The Return: Amazon.co.uk: Victoria Hislop: Books

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Product Description

The Times
The Return, 'may be a beach book, but it goes inland and rummages around the cellars' --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

‘At last – a beach book with a heart’

(Observer )

'A compelling story that has rarely left the bestseller list this year and deservedly so'

(Sunday Express )

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Customer Reviews

72 Reviews

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(15)

Average Customer Review

3.0 out of 5 stars (72 customer reviews)

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43 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Why would Victoria do this again?....., 31 Jul 2008

By	RH (Evesham, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Return (Hardcover)

Take a perfectly good historically based story and make it into an unconvincing flashback?
I loved "The Island" but it stood on its own as a story about Spinalonga and did not need the link to the modern day bad relationship and family secret. In the same way this wonderful saga of the Spanish civil war does not need to be encompassed in a modern day scenario of "unhappy London girl seeks solace in salsa". In fact, it spoils it. How likely is it that the unhappy London girl would visit Granada and unknowingly go into the very bar which was the home of her Mother?
That said, the book had me in tears as I became wrapped up in its revelations. Victoria, please just stick to the story you want to tell next time. You make it come to life and have relevance without obscure modern beginnings and endings.

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26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, intriguing and interesting, 25 Sep 2008

By	E. Heckingbottom "elaineheck143" (U.K.) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Return (Hardcover)

I was eagerly looking forward to this book, and, unlike other readers, was not disappointed at all.

The book is based around the Spanish Civil War, and is incredibly well researched. The 'flashback' sections are very revealing, and echo many of the facts that i have read before about this incredibly traumatic time - whatever side of the war you were on. These fit fairly comfortably with the 'modern day' events, which come together to help us to further understand the traumas inflicted by a civil war. (One only has to hear Michael Portillo or any other Spanish family on the subject to know how families were affected)

One or two events in the story are a little 'contrived', and the final twists are anticipated by all but the main characters, which has reduced it to a 4 star book in my opinion; however, I still feel it to be a good read and worthy of the wait.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Weak start but got better..., 27 Jan 2009

By	Caroline+Kats (Breezy East Scotland) - See all my reviews

The beginning of the book was uninspiring, you just knew where it was going... but then it switched to the story of the family living through the civil war and it was really gripping. Then back to then ending again which so predictable. Why didn't she take her Dad to live with her in Spain just to make it a REALLY happy ending?!? Victoria Hislop can write really well and should have the courage to stick with historical novels and not bother to try and give it chic lit appeal with a modern day love interest that's just not needed and actually detracts from the real story.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The Return - Victoria Hislop
I bought this book as I had already read The Island by Victoria HislopThe Island and very much enjoyed that; particularly the historical details, which were very well reasearched... Read more

Published 23 hours ago by Jane

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Brilliant - I couldn't put it down
I don't normally buy fiction books but I was attracted to 'The Return' because I used to live in Spain and know Granada, (where the majority of the story is set) quite well. Read more

Published 1 day ago by Ali

1.0 out of 5 stars Pedestrian
A plodding book which does the "I got up, had breakfast" routine that every decent writer - even school child writer - knows how to avoid. Read more

Published 2 days ago by Maybe Lizzie

2.0 out of 5 stars Could do better
The research is thorough and the story, sustained though it is with unlikely coincidences, compelling. I just found it badly written. Read more

Published 5 days ago by Varifocal

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant new Victoria Hislop story in Ox-Tales
What a great writer Victoria Hislop is. If you've read all her novels and want more, there is a fabulous story in Ox-Tales: Fire, this year's extraordinary charity compilation of... Read more

Published 6 days ago by M. Ellingham

3.0 out of 5 stars Too wordy in places
Great plot and characters, but in parts rambled. I skipped over several paragraphs to get back to the story. Read more

Published 6 days ago by L. J. Matic

5.0 out of 5 stars great book - highly recommended
o love this story -really brings the spanish civil war to life with lovely descriptions of granada etc

lived up to her first novel

Published 6 days ago by A. Anderson

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
I was looking forward to reading this as I thoroughly enjoyed her previous book, The Island. As it followed exactly the same format starting in the present, the middle section... Read more

Published 7 days ago by KA M. May

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping!
I thought this book was excellent and am slightly surprised about the mixed reviews it has received. Read more

Published 11 days ago by Ms R

5.0 out of 5 stars THE RETURN
The return is a brilliant read, it explains the spanish civil war very clearly but with great passion the story mixed with the history makes for a compelling book

Published 12 days ago by Nigel A. Johnson

› See all 72 customer reviews...

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	82% buy the item featured on this page: The Return 3.0 out of 5 stars (72)
	7% buy The Island 3.6 out of 5 stars (259) �5.24
	6% buy The Villa in Italy 4.4 out of 5 stars (17)
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The Return (Paperback)

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