| Product: |
Where Rainbows End - Cecelia Ahern |
| Date: |
06.11.05 (216 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Good writing style, good characters, addictive read
Disadvantages: Some of the letters/conversations are a little long
Some of you might know that a little while back I read "PS, I love you" by Cecelia Ahern and that I was pretty critical of the book that everyone else praised so much. I was also pretty adamant that I would never give the author another chance. But when I was feeling really ill last week, I wanted a little bit of light reading, and when I turned around "Where rainbows end" to read the blob on the back, I was actually very tempted by the book.
Rosie Dunne and Alex Stewart have been best friends since they were little children growing up in Dublin. They stuck with each other through thick and thin - sharing both joys and sorrows with one another. When Alex's father is suddenly offered a job with a prestigious law firm in Boston, Rosie is naturally devastated at having to face a situation where the person closest to her is across a huge ocean. As she finishes school, she plans to move over to Boston to be closer to Alex again - but weeks before she moves she learns something that will prevent her from fulfilling her dream to study in Boston.
And so Rosie and Alex are reduced to sharing their lives by letters, emails and instant messages - only occasionally seeing one another during a fleeting visit. Can their strong friendship survive despite the miles between the two? Tension is added to the storyline by misunderstandings, their relationships with other people of the opposite sex - and the clear thoughts on the part of both individuals showing that both are wondering whether there could be something more than friendship between them.
From age 7 to age 50 - the readers follow these two remarkable individuals through their lives together and apart - and this in a very remarkable and interesting manner. The book is broken down into 5 parts (each of which contains individual chapters) and an epilogue. Apart from the three-pare epilogue, all of the book is written in the form of notes, letters, instant message conversations and internet chats - none of it is pure prose. Most of the written "conversations" take place between Alex and Rosie - but there are also "conversations" that either Alex, Rosie or other characters have with one another.
Some of the written conversations are long, others very short. They are presented in such a way that the reader instantly wants to rush from note to note to find out what happens next. The style used by Ahern is brilliant in this way - it obviously banks on the fact that humans are naturally curious and like to snoop into other people's lives.
I did find, however, that I was so curious to see what would happen to Alex and Rosie's friendship that I often skipped over some of the longer "conversations" that the characters were having - I'd just kind of determine the gist of what they were saying, without savouring every word. Perhaps that was a little unjust of me, because I am sure it was interesting and brilliantly written - but I just really could not wait to get to the end of the book.
It is a very easy read - ideal if you need to escape from the world for a few hours. And in fact, if you had an entire day off, you could easily read it in one day. I finished it off in two afternoon sittings.
The characters are all very well portrayed and real - it is easy to get attached to them, even though the reader occasionally cannot help feeling a bit annoyed at their indecisiveness and silly actions. The feel of the book is mostly upbeat and positive - though there are a couple of tragic moments between the heartwarming storylines.
And even though the ending is probably a little predictable - it is still possible to get all misty-eyed and conclude that this is indeed a very well-written. entertaining and worthwhile little read.
***Further information***
Harper Collins
Pages: 566 (excludes preview of Ahern's new novel)
Price: £6.99 (paperback)
ISBN: 0-00-716501-3
Summary: An enjoyable and addictive read.
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