The Blind Years

by Catherine Cookson

Bridget Gether's parents had been killed in the wartime blitz and she had lived with the Overmeers at Balderstone, their sprawling property in the Northumbrian countryside, since she was a child. Unaware that she had been manipulated into agreeing to marry their son Laurence, only an encounter with Bruce Dickenson, the son of a neighbouring farmer, opened her eyes to the possibility that she might be making a mistake. 'Once you are married,' Bridget's future mother-in-law tried to reassure her, 'everything will fall into place'. But Bridget had her reservations, although she told herself she has loved Laurence Overmeer with a schoolgirl passion for years. But could she trust him, especially after the event that had caused this heart-searching? Had he been seeing someone else all the time he had been courting her? She decided that there were sufficient grounds for doubt, so she called off the marriage. However, she had reckoned without the formidable Overmeer family, whose desperate business straits compelled them to take whatever steps they felt were necessary to protect their interests. As for Laurence, he could not forgive Bridget for the humiliation of rejection, so he made his own plans for revenge. But he could not have known that someone else was planning a different kind of revenge, and that the outcome would shake the very foundations of the Overmeer family.

The Blind Years, another of Catherine Cookson's part-mysteries, part-love stories, once again displays her consummate skill at portraying the nuances of family conflict.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Historical, Novels

265 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

About the author

Catherine Cookson was born in Tyne Dock, the illegitimate daughter of a poverty-stricken woman, Kate, who Catherine believed was her older sister. Catherine began work in service but eventually moved south to Hastings, where she met and married Tom Cookson, a local grammar-school master.

Although she was originally acclaimed as a regional writer - her novel The Round Tower won the Winifred Holtby Award for the best regional novel of 1968 - her readership quickly spread throughout the world, and her many best-selling novels established her as one of the most popular contemporary woman novelist. She received an OBE in 1985, was created a Dame of the British Empire in 1993, and was appointed an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford, in 1997.

For many years she lived near Newcastle upon Tyne.

Reviews

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite Catherine Cookson stories. Storytelling at it's best. Recommended.

[Noella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het boek was wel ok maar niet meer dan dat. Het las wel heel vlot.
Ik vond de karakters weinig diepgang hebben en de plot heel voorspelbaar.
Goed voor een tussendoortje, maar het verhaal zal niet blijven hangen.

[Mookie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wonder if Cookson intended this book to be a play? The plot takes place within a few days, all the characters are stuck together and making no real effort to get away despite all being stressed out by one another, each initial nuance (the implication that Lawrence and Mrs. Crofton are having an affair, for example) are 'discovered' again and again until there's no more nuance. Seriously, Bridget discovered their affair like five different times and was shocked each time. Lots of passive aggressiveness in the dialogue, a lot of putting Bridget down, to the point where it seemed like a national past-time, and half of the revelations learned by Bridget happened by eavesdropping by keyholes. Not Cookson's finest work, but then again, I don't read Cookson for breathtaking plot points, I read her because she's comforting and you know where you are with a Cookson book. The romance with John was predictable, but sweet, but his corrections of her kind of made him a bit annoying.

People have been saying this is a murder mystery, I don't think so at all. I think this book was a series of introspective thoughts regarding loving someone who does not love you, or has affairs, and if you can forgive someone based on the uncontrollable quality of love. All the introspections were being coiled into the final climax, the murder (SPOILER), wherein we discover the ultimate consequence of betrayed love. "Everything ends" - and Mr. Crofton represents a victim who is still a victim, despite now labelled the perpetrator. It was poignant how this book pities him, in the end. I think Cookson is so underappreciated for the ways she writes character introspection in her novels, unfortunately I don't think her plots are as creative.

Will I reread? Probably not, if I do it'll just be for scenes between John and Bridget and even their relationship is superficial and without depth, so this is a scan read for sure.

[Mark Tilbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

A shorter novella length read that tells of broken relationships and murder.
Not one of my Cookson favourites, but it's still full of intrigue and is an enjoyable read.

[Herbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het is een typischCookson boek; maar ik hou wel van haar stijl en de verhalen zijn steeds boeiend genoeg zeker voor een boek dat ik steeds even tussen door lees. Ik heb het een leuk boek gevonden.

[Pattie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read for me. It was good and kept me turning the pages. The title is appropriate....read the book and you will see what I mean.

[Lili · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read all of Catherine Cookson's books some years ago and enjoyed them immensley. I recently re-read all of them and find that on a second look I found them all so very predictable, and was rather disappointed. However I'm sure that it is my tastes that have changed not the calibre of her story telling.

[Madeleine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was entertained for the short period of time it took me to read this book, but the plot read like a movie. It moved so rapidly that it didn’t leave any time to actually get to know any of the characters. The book should have begun in Bridget’s childhood so that we could witness her growth and background in a house that was conspiring to marry her off. How did she come to trust these people? Without the background to support the three days in which the story takes place, we feel thrust into this girl’s drama and we don’t even know or care about her. It’s like jumping in on the last episode of a tv series.

[Jane Woodcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy short read. Charming and intriguing at the same time. I liked most of the characters, a couple I loathed. But that's a good writer for you. Got so many cookson books to get through. I always think, oh I'll read this one and once I start and get into it I really enjoy them, but not an author I would usually pick.

[Katyayani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give it 3 stars because it is neither a good book nor a bad one. It was okay. It took me half a day to finish it. There is not much of a storyline but only reason I finished it was it was well written.Even it lacks a intense plot, the simple story was written in a good way, it didn't bother me to go on until the last page.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember this paperback was being sold at Whitcoulls in Auckland as sales item in 2000. It's the first novel I finished to read with no translation. Although the story is ordinary, finally reasonable and legal happy ending comes. Left a pleasant taste.

[Ruth Bingham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Cheryll · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best Catherine Cookson novel I've read but a quick and enjoyable one.

[Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

When it started to get going it was over !

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

***3.5***

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect light romance: stock characters and plot well written; worth a bowl of "Charles Chips cheesy pretzles"!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short novel, easy to read. I did enjoy the shortness of time over which this story was told.

[Tawny Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!

This story was like a who done it mystery. Loved it! Read it in one day. Couldn’t put it down.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed; not having read a Cookson since the 70s. Though probably not one of her best. They're light and easy to read. Great for the daily commute.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is only the second book I've read of catherine cookson but another good book well recommended

[Ruth Hargreaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice easy reading, Catherine Cookson does it again.

[Deanna Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had some difficulty understanding at times because of the wording. And it was pretty clear what was going to happen as it went along.

[Semes Ana Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relaxantă. Dincolo de aparențe, în urma unor experiențe, poți descoperi alte fețe ale oamenilor. Lecție de viață.

[Joy Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book, a nice easy read. There is often information about the type of life that people lived then. No such thing as love however many men married to give them prestige and money to support their lifestyle.the comments made to young women about sex being endured,and only lovers for fulfilling sexual pleasure. It seems archaic.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, likeable tale about a lady called Bridget Gether who was being manipulated into marrying a chap called Laurence Overmeer due to his family wanting her money as security.
A chance encounter with a childhood friend Bruce Dickenson reveals that Laurence is having an affair and an overheard conversation enlightens her to the family’s manipulative ways and this gives her the strength to call off the marriage.
Now she is out on a limb - this has been her path since childhood and all her plans have collapsed.
The story continues that Laurence is found shot and everyone is a suspect until it is revealed that it is the hurt husband of Laurence’s bit on the side Mrs Crofton.
A happy ending awaits though as it is revealed that the doctor John has always been in love with her (as was Bruce!) and they get together. Typical, fairly predictable, happy ending tale but an enjoyable enough escape that won’t take you long to get through, but won’t leave any lasting impression either.

[Cnelsonquilt · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a fluffy kind of predictable book. Interesting characters and plot. enough to keep you wondering and reading. I wanted to read one of her books when I read she was the most checked out author from the library for 17 years. she published her first novel at age 44, has 85 bestsellers and many of them have been made into movies

[Yoshay Lindblom · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Catherine Cookson's stories in general but this one did little to impress me. Something was missing from the story, and the female protagonist Bridget annoyed me to no bounds- a very thinly drawn character. She paints a typical picture of a damsel-in-distress who is neither pretty nor has brains, yet she has three hunks after her. The secondary characters were much better.

[Julie Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been a fan of this author and love her writing style, which hooks you from the start right through until the end - this story is no exception.

Although a little different from most of her other work - somewhat like a murder mystery - the characters are wonderfully real within the mix of romance and sorrow.

As always an enjoyable read.

[Siobhan Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been a fan of this author and love her writing style which hooks you from the start right through until the end this story is no exception.

Although a little different from most of her other work somewhat like a murder mystery the characters are wonderfully real within the mix of romance and sorrow.

As always an enjoyable read.

[Sonia Puri · Rating 3 out of 5]

read half way p132 its quite boring really but a family story about a young girl who has to meet her gran to help her sort the neccessary wedding to vance overmeer bit over the top storyline.
you should read it .