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Farundell
Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso
416 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2010
6 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
L.R. Fredericks
3 books21 followersL.R. Fredericks’ New Jersey childhood was rural and idyllic, if somewhat unconventional. Raised by parents of European background and Bohemian disposition, she was educated at Quaker schools and later earned a degree from the University of Chicago, where she worked interdepartmentally on myth, poetry and shamanism. She frittered away her youth in frivolous pursuits - modelling, acting, performance - before she got serious about art and the nature of reality. Based then in New York, she took up painting and sculpture, which, until she started writing five years ago, was her main occupation. She also began what would be a lifelong study of the esoteric traditions of east and west. Training in transpersonal psychotherapy and Egyptology further expanded her horizons and conceptual vocabulary. She has lived in London for the last 20 years.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 27, 2011
There is a small group of books I come back to again and again, partly for comfort or nostalgia, partly because they always reveal something new, mostly because I saw myself within each story the first time around and with successive re-readings it becomes more a part of me. Within the first couple of chapters, Farundell (the book, the place, the very idea) had joined them. Needless to say, this is a tough one to review.
I shouldn't like it at all. Set in the wake of the first world war, with the accompanying trauma, uncertainty and — most of all — unreality vivid from the start, it fits neatly into the "grand English estate" model, which ordinarily does very little to pique my interest. There are a few lines of rather pretentious dialogue and more semi-colons than any self-respecting grammarian could possibly approve. Add a few cringeworthy sex scenes (because aren't they all?) and it's time to look elsewhere. Right?
The thing is, when you open this book, there are maps for Farundell's grounds, and blueprints for the house. You need them: like John Crowley's infundibular Edgewood, the further in you go, the bigger it gets. Here the Thames is the River Isis and Arcadia's fate is shaped by generations of children whose stomping grounds include sacred pools and temples to ancient gods. This estate is filled with the most amazing people, at once archetypal and strangely familiar, but also real: Percy, the frail patriarch in whom live visions of the Amazon, for whom death waits; Paul, our protagonist, a former soldier who has come to Farundell ostensibly to transcribe Lord Damory's memoirs during his final months; precocious Alice, who obsesses over etymology and wants nothing more than to remember the experiences of her moon-body; wise, cryptic Theodora, who does; Daniel, isolated and haunted by his wartime experiences, rarely speaking, refusing to touch anything made of metal; Francis, deceased dabbler in the occult arts who guides the actions of his descendents only to disappear, frustratingly, into the ether; the painter Jarlath, who promises, in a nod to Apuleius, to transform his eldest daughter's suitors into asses; Sylvie, that wayward teenager, the best kind of whirlwind.
The cast is large, and we're introduced to them — and a number of complex issues hinted at in the above descriptions — almost all at once. It's an overwhelming but, I think, deliberate and effective move on Fredericks's part. Her writing is perfect: lush and beautiful, clear yet enigmatic. Like Paul, we're thrust into a setting that is more real and riddled with mysticism than anything we've known before. I'd argue that our task is not necessarily to make sense of it; rather, we have to accept it for what it is (life!) and make sense of ourselves in this new context.
...and that kind of ridiculous statement is probably driving the less positive reviews of this book. Let me try again.
Perhaps the best illustration of my point is Paul's use of photography to elucidate hermetic aphorisms. After taking a picture of nature, or Sylvie, or another Damory, he arbitrarily points to a line in 'Mr Pym' that he then writes on the film (Fredericks mostly uses John Everard's 1650 translation from Ficino of The Divine Pymander, which can be read here). Surprisingly, naturally, this process works, without fail. Only when he attempts to read the surrounding text — when he removes the context — does he feel muddled and frustrated.
Reading over critical reviews, I wish I could tell anyone who's similarly flummoxed by the range of ideas tackled in this book that they're all part of the same thing. I used to read about hermeticism for fun, and now I read it for school, and it's no less beautiful or fascinating to me. Clearly a kindred spirit, Fredericks presents these ideas in novel form with insight and respect and the kind of seriousness that never takes itself too seriously. Philip Womack's disappointment that "[w]e come no closer to knowing the mind of Mr Pym" during the course of the book is misplaced. I don't know about you, dude, but I didn't get this out from the library expecting the mind of God (or whatever) to be revealed in four hundred pages. It does, however, show that fiction can be more effective than fact at illuminating the truth. And I loved it.
I shouldn't like it at all. Set in the wake of the first world war, with the accompanying trauma, uncertainty and — most of all — unreality vivid from the start, it fits neatly into the "grand English estate" model, which ordinarily does very little to pique my interest. There are a few lines of rather pretentious dialogue and more semi-colons than any self-respecting grammarian could possibly approve. Add a few cringeworthy sex scenes (because aren't they all?) and it's time to look elsewhere. Right?
The thing is, when you open this book, there are maps for Farundell's grounds, and blueprints for the house. You need them: like John Crowley's infundibular Edgewood, the further in you go, the bigger it gets. Here the Thames is the River Isis and Arcadia's fate is shaped by generations of children whose stomping grounds include sacred pools and temples to ancient gods. This estate is filled with the most amazing people, at once archetypal and strangely familiar, but also real: Percy, the frail patriarch in whom live visions of the Amazon, for whom death waits; Paul, our protagonist, a former soldier who has come to Farundell ostensibly to transcribe Lord Damory's memoirs during his final months; precocious Alice, who obsesses over etymology and wants nothing more than to remember the experiences of her moon-body; wise, cryptic Theodora, who does; Daniel, isolated and haunted by his wartime experiences, rarely speaking, refusing to touch anything made of metal; Francis, deceased dabbler in the occult arts who guides the actions of his descendents only to disappear, frustratingly, into the ether; the painter Jarlath, who promises, in a nod to Apuleius, to transform his eldest daughter's suitors into asses; Sylvie, that wayward teenager, the best kind of whirlwind.
The cast is large, and we're introduced to them — and a number of complex issues hinted at in the above descriptions — almost all at once. It's an overwhelming but, I think, deliberate and effective move on Fredericks's part. Her writing is perfect: lush and beautiful, clear yet enigmatic. Like Paul, we're thrust into a setting that is more real and riddled with mysticism than anything we've known before. I'd argue that our task is not necessarily to make sense of it; rather, we have to accept it for what it is (life!) and make sense of ourselves in this new context.
...and that kind of ridiculous statement is probably driving the less positive reviews of this book. Let me try again.
Perhaps the best illustration of my point is Paul's use of photography to elucidate hermetic aphorisms. After taking a picture of nature, or Sylvie, or another Damory, he arbitrarily points to a line in 'Mr Pym' that he then writes on the film (Fredericks mostly uses John Everard's 1650 translation from Ficino of The Divine Pymander, which can be read here). Surprisingly, naturally, this process works, without fail. Only when he attempts to read the surrounding text — when he removes the context — does he feel muddled and frustrated.
Reading over critical reviews, I wish I could tell anyone who's similarly flummoxed by the range of ideas tackled in this book that they're all part of the same thing. I used to read about hermeticism for fun, and now I read it for school, and it's no less beautiful or fascinating to me. Clearly a kindred spirit, Fredericks presents these ideas in novel form with insight and respect and the kind of seriousness that never takes itself too seriously. Philip Womack's disappointment that "[w]e come no closer to knowing the mind of Mr Pym" during the course of the book is misplaced. I don't know about you, dude, but I didn't get this out from the library expecting the mind of God (or whatever) to be revealed in four hundred pages. It does, however, show that fiction can be more effective than fact at illuminating the truth. And I loved it.
April 20, 2011
Fantastic read with a lot in it - this book needs a long term commitment and focus to be fully understood. The writing technique however is fantastic and something you don't get often so I have to recommend. According a page at the back it is part of a series that are linked through the characters and themes rather than joined by the plot itself, looking forwards to what is next published.
April 13, 2019
This book started promisingly, then got lost in a world of magic and apparitions and astral travel and a 13 year old girl's adventures. The romance was the best part of it but overall it was disappointing.
July 9, 2015
We all know I'm a sucker for anything which involves the following: a historical setting, a grand old house, magic, ghosts, philosophy, art, lots of talk of learning and books and abstract ideas, and layers of mysteries upon mysteries. Farundell - an unusual, interesting, hard-to-categorise book bursting with ideas - has all of these, plus lost treasure, references to classical texts and myths, and plenty of symbolism. Set in the mid-1920s, it loosely chronicles the introduction of ex-soldier Paul Asher to the beautiful country estate of Farundell and its eccentric residents, the Damory family. There's elderly patriarch Percy, who wants to set down a record of his memories before he dies; actress Maggie and her artist husband Jarlath, a student of white (or is it black?) magic; precocious thirteen-year-old Alice, obsessed with ancient languages and the division between dreams and reality; shell-shocked war veteran Daniel, who lives a hermit's life in a cabin in the grounds; and Sylvie, beautiful and wild, though by far the most conventional of the Damorys; as well as a sizeable cast of supporting characters and extended family. Across the course of one idyllic summer, the characters progress in different ways; growing up, finding themselves, learning, falling in love, moving from one state of mind to another.
I found the beginning a bit clumsy and wasn't sure I was going to like the book at first. It really feels like the idea of Farundell was developed before anything else and the brief London chapters at the start have no purpose other than to set up a way for Paul to get there. He meets Maggie at a party and within a few lines of small talk she's given him the job of secretary to her father (he has no experience and this is their first meeting). However, once the action moves to Farundell itself, the story begins to blossom into something beautiful. The house and its fantastical grounds - complete with an island, temples, a river, woodland glades and a secret pool - are described with care and affection and really spring to life. The third-person narrative shifts between characters, so we move from Paul's growing love for Farundell, to Alice's adventures in her 'moon-body' as she explores the shady dimensions between sleep and wakefulness, and Percy's recollections of his experiences in the Brazilian jungle. There's also frequent appearances by Francis, the very corporeal ghost of one of the Damorys' ancestors, who dispenses cryptic advice to those blessed with the ability to see him. By the end, dreams and reality, life and death become intermingled and it's difficult to tell what is and isn't real. Is Farundell just a figment, its inhabitants 'veritable simulacrums' as Francis claims to be? The open-ended conclusion allows the reader to make up his or her own mind.
The main hurdle to my enjoyment of this book was the relationship between Paul and Sylvie. The development of his feelings for her is as ridiculous as the manner in which he attains his job; she walks into the house and within minutes, despite Paul not speaking to and barely even catching sight of her, he's developed an obsession which causes him to immediately dump his lover Sara and think of nothing but Sylvie. After this come various descriptions of Paul's lust, all equally tedious and rather unsettling, followed by seemingly endless sequences of sex scenes in which the pair fuck (to use the word constantly employed by the author) more than would surely be physically possible or comfortable. Even worse, Paul then develops the ability to invade and alter Sylvie's dreams and, later, to actually control her thoughts. How does he use this power? To get her to take her clothes off in public places and have sex with him EVEN MORE. From being a reasonably sympathetic, at worst rather blank, character at the beginning, he starts to seem unsavoury and obsessive. I was extremely relieved when all of this came to an end, though disturbed there was never any suggestion that his actions were wrong.
To be clear: the three-star rating is because I found the central 'romance', if it can be called that, so disturbing and off-putting. I was all set to love the book otherwise, and the fantastic depiction of Farundell as a bohemian paradise enriched by elements of magic absolutely captivated me; at times, I couldn't tear myself away from the story and just wanted to BE there. However, the interaction between Paul and Sylvie takes up so much of the story that it's impossible to ignore, even though other parts of the plot are much stronger. Farundell has been marketed as 'literary fiction with a metaphysical twist', and I actually don't think that's too far off the mark - it's an English-country-house mystery spliced with a coming-of-age novel, all topped off with a helping of magical realism; quite unique, and worth reading despite its flaws. It's apparently the first in a series, and I am definitely intrigued about the next. (I rather hope Paul isn't in it, though.)
I found the beginning a bit clumsy and wasn't sure I was going to like the book at first. It really feels like the idea of Farundell was developed before anything else and the brief London chapters at the start have no purpose other than to set up a way for Paul to get there. He meets Maggie at a party and within a few lines of small talk she's given him the job of secretary to her father (he has no experience and this is their first meeting). However, once the action moves to Farundell itself, the story begins to blossom into something beautiful. The house and its fantastical grounds - complete with an island, temples, a river, woodland glades and a secret pool - are described with care and affection and really spring to life. The third-person narrative shifts between characters, so we move from Paul's growing love for Farundell, to Alice's adventures in her 'moon-body' as she explores the shady dimensions between sleep and wakefulness, and Percy's recollections of his experiences in the Brazilian jungle. There's also frequent appearances by Francis, the very corporeal ghost of one of the Damorys' ancestors, who dispenses cryptic advice to those blessed with the ability to see him. By the end, dreams and reality, life and death become intermingled and it's difficult to tell what is and isn't real. Is Farundell just a figment, its inhabitants 'veritable simulacrums' as Francis claims to be? The open-ended conclusion allows the reader to make up his or her own mind.
The main hurdle to my enjoyment of this book was the relationship between Paul and Sylvie. The development of his feelings for her is as ridiculous as the manner in which he attains his job; she walks into the house and within minutes, despite Paul not speaking to and barely even catching sight of her, he's developed an obsession which causes him to immediately dump his lover Sara and think of nothing but Sylvie. After this come various descriptions of Paul's lust, all equally tedious and rather unsettling, followed by seemingly endless sequences of sex scenes in which the pair fuck (to use the word constantly employed by the author) more than would surely be physically possible or comfortable. Even worse, Paul then develops the ability to invade and alter Sylvie's dreams and, later, to actually control her thoughts. How does he use this power? To get her to take her clothes off in public places and have sex with him EVEN MORE. From being a reasonably sympathetic, at worst rather blank, character at the beginning, he starts to seem unsavoury and obsessive. I was extremely relieved when all of this came to an end, though disturbed there was never any suggestion that his actions were wrong.
To be clear: the three-star rating is because I found the central 'romance', if it can be called that, so disturbing and off-putting. I was all set to love the book otherwise, and the fantastic depiction of Farundell as a bohemian paradise enriched by elements of magic absolutely captivated me; at times, I couldn't tear myself away from the story and just wanted to BE there. However, the interaction between Paul and Sylvie takes up so much of the story that it's impossible to ignore, even though other parts of the plot are much stronger. Farundell has been marketed as 'literary fiction with a metaphysical twist', and I actually don't think that's too far off the mark - it's an English-country-house mystery spliced with a coming-of-age novel, all topped off with a helping of magical realism; quite unique, and worth reading despite its flaws. It's apparently the first in a series, and I am definitely intrigued about the next. (I rather hope Paul isn't in it, though.)
March 3, 2019
'Farundell' is an unusual book. The concept is no doubt intriguing but I have to admit, I struggled getting through this book. The first half of the book felt like it dragged. I couldn't grasp the concept and the purpose of a lot of what was happening. It wasn't until Sylvie was introduced that the plot started to gain momentum and become more gripping. Throughout, I thoroughly enjoyed following Alice as a character and also enjoyed Francis's sporadic appearances. The concept of astral projection was fun to read about, especially when Paul and Alice tried hard to remember what they'd experienced in their astral forms and when Paul tried controlling his astral form more. However over all, this is not a book I will likely pick up to read again. It is a shame that it dragged so much at the start because it was very well written and the description was beautiful. Hoping that the next book in the series 'Fate' will be more dynamic.
February 18, 2014
Hmmm... I have mixed feelings about this book. On a positive note, I like the way Fredericks writes - she has a lyrical, almost poetic style which is seductive and lush - her descriptions of Farundell (the house and its grounds) are wonderfully drawn and so visual that it's easy to imagine oneself walking down to the lake, or looking through the French windows in the dining room to the gardens beyond. The premise of the book drew me in - all the elements I most enjoy - a young man devastated by the horrors of WWI, brought serendipitously to a house where he will undertake a journey into the nature of reality, self and spiritual healing. So far, so good. And it started so well. Until Sylvie arrived on the scene and he fell instantly in love (lust) without actually seeing her and became a man obsessed with entering her in as many ways as possible - all else paled into insignificance.
Now, I'm in no way averse to eroticism - I enjoy good, well written sex - but this was tedious, repetitive and boring and there were pages and pages of it. The words f... and c..k were slapped on virtually every page to indicate what was uppermost in Paul and Sylvie's minds, with the occasional obscure foray into mysticism and out of body experience (which our hero, not content to penetrate our heroine in the physical body, used as a means of entering and possessing her in her sleep! Seriously - get a grip). In the end, both of them gave me the creeps.
So, overall, a book with great potential sadly wasted on these two main characters who seemed utterly self-obsessed and shallow. The other characters in the book had far more potential but, sadly, weren't fully developed.
The three stars are for the quality of the writing. Plot and characterisation get a miserly one star.
Now, I'm in no way averse to eroticism - I enjoy good, well written sex - but this was tedious, repetitive and boring and there were pages and pages of it. The words f... and c..k were slapped on virtually every page to indicate what was uppermost in Paul and Sylvie's minds, with the occasional obscure foray into mysticism and out of body experience (which our hero, not content to penetrate our heroine in the physical body, used as a means of entering and possessing her in her sleep! Seriously - get a grip). In the end, both of them gave me the creeps.
So, overall, a book with great potential sadly wasted on these two main characters who seemed utterly self-obsessed and shallow. The other characters in the book had far more potential but, sadly, weren't fully developed.
The three stars are for the quality of the writing. Plot and characterisation get a miserly one star.
March 23, 2016
Having first read 'Fate', this book represented a welcome opportunity to revisit familiar places and mingle with dear, old Francis.
I was relieved that Francis's role in the book wasn't only a few random apparitions, and I thought the new characters were thoroughly developed.
The first half of the book felt very cosy and familiar, even though all the character but Francis were new to me.
The second half of the book was possibly riddled by a bit too much eroticism and mysticism, so that in the end (particularly in Paul Asher's case) one couldn't quite distinguish reality from dreams or moon-body experiences. But I guess that was the point, and to a certain extent that gave the ending a rather mysterious feeling.
I was a little perplexed by the epilogue, which I thought didn't add much to the story.
I was relieved that Francis's role in the book wasn't only a few random apparitions, and I thought the new characters were thoroughly developed.
The first half of the book felt very cosy and familiar, even though all the character but Francis were new to me.
The second half of the book was possibly riddled by a bit too much eroticism and mysticism, so that in the end (particularly in Paul Asher's case) one couldn't quite distinguish reality from dreams or moon-body experiences. But I guess that was the point, and to a certain extent that gave the ending a rather mysterious feeling.
I was a little perplexed by the epilogue, which I thought didn't add much to the story.
September 16, 2013
I didn't mean to give this three stars. Zero stars would be more like. The only information the author gives about herself in the book itself is is "L R Fredericks lives in London", but although she might live there she has no ear for the way English is spoken there these days, let alone in 1924 when the book is supposedly set. The characters speak like American teenagers, using first names when they have just met, and so on. A sample to demonstrate the clunkiness - from page 312:
"Is your veritable simulacrum made out of the same thing as my moon-body?"
"You could put it like that."
Utter drivel.
"Is your veritable simulacrum made out of the same thing as my moon-body?"
"You could put it like that."
Utter drivel.
March 17, 2013
Good story, beautiful writing. I would have loved it so much more without the raunchy sex scenes. I felt they really detracted from the beauty of the rest of the novel. It was an awkward fit.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the book. The writing is lyrical and precise at the same time. Loved the mystical portion of it and the ingenuity of the plot.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the book. The writing is lyrical and precise at the same time. Loved the mystical portion of it and the ingenuity of the plot.
June 25, 2011
Read my review and a short interview with the author here
June 18, 2012
3.5 stars actually...
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/i...
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/i...
July 15, 2011
I really liked this book, the writing style was a little confusing but very interesting!
March 3, 2018
Why the hell did I keep reading this book? I hated the "romance", which clearly was just a sick, twisted, and depressing obsession that went on and on and on to predictably tragic results. Maybe if I were 20 I would have found it romantic but I am not, and I did not. Actually, no, even at 20, there is nothing romantic about dream invasion and mind control.
The supposed hermeticism was hinted at periodically, but then all shoved in, basically, at the end. Actually I felt like most of the book was all shoved in at the end! You know it's not a good sign when several times right at the end of the book some character or other says, "you get it now?" And it's especially frustrating when you, as reader, hear the responding shout in your own head "no, I don't get it!" And you also realize that you don't care. The characters I was most interested in -- for example Theodore or Jarlaf -- had the most obscure storylines with only vague periodic references, which I can only conclude are set ups for their own books, and indeed the author has written many in the series. It's not giving minor characters their own books that irks me. That's actually cool. It's having minor characters do obscure and random things you talk about but don't explain so you can set up another book for them that I find cheesy.
The supposed hermeticism was hinted at periodically, but then all shoved in, basically, at the end. Actually I felt like most of the book was all shoved in at the end! You know it's not a good sign when several times right at the end of the book some character or other says, "you get it now?" And it's especially frustrating when you, as reader, hear the responding shout in your own head "no, I don't get it!" And you also realize that you don't care. The characters I was most interested in -- for example Theodore or Jarlaf -- had the most obscure storylines with only vague periodic references, which I can only conclude are set ups for their own books, and indeed the author has written many in the series. It's not giving minor characters their own books that irks me. That's actually cool. It's having minor characters do obscure and random things you talk about but don't explain so you can set up another book for them that I find cheesy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2022
Farundell by L.R. Fredericks is as elusive and ethereal as the mysterious estate of the same name where the story is set. Finely spun with lucid dreaming, consciousness, goddess worship, and the dream body, this is a tale of initiation. This is a book that requires patience and an open mind. Depending on one’s perception, it will mean something different to each person. What is real and what is a dream are the gossamer threads linking each character and circumstance together. Like a hermetic text that requires considerable contemplation in order to grasp its abstract contents, Farundell is the type of book that requires multiple re-reads as something new will be discovered each time. The excessive vulgarity kept pulling me out of this otherworldly story which I suspect was intentional by the author. It served a more alchemical purpose for the characters, but for the reader it shattered the dreamlike quality of the prose and story. Towards the end, much was illuminated and much remained hidden in the shadows of its imaginary realms. A gatekeeper book that will inspire its readers to give this story another try as it requires reading between the lines. Reminded me of The Maker of Swans by Paraic O’Donnell.
August 8, 2021
Nothing happened for the first half of the book, and when the plot started to unfold things got weird asf. It was all around confusing and I had to force myself to keep reading because it just kept on getting worse and worse as the book progressed (the more boring part was somehow better). I'd give it 2.5 not 2 because the writing is SO beautiful and eloquent, a shame really
April 6, 2018
wow, just wow, what an interesting journey i highly recommend this don't skip to the last book take your time enjoy the idea's and language of the book and whole new thought process begins to enter
May 22, 2018
I bought this for the cover (not the one shown) alone.
It surprised me immensely and became my favourite read a couple of summer ago.
It surprised me immensely and became my favourite read a couple of summer ago.
January 10, 2013
Set in the years following World War I, this book begins with a young soldier, suffering the lingering effects of the war, arriving at an English country house. He has gotten a job as the private secretary of the dying father of one of his wartime friends. However, the house, and the family that lives there, are full of supernatural mysteries, largely that many of the family members can see ghosts.
The book is an ambitious debut, and the author has a good style. She evokes the period, and combines the natural with the supernatural in a harmonious way. She strikes the right balance between plot and setting, easily keeping the reader's attention. However, I thought she could have described the ghosts, and the living characters' interactions with them, in a little better detail. In reading the book, this aspect of the story seemed as if it was clearer in the writer's head than it was for the reader. In addition, it was hard to follow how the various members of the English family were related to each other. The author should consider including a family tree at the beginning of the book. Finally, there was a passionate romance between the main character and another character that was much too graphic, and took up far too much of the book.
The book is an ambitious debut, and the author has a good style. She evokes the period, and combines the natural with the supernatural in a harmonious way. She strikes the right balance between plot and setting, easily keeping the reader's attention. However, I thought she could have described the ghosts, and the living characters' interactions with them, in a little better detail. In reading the book, this aspect of the story seemed as if it was clearer in the writer's head than it was for the reader. In addition, it was hard to follow how the various members of the English family were related to each other. The author should consider including a family tree at the beginning of the book. Finally, there was a passionate romance between the main character and another character that was much too graphic, and took up far too much of the book.
January 31, 2013
It’s Birdsong meets Brideshead with a sprinkling of Wuthering Heights in this piece of whimsical fluff by new author Fredericks. Traumatized soldier, Paul Asher, fresh from the horrors of the Somme finds all the R & R he needs, and then some, when offered a job transcribing the memoirs of a blind, aged and reclusive millionaire ensconced within the fantastical Farundell by the banks of the Thames in deepest Oxfordshire. Though definitely not a page-turner the writing is certainly magical at times and for those with an interest in lucid dreaming, altered states of consciousness and the supposed new science of the times, magic, there is much to ponder and, possibly, enjoy. Perhaps, in an age of rampant materialism, we have forgotten certain ‘abilities’ from which our ancestors may have benefited.
At the same time nothing really ‘happens’ and some may find most, if not all, of the characters more than a little annoying; it’s easy to eschew the benefits of wealth and materialism when you can afford to live a life of self-indulgent idleness sheltered from the ‘horrors’ of urban life in gated seclusion. It’ll be interesting to see what Fredericks comes up with next.
At the same time nothing really ‘happens’ and some may find most, if not all, of the characters more than a little annoying; it’s easy to eschew the benefits of wealth and materialism when you can afford to live a life of self-indulgent idleness sheltered from the ‘horrors’ of urban life in gated seclusion. It’ll be interesting to see what Fredericks comes up with next.
September 2, 2012
There are a few niggling things about Farundell that I can't quite put my finger on which stopped me from giving it a 5. But I did really love it. Probably 4.5 stars worth of love :)
Reading it in short-ish bursts (on the bus/train to and from work) was the ideal way to read this book for me. I'm a notorious skim reader, but taking long breaks from the book meant I had to read carefully when I returned, lest I missed something important.
I really like how the reader has to be patient and let the story unfold (I loathe books that spell things out for the reader too much, not allowing them to come to knowledge and understanding naturally). I admit I did have to fight the urge to turn ahead a few pages more than once.
Can somebody please tell me what the heck I'm supposed to make of the ending...I can't get this book out of my head because I'm confused about how to feel about it all...
Reading it in short-ish bursts (on the bus/train to and from work) was the ideal way to read this book for me. I'm a notorious skim reader, but taking long breaks from the book meant I had to read carefully when I returned, lest I missed something important.
I really like how the reader has to be patient and let the story unfold (I loathe books that spell things out for the reader too much, not allowing them to come to knowledge and understanding naturally). I admit I did have to fight the urge to turn ahead a few pages more than once.
Can somebody please tell me what the heck I'm supposed to make of the ending...I can't get this book out of my head because I'm confused about how to feel about it all...
May 12, 2015
Duh, I don't know. This book is just not my cup of tea, I guess. I definitely love the setting (and the maps as well!)- the writer can describe Farundell very well. But- I think Fredericks tried so hard in this debut novel - she wanted to combine a historical fiction (first world war), family drama (the unique Damory family from Farundell), tragedy and romance (pretty exotic too with all the sex scenes), and fantasy/magical realism (dream, lucid dream, paranorm) - it's a bit too much for me. I would love to see the story developed as a family drama, with the setting of crumbling old estate in England (reminds me a bit of I Capture The Castle- very charming) - without all the magical realism or fantasy bits. Sometimes less is more, right?
July 7, 2012
I loved this book and her second book FATE is even better. This book is a mystery within a mystery. You have to read between the lines. It is a fantastic novel but also has the secrets of the Universe hidden within the tale.
January 9, 2016
Couldn't get through it. Yes you want something to wonder about, but I found it too elliptical. Also reams of dialogue become irritating, especially as every single character talks in *exactly* the same way. Sounds false, and makes it hard to distinguish who's who. No.
September 23, 2010
fustrating first half..... lots of ideas in this one. its worth reading but perhaps one to borrow not buy
January 30, 2012
Wow, I loved this book. The writing was beautiful and I think it is a story I can come back to again and again and pick up yet more meaning and symbolism. Highly recommended!
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July 7, 2013Hit every single one of my reader-buttons. I'm looking forward to reading more by Fredericks.
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