Rating: 
Summary: Passion?
Review: Although I was thoroughly caught up in "Fortune's Rocks", finishing it within three sittings, I found the overall stilted tone of the story incongruous with its underlying premise of great passion. Grant it, Ms Shreve is attempting to capture the ambiance of a bygone era where upper-class women dressed in cumbersome multi-layered outfits for the sake of propriety rather than comfort. I suppose like everyone else, I have an imagined idea of that age: lace high-necked blouses, pearl buttons and parasols. Yet here, these accoutrements of proper dress camoflauge contricted souls straining for some sort of freedom. We peer out at the world through the eyes of one of these stiffled bodies, fifteen year old Olympia Biddleford. In keeping with our assumed sense of the early 20th century, the 3rd person narrator's voice is embued with the poetic cadence of lovely Edith Wharton-like language, Olympia's eyes wear the rose-colored glasses that Ms. Shreve and we assume are part and parcel of the turn-of-the-century social persona. And indeed, all this loveliness serves as a clever foil for the grittier aspects of the story---real life moments where sheltered Olympia comes face-to-face with the poverty of the working class, the squalid reality of seeing a woman give birth, and the desolation of her own ruin. Okay, I get a sense of where Shreve intends the reader to go, but I think what works to underline the trap of class fails miserably when it is used in turn to describe Olympia's grand passion for 40+ doctor and essayist, John Haskell. Olympia is indeed driven, but if we are told exactly why John Haskell seems to be the man to break the woman free from the confines of childhood, it is not done adequately.
Otherwise, the story is quite good, perhaps predictable, but not in a boring sense. I particularly enjoy Ms Shreve's use of the cottage on Fortune's Rocks, one she has used before in "The Pilot's Wife" and mentioned in "The Weight of Water". Reading again of the beach, the isles in the distance, and the house's history creates a familiar sensation of homecoming even though these places are filled with an unknown history of human suffering and remorse that is sensed by the very air breathed. I also think the comparisons to Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" ill-conceived. Catherine and Heathcliff's love was all-consuming, violent and satisfied only through death. Olympia and Haskell are again controlled, tortured perhaps, but much too aware of the strictures of their own society.
Rating: 
Summary: This Book Does Not Achieve it's Intended Result
Review: The purpose of the novel was to portray the main character as a stunning, dynamic heroine who overcomes much. I am not at all sorry to divulge the truth: the protagonist is a self-pitying martyr who throws away her one chance for true happiness. That a Victorian girl, raised among the upper classes, would make such initial mistakes as she did is hard to believe. Unless you're a masochist, don't bother even borrowing this from the library. Read Shreve's earlier, "Strange Fits of Passion", instead; it's a GOOD book.
Rating: 
Summary: Hidden Romance
Review: Anita Shreve's novel Fortune's Rocks is the first novel that has kept me awake reading all night in a very long time! I think most woman can remember back to "being 15" and that's why the plot was believable. The discriptions were exceptional, the story interesting enough to keep me turning the pages, and wishing the story went on longer. I was a little disappointed with the ending and didn't feel it met the magnitude of the rest of the story.
Rating: 
Summary: Fortune's Rocks: Worth It
Review: I wasn't sure if I'd like this book, but from the moment I opened it I was hooked. It is so fresh and envigorating! The love story did not dominate the novel, although it was a huge part of it;this
book evoked other feelings other than just romance. It is sad and at the same time gave me hope, and the ending is phenominal. This book is definitely worth your time and money: it is a great read!
Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: 'Fortune's Rocks' is definitely a slow read during the first half, but I rather enjoyed the forbidden romance between Olympia and Haskell, as well as Shreve's detailed prose.
What I found rather disturbing was Olympia's behaviour after the birth of her child, the fact that she could live the way she chose to only because she was well provided for. Would she have made the same choices as she did if it were'nt for her family being well-off? As for Haskell, at times I thought of him as a coward.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book as I love a good romance anyday.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully written
Review: This was my third novel by this author. I loved the Pilot's Wife. I attempted the Weight of Water, but it was a bit much for me at the time, too much back and forth of the past and present, althought I am going to try it again soon.Fortune's Rocks, I absolutely loved it. The discriptions of the dress and housing of the era are just wonderful, you really feel like you are living in that time (1899). Olympia is a very smart and headstrong 15 year old girl. Haskell is the older married man who captures her attention. Although they begin a forbidden love affair, it all works out in the end. This book took me a while to get into, with all the descriptive content, it's not a "quick" read, but I have to admit, once I got to the middle of it, I took the better part of a day and finished it. I could not put it down. A must read if you like Anita Shreve's style, the victorian era, and love stories.
Rating:
Summary: Another hit for Shreve!
Review: I have read all of Anita Shreve's books...and I keep saying they are all on my favorites list. I can't decide! They are all so good, you can't put them down. You stay up at night, you make extra time during the day...This is a story that takes place in the early 1900's, but with her description, you feel you are there, you can understand the time & place. And even though things that might be a huge scandal then, might not be now...you can still imagine the truth & the scandal way back then.
Rating:
Summary: Captivating!
Review: I couldn't put this book down! I read it in two days and wished after that it would keep on going. Although at times I was agitated at the decisions made by the two main characters, I was very happy at the final outcome of the book. The author gives us a wonderful feeling for life in the early 1900's for those that lived the privileged lifestyle of the wealthy.
Rating:
Summary: My Good Fortune
Review: It was indeed good fortune to discover this highly entertaining and moving novel. Set in the late 19th century, a young 15 year old upper class girl comes of age. Olympia is bright, beautiful, mature beyond her years - in short, someone everyone notices. John Haskell and his wife and family come to visit for the summer. He is a doctor and ministers to and champions the cause of poor factory workers. His writings intrigue Olympia. He is immediately attracted to Olympia and she to him.As they come to know each other, the attraction overtakes them and a passionate love affair begins. No good can come of it, however, and eventually they are found out. Many lives are ruined upon this discovery and the ultimate realization that she is with child.
Shreve makes you care about every character and tells this story so well that you don't want it to end. And even though one can sometimes predict what is going to happen next, she ultimately surprises and perhaps shocks you with the plot twists. Highly readable, most enjoyable and worth your time and effort.
Rating:
Summary: A Big hit for Anita Shreve
Review: I have not read all of Shreve's books, but I have read a lot of them. They seem to be a hit or miss and "Fortune's Rocks" is a definite hit. In my opinion it is her best book to date. In the summer of 1899, Olympia Biddeford is summering with her parents in Fortune's Rocks, New Hampshire. At 15, she is just beginning to feel like a women who is becoming what she will one day be. John Haskell is a 41 year old married man. When he first lays eyes on Olympia, he knows, without knowing why, that there is something special about her. They begin a passionate affair that they know can only lead to heartbreak. This is a book about a true, but forbidden love and all it's consequences. While the thought of a 15 year old and a 41 year old is a bit unsettling, you can't help but hope for the best between these two. Shreve has developed two wonderful and unforgettable characters that will at times break your heart. If you have ever enjoyed Shreve's books, then there is no question you will absolutely love this one.
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