What do You think about Fortune's Rocks (2002)?
This is definitely the best Shreve book I've read so far. From the first page, writing in the literary style of the Victorians, you have no doubt that this story is not a modern one. In 1899, Olympia Biddeford is nearing 16 years of age and vacationing at the family cottage at Fortune's Rocks. She lives a privileged, educated existence; an only child who seems rather lonely but quite mature for her years. There she meets a married man with 4 children, a friend of her father's nearly 3 times her age, and the two fall madly in love, with tragic consequences. The age difference really bothered me; but as the years progressed, they still had the same feelings for each other. And Shreve was diligent about ensuring the reader that this was not rape (that word was never used but often in my mind); that Olympia was mature enough to be the pursuer, not the pursuee. And it was 1899, when girls married at a very young age. The background story, that of the deplorable working conditions in the mills of the nearby town of Ely Falls, NH, becomes more relevant as the book progresses, and is almost as fascinating as the love story.
—☮Karen
I can't really say that I liked this book, but I was interested enough in what happens to Olympia to finish. The story seemed to spend to much time on one period in Olympias life and felt jumpy when it skipped to the next. The setting and storyline was intriging enough right off the bat but it soon began to feel like a dime store romance. Had I ever read a dime store romance, I would guess that the authors use of language was somewhat better, but the smutiness was the same. I think that Olympia is a very silly girl whom I had a very hard time identifing with. I guess I learned what it would have been like to be a young woman, as far as not having control over one's own life. However, Olympia and the story it self was just not very believable. A very important aspect of any novel is the readers ability to sypathize with the protagonist, in this case I found myself more on the edge of being glad when bad things happened to her. Once again, I find myself feeling negative and unable to sympathize with a woman who has had everything handed to her on a silver platter and screws it up.
—Amanda
I'm not sure how to review this book. First of all, I didn't like it being written from the third person view. The author missed an amazing opportunity to delve into the intense feelings that must have been going on inside or Olympia. Maybe she couldn't write about them because she's never experienced them to the level Olympia did. I have been there,so I know what the writer couldn't express.Let's see, what else? Haskell and Olympia are two people who experience that "connection" so many people seem to discount or refuse to believe exists. He is 41 and she is 15!! I know, I know!!! I don't approve either, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen. Haskell should have definitely stayed away, but maybe he couldn't. All his self chastisement, ect. was not as powerful as the love he had for Olympia. Were they meant to live their lives denying each other or did what happen be the only way they could survive?? Questions???To love from a distance and not be able to touch is not always an easy thing to do no matter how right that decision is.
—Shanda
