab, self-contained, solitary and isolated by her inability to form meaningful relationships of any kind, she has convinced herself that she is contented with her lot and coasts through life with nothing to disturb her peace except the memories of her long dead friend Madeleine. Enter Simon, a beautiful young man who kicks her shallow peace apart, showing it for the fragile thing it is. But what does Simon want with Gabrielle? Why is he fixated on her one and only book, to the point of manipulating his way into her life?
I daren't say too much more about the plot in case I give away spoilers. Suffice to say that this is one of the deftest novels I have ever read. It takes a huge amount of skill to portray a character as unexceptional as Gabrielle and yet still have so much going on below the surface. And that's what made the book for me. Gabrielle is by turns sympathetic, irritating and occasionally downright unlikable, but her inner landscape is incredibly vivid even when she's spent two decades deliberately stunting herself. The other characters are drawn with similar skill. Simon immediately made me suspicious due to his charm, there's a lovely old fashioned type vicar in the form of Mr Lathem, and while I admit to a fondness for sharp, old ladies, Lisel is easily one of the best - a real treat.
The plot and the prose themselves are compelling too. Some books, when you read them, are like taking a drink of water and discovering how thirsty you really are, and that was certainly the case here. I read it in two sittings.
This book is very rich thematically too, something touched upon by those chains of association built up in the prose - mentions of Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, Barbara Pym etc. It looks at how forming relationships (yes romantic but also friendships and enmities) with others, helps us to learn who we are and define some piece of the riddle of our own existence. To cut yourself off from all such interactions stops you from becoming who you might have been or might yet become. There's a strong thread about the destructive power of secrets and guilt - the latter also an indulgence. This is to name but a few of the themes and motifs - others include the necessity of both truth and harmless lies, depression and isolation, the insidious desire to compare ourselves with others and occasionally live vicariously.
In the end, Gabrielle's character journey is rich and satisfying, perhaps more so for being largely internal. It's a quiet book on the surface that seethes with ideas underneath. Highly recommend.
This was a very strong four stars. I can already tell that this novel is going to repeat on me in the best possible way. However I will preface this review by saying that The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson won't be for everyone because by it's very nature it's a quiet but very multilayered book. Those looking for straight forward access may find the main thrust of the plot puzzling in its simplicity. In fact it's quite a complex novel but if you're someone who doesn't tend to pick up on chains of association in text or varying degrees of character interaction, then you might find this book is not to your taste.
As the blurb states, twenty years ago Gabrielle Price wrote a novel that became a literary sensation. Now middle aged, she has been unable to duplicate her success and a second novel has not appeared. Surely this is the private nightmare of all authors? Being stuck for twenty years in second book syndrome! Gabrielle herself is on the surface an unremarkable character. Drab, self-contained, solitary and isolated by her inability to form meaningful relationships of any kind, she has convinced herself that she is contented with her lot and coasts through life with nothing to disturb her peace except the memories of her long dead friend Madeleine. Enter Simon, a beautiful young man who kicks her shallow peace apart, showing it for the fragile thing it is. But what does Simon want with Gabrielle? Why is he fixated on her one and only book, to the point of manipulating his way into her life?
I daren't say too much more about the plot in case I give away spoilers. Suffice to say that this is one of the deftest novels I have ever read. It takes a huge amount of skill to portray a character as unexceptional as Gabrielle and yet still have so much going on below the surface. And that's what made the book for me. Gabrielle is by turns sympathetic, irritating and occasionally downright unlikable, but her inner landscape is incredibly vivid even when she's spent two decades deliberately stunting herself. The other characters are drawn with similar skill. Simon immediately made me suspicious due to his charm, there's a lovely old fashioned type vicar in the form of Mr Lathem, and while I admit to a fondness for sharp, old ladies, Lisel is easily one of the best - a real treat.
The plot and the prose themselves are compelling too. Some books, when you read them, are like taking a drink of water and discovering how thirsty you really are, and that was certainly the case here. I read it in two sittings.
This book is very rich thematically too, something touched upon by those chains of association built up in the prose - mentions of Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, Barbara Pym etc. It looks at how forming relationships (yes romantic but also friendships and enmities) with others, helps us to learn who we are and define some piece of the riddle of our own existence. To cut yourself off from all such interactions stops you from becoming who you might have been or might yet become. There's a strong thread about the destructive power of secrets and guilt - the latter also an indulgence. This is to name but a few of the themes and motifs - others include the necessity of both truth and harmless lies, depression and isolation, the insidious desire to compare ourselves with others and occasionally live vicariously.
In the end, Gabrielle's character journey is rich and satisfying, perhaps more so for being largely internal. It's a quiet book on the surface that seethes with ideas underneath. Highly recommend.
November 14, 2018
This is a debut novel to be published from an author who is an acclaimed poet, I found the blurb enticing and the cover and title got my attention, all good so far...
The story is about Gabrielle, an author who has written one best seller and who now cannot write
another, her friend, Madeleine, who tragically died years before and a man 20 years younger than her, Simon, who she meets.
I had difficulty then believing the next part of the storyline, Simon is a ‘fan’ of Gabrielles book ( the best seller ) he meets her and then that evening he moves in ( due to snow and being unable to get home ) and she lets him stay!, I found this hard to ‘put together’ with the already seed sown image of Gabrielle as a stuffy, kinda boring lady ( I actually pictured her 20 years older than she was ) who works making the local vicars lunch ( true)...still, strange things happen in life and in he moved and stayed and once got over that the story carried on and the mystery of who he was and why he was there of course unfolded
There were 2 big ‘ points of twist!’, one I guessed and one didnt, both intriguing and made for good and interesting storylines
There are some wonderful village characters, truly brilliantly described and I loved them, their inclusion was genius
The writing was descriptive and at times humourous also at times dark,there is a lot of mention of authors of classic books throughout the book and this became tedious ( for me )
The ending actually happened about 90% through although there was another mini ‘twist’ but the last few pages for me just petered out
A very well written story but am just not sure if some readers will believe all of it, however all in all an enjoyable read with the village characters stealing the show personality wise
October 17, 2018
Review based on the ARC. The title of the novel intrigued me, with a promise that, at some point, we are going to be privy to the last words of Madeleine Anderson. She is the titular character, the character who pervades the narrative as though a lost spirit lingering, searching for redemption, yet the novel is not her story. At the heart of the story is Gabrielle Price, a woman so forgettable that it is even hard to recall her name in the early pages of the novel, so dominated as it is by Madeleine Anderson.
Gabrielle Price is a novelist suffering from second book syndrome. Twenty years prior to the start of the narrative, she had published a brilliant novel, a precocious literary work of artistic genius, but has never been able to replicate her success. Gabrielle, when the reader is introduced to her, is all but forgotten, now working as a housekeeper to a vicar, hiding away from the rest of the world, when she is contacted by an admirer of her novel. Agreeing to meet her admirer, Gabrielle is confronted by the young and angry Simon, an enigmatic man who is clearly troubled. Despite Gabrielle's concerns, Simon soon moves in to her house, and charms Gabrielle, who finds herself unable to resist his subtle manipulations of her.
Beautifully written, charting the angst of authors everywhere who struggle with the worth of their words on the page, I found myself increasingly infuriated with Gabrielle, her bewildering apathy in her approach to life, and her obsessive focus on her relationship with her long dead friend Madeleine. Simon too was a character that it was difficult to trust. And at the heart of the relationship between Gabrielle and Simon, is the fact that both are writers of fiction, writing "a bunch of lies about people who don't exist". As a reader we are never sure we can trust the narrative that either one of them is weaving. This is the great strength of the novel.
Telling us that all writers must by necessity have a splinter of ice in their hearts, the sense of uneasiness that the novel successfully evokes keeps you tentatively glued to the page, waiting for the revelations that will (you hope) make everything make sense, with the scene at the graveyard particularly disturbing.
In the interests of avoiding spoilers, I will say no more other than this is a well-crafted and unsettling book and The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson will stay with me.
Gabrielle Price is a novelist suffering from second book syndrome. Twenty years prior to the start of the narrative, she had published a brilliant novel, a precocious literary work of artistic genius, but has never been able to replicate her success. Gabrielle, when the reader is introduced to her, is all but forgotten, now working as a housekeeper to a vicar, hiding away from the rest of the world, when she is contacted by an admirer of her novel. Agreeing to meet her admirer, Gabrielle is confronted by the young and angry Simon, an enigmatic man who is clearly troubled. Despite Gabrielle's concerns, Simon soon moves in to her house, and charms Gabrielle, who finds herself unable to resist his subtle manipulations of her.
Beautifully written, charting the angst of authors everywhere who struggle with the worth of their words on the page, I found myself increasingly infuriated with Gabrielle, her bewildering apathy in her approach to life, and her obsessive focus on her relationship with her long dead friend Madeleine. Simon too was a character that it was difficult to trust. And at the heart of the relationship between Gabrielle and Simon, is the fact that both are writers of fiction, writing "a bunch of lies about people who don't exist". As a reader we are never sure we can trust the narrative that either one of them is weaving. This is the great strength of the novel.
Telling us that all writers must by necessity have a splinter of ice in their hearts, the sense of uneasiness that the novel successfully evokes keeps you tentatively glued to the page, waiting for the revelations that will (you hope) make everything make sense, with the scene at the graveyard particularly disturbing.
In the interests of avoiding spoilers, I will say no more other than this is a well-crafted and unsettling book and The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson will stay with me.
March 5, 2019
I will be forever grateful to the world of book blogging/reviewing for allowing me to read books that would normally pass me by - and that is exactly how I feel about this book which had me well and truly spellbound from the moment I picked it up and I'm still thinking about the characters many hours later and cannot recommend it highly enough!
The character of Gabrielle Price is at the centre of this story - she's a writer and published a work of 'genius' many years earlier but nothing has followed since and she's never really settled or found her place in life. Happy to be a housekeeper for the local vicar, she's content - or so she thought - doing her own thing and keeping to herself. But there's always been the death of her close friend - Madeleine - hanging over her and she is plagued by memories o their friendship and what could have been. We get to read flashbacks of their time together through childhood and into their young adult life, when they both changed as people and different feelings bubbled up between them causing them to drift apart.
When Gabrielle receives a 'fan letter' from a young writer she is shocked that her book still has people taking notice of it, and agrees to meet this fan who turns out to be a young man named Simon, who claims to want to write his own book and is looking for advice and inspiration from her.
What follows is a tale of an older woman being secretly flattered by this attention and the hold that Simon begins to have over her is intoxicating. She knows she should know better but just can't seem to help spending time with him and their friendship is soon the talk of the local village.
I found the strength of this book to be the attention to detail and the characters, who have been crafted so beautifully. It's a slow burn of a novel which jumps seamlessly between the now and to the past when we get to explore the intricacies of being young female friendships. There is so much unknown about Simon but he has such a way with words that the story he tells Gabrielle allows her to trust him and confides some of her darkest secrets to him.
A exhilarating book that is full of dark secrets, obsessive behaviour and mind games. Stunning!!
The character of Gabrielle Price is at the centre of this story - she's a writer and published a work of 'genius' many years earlier but nothing has followed since and she's never really settled or found her place in life. Happy to be a housekeeper for the local vicar, she's content - or so she thought - doing her own thing and keeping to herself. But there's always been the death of her close friend - Madeleine - hanging over her and she is plagued by memories o their friendship and what could have been. We get to read flashbacks of their time together through childhood and into their young adult life, when they both changed as people and different feelings bubbled up between them causing them to drift apart.
When Gabrielle receives a 'fan letter' from a young writer she is shocked that her book still has people taking notice of it, and agrees to meet this fan who turns out to be a young man named Simon, who claims to want to write his own book and is looking for advice and inspiration from her.
What follows is a tale of an older woman being secretly flattered by this attention and the hold that Simon begins to have over her is intoxicating. She knows she should know better but just can't seem to help spending time with him and their friendship is soon the talk of the local village.
I found the strength of this book to be the attention to detail and the characters, who have been crafted so beautifully. It's a slow burn of a novel which jumps seamlessly between the now and to the past when we get to explore the intricacies of being young female friendships. There is so much unknown about Simon but he has such a way with words that the story he tells Gabrielle allows her to trust him and confides some of her darkest secrets to him.
A exhilarating book that is full of dark secrets, obsessive behaviour and mind games. Stunning!!
October 18, 2018
I received an ARC of this novel, but my views are my own.
The Last Worlds of Madeleine Anderson is a novel about a writer, a fan and past ghosts that haunt them. It is about loneliness, creativity, past trauma and the destructive quality of secrets.
The relationship between Gabrielle, who published a great literary work some 20 years earlier but has produced nothing since, and Simon, who claims to be a fan and ends up as her lodger, is nebulous at best. Both are holding back, both have a hidden agenda, neither is quite who they claim to be. They are both held back by the past, so much so that neither seems to know how to live. It was this passive quality that bothered me throughout the novel, especially in relation to Gabrielle, and I was glad it was picked up as a theme that was explored throughout the story. Had it not been, Gabrielle would have been very difficult to relate to and to me, would have remained as a distant and unsatisfactory main character. As it is, she goes some way towards redeeming herself in the final chapters.
The strength of the novel is definitely the language and it shows that the author is an accomplished poet. The opening chapters made me want to watch Miss Marple films and Father Brown, and there was something so quintessentially English about the setting that appealed to me (as a foreigner) a great deal. The words were sometimes beautiful, sometimes ugly, but they were always exactly right.
I also delighted in unexpected gems like Lisel, whom I loved from the moment she spoke. While I found all three of the central characters (Gabrielle, Simon and Madeleine) unlikeable, they were balanced by others, such as Lisel, Viv and Mr Latham. It also says something about how much Gabrielle grew on me that by the time I read the final lines, my immediate thought was: but I wanted to know about this and what happened with that etc.
Overall, I have no trouble recommending this novel to anyone enjoying literary fiction, especially if they also happen to be a writer.
Final shout out goes to Jennie Rawlings for another beautiful cover!
The Last Worlds of Madeleine Anderson is a novel about a writer, a fan and past ghosts that haunt them. It is about loneliness, creativity, past trauma and the destructive quality of secrets.
The relationship between Gabrielle, who published a great literary work some 20 years earlier but has produced nothing since, and Simon, who claims to be a fan and ends up as her lodger, is nebulous at best. Both are holding back, both have a hidden agenda, neither is quite who they claim to be. They are both held back by the past, so much so that neither seems to know how to live. It was this passive quality that bothered me throughout the novel, especially in relation to Gabrielle, and I was glad it was picked up as a theme that was explored throughout the story. Had it not been, Gabrielle would have been very difficult to relate to and to me, would have remained as a distant and unsatisfactory main character. As it is, she goes some way towards redeeming herself in the final chapters.
The strength of the novel is definitely the language and it shows that the author is an accomplished poet. The opening chapters made me want to watch Miss Marple films and Father Brown, and there was something so quintessentially English about the setting that appealed to me (as a foreigner) a great deal. The words were sometimes beautiful, sometimes ugly, but they were always exactly right.
I also delighted in unexpected gems like Lisel, whom I loved from the moment she spoke. While I found all three of the central characters (Gabrielle, Simon and Madeleine) unlikeable, they were balanced by others, such as Lisel, Viv and Mr Latham. It also says something about how much Gabrielle grew on me that by the time I read the final lines, my immediate thought was: but I wanted to know about this and what happened with that etc.
Overall, I have no trouble recommending this novel to anyone enjoying literary fiction, especially if they also happen to be a writer.
Final shout out goes to Jennie Rawlings for another beautiful cover!
November 13, 2018
Helen Kitson is clearly a writer's writer. Exquisite, perfectly crafted sentences are a joy to read and as a writer I found much here that resonated. The scenes in Paris are especially evocative. It's no surprise to learn that Kitson is also an award winning poet.
But what of the story? Gabrielle wrote a very good book once but unable to follow on that success she is living a quiet life as a vicar's housekeeper. Enter one adoring fan, also a writer and who happens to be a handsome young man. But why is he so interested in Gabrielle?
Meanwhile the ghost of her old school friend Maddie, haunts these pages. A brilliant writer, Maddie drowned many years ago. Gabrielle witnessed the event but unable to swim and rescue her friend she remains haunted by guilt.
Even in death though, Maddie outshines Gabrielle.
'Compared with her I was slow-witted, dull, a dud rocket to her spinning Catherine Wheel.'
This is a quiet, slow-paced novel, beautifully written and with a genius twist at the end. Another quality read from Louise Walters Books. Many thanks for providing me with this ARC.
But what of the story? Gabrielle wrote a very good book once but unable to follow on that success she is living a quiet life as a vicar's housekeeper. Enter one adoring fan, also a writer and who happens to be a handsome young man. But why is he so interested in Gabrielle?
Meanwhile the ghost of her old school friend Maddie, haunts these pages. A brilliant writer, Maddie drowned many years ago. Gabrielle witnessed the event but unable to swim and rescue her friend she remains haunted by guilt.
Even in death though, Maddie outshines Gabrielle.
'Compared with her I was slow-witted, dull, a dud rocket to her spinning Catherine Wheel.'
This is a quiet, slow-paced novel, beautifully written and with a genius twist at the end. Another quality read from Louise Walters Books. Many thanks for providing me with this ARC.
September 8, 2019
"For several years before her death I'd felt her slipping away, and I'd never understood the nature of the demons that had hooked their claws into her skin."
It's a 3.5 rounded up, because it was really addictive. While studying for a final test, I could only think about this book haha so I think it deserves it.
Gabrielle is a woman in her 40s who published a novel when she was young and it was hugely successfull, but since then she hasn't published anything new. Now her life consists on performing her job as a housekeeper, taking care of her cat and... just get used to live alone in her small place. Until the sudden appearence of a young handsome man named Simon changes everything. He starts to live with her and she is starting to see that behind that youth and attractiveness, something dark is hiding. Something she doesn't know she can handle.
I did not like Simon at all, but I guess that's partially the point; he is always pushing Gabrielle to question all her life decisions and keeps taking her back to the past, specially to that time when she lost her only friend Madeleine Anderson, under weird circumstances, but we all know there's always something else. While for Gabrielle, I had this love-hate feelings towards her during the book, at the beginning I liked her and I think she is so down-to-earth, you forget she is fictional, but at the same time, I hated how weak she was with Simon, and since the story is told in her POV we know she knows he's bad news, still, he's still living with her...
It's a story about friendship, I think toxic friendships specifically, about secrets, about writing and books, about idealization, obsession, and moving on. The writing was quite poetic at times, while at others felt flat but I liked it, and like I said at the beginning, it is addictive; the pacing is almost perfect, you can't stop reading it while trying to figure out what the heck is going on.
"At least in books you get a proper ending, but life just goes on."
I really enjoyed this story so if you're interested give it a try, it's quite unique in its own way.
It's a 3.5 rounded up, because it was really addictive. While studying for a final test, I could only think about this book haha so I think it deserves it.
Gabrielle is a woman in her 40s who published a novel when she was young and it was hugely successfull, but since then she hasn't published anything new. Now her life consists on performing her job as a housekeeper, taking care of her cat and... just get used to live alone in her small place. Until the sudden appearence of a young handsome man named Simon changes everything. He starts to live with her and she is starting to see that behind that youth and attractiveness, something dark is hiding. Something she doesn't know she can handle.
I did not like Simon at all, but I guess that's partially the point; he is always pushing Gabrielle to question all her life decisions and keeps taking her back to the past, specially to that time when she lost her only friend Madeleine Anderson, under weird circumstances, but we all know there's always something else. While for Gabrielle, I had this love-hate feelings towards her during the book, at the beginning I liked her and I think she is so down-to-earth, you forget she is fictional, but at the same time, I hated how weak she was with Simon, and since the story is told in her POV we know she knows he's bad news, still, he's still living with her...
It's a story about friendship, I think toxic friendships specifically, about secrets, about writing and books, about idealization, obsession, and moving on. The writing was quite poetic at times, while at others felt flat but I liked it, and like I said at the beginning, it is addictive; the pacing is almost perfect, you can't stop reading it while trying to figure out what the heck is going on.
"At least in books you get a proper ending, but life just goes on."
I really enjoyed this story so if you're interested give it a try, it's quite unique in its own way.
February 16, 2019
The Last Words of Madeline Anderson is the story of a ‘one hit wonder’ author, Gabrielle whose life is upturned by the arrival of the mysterious Simon. Their story unravels many past events, mysteries and secrets.
This is a very clever story with lots of depth. It is a story of mind games, it’s not always clear who is playing who or who has the upper hand. The balance of ‘power’ is constantly shifting.
The absent main character, Madeline is controlling even after death and Gabrielle’s obsession with her is skilfully portrayed.
None of the main characters are particularly likeable which at first I found a little hard, yet as the book develops, this is one device which gives the characters depth and meaning and makes the story work so well.
It is a story of obsession, power and control fuelled by secrets and guilt then ultimately, the realisation of the need for self forgiveness. A great read.
I was kindly given an ARC by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
This is a very clever story with lots of depth. It is a story of mind games, it’s not always clear who is playing who or who has the upper hand. The balance of ‘power’ is constantly shifting.
The absent main character, Madeline is controlling even after death and Gabrielle’s obsession with her is skilfully portrayed.
None of the main characters are particularly likeable which at first I found a little hard, yet as the book develops, this is one device which gives the characters depth and meaning and makes the story work so well.
It is a story of obsession, power and control fuelled by secrets and guilt then ultimately, the realisation of the need for self forgiveness. A great read.
I was kindly given an ARC by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
October 25, 2018
I thank Louise Walters Books for the advance reader copy of this book. This review reflects my personal opinion and is not influenced by anyone else.
If some books are gurgling mountain streams, The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson is a deep lake with a smooth surface and deadly undercurrents. You slip into it when a sentence here and there pulls all you, indicating that the swimming isn’t as easy as it seems. Over the course of the book the voyage becomes more turbulent, and the gentle façade slowly reveals itself to be anything but. And herein lies the sheer beauty of Helen Kitson’s story.
The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson , or Maddie, for the initiated, is a story about writers, about writing, touching on friendships, decisions taken, decisions regretted, and the ultimate question: what does it all mean in the end? The cast of characters is small but each has their place in helping – or hindering, as the case may be – the protagonist, Gabrielle, get over a traumatic event.
Gabrielle Price has written a bestselling novel, a jewel of literary fiction that has the industry and her fans wanting more. When the follow-up novel never emerges, she slips into a comfortable life of easy jobs - employment that won’t tax her imagination, leaving her free to write – and avoids all complications. We find Gabrielle as she hits middle-age and begins questioning her choices. Taking the easy-way out, it seems, has left her in a bit of a rut: working for a vicar, living alone with a cat for company, her parents dead and no true friends to speak of. Her former best friend, Madeleine, has been dead for years, but is forever present in Gabrielle’s mind as the example of the gorgeous, intelligent woman Gabrielle will never be and will never strive to be.
There were times that I just wanted to slap the protagonist, to tell her to get over herself, but I didn’t have to: Gaby’s self-inflicted normality is shaken when she agrees to meet a fan with whom she’s been corresponding for a few months. Rather than the fellow middle-aged woman she’d expected, a stunning young man arrives. Simon ends up staying the night (then months), forcing Gabrielle to take a look at her life, where she questions not only her incapacity to write as she desires, but also the role she now has in a society that values the beautiful over the old. Falling in love with Simon opens cracks in a shell she didn’t know she had, enabling her – forcing her - to finally reach out, make real friends (everyone should have a Lisel and a Viv when they need help get back on track) and take stock of her past actions.
I won’t spoil the story with further information, but the final third of the book is a tour de force, where Helen Kitson shows us how clever a writer can be. If you love novels about writing, complicated relationships, unrequited love, the meaning of friendship, or dealing with an uncomfortable past, this book is for you. I give it a very solid four stars.
If some books are gurgling mountain streams, The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson is a deep lake with a smooth surface and deadly undercurrents. You slip into it when a sentence here and there pulls all you, indicating that the swimming isn’t as easy as it seems. Over the course of the book the voyage becomes more turbulent, and the gentle façade slowly reveals itself to be anything but. And herein lies the sheer beauty of Helen Kitson’s story.
The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson , or Maddie, for the initiated, is a story about writers, about writing, touching on friendships, decisions taken, decisions regretted, and the ultimate question: what does it all mean in the end? The cast of characters is small but each has their place in helping – or hindering, as the case may be – the protagonist, Gabrielle, get over a traumatic event.
Gabrielle Price has written a bestselling novel, a jewel of literary fiction that has the industry and her fans wanting more. When the follow-up novel never emerges, she slips into a comfortable life of easy jobs - employment that won’t tax her imagination, leaving her free to write – and avoids all complications. We find Gabrielle as she hits middle-age and begins questioning her choices. Taking the easy-way out, it seems, has left her in a bit of a rut: working for a vicar, living alone with a cat for company, her parents dead and no true friends to speak of. Her former best friend, Madeleine, has been dead for years, but is forever present in Gabrielle’s mind as the example of the gorgeous, intelligent woman Gabrielle will never be and will never strive to be.
There were times that I just wanted to slap the protagonist, to tell her to get over herself, but I didn’t have to: Gaby’s self-inflicted normality is shaken when she agrees to meet a fan with whom she’s been corresponding for a few months. Rather than the fellow middle-aged woman she’d expected, a stunning young man arrives. Simon ends up staying the night (then months), forcing Gabrielle to take a look at her life, where she questions not only her incapacity to write as she desires, but also the role she now has in a society that values the beautiful over the old. Falling in love with Simon opens cracks in a shell she didn’t know she had, enabling her – forcing her - to finally reach out, make real friends (everyone should have a Lisel and a Viv when they need help get back on track) and take stock of her past actions.
I won’t spoil the story with further information, but the final third of the book is a tour de force, where Helen Kitson shows us how clever a writer can be. If you love novels about writing, complicated relationships, unrequited love, the meaning of friendship, or dealing with an uncomfortable past, this book is for you. I give it a very solid four stars.
December 3, 2018
Delighted to have received an ARC of this novel and enjoyed it immensely. It is very well written and the quality of writing is second to none. You can guess, if you didn't know, that Helen has a deep love of words. So what of this for a beautiful sentence: . . . 'fugitive sunlight falling through the branches of bare winter trees.'
Then there's the book itself. @LouiseWalters12 https://www.louisewaltersbooks.co.uk has done a superb publishing job. It's a delight to hold this novel, it sits well in your hands and feels good and suely that's got to be part of it for a book lover.
What of the plot though? It thickens, so to speak, in a way that holds your attention and drives you to want to keep going. It's a story with a difference which is refreshing.
This is the first physical book I've read in a long while. Such is life at the moment, that it's easier to cope with ebooks and audiobooks. This ARC wants me to hold pages again. Well done Helen, (and Louise) five stars, and thank you for opening doors.
DJC
@BirkbyWoodhouse
Then there's the book itself. @LouiseWalters12 https://www.louisewaltersbooks.co.uk has done a superb publishing job. It's a delight to hold this novel, it sits well in your hands and feels good and suely that's got to be part of it for a book lover.
What of the plot though? It thickens, so to speak, in a way that holds your attention and drives you to want to keep going. It's a story with a difference which is refreshing.
This is the first physical book I've read in a long while. Such is life at the moment, that it's easier to cope with ebooks and audiobooks. This ARC wants me to hold pages again. Well done Helen, (and Louise) five stars, and thank you for opening doors.
DJC
@BirkbyWoodhouse
January 16, 2019
This is beautifully written - quiet, yet deceptively complex, and offering as many twists as a thriller. The story is both dark and comic, imbued with a sense of growing unease as the plot unfolds. Although this is a literary novel, full of evocative description, it is pacy enough to hold the reader’s interest to the final denouement. As the story unfolds we are not always sure who is in control; the balance of power shifts at every turn. At the heart of the novel are themes of loneliness, mind games and the damaging effect of secrets.
It’s also a beautiful book - with a fabulous cover. A writer and a publisher to watch.
This is my unbiased review in return for an advance copy.
It’s also a beautiful book - with a fabulous cover. A writer and a publisher to watch.
This is my unbiased review in return for an advance copy.
March 8, 2019
Gabrielle is twenty-years on from her best-selling novel, and the fame and riches it brought her. Now, she is a single (no children), socially isolated housekeeper for the local vicar, still haunted by the death of her best friend Madeleine, who drowned at the age of 22. Then Simon inveigles his way into her life and changes everything.
Intertwined with Gabrielle’s modern-day life, is the story of her childhood friendship with Madeleine. This leads – inexorably – to Madeleine’s death, revealing bit-by-bit why Gabrielle has become so fragile.
When we think of “vulnerable adults” we tend to think of the visibly, physically and mentally, disabled, but vulnerability comes in so many forms – including the need to be loved, which is itself inextricably linked with the (quintessentially middle-England) reluctance to offend. The ease with which we allow our behaviour to be modified by the expectations of others is revealed here in all its discomfort.
This is a tale of love, loss, secrets, and betrayal. Kitson writes all with subtlety and compassion, fleshing out her characters with authenticity. I’m still getting goosebumps when I think about it.
Intertwined with Gabrielle’s modern-day life, is the story of her childhood friendship with Madeleine. This leads – inexorably – to Madeleine’s death, revealing bit-by-bit why Gabrielle has become so fragile.
When we think of “vulnerable adults” we tend to think of the visibly, physically and mentally, disabled, but vulnerability comes in so many forms – including the need to be loved, which is itself inextricably linked with the (quintessentially middle-England) reluctance to offend. The ease with which we allow our behaviour to be modified by the expectations of others is revealed here in all its discomfort.
This is a tale of love, loss, secrets, and betrayal. Kitson writes all with subtlety and compassion, fleshing out her characters with authenticity. I’m still getting goosebumps when I think about it.
October 29, 2018
Thank you to Louise Walters of Louise Walters Books and Helen Kitson for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this novel prior to publication.
I requested an ARC of this novel after seeing the striking cover and intriguing blurb. When I received my copy I was over the moon and the beautiful cover reflects the theme of the book perfectly.
The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson is an unsettling novel regarding a writer, the past and a haunting secret brought to attention by a mysterious fan.
I found this a wonderful yet unsettling voyage. The author has created characters with intriguing depth. This is an expertly written, captivating and convincing story that I know I will read again.
There were so many sentences, paragraphs or comments which I felt spoke directly to me and will stay with me for a long time.
more reviews available on my bookblog www.momobookdiary.com
I requested an ARC of this novel after seeing the striking cover and intriguing blurb. When I received my copy I was over the moon and the beautiful cover reflects the theme of the book perfectly.
The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson is an unsettling novel regarding a writer, the past and a haunting secret brought to attention by a mysterious fan.
I found this a wonderful yet unsettling voyage. The author has created characters with intriguing depth. This is an expertly written, captivating and convincing story that I know I will read again.
There were so many sentences, paragraphs or comments which I felt spoke directly to me and will stay with me for a long time.
more reviews available on my bookblog www.momobookdiary.com
February 9, 2019
An intriguing mystery full of layered characters, secrets and beautiful prose. Massive thanks to the publisher for the advance review copy.
September 27, 2019
Gorgeous prose and vivid imagery – secrets and mind games
Though still haunted by the mysterious drowning death of her girlhood best friend, Madeleine, Gabrielle Price is living an unextraordinary life – quiet and uncomplicated, deliberately so. Twenty years ago, she wrote a critically acclaimed masterpiece, but once the fanfare died down and without producing another work, she withdrew to her own bubble. Set in her ways, and seeming much older than her years, Gabrielle’s life is upturned by the young and charming Simon who works his way into her life unpicking her carefully unremarkable world and showing that nothing is as simple as it seems.
It was no surprise to find out that Helen Kitson is a poet. The prose in her debut novel is truly beautiful. I love it when I find a line that resonates beyond the sentence meaning – one that makes you pause and reread to savour it. I found many examples of this while reading The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson. It added an extra layer but never took me out of the story.
The main characters are more complicated than they attempt to show us and discovering those layers is an interesting process. At times they are vulnerable and sympathetic, at others they are manipulative and cruel, but they never settle into boring – not even the memory-character of Madeleine. The secondary characters are well drawn and interesting and add a contrasting normality to the central relationship.
The story feels uncomfortably inevitable at times but the journey is well worth it. Definitely recommend and look forward to more novels by this author!
Though still haunted by the mysterious drowning death of her girlhood best friend, Madeleine, Gabrielle Price is living an unextraordinary life – quiet and uncomplicated, deliberately so. Twenty years ago, she wrote a critically acclaimed masterpiece, but once the fanfare died down and without producing another work, she withdrew to her own bubble. Set in her ways, and seeming much older than her years, Gabrielle’s life is upturned by the young and charming Simon who works his way into her life unpicking her carefully unremarkable world and showing that nothing is as simple as it seems.
It was no surprise to find out that Helen Kitson is a poet. The prose in her debut novel is truly beautiful. I love it when I find a line that resonates beyond the sentence meaning – one that makes you pause and reread to savour it. I found many examples of this while reading The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson. It added an extra layer but never took me out of the story.
The main characters are more complicated than they attempt to show us and discovering those layers is an interesting process. At times they are vulnerable and sympathetic, at others they are manipulative and cruel, but they never settle into boring – not even the memory-character of Madeleine. The secondary characters are well drawn and interesting and add a contrasting normality to the central relationship.
The story feels uncomfortably inevitable at times but the journey is well worth it. Definitely recommend and look forward to more novels by this author!
January 16, 2019
A deceptively quiet novel full of twists and turns you’d expect from a thriller, right up to the last few pages!
Gabrielle’s first novel was a literary sensation, but years on, she hasn’t been able to write a second book. Fan and novice writer, Simon, asks to meet her. She finds him alluring and lets him lodge with her, but as time goes on, he seems more interested in Gabrielle’s golden friend, Madeleine, who died in tragic circumstances many years before.
Both Gabrielle and Simon are holding dark secrets they need to face up to, but can they change the way they see themselves and each other, forever?
This novel is beautifully written by award-winning poet, Helen Kitson. It’s accessible literary fiction which was a pleasure to read. It didn't race along but it didn't need to. I enjoyed the way the truth is gradually revealed, and the underlying unease created by Gabrielle's secret and Simon's real intentions.
Published by a top class independent publisher, Louise Walters Books – here is a writer and a publisher to watch.
This is my honest review in return for an advanced copy.
Publishes on 7th March 2019 by Louise Walters Books.
Gabrielle’s first novel was a literary sensation, but years on, she hasn’t been able to write a second book. Fan and novice writer, Simon, asks to meet her. She finds him alluring and lets him lodge with her, but as time goes on, he seems more interested in Gabrielle’s golden friend, Madeleine, who died in tragic circumstances many years before.
Both Gabrielle and Simon are holding dark secrets they need to face up to, but can they change the way they see themselves and each other, forever?
This novel is beautifully written by award-winning poet, Helen Kitson. It’s accessible literary fiction which was a pleasure to read. It didn't race along but it didn't need to. I enjoyed the way the truth is gradually revealed, and the underlying unease created by Gabrielle's secret and Simon's real intentions.
Published by a top class independent publisher, Louise Walters Books – here is a writer and a publisher to watch.
This is my honest review in return for an advanced copy.
Publishes on 7th March 2019 by Louise Walters Books.
December 1, 2021
Helen Kitson's glorious lyrical prose carries us along with writer Gabrielle Price as she negotiates her relatively dull life through a volcano of emotions with the arrival of a young writer to her house. Simon inveigles her mind, her heart, her sense and sensibility. There is no order anymore but the order of Simon. To find out how Gabrielle ended up here, we are taken back to tragic events of her early life where the inveigling person was Madeleine, her closest friend, confidant, but sometimes her greatest nemesis.
This is a beautifully written story, with flashbacks and realisations bursting onto the page like paint splashes, creating a surge of story colour, a rainbow of a tale. The characters are wonderfully presented, their virtues and vices spread out like a quilt where all the patches have to be sewn together. A triumph of a book!
This is a beautifully written story, with flashbacks and realisations bursting onto the page like paint splashes, creating a surge of story colour, a rainbow of a tale. The characters are wonderfully presented, their virtues and vices spread out like a quilt where all the patches have to be sewn together. A triumph of a book!
February 26, 2020
I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it. Brilliantly written and perfectly paced, this story of a lonely woman who never got over the death of her best friend, having her life slowly dismantled by a young man, is literary page turner. Perfect for book groups.
December 19, 2018
Intelligent, unusual and surprising. A very strong four stars.
I’m grateful to Louise Walters Books for sending me an ARC of this book. I don’t often request or receive ARC’s but something about this one caught my eye and I wasn’t in the least disappointed. The narrator’s voice was not only convincing but also compelling and although I had occasional misgivings over minor aspects of the plot, Gabrielle’s voice kept me closely engaged with how things would fall out.
A middle-aged woman who has retreated from a brief spell in the literary limelight, Gabrielle is hard to fathom (the reasons for this become apparent as the book goes on) but still fascinating – a fan of Barabra Pym who works for a slightly stereotypical vicar, she has just been jilted by a married lover. She them falls headlong in love (or lust) with her unexpected visitor Simon who claims to be a fan of her writing. It is Simon, who lied at the outset about his identity, and Gabrielle’s relationship with him, which are the real puzzles to the reader and also to the narrator herself. How she is going to deal with him and the memories he stirs up of her old friend Madeleine become crucial to her sense of self as well as her future life.
This is a journey through grief and guilt with an air of foreboding which I greatly enjoyed, only to be just as entertained by the arrival on the scene of the local book-club (composed mainly of elderly eccentrics) who decide to take Gabrielle under their wing; a lively contrast in a story which for the most part takes place in the heroine’s head.
Not all of the plot twists were surprises but that didn’t matter because they unfolded in a convincing way. If I had a reservation I think there was something about Simon which didn’t quite work for me. Perhaps he is deliberately elusive, but I didn’t feel the magnetic hold he had over Gabrielle nor could I quite picture their life together.
Despite these reservations I still loved the intelligent writing and literary feel of this book and its sympathetic treatment of a middle-aged heroine.
I’m grateful to Louise Walters Books for sending me an ARC of this book. I don’t often request or receive ARC’s but something about this one caught my eye and I wasn’t in the least disappointed. The narrator’s voice was not only convincing but also compelling and although I had occasional misgivings over minor aspects of the plot, Gabrielle’s voice kept me closely engaged with how things would fall out.
A middle-aged woman who has retreated from a brief spell in the literary limelight, Gabrielle is hard to fathom (the reasons for this become apparent as the book goes on) but still fascinating – a fan of Barabra Pym who works for a slightly stereotypical vicar, she has just been jilted by a married lover. She them falls headlong in love (or lust) with her unexpected visitor Simon who claims to be a fan of her writing. It is Simon, who lied at the outset about his identity, and Gabrielle’s relationship with him, which are the real puzzles to the reader and also to the narrator herself. How she is going to deal with him and the memories he stirs up of her old friend Madeleine become crucial to her sense of self as well as her future life.
This is a journey through grief and guilt with an air of foreboding which I greatly enjoyed, only to be just as entertained by the arrival on the scene of the local book-club (composed mainly of elderly eccentrics) who decide to take Gabrielle under their wing; a lively contrast in a story which for the most part takes place in the heroine’s head.
Not all of the plot twists were surprises but that didn’t matter because they unfolded in a convincing way. If I had a reservation I think there was something about Simon which didn’t quite work for me. Perhaps he is deliberately elusive, but I didn’t feel the magnetic hold he had over Gabrielle nor could I quite picture their life together.
Despite these reservations I still loved the intelligent writing and literary feel of this book and its sympathetic treatment of a middle-aged heroine.
March 4, 2019
Do you know, I think it’s fair to say that Helen Kitson has written a pretty extraordinary novel too. The quality of the writing is exceptional – rich and vivid descriptions, stunning imagery, an erotic and disturbing edge, dialogue that’s wholly realistic but layered with nuance, excellent use of literary allusions – but this book also hooked me with its story. Gabrielle is wonderfully drawn – perhaps seeming a little older than her years, but as her story unfolds we grow to understand her and the key points in her life that have made her as she is, a shy recluse, living from day to day, a quiet life. All that changes when Simon appears, and although her acceptance of his presence might not entirely ring true – my only small criticism – what follows has the grip and drive of a psychological thriller.
In the present, the story has two significant twists – if you’re inclined to think ahead, you might just see them coming as I did, but their impact certainly isn’t lessened in any way. And you might just be wondering who Madeleine Anderson is, and the relevance of her “last words” – all will become clear as the story moves between past and present, the shockwaves begin to reverberate and we understand the legacy of the past. The characterisation is superb – Simon remains something of an enigma, chilling and manipulative, and Gabrielle constantly fascinates and holds your eye. And the story’s pace is perfect – lingering in all the appropriate places, giving space for thought, increasing in speed as the pieces begin to fall. I very much enjoyed this one – and I think others will too.
In the present, the story has two significant twists – if you’re inclined to think ahead, you might just see them coming as I did, but their impact certainly isn’t lessened in any way. And you might just be wondering who Madeleine Anderson is, and the relevance of her “last words” – all will become clear as the story moves between past and present, the shockwaves begin to reverberate and we understand the legacy of the past. The characterisation is superb – Simon remains something of an enigma, chilling and manipulative, and Gabrielle constantly fascinates and holds your eye. And the story’s pace is perfect – lingering in all the appropriate places, giving space for thought, increasing in speed as the pieces begin to fall. I very much enjoyed this one – and I think others will too.
April 13, 2019
Everything about this book sang to me. Original, gorgeous cover design, a wonderfully intriguing synopsis and after reading the first page I was hooked.
It’s been described as a literary thriller. No high-octane car chases or explosions here though, the highlight of this novel is how deliciously subtle it is. The writing is brilliant, it lured me in almost immediately and I felt tangled up within the plot, not knowing where it was headed, not particularly liking the characters, but yet not willing to be released. I had to read on, I had to know what was going to happen. I was inside Gabrielle’s head, saw everything through her eyes and I felt her every emotion. It is dark and it is deeply unsettling.
Told in the first person by Gabrielle, the author of a novel which was once hailed as literary genius. A bookish one hit wonder, she has isolated herself and exists almost as if on an island. The mysterious, but youthful and handsome Simon begins to break down her barriers, and despite her misgivings and distrust, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to him.
The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson is a fantastic read. Incredibly compelling, filled with delicate intrigue and more layers than Jennifer Aniston’s hair in season 2 of Friends. I’ve been taken entirely by surprise by just how much I’ve enjoyed this book! It would be a perfect book club read as once I’d read the ending (and re-read again and again) I just wanted someone to talk to so I could discuss and examine! Exceptional.
It’s been described as a literary thriller. No high-octane car chases or explosions here though, the highlight of this novel is how deliciously subtle it is. The writing is brilliant, it lured me in almost immediately and I felt tangled up within the plot, not knowing where it was headed, not particularly liking the characters, but yet not willing to be released. I had to read on, I had to know what was going to happen. I was inside Gabrielle’s head, saw everything through her eyes and I felt her every emotion. It is dark and it is deeply unsettling.
Told in the first person by Gabrielle, the author of a novel which was once hailed as literary genius. A bookish one hit wonder, she has isolated herself and exists almost as if on an island. The mysterious, but youthful and handsome Simon begins to break down her barriers, and despite her misgivings and distrust, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to him.
The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson is a fantastic read. Incredibly compelling, filled with delicate intrigue and more layers than Jennifer Aniston’s hair in season 2 of Friends. I’ve been taken entirely by surprise by just how much I’ve enjoyed this book! It would be a perfect book club read as once I’d read the ending (and re-read again and again) I just wanted someone to talk to so I could discuss and examine! Exceptional.
February 8, 2019
A middle-aged woman. The hankering memory of a lost-but-perfect-friendship. A one-hit literary wonder. Gabrielle Price has tucked away the potential of a more fulfilling life and lives with her cat in a tiny cottage in a village where nothing much happens. She works as a housekeeper for the vicar, her days marked by routine, and her life seems no more set to change than the life of the sleepy village does.
Then Simon inveigles his way in, and everything does change. A mysterious letter-writer turns out not to be who they say they are but Gabrielle’s vanity has already entrapped her into a seductive but misrepresentative relationship with Simon. He arrives in her village during a snowstorm with a rucksack and no way of getting home, and Gabrielle is forced to take him into her home.
Throughout the narrative of this book we watch Gabrielle sinking into a murky mixture of desire and mistrust, led into the centre of the maze of Simon’s fury and need.
The truth of the past will have to come out in the end.
This is a beautifully-written book full of anguish and regret but in the end, hope. The narrative is unhurried but there are no extraneous words to slow it down. It's clear to me that the author is a poet. And like every good story, it contains a dark secret. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed such books as Diane Setterfield’s The Thirteenth Tale and Claire Fuller’s Swimming Lessons.
Then Simon inveigles his way in, and everything does change. A mysterious letter-writer turns out not to be who they say they are but Gabrielle’s vanity has already entrapped her into a seductive but misrepresentative relationship with Simon. He arrives in her village during a snowstorm with a rucksack and no way of getting home, and Gabrielle is forced to take him into her home.
Throughout the narrative of this book we watch Gabrielle sinking into a murky mixture of desire and mistrust, led into the centre of the maze of Simon’s fury and need.
The truth of the past will have to come out in the end.
This is a beautifully-written book full of anguish and regret but in the end, hope. The narrative is unhurried but there are no extraneous words to slow it down. It's clear to me that the author is a poet. And like every good story, it contains a dark secret. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed such books as Diane Setterfield’s The Thirteenth Tale and Claire Fuller’s Swimming Lessons.
March 8, 2019
Thanks to the author for this ARC (so exciting! Only my second-ever.)
I really enjoy novels with precise day-to-day details because as a reader, I can quickly slip into the routine and pace of the words. Quiet books have a rhythm all their own and The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson is an example of this.
However, even though it's a quiet book, there is a lot going on!! For a debut novel, it merges several plot threads with surprising success. We are introduced to the reclusive Gabrielle Price and the people who surround her (whether she wants them to or not!) This story includes:
-a domestic drama between Gabrielle and her ex-lover Russell
-a May/December romance between Gabrielle and newcomer Simon, twenty years her junior
-coming-of-age flashbacks between Gabrielle and her childhood friend Madeleine
-a mystery between at least two characters named above
If you're like me, you like ALL FOUR of those ingredients! Did you notice that the seaweed on the book cover could also resemble human hair?! I will say no more. Well, except, read it of course.
(Minus one star because the May-December romance did not turn out like I wanted, alas. Simon is kind of an asshole.)
I really enjoy novels with precise day-to-day details because as a reader, I can quickly slip into the routine and pace of the words. Quiet books have a rhythm all their own and The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson is an example of this.
However, even though it's a quiet book, there is a lot going on!! For a debut novel, it merges several plot threads with surprising success. We are introduced to the reclusive Gabrielle Price and the people who surround her (whether she wants them to or not!) This story includes:
-a domestic drama between Gabrielle and her ex-lover Russell
-a May/December romance between Gabrielle and newcomer Simon, twenty years her junior
-coming-of-age flashbacks between Gabrielle and her childhood friend Madeleine
-a mystery between at least two characters named above
If you're like me, you like ALL FOUR of those ingredients! Did you notice that the seaweed on the book cover could also resemble human hair?! I will say no more. Well, except, read it of course.
(Minus one star because the May-December romance did not turn out like I wanted, alas. Simon is kind of an asshole.)
March 10, 2019
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.
Well-written, readable, believable. The protagonist, Gabrielle Price, reflects the lives of those women of a certain age who, over the years, have fallen into dull, familiar and safe routines. Ripe for an unscrupulous, charming, handsome man to come into their lives and lead them astray. One only has to recall stories of seemingly sensible women conned out of large sums of money to accept the veracity of that.
Although Gabrielle's financial assets are left intact, Simon, the young and handsome man in question, strips her emotional defences and secrets, and exposes the fragile bones of Gabrielle's life, leaving her vulnerable and afraid. But Simon has his own secrets, and perhaps through the sharing of those, both he and Gabrielle can move forward.
One of the most enjoyable aspects to this novel was the obvious intelligence of the protagonist, Gabrielle: her thoughts were infused with the lives and works of her favourite writers. This helped show her authorly mind and gave hope that one day she would be able to move on from the past, from the stultifying influence of Madeleine Anderson, and be her own person once more.
Well-written, readable, believable. The protagonist, Gabrielle Price, reflects the lives of those women of a certain age who, over the years, have fallen into dull, familiar and safe routines. Ripe for an unscrupulous, charming, handsome man to come into their lives and lead them astray. One only has to recall stories of seemingly sensible women conned out of large sums of money to accept the veracity of that.
Although Gabrielle's financial assets are left intact, Simon, the young and handsome man in question, strips her emotional defences and secrets, and exposes the fragile bones of Gabrielle's life, leaving her vulnerable and afraid. But Simon has his own secrets, and perhaps through the sharing of those, both he and Gabrielle can move forward.
One of the most enjoyable aspects to this novel was the obvious intelligence of the protagonist, Gabrielle: her thoughts were infused with the lives and works of her favourite writers. This helped show her authorly mind and gave hope that one day she would be able to move on from the past, from the stultifying influence of Madeleine Anderson, and be her own person once more.
February 15, 2019
Thanks must go to author Helen Kitson and publisher Louise Walters Books for supplying an ARC of this book. The opinions here are my own.
I have to say, I immediately loved the cover design, so was excited to dive in. This book deserves the solid 4* I have rated it as it is beautifully written, and the layers of the story are cleverly woven throughout. However, I did find the odd decision made by the main character Gabrielle, a little questionable. Would she really react this way to certain situations? No spoilers - judge for yourself and for goodness sakes don't let this put you off, this book needs to be read to appreciate the skilful story telling.
I enjoyed the way the story unfolded and from about half-way through, I didn't want to put it down. I'm not sure if it is my writer's mind or I'm just super curious, but I worked out the twists and spent the rest of the time hoping I was right!
As a respected poet, Helen’s debut novel is most definitely one to be proud of. I highly recommend it and look forward to her future works.
I have to say, I immediately loved the cover design, so was excited to dive in. This book deserves the solid 4* I have rated it as it is beautifully written, and the layers of the story are cleverly woven throughout. However, I did find the odd decision made by the main character Gabrielle, a little questionable. Would she really react this way to certain situations? No spoilers - judge for yourself and for goodness sakes don't let this put you off, this book needs to be read to appreciate the skilful story telling.
I enjoyed the way the story unfolded and from about half-way through, I didn't want to put it down. I'm not sure if it is my writer's mind or I'm just super curious, but I worked out the twists and spent the rest of the time hoping I was right!
As a respected poet, Helen’s debut novel is most definitely one to be proud of. I highly recommend it and look forward to her future works.
March 11, 2019
I received an advanced reading copy of ‘The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson’ from Louise Walters at Louise Walters Books without obligation – this review is how I read it. The back cover blurb sets the story up well; it is accurate, enticing and doesn’t spoil in any way. The front cover I found intriguing and on reading the book its relevance sank in. From the start, it was obvious the author, Helen Kitson, is an accomplished writer. Her style a balance between literary and psychological fiction; with a well judged tilt towards good story telling. Balance is the key word for me; of pace and description, of past and present, of what thought and said, of living with memory and irrational desire - and as the reader, taking in the moment and not thinking too far ahead. I got a real sense of the author writing the book she wanted to read; and her publisher too – another balance well made. I’ve been trying to think of a book, a writing style this reminds me of, I can’t – it’s a book by Helen Kitson – enjoy.
February 4, 2019
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.
This was a book which I got into quite quickly and read over a couple of days - I honestly did not want to put it down. Helen Kitson drives the plot forward relentlessly and does not disappoint. The twists and turns of middle-aged Gabrielle's relationship with the mysterious Simon - twenty years or so her junior - are believable in spite of the rather unlikely premise of him turning up and staying without being invited to do so. I guessed one of the mysteries of the book, but not the second. I found it an original story.
The secondary characters in the story - Gabrielle's vicar employer and two women in the village who she confides in to a greater or lesser extent- are also believable, and reminiscent of some of Salley Vickers' characters.
This was an enjoyable read and I recommend it.
This was a book which I got into quite quickly and read over a couple of days - I honestly did not want to put it down. Helen Kitson drives the plot forward relentlessly and does not disappoint. The twists and turns of middle-aged Gabrielle's relationship with the mysterious Simon - twenty years or so her junior - are believable in spite of the rather unlikely premise of him turning up and staying without being invited to do so. I guessed one of the mysteries of the book, but not the second. I found it an original story.
The secondary characters in the story - Gabrielle's vicar employer and two women in the village who she confides in to a greater or lesser extent- are also believable, and reminiscent of some of Salley Vickers' characters.
This was an enjoyable read and I recommend it.
April 9, 2019
Beautiful prose and very clever story lines. I haven't read a book so quickly in a long time. Especially love the portrayal of the village characters. Maybe it's because the main protagonists are flawed that you have to read on to see if they get their comeuppance.
Should have read it with highlighter in hand as so many literary references, I could have put a healthy reading list together.
Apart from things getting a little hysterical in the centre of the book (how many of us have a wall safe?) A credible and thought provoking read.
Should have read it with highlighter in hand as so many literary references, I could have put a healthy reading list together.
Apart from things getting a little hysterical in the centre of the book (how many of us have a wall safe?) A credible and thought provoking read.
March 12, 2019
I worked out what had happened and who was who very early on in the story but it was still a good read. The moral of the story for me was that it is so easy to eulogise the dead - it happens time and again. Well written and worth reading.
October 30, 2018
The evocative cover hints at mysteries beneath the surface, and The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson provides layer upon layer of mystery. Gabrielle Price has surrendered to middle age so completely she could be mistaken for a much older woman. She lives a quiet, unremarkable life in the quaint village where she grew up, the village that was the setting of a tragic event in her youth, the dark heart of the book. The early, remarkable literary success Gabrielle experienced thereafter should, it seems, have lifted her life into a higher sphere, but instead it became as much of a strain as the tragedy that preceded it. Twin burdens that hold her back and hem her in, making her unable both to write and to fully live.
There are many «if only» moments in this novel, which tenderly evokes the inner life, as well as the outer, of a woman who has let her life prematurely fade to gray, who has settled for so much less than her abilites should have enabled her to have. The book, however, does not just linger here, it provides a push to the very edge, and a reawakening, in the form of Simon, whose presence is as alluring as it is omnious.
This book looks at the crippling effect of great expectations, in literature as well as in life. It is a book suffused with the love of, and struggle with, literature. It picks at romantic myths about writing and authorship, but is never less than fully on the side of literature and it's redemptive powers.
There is much ambiguity in Gabrielles relationships to the other characters in the book, and one of the novel's strengths is how those relationships change, and, in turn, change Gabrielle. It is the same with the descriptions of village life, it's affectionate, but not blind to the fact that its's sometimes wilfully quaint, sometimes stifling.
The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson is beautifully written. It holds mystery and intrigue, and is also a realistic portrait of middle age. It's an intelligent book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading and highly recommend.
This review is based on an Advanced Reader Copy.
There are many «if only» moments in this novel, which tenderly evokes the inner life, as well as the outer, of a woman who has let her life prematurely fade to gray, who has settled for so much less than her abilites should have enabled her to have. The book, however, does not just linger here, it provides a push to the very edge, and a reawakening, in the form of Simon, whose presence is as alluring as it is omnious.
This book looks at the crippling effect of great expectations, in literature as well as in life. It is a book suffused with the love of, and struggle with, literature. It picks at romantic myths about writing and authorship, but is never less than fully on the side of literature and it's redemptive powers.
There is much ambiguity in Gabrielles relationships to the other characters in the book, and one of the novel's strengths is how those relationships change, and, in turn, change Gabrielle. It is the same with the descriptions of village life, it's affectionate, but not blind to the fact that its's sometimes wilfully quaint, sometimes stifling.
The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson is beautifully written. It holds mystery and intrigue, and is also a realistic portrait of middle age. It's an intelligent book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading and highly recommend.
This review is based on an Advanced Reader Copy.
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