Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
4 stars for the first half, 2 stars for the second, 29 Sep 2007
Robert Goddard has written some truly outstanding novels. The best are Past Caring, In Pale Battalions, and Painting the Darkness. I reread those books every couple of years, I've sent numerous copies to friends via Amazon, and I keep 3-4 copies around myself just in case I lose one or loan a copy and at that moment have an urge to read the book again. Goddard's books usually center on the unearthing (sometimes literally) of secrets and events from 20 to 40 years back. He's a master of this genre, with the genre's prototypical example being Du Maurier's Rebecca. The only other master who comes to mind is Ross MacDonald--if you havent't read any of his Lew Archer mysteries and enjoy Goddard's novels, give them a try.
Name to a Face features secrets from 10, 270, 300, and 650 years back. The book starts off in a promising fashion, with the protagonist Tim Harding finding himself in the middle of a swirl of strange events which almost everyone else seems to know more about than he does: this kind of situation is usually a Goddard signature--reminiscent of Kafka's The Trial, but not so ubiquitous. But as Harding learns more, the pace seems to slow rather than to accelerate, unlike in Goddard's best works. The last part of the book almost seems to create more loose ends than to tie them up--it feels as if Goddard has put together parts from different books. I felt myself pausing and saying "What on earth is going on here?". One of the major themes of the early part of the book, if you want a bad and mixed metaphor, turns out to be kind of a red herring in the stargazy pie (popular in Penzance).
So if you enjoy Goddard's novels, this is not bad--but it also is not one of his best works--read the book. If you haven't read any of Goddard's novels, don't start with this, you might not read any of the others. Start with Past Caring, and continue on to Pale Battalions and Painting the Darkness--all three are truly deserving of a 5-star rating.
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34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
An inconsistant novel from Robert Goddard., 2 Oct 2007
I have to agree with the first reviewer of this book.
It is time to face the fact that perhaps my favourite author's best novels are now some way in the past.
This seems to be a different writer to the author who wrote such splendid literary novels such as 'Painting the Darkness' and 'Take no Farewell'.
Goddard's 19th novel in 21 years is, for me an improvement on last years tired and boring Harry Barnett escapade 'Never Go Back', but it is some way off his finest work.
This novel begins very well, (as did 'Never Go Back')but dips in the middle and does not fully recover, lacking in tension and believability.
Goddard has delivered in the past few years, 'Sight Unseen'in 2005 was in my opinion amoung his best books.
Writing in the third person,his narative ridgidly follows the central character Tim Harding on his ill fated journey to Cornwall to find the truth behind a historical conundrum concerning a ring. The story sadly peters out and the historic significance matters less and less.Because we never see the story from any other point of view, it becomes predictable and not even the odd plot twist or sudden revelation that was once Goddard's hallmark and great strength can hold the readers attention for long.
In his earlier novels Mr Goddard would have made wonderful use of a historical city such as Lincoln. ( A city Goddard visited in 2005 and 06 on book tours).He would have created atmosphere and tension, but in 'Name to a Face' he brushes across the description of the walk up Steep Hill towards the Cathedral in a mere sentence and sets the following scene in a dingy flat when there is one of the greatest Cathedrals in Europe undescribed next door. I know that this is a gripe but the point is this, Robert Goddard's technique has changed from those great early novels.
Please Mr Goddard return to the style of your early novels and thrill us again with a historical novel that twists and turns and keeps us guessing, baffled and hooked to the very last page.
I would happily wait 2 to 3 years for such a book as Robert Goddard's early novels are always as good on the 2nd or even 3rd re read.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Still Goddard, but not as strong as his better books...., 9 Dec 2007
I must admit to being in two minds about this book : if I was a first-time Goddard reader, I suspect I would have described this as being a truly absorbing and refreshing read. But as someone who has read of all his prior novels I also have the sense that he didn't match the standard of his previous works with this one. Do we therefore perhaps have too high expectations of such a wonderful author?
In the end though, I did conclude that this was a good read because the Goddard trademarks were there : the rich writing, the historical backdrops and the multiplicity of twists and turns. (At certain points though, I did feel that the lies and deceptions were just too over the top). If they're your test, you'll probably be happy with this book.
The plot did drag me in early and, as usual, I was able to get through it easily in a couple of long sittings. From that point of view, I must regard it as quite an entertaining read. That said, however, I would also say that it falls shy of his better works so something was definitely missing.
This fence I'm sitting on is not all that comfortable!
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