- Paperback: 448 pages
- Publisher: Penguin; New edition edition (2 Mar 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0140272348
- ISBN-13: 978-0140272345
- Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 11 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 582,539 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Chimney Sweeper's Boy
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
Joyce Carol Oates "The New York Times Book Review" One of the finest practitioners of her craft in the English-speaking world.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
When successful author Gerald Candless dies of a sudden heart attack, his eldest, adoring daughter Sarah embarks on a memoir of him and soon discovers that her perfect father was not all he appeared to be. That in fact he wasn't Gerald Candless at all. But then, who was he? And what terrible secret had driven him to live a lie for all those years?
'So ingeniously constructed, its truth and falsehoods are so deftly and convincingly interwoven, that its solution ... is as jolting as a flash of lightning' Sunday Times
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is an easy to read, but disappointing book. 2 dimensional, unsympathetic characters revolve around an arrogant author. Cod psychology (suppressed homosexuality) is used to excuse the author's use and abuse of his wife. The hidden secret becomes clear 2/3 of the way through the book, though we have to wait for the end to get the detail. The book finishes abruptly, in a way that seems less than credible. This is the second Barbara Vine novel I've read and neither has impressed.
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the first book I've read by Ruth Rendell writing under the pseudonym of Barbara Vine. However, judging by the other reviews, it is a little different from her usual format. I really enjoyed this story and became more interested in the secret past of Gerald Candless and by the time I reached the last couple of chapters, I was really gripped as the truth about Gerald was revealed. I can understand how some reviewers may have lost interest in the story, as they were probably expecting a thriller, but I must admit that this is my kind of book. I will still try other books by Barbara Vine as I like detective and thriller books as well and, if this novel is anything to go by, I really enjoyed her style of writing.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
With the death of successful author and Booker Prize nominee Gerald Candless, his family, living on the fog-shrouded coast of England, has a variety of responses. His wife Ursula, who has suffered his sexual rejection since the birth of their two daughters, now in their twenties, is at last free of his domination. His daughters, both of whom have been doted upon by their father, are devastated, and resentful that their mother, whom their father ignored, seems far less bereaved than they are. When older daughter Sarah, a college professor and writer, has her proposal for a biography of her father accepted by a major publisher, she expects this to be a healing experience. After all, her father kept journals and drew on his experiences for plots for his books--the raw material for a memoir is all there.
When Sarah begins her research, however, she discovers that her father's identity is as dark and fog-shrouded as the coast on which they live, that his name, parentage, upbringing, early work experiences, and entire past life may not be what she and her family have always believed. As Sarah delves into the past, this novel by Barbara Vine (the pseudonym used by Ruth Rendell for her most "psychological" novels) becomes a genealogical investigation into the life of a most mysterious man. Sarah's discoveries often come with a hard price, emotionally, affecting the memories she and her sister have of their revered father but, in many ways, liberating their mother and allowing the sisters to know her in new ways.
Vine reveals the mysteries of Gerald Candless in slow increments, her careful construction allowing the reader to share in the discoveries as information comes to Sarah through her research and that of an assistant she hires to act as a detective. The characters she meets along the way, while not fully developed, are nevertheless vibrant and individualized, and they keep the reader's interest high. While Sarah's own sexual behavior fails to ring true, her mother Ursula's confusion regarding her rejection by Gerald and her behavior after his death are both poignant and understandable. Fast-paced and filled with atmosphere, this mystery and the character at the heart of it will fascinate the reader who loves mysteries based on human relationships and human failings. Mary Whipple
When Sarah begins her research, however, she discovers that her father's identity is as dark and fog-shrouded as the coast on which they live, that his name, parentage, upbringing, early work experiences, and entire past life may not be what she and her family have always believed. As Sarah delves into the past, this novel by Barbara Vine (the pseudonym used by Ruth Rendell for her most "psychological" novels) becomes a genealogical investigation into the life of a most mysterious man. Sarah's discoveries often come with a hard price, emotionally, affecting the memories she and her sister have of their revered father but, in many ways, liberating their mother and allowing the sisters to know her in new ways.
Vine reveals the mysteries of Gerald Candless in slow increments, her careful construction allowing the reader to share in the discoveries as information comes to Sarah through her research and that of an assistant she hires to act as a detective. The characters she meets along the way, while not fully developed, are nevertheless vibrant and individualized, and they keep the reader's interest high. While Sarah's own sexual behavior fails to ring true, her mother Ursula's confusion regarding her rejection by Gerald and her behavior after his death are both poignant and understandable. Fast-paced and filled with atmosphere, this mystery and the character at the heart of it will fascinate the reader who loves mysteries based on human relationships and human failings. Mary Whipple
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Bland, bland
The Chimney Sweepers Boy by Barbara Vine is bland, at least for the 100 or so page that I read. There is no tension, no intrigue, nothing. It just sweeps on. And on. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Ken
i got it free luckily
I got his free with a magazine, and I'm glad i didnt pay for it. I dont know if all copies are the same but the print in mine was so tiny i only managed to struggle through 30... Read more
Published on 16 Jan 2010 by Mrs. J. Peacock
Lost potential
I am a big Rendell/Vine fan, so it pains me to say this, but this book was rather a letdown in the end. Read more
Published on 22 Jun 2009 by AmberJ
Disappointing & annoying
An intriguing enough first chapter. The rest of the novel is ponderous and tedious. The 'shock' ending simply fails to convince.
Published on 17 Feb 2008 by Dominic Swayne
A bit stilted
The Chimney Sweeper's Boy was the first Barbara Vine novel I'd read, although I have read several Ruth Rendalls (Vine's true persona). Read more
Published on 14 Dec 2007 by Ingaborga
Predictable?
I love Barbara Vine, but I admit that this was a slight disappointment in the plot's predictability. Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2007 by Lucy M
Would come back for more.
This is the first Barbara Vine book I have read and it has certainly not put me off trying more.
The story is well written and keeps the readers' interest throughout the book. Read more
Published on 22 Jun 2004 by Rich Milligan
I had difficulty getting involved with this book.
The mystery component of The Chimney Sweeper's Boy is entertaining enough, I suppose, but there were too many convenient coincidences for me to suspend my disbelief. Read more
Published on 17 Jan 2001
Well below her best
The opening chapters lay the foundations for a classic Vine 'whydunnit'. A famous author dies and his daughter is commissioned to write his biography. Read more
Published on 16 April 2000 by geoff.osborne@beeb.com
An enthralling read .... to a point
I enjoyed reading this book but did find my interest trailing off towards the end - I read most of it very quickly then read the last 20 pages a few days later. Read more
Published on 25 Oct 1999
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
