The Book Vipers discussion

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Things to consider:
1. Did you like the book?
2. Did you like or dislike the main characters?
3. Do the characters develop?
4. What did you think of the plot and the ending of the story?
5. Do you have any particular favourite quotes or scenes?
6. Would you read anything else by this author?

Well I finished it, but more out of duty and determination than real enjoyment. I felt a little disappointed because I love Jane Eyre, and was hoping to enjoy this as much. I had a love hate relationship with Lucy, I liked that she was independent and determined to stand on her own two feet and provide for herself and I do think her character developed somewhat. The plot was pretty predictable, but I did like the ending - it was left a little more open than you often see with classic novels.

1. Yes I liked the book, but it wasn't always a fun read. It took real devotion to get through a few parts.
2. I liked Lucy the main character. I liked her independence and her work ethic. I also wished she would have been stronger when standing up for her happiness.
3. I think the characters do develop. We are shown the main character's personalities and are given back stories for some of their behaviors.
4. The plot had some twists that I didn't predict and a few that I did.
5. I enjoyed the part describing Polly as a strange child. I also liked the developing love between Lucy and M. Paul.
6. Yes, I would read another book by this author, and I have but not for awhile.

I finished reading this book today, after 12 long days. It doesn't usually take so much for me to finish a book of this length. That's because I found it quite boring and not at all suited to this period. Nothing against Charlotte Bronte, for sure. Although I still prefer her sister Emily.

To answer the questions:

1. Yes, I liked the book, it was a 3 stars for me - which for me is good, only nothing really special. The first few chapters were far better in my opinion, but that's probably because I liked little Polly so much.

2. The main characters were well developed, which is always good. I found Lucy a little exasperating at times, but all in all very true as a character. M. Paul wasn't quite to my taste at the beginning, but I learnt to like him, even if certainly not love him, in the end.

3. Sure, the characters develop very well. It is perhaps what is best in this novel, that the characters are very realistic and have a very realistic development.

4. I liked the plot and I liked the ending, I would have been very angry hadn't it ended this way. Unlike Sandy, I think most, if not all of the twists in the story were very predictable, but I liked the plot anyway.

5. Much like Sandy, I really enjoyed the very first part describing little Polly and her friendship with Graham.

6. I've also read Jane Eyre by the same author, which I liked, and I would probably read something else by her, even if not at the moment. I need a break :-)

Overall, I really liked this book. I probably wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who didn’t already enjoy Charlotte Bronte or this time period, but I do so it was a win for me. I didn’t care for Lucy much at all; her self-deprecating manner could get tiresome and trying. It seemed that the characters were fairly static, at least from Lucy’s perspective. Since she didn’t change (much), she wouldn’t allow them to change. The plot was fairly predictable, but there were enough small twists to keep me interested. I did enjoy the ending, and it seemed the best way to end Lucy’s tale. I didn’t have any particularly favorite scenes in this novel, but I was tickled at the random punctuation and capitalization. I found myself getting distracted (why would she put a comma there?) and had to stop paying attention to it. I personally enjoy this time period and this author’s work so I liked the novel on those counts. I guess it’s one of those acquired tastes.

Patricia wrote: "but I was tickled at the random punctuation and capitalization. I found myself getting distracted (why would she put a comma there?) and had to stop paying attention to it."

Patricia, I noticed that, too. I thought it was my Project Gutenberg version which was faulty, but perhaps it wasn't so. The random punctuation definitely got on my nerves.

I've reached volume 2. Lucy has collapsed and woken up in the home of the doctor who is actually...ta-da! What a way to keep a secret from the reader, Lucy!

Bam, I really did not guess who he was.

I'm coming a bit late to this discussion and am only about 20% in, but whilst overall I am enjoying this book, the blatant nationalism is charring quite a bit. I love all the Bronte books, but this is the first one I read where the action is not in the UK and where non-English people (i.e, these unsophisticated, habitual liars, the French!!) are part of the action and I am quite appalled so far, by the blatant prejudices and self-congratulations of stemming from the "more sophisticated, cultured, disciplines Victorian English". I guess that is what the Empire was made of. Did anybody else find this a bit tough to take?