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Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier
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| Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier |
| 04.06.05 (2:42 pm) [edit] |
I just finished "Falling Angels" by Chevalier and it was quite a good read.I have read so far "Girl with a pearl earing" and "The Lady and the Unicorn" and my opinion of the quialities of Chevalier`s writing was confirmed with this novel,too.The story is quite different from the mentioned ones; it is not about art,and the story is moved later in time- at the opening of 20th century. Two families,two girlfriends,two maids,a grave-digger and his son,the governor of the cemetery,and a women`s suffragette- the story moves through the lips of each character, creating a kind of multi-dimensional perspective.
Kitty Coleman is unhappy. Her marriage has becoming dull and boring,and she could never relate properly to her daughter,Maude. At first,she finds an amusement in developing an illicit relationship with Mr Jackson,the cemetery`s governor but she has to abort the child conceived in this relationship and then drops again into despair and depression. She finds a new meaning of her life when she meets Caroline Black,the women`s sufraggette who fights for women rights. From then on her life has a new center and again her daughter and her husband are left aside.Maude carries on her own,spending most of the time with her friend,Lavinia- a spoiled and cunning girl who adores gossip and show-off.
The situation in Coleman`s house is obviously running out of control and something must happen. The culmination comes with the suffragettes` parade.Maude and Lavinia go to see the parade with Maude`s mother but instead of accompanying them and Lavinia`s little sister,Ivy May,Kitty Coleman abandons them on their own and leads the parade on a horse.She gets kicked by Caroline`s horse in the chest,Maude and Lavinia lose Ivy May and everything gets worse and worse.
Quite well written,a very interesting way to convey the story from different points of view (this is a favorite method for Chevalier,and she uses it quite well),and to give each character an unique voice.It was interesting to follow the girls` friendship,the rivalry between the two families,the weakness of Richard Coleman in regard to his wife,the conflict between Kitty and her mother in law. A good portrait of a time of changing morals and values and how it can ruin two families.
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