Just the sort of book I love; flawed, strong, likeable heroine, full of eccentric, random, unlikely, funny madness, with supporting cast of goodies and baddies. Full of twists and turns, very fresh, fast paced, thoroughly enjoyed. Would have 5 star'd it but the end was just too rushed and the novel seemed to end too abruptly, which came as a huge disappointment as the rest of the novel's pace and pathos was perfect.If Sue Townsend was my friend (in my perfect fantasy world) and she had brought one of her drafts round to my house for me to read (along with a huge box of cakes and a little housetrained, cat loving, rescue puppy - this is my fantasy, remember! she would so want my input, especially as I have no experience at all of writing or editing, and am a very average, generic, shallow reader), I would have got down on my knees and BEGGED her to change the end, flesh it out so much more, bring it to a more satisfying ending, which I can't really tell you my thoughts about as I don't know how to do the "spoiler" thing, and would hate to ruin the ending for you (like Sue did!). I can just imagine Sue Townsend discovering this ridiculous review now, and falling over herself, desperately jabbing at her keyboard to invite me to be her goodreads friend. Yes, that would definitely happen.LOVE Townsend's writing, humour and characters. Wish there was a sequel to this.Got me thinking, how long would I last if I ran away from my home with no money or possessions, nowhere to go to, at the end of Autumn/beginning of Winter, wearing flares and a tortoise jumper, completely filthy after cleaning my chimney (this won't spoil the novel for you, because you discover Coventry runs away in this manner right at the beginning)?
An amusing little story told in the author's style familiar from the Adrian Mole books. Coventry Dakin, married to a boring man and with two teenage children, finds herself having to flee her domestic drudgery when she rescues a neighbour by inadvertently killing the neighbour's husband who is strangling her. Fearful of the consequences of her actions, Coventry flees to London without even her handbag or any money and tries to make her way. Here she meets some great characters who help her cope. Some promising storylines weren't really developed as they could have been but it was still a very entertaining read with great characters and witty observation. 6.5/10.
What do You think about Rebuilding Coventry (2003)?
Este livro começa de forma hilariante e relembro-o como um dos mais idiotas que li. Estava uma doméstica mãe de familia empoleirada no telhado a limpar a chaminé, quando ao olhar para a casa ao lado, vê o vizinho a discutir com agressividade com a esposa. Correndo em auxílio da vizinha, irrompe casa dos vizinhos adentro, agarra no primeiro objecto que as suas mãos apanham e dá com o mesmo na cabeça do vizinho, deixando-o inanimado, mas julgando-o morto. O objecto era um "action man". O que se segue é a aventurosa fuga de uma doméstica tisnada em pânico...
—Cristina
The book is a very good example of a story for vacation reading. It's entertaining, easy to read, does not require any special knowledge to understand it. The author possesses a great sense of humor and shares it with a reader. I guess there's no some specific type of reader who will definitely like the story - it can be a male or female of any age, political views etc. Coventry is a person who found her new self and this eagerness to change her life can be an example for someone who is afraid of big changes.
—Vadim Bayandin
More action happens in this 134-page novella than I have read in novels four times its size. The heroine, Coventry Dakin, begins the novel by stating, "I am beautiful and yesterday I killed a man." From here, we go on a whirlwind journey, as Coventry eludes the authorities, abandoning her controlling husband and the two children she loves. She runs to London, lives as a homeless person, then as a domestic, and even stoops to one incident of prostitution.Meanwhile, the brother she loves, Sidney, is off in Portugal with his wife, Ruth, and is no help to Coventry. There is the police inspector obsessed with capturing her, in a very Inspector Javert style. There is the relieved widow of the man Coventry presumably killed. And, there is the question that Coventry doesn't need to be running away at all. How could she have killed a man more than twice her size by hitting him on the back of the head with an action figure?Sue Townsend's style is witty, acerbic, fast-paced, and incredibly different. It is amazing the characters she creates, and the situations she puts them in, and the novella is over almost as soon as you start it. Townsend is indeed a rare and gifted writer, and this book is a very worthy read.
—Dolores
