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Rating: Summary: Not a bad read - slow but filled with tension Review: A WINTER MARRIAGE by Kerry HardieA WINTER MARRIAGE, the debut novel by poet Kerry Hardie, tells the story of a middle-aged woman who seeks her fortune by marrying men. The story begins at the beginning of her fifth marriage, this time to an elderly well-traveled man named Ned whom she meets at a wedding. Besides the baggage she brings of her many marriages, she also brings with her a teenage son (Joss), who she has left in Africa while she goes on her journey to find husband number five. The pace of the book is very slow, but at the same time there is an underlying tension that will keep the reader hooked. The mystery behind Hannie's life and her strange son Joss is what keeps the book from getting too slow. She alludes to something about his past through her narratives, but it isn't quite apparent what is wrong with Joss till much further along into the book. In the mean time, we watch Hannie treat Ned with contempt, turn her nose up at the well-meaning neighbors, and pretty much behaves like a selfish, self-centered woman. It is obvious her need to use and manipulate others is her way of life, and the only person that is important other than her is her son Joss. After finishing the book, I could not find one redeeming quality of Hannie's that made me feel any sympathy for her. At the same time, I think the book was well done, because it evoked such strong emotions in me as I read. The fate of Joss is up to the reader to find out, and it is not what I had expected, but yet I guess I was not too surprised either. I couldn't make up my mind whether to feel sorry for him or not. But overall, I'm giving this book, my first read of 2004, a thumbs up and four stars from Ratmammy's Reviews.
Rating: Summary: Intriguing story that reels you in Review: Hannie is not your typical heroine. She is selfish. She is only interested in two things ~~ her self-interests and her son, Joss. Sounds like a bad novel, right? Wrong. Hardie creates a complex character and a beautifully-written novel ~~ that keeps you reading from the first page to the last. It is not a fast page-turner suspense where you have to stay up all night and read till the last page is finished ~~ but it is an intense novel that keeps you guessing and thinking. Her scenery descriptions of the Irish landscape is vivid and poignant. You detect a poetress in the author when you read about the long winter twilight across the snow-covered lands. This is a beautiful book with a disturbing story. Hannie comes to Ireland with her fifth husband, Ned, from Africa, a country that she has lived in for years. With a mystery surrounding Hannie and her son, they come to a northern country not knowing what to expect. Hannie has made it clear from the beginning that marriage is not for love. Because of that statement, this novel is written with a curiously heavy sense of sexual tension lying underneath, like a snake coiled in the sun waiting for darkness to descend. Slowly, each of the characters in this novel ~~ Hannie, Joss, Ned, Niamh, Mrs. Coady, and Ned's friends and relatives ~~ come to life and one begins to read about different character flaws or strengths. And the reader is hooked ~~ sometimes unwillingly ~~ into their stories. If you are looking for a book that doesn't make you uncomfortable or make you think ~~ this book isn't it. Hardie writes very beautifully to keep your interest but the tension between the characters sometimes may be a bit much to take in long doses. This book is written in the classics of the old ~~ where the author writes and let the characters speak for themselves. Having just read John Steinbeck's "Winter of Our Discontent," I can say that Hardie writes similarily to his writing style ~~ heavy at times and quite insightful of the human relationships. I give it a five ~~ though it was not always an easy read. Hardie mentions in the interview at the back of the book that she is more inclined to write poetry and this book reflects a lot of her lyrical thought. It is a book worth reading. 1-6-04
Rating: Summary: Don't waste your time or money Review: This book was one big Y-A-W-N for me. I somehow, someway struggled through it and now don't know why I even bothered. Nothing and I do mean absolutely NOTHING happens in this book until Chapter 55, and then the book seemed to wake me up for a chapter or two. I won't be reading Kerry Hardie again.
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