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The Shell Seekers (Coronet Books) [Paperback]

Rosamunde Pilcher (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Publication Date: 1 Jun 1989 | ISBN-10: 0340491817 | ISBN-13: 978-0340491812 | Edition: 2
Artist's daughter Penelope Keeling can look back on a full and varied life: a Bohemian childhood in London and Cornwall, an unhappy wartime marriage, and the one man she truly loved. She has brought up three children - and learned to accept them as they are.



Yet she is far too energetic and independent to settle sweetly into pensioned-off old-age. And when she discovers that her most treasured possession, her father's painting, The Shell Seekers, is now worth a small fortune, it is Penelope who must make the decisions that will determine whether her family can continue to survive as a family, or be split apart.

Product details

  • Paperback: 672 pages
  • Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks; 2 edition (1 Jun 1989)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0340491817
  • ISBN-13: 978-0340491812
  • Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 4.2 x 18 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 381,447 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Rosamunde Pilcher Page
Rosamunde Pilcher
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Product Description

Review

'A huge warm saga . . . A deeply satisfying story written with love and confidence' (Maeve Binchy in The New York Times Book Review )

'A beautiful, haunting story . . . that will tug at your heart strings' (Prima )

'Her genius is to create characters you really care about' (Daily Express )

'A long, beguiling saga, typically English . . . Splendid' (The Mail on Sunday )

About the Author

Rosamunde Pilcher has had a long and distinguished career as a novelist and a short story writer, but it was her phenomenally successful novel, The Shell Seekers, that captured the hearts of all who read it and won her international recognition as one of the best-loved storytellers of our time. Her most recent bestseller, Coming Home, was also made into a television film
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Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
51 reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars An all-time favourite 9 Sep 2008
By Jane Watson
Format:Paperback
I first read this book way back in 1987 when it first came out and have just now re-read it - 21 years later and it still is an amazing read. Rosamunde Pilcher really makes you care about the characters and what happens to them and I really didn't want it to finish!

The book hops back and forward through time with chapters detailed by different characters' names but this only adds to the book as you discover things about the characters that happened previously and everything is explained in the fullness of time. The only characters I found somewhat unconvincing were Nancy and her family - they didn't seem to have any redeeming features at all and I found that a bit hard to believe.

The description in the book is very good and you feel that you are there feeling the wind or smelling the roses - Rosamunde Pilcher is presumably a keen gardner!

I can definitely recommend this book and will probably read it again in another 20 years time!
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, memorable, vivid, encapsulating! 7 Mar 2009
By Lukal8
Format:Paperback
I absolutely LOVED this book. It's so beautifully written with such vivid and true to life detail and imagery that I don't understand why this novel is not more widely read. The author is clearly immensely talented, and employs an astoundingly clever style in her writing and depiction of family life. The book reads so easily that the 600 pages fly by and before you know it you've reached the end and long for more. Pilcher's characterization is superb and her attention to detail makes the novel seem really authentic and real, making you feel as though you are watching the story being played out in your head rather than reading words on pages (a rare thing that all truly brilliant novels should have). The story is also excellent and surprisingly entertaining with it's simple premise. I especially appreciated the saga aspect of the novel, going back into Penelope's early life during the war, as it seems so nostalgic. Another positive aspect is the fact that the book is consistent throughout in terms of focusing on the emotional relationships between all the characters in the book, rather than simply creating a dramatic story. The ending was also unexpected and heart-warmingly bittersweet, I struggle to find fault with this beautiful book.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written and not too dated 21 May 2008
By Lauren Thomas
Format:Paperback
This is a really lovely book about human relationships and how they can change over the course of a lifetime, and how they can be affected by major historical events. Through flashbacks and through her 3 adult children, you learn about Penelope Keeling from when she was a teenager to a 64 year old woman, and ultimately you become emotionally attached to her. The characters are fantastically strong and are either likeable or disagreeable depending on the person and their situation. Places are described beautifully and you can picture Penelope's garden so clearly in your mind. Although this book was written in the 80s, it doesn't feel too dated, other than some odd references to clothes and the language some of the younger characters use (not many teenagers today would call their boyfriends 'Darling'), so I am convinced that readers today who are new to Rosamunde Pilcher would find it very easy to lose themselves in this book.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Still a good read, just not as good as 'Coming Home' 15 April 2012
By Bookwoman
Format:Paperback
It's difficult to write about this author without using the words 'warm family saga' - that's her speciality, and that's what this is.
The story hops about through time, from the thirties to the eighties, as artist's daughter Penelope Keeling re-lives the past and remembers the love of her life, while dealing with present problems concerning her children and her father's artistic legacy.
Ms Pilcher is an old-fashioned sort of writer, and I don't mean that as a criticism: these days I'm very happy to read a good story well told, with no pretensions or gimmicks. There's no sex either, of course, but it's not a sugary romance, there's plenty of realism and real emotion. The wartime scenes set in Cornwall are particularly good: this is the authentic voice of someone who's lived through it all herself, and who values some rather unfashionable virtues like stiff upper lip bravery, and keeping calm and carrying on.
But have you ever re-read a book after a long period, and discovered that it's not quite as good as you remembered it? I loved this when it was first published in 1988, and I've always put it right up there with her other great success, Coming Home. But for me it hasn't stood the test of time nearly as well.
Mostly because I found Penelope to be rather annoying the second time around. She's lived a bohemian and sometimes penniless life, but quite a privileged one - she's inherited property and never has to work for a living - and although she says she despises snobbery she's still a snob, just of a different kind. She tells us how fond she is of working class evacuee Doris, for instance, but it's Doris who's expected to make the tea.... Read more ›
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I have ever read. 26 Mar 2000
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Rosamunde Pilcher creates a world which we feel fortunate to have been able to visit. The depth of her characters and the emotions her plot evokes make this book a must read for sentimental people. This was my first Rosamunde Pilcher book. She is an author you want to come back to.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Easy Read
An easy read lovely book I've read it before years ago and still got the same pleasure from reading it again.
Published 11 days ago by Marie Teresa Ling
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
I read this years ago and decided to take it on holiday with me. A well written book about a family covering three generations. Perfect for reading by the pool
Published 12 days ago by Paulie
5.0 out of 5 stars Literary perfection
This book was recommended via a knitting blog I subscribe to and was complete escapist heaven. Fabulous descriptive prose, gripping but gentle storyline and a decent length. Read more
Published 14 days ago by DOTTIE VEN
5.0 out of 5 stars BRILLIANT
I LOVED THIS STORY FROM BEGINNING TO THE END.LOOK FORWARD TO READING MORE OF
BOOKS...MY FAVOURITE AUTHOR YET.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED... Read more
Published 20 days ago by Mrs. D. Parkyn
5.0 out of 5 stars The Shell Seekers
Fabulous characters and a well woven plot. Love the setting of Cornwall so often used in Pilcher's books. A great read.
Published 24 days ago by Lisa Kuplis
5.0 out of 5 stars Another brilliant Pilcher book
What can I say. This book should appeal to anyone. She is such a good writer you feel like you are there in the story. Read more
Published 25 days ago by Laney
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent choice
The Shell Seekers is a delight and would recommend listening to this before reading the book. The audio version moves through the story retaining the structure of the original book... Read more
Published 25 days ago by Ruscoe
5.0 out of 5 stars The Shell Seekersis a book you don't want to put down.
It's one of my favourites, along with Jane Austen and Yung Chang. And it's the best of Rosamunde Pilcher, no doubts.
Published 28 days ago by Sara Margaret McCREA
4.0 out of 5 stars A good read
Rosamunde Pilcher is one of my favourite authors. Her books are gentle and the characters are believable. Read more
Published 1 month ago by marcia branson
5.0 out of 5 stars The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher
Years ago I had read this book and found I still loved losing myself in Pilcher's vivid descriptions of local areas. Read more
Published 1 month ago by E. Mckee
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