Winter Solstice

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Having read and enjoyed immensely Shell Seekers, September and Coming Home this work compares poorly. I had to give up after 200 pages. It plods along rather tediously and predictably. But what is most annoying is Pilcher's insatiable appetite for tea and alcohol. Every few pages her characters turn to one or the other. But, I must say, she is a discriptive artist sine qua non. If you haven't read the others better start with any of the above and then see if her latest is "your cup of tea". Come to think of it, maybe all that tea is what kept Horace so busy at every turn of the page.

Rating:
Summary: A winter delight
Review: This book reminds me what drew me to reading in the first place. It is a enthralling story, character driven. Rosamunde Pilcher has assembled a group of people from school age to retirement and put them together and sketched their lives up the point they all come together. The seperate stories entwine nicely and do not seem contrived. the characters are likeable and very real. The story draws you along and you find you really care about these people. The only other Pilcher book I have read is the Shell Seekers...equally captivating. This is a book that will brighten the gloomier winter days. A real treasure.

Rating:
Summary: A lovely book to read by the fireplace
Review: I have to warn you. It starts out a little slowly, and maybe the main character doesn't appeal to you. But if you read past the first few paragraphs, the story draws you into the beauty of Scotland in winter. It is a lovely book with a predictable ending, but you don't care. It's pure escapism and so enjoyable to read. I recommend it to anyone who needs something to read on a rainy or snowy day. It takes you away for a few hours into a different world and you come back cheered.

Rating:
Summary: A great piece!
Review: This book was captivating, spellbinding, titillating and heartfelt! I enjoyed it immensely and wass disappointed to get to the end only because I enjoyed reading it so much. I put it in the same category as "Going Too Far", by an unknown author who I believe will be a household name someday..Steven Gardner. Both books are well worth reading!

Rating:
Summary: Like spending an evening with an old friend
Review: I loved Winter Solstice. It was like curling up with an old friend to spend an evening. While the characters all had varied personalities, somehow she tied them all together beautifully. I actually found myself sitting and hugging the book when I was done reading. It just left me with such a good feeling. Reading it during the Christmas season could only intensify these feelings. But it is not just a Christmas book; it will be enjoyed at any time of the year. Ms. Pilcher has done it again!

Rating:
Summary: Worth Waiting For!
Review: Rosamunde Pilcher's books don't come along every day, so the experience must be cherished. "Winter Solstice" was worth the wait. My only complaint was that it ended too soon. I got so lost in the characters that I wanted it to go on forever.

Rating:
Summary: Sitting with an old friend
Review: Reading Pilcher and in particular Winter Solstice is like sitting down with an old friend. I travel extensively and reading this book on airplanes or in hotel rooms immediately takes me away to a comfortable place....a warm, inviting enviornment. The tale is one that we can all relate to.....life changing and having to adapt, getting to a better place. Being yourself and embracing your own beauty and strength.

Rating:
Summary: Winter Solstice
Review: Ms Pilcher has done it again! As good as or even better than the Shellseekers. A book that the reader does not want to end. Please write more! Congratulations Ms Pilcher!

Rating:
Summary: A let-down for fans of The Shell Seekers
Review: I would not recommend this book to anyone else who loves The Shell Seekers, because it's just too disappointing. There are many similarities between the The Shell Seekers' characters and those in Winter Solstice (i.e. their ages, personal tragedies, and cottage/castle/coastline environments), and the several love relationships came across as nearly carbon copies. However, I did not find myself identifying in any positive ways with the characters in the later book--they seem shallower, too perfect (perfectly bad or perfectly good), and the story line is very predictable and not particularly enticing. If you haven't read any of Pilcher's books before, this isn't a bad story; but for Shell Seeker devotees who are still interested, I suggest that you at least save your money and wait for the paperback version. :(

Rating:
Summary: DEEPER MESSAGES WITHIN ITS PAGES...
Review: Every so often a book evelopes me with warmth, understanding, and a focus that I didn't have the day before. Pilcher did that in Winter Solstice. PLEASE forgive the Frechtman review above where she finds it her right to share a bit too much of the story line, as well as skewing it in a negative light that is vastly opposing the deeper messages the book holds within its pages. The lead characters, Elfrida and Oscar, show us a climate of life that is "adaptable" to circumstances thrust upon them, HOWEVER difficult, yet finding simple and abundant joys in the wonderful things that flood their (and ALL of our) lives -- EVEN in what are seemingly our darkest and longest nights. Hence, the dreary winter solstice season, which all of us are on the heels of facing. What perfect timing to read this. It also sets the stage for the spirit of Christmas, family, giving, sharing...hope. The delectable British dialogue is certainly part of the charm of this novel, so find your coziest blanket, put on a kettle, and take your time with this, beautiful, inspriring, "happy-ending" story. Just when we think something might be too outrageous to believe, as Frechtman shared with you in her review, remember that we all come from different places in life. Conversely, Oscar shows us the dignity and hope of not mulling in grief for years and years as so many people do. There is still life on THIS side of death -- but that is really just a crumb of all that await you. Their compassions flying in every direction for others are well rewarded, and hopefully will give you much to think about for your own life. Have a kleenex ready for the ending, and prepare to miss these people.