I have never really understood what criteria Ruth Rendell applies when deciding whether to publish a book as a Rendell or a Vine. I could understand if all the Wexford novels were one and everything else another, but this isn't so. I am particularly confused now I have listened to Talking to Strange Men (Rendell) and Grasshopper (Vine) as they are so remarkably similar. Both tell a long and complex tale about an unusual group of people (what a quirky universe Rendell inhabits) where even the most seemingly discrete facts or events turn out to be connected. There is at least as much coincidence in Rendell/Vine's writing as in Dickens, possibly more!This novel was read by Emilia Fox, who has a pleasant voice that never becomes irritating, though I held my breath a bit when she attempted an Irish accent (it was passable, I think). It is an absorbing story, though I am not sure that people like this really exist, still this is fiction. The story has a very sixties feel, though I can't remember whether the time period was ever stated (probably it was). The story is told by one character which means we may not be hearing an entirely rounded version of events, but it works OK. There were things I did not think worked OK, though. Firstly, Clodagh kept presaging events in a sort of "little did we know..." way, which became tiresome and irritating. Secondly, and more importantly, this was presented as a sort of coming of age story, but I would say the characters were years too old for that. Clodagh tells us earnestly that they didn't know any better because they were SO YOUNG and didn't understand things because they were SO YOUNG and in the climactic scene, one of the firemen said "It's a couple of kids," yet I believe these characters were 20ish. I could see why the author had to make them that old, but I thought it made a nonsense of some of the claims to callow youth. On the plus side, Ruth Rendell is a competent and intelligent writer and her characters and their motivations are always interesting. I like the way she takes so much trouble with all her characters, even more minor ones. Her books are not so much about what happened (you can tell from early on in this book that there are going to be some tragic events but aren't sure till the end what really happens)but why they happened, what character traits, history, circumstances, motivations, coincidences contributed to the events. I was surprised by Clodagh's statement near the end that we might not have suspected who her husband was as I think it was always obvious. I have, in fact, been mulling over whether it would have been a better or worse (or perhaps just different)novel if he had turned out to be someone else. This author is also not afraid to leave loose ends, the stories of Liv and Wim, and Johnny to some extent, are unfinished. I don't dislike this, it reminds me of a family tree, where research into one branch comes to a halt because records did not survive, or the father of an illegitimate child was not recorded. Another thing that I think Ruth Rendell and Barbara Vine have in common is that almost none of the characters are very likeable and I didn't feel any particular sympathy with any character in this story, except perhaps Jason. I suppose it is a compliment to Ruth Rendell aka Barbara Vine that she can generate so much interest in people you don't particularly like or empathise with.
The book is written by Barbara Vine, an alter-ego of well-known British mystery writer Ruth Rendell.It is essentially a love story. The author tells the story through the eyes of Clodagh Brown, who has bumped into a woman she once knew, eleven years after they had been kind of friends. Clodagh reviews the events that took place over a roughly 6 month period when she was twenty, newly in love, and making choices based on her youth and naivete. I persisted in reading this book, in spite of its very slow pace and tedious detail of the day-to-day lives of the many (some minor) plots the author juggled. The book was full of foreshadowing events which never seemed to live up to the author's hype. Sometimes, I would get distracted by the author's jumping around on the timeline. If I had the energy (which I don't...the book was 400 pages loooooong)I'd go back and see if things matched up. The author would say things like, "we would learn weeks later" or "we'd never have left her that day had we known". This was pretty constant throughout the book. I found it tiresome. Yet I give it three stars because I did get caught up in the lives of the characters. I did want resolution. I felt like this would have worked more as a British mini-series on PBS, where not a lot is happening much of the time, but you still are committed to watching their daily lives play out. Ruth Rendell (Barabara Vine) is a highly regarded author so I think I'll give her another try.
What do You think about Grasshopper (2002)?
As is usually my custom, I will not write a synopsis of this book. It is easily found elsewhere. To classify this book as a mystery, is somewhat of a misnomer, but there are some elements which suit this label. Briefly, the title, Grasshopper refers to the pylons, the structures which support the electric wires in an area. Early in the narrative the main character, Clodagh,as a young teen and her friends found their excitement in climbing these frameworks. As she grew older, she moved to London, where she and a group of aimless individuals spent much time climbing the rooftops of the areas around them. I have read several Rendell/Vine novels and have always felt admiration for her astute ability to pinpoint the large and small foibles of human behavior. Her writing is clear, beautifully descriptive and generally involves some suspense. This was a rather long, meandering book, which generally held my interest, but it lacked much of the tension and appeal that I have found in others. My rating of 3 stars denotes, of course, that I liked it.
—Barbara
It`s rooted around a set of youths having a different life style than what we expect. They all have turning point or a significant incident in there short life which kept them apart from others. These made a background with lots of obstacles and incidents which are pretty fictional.It`s written in the perspective of a young woman who is the protagonist. Her story is not the entertaining sort. It was not a nice read in my perspective. Though the book have a fast phase towards the very end, which is a easy read, rest is not flawless. Do not recommend the book, three stars are for the authors effort.
—Chanaka Hettige
I've never read anything by Ruth Rendell before in either of her incarnations. but I know she's one of those popular murder mystery writers so I assumed she could keep a story bubbling along. When I started this book I thought the main character's dilemma was interesting, the crowd she became caught up in was also interesting. But somewhere about halfway through this book the whole thing hit a plateau and hit it bad. It was something to do with the family that was in hiding over the foster child. It was implausible and bogged down the whole story when it was meant to be the catalyst for the disaster. I will now confess it got so boring with the main characters buying groceries and on and on with hints about someone's demise I was wishing someone would hurry up and die. In the end I skipped the last 7 or 8 chapters and just confirmed my hunches about the looming disaster by reading the denouement chapter. I'm ready to move on! Bit sad really when one can skip the climax of the story and not even miss it.
—Catherine
