Customer Reviews

The Last Summer

5 star:		(98)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love this book. Judith Kinghorn's tells the moving and poignant story of inquisitive and endearing Clarissa, poised to become a woman and inherit the future her parents have dreamt for her. But then, WW1 is declared and suddenly, the world order she thinks she'll inherit has gone forever. This is a brilliantly written moving love story set against the epic backdrop of war and Clarissa's love of her family home Deyning Park. Brought to life with wonderful little details and a thwarted romance that will set your heart pounding, the story sweeps you up and transports you back in time. Lovers of Sebastian Faulk's 'Birdsong', Brideshead Revisited or Downton Abbey will get another 'hit' here. Buy this book for your Mum and your sister, then curl up under a duvet with a box of tissues and read your own. 'The Last Summer' deserves to be a massive hit.

If you're considering buying The Last Summer, there's a good chance you'll already have an idea of the (relatively) familiar setting and the kind of book it is. To be honest, the only reason I ever read reviews like this is if I'm undecided on purchasing the book, or have just finished it and am interested in what others thought. If you fall into the former category, then let me first off wholeheartedly recommend you take the plunge and buy it. As to why - well, here are some of the elements which, for me, made it thoroughly enjoyable.

The love story that unfolds between Clarissa Granville and Tom Cuthbert is as tempestuous and engrossing a tale as you could wish to lose yourself in and, as such, is beset by appropriately daunting obstacles. The story twist and turns, just as you'd expect, and I enjoyed guessing the odd point that I thought I'd seen being flagged up ("is that a gun on the wall, Mr Chekov?") though most of these came as a pleasing surprise and the last of all elicited a proper "No!" from me.

Obviously World War One has been mined countless times as material for stories like The Last Summer, but there were details in this that I had either never heard of - such as the blue notes Clarissa encounters while working as a nurse - or had simply never considered, like the developing atmosphere on the streets as news of the long-awaited armistice broke.

There is some really beautiful writing here, lyrical and intelligent, often capturing moments of emotional complexity. A passage describing unexpected reactions to the news of yet more men killed at war, from a populace already swamped in grief and running out of ways to absorb it was, to me, particularly striking and effective. Similarly, the novel concludes on an observation that is at once poignant, thought-provoking and very uplifting.

What really made The Last Summer a great pleasure though, was the deft humour with which the characters were endowed and the story handled. In the last third of the book, the author is brave enough to let the plot breathe for a chapter and send Clarissa off on a clandestine drive to Deyning, her former home, tiptoeing through the bushes to the boathouse where she and Tom have shared past trysts. It advances the story, but is moreover a wonderfully funny interlude, with the heroine mortified at being taken for an intruder who's sneaked into the great house intent on an illicit paddle (I'm not giving away the author's own phrase here as it's brilliant).

I mentioned the familiarity of the setting - WWI aside, there are echoes of Heathcliff and Cathy (the socially inferior lover), Brideshead (the sprawling, baroque country house with a character all its own), and the lovers in the boathouse brought to mind Alec Scudder and the titular protagonist of Maurice. Yet as fun as it is to note these, Judith Kinghorn's tale and her storytelling feel as fresh as a daisy and the best reason of all I can give you to buy this is that it is a deeply satisfying and rewarding read.

I loved this book, so much so that I had to slow myself down when reading it and try to make it last. I could have easily read it in one sitting but wanted to savour it instead.
The Last Summer begins in England on the cusp of World War One, or as it is often referred to The Great War but as Judith Kinghorn shows us this war was far from great for those involved.

The novel focuses on the protagonist Clarissa and the huge changes she is forced to undergo during the war. Her life in her home at Deyning will be changed forever as a result. The descriptions of Deyning are vivid, poetic and beautiful to read. I could easily visualise Clarissa's surroundings and understood the importance of place to her.

The love affair that unfolds between Clarissa and Tom is haunting, frustrating and entirely convincing. Towards the end they discover something about their mutual past that made me exclaim out loud. I won't spoil it here but this is a novel that will elict a wide range of emotions from the reader.

I did not want this book to end and can happily recommend it to all readers who enjoy the detailed development of a character drawn during a very interesting and frightening time in England's history.

I know that I am extremely late to the party for this book but I completely fell in love with it. Clarissa and Tom's story will stay with me forever.
I don't want to ruin the plot for anyone else so I shall be careful what I say but I really want to emphasise just how wonderful the story is that Judith Kinghorn has written.
Clarissa and Tom's story begins in the summer of 1914. They come from very different worlds; Clarissa has grown up at Deyning Park surrounded by wealth and luxury whereas Tom is the son of the housekeeper. Although their lives are very different, their connection is instant, a connections they will never lose.
Judith Kinghorn brilliantly captures the change taking place at the time. The world is at war, men are fighting alongside each other; it doesn't matter where you came from, just which side you're on. Clarissa and Tom are caught up in these changes. Clarissa's mother forbids her relationship with Tom; however much she can see a future, Clarissa will not disobey her mother and this leads to devastating consequences. Clarissa is very young and this leads her to make so many mistakes. She comes from a world where you behave in a certain way and you marry certain people. There were so many times when I could see her going down the wrong path out of her sense of duty and I just wanted to drag her back!
The Last Summer explores the aftermath of war, the way it changed society, the way men were damaged both physically and mentally. Women gained a lot of independence during the war, many worked for the first time and this caused problems during peace time.
I did fall in love with Tom Cuthbert. He is besotted with Clarissa and is determined to make something of himself. However, whatever he does always comes back to Clarissa, it's all for her, whether she is his or not.
Judith Kinghorn has an excellent writing style. I really liked the way she used concise sentences and repetition to get her point across. The dialogue between Clarissa and Tom was particularly realistic, it often felt like you were eaves dropping on a personal conversation.
I know many of you have already read this beautiful book but for those who haven't then please, please do. The Last Summer is a superbly written, poignant read, I simply loved it.

This is a beautifully written and researched book. The imagery of the period as well as the characters remain with the read after the last page has been turned. Almost elegiac in the way that it conjures up a lost time and an enduring love.

A truly outstanding, beautifully written novel set against the backdrop of World War 1. I absoloutely love historical, family saga style books, and this will not disappoint. The characters stay long with you once you turn the last page, in fact I had to read the novel very slowly as I wanted to soak each word up.
The novel is set around Clarissa who is brought up in a priveledged background and her first love Tom the housekeeper's son. Lots of twists and turns, it won't disappoint! I truly related to both Clarissa and Tom. This book transports the reader back to the war era, and you can truly imagine what it was like, and how social class was much more prominent back then. Very well researched, and I cannot wait for Judith's next novel.. I wait patiently in anticipation.

This book is a totally stunning and evocative story of love, pain and the politics surrounding life at the time.

The sumptuous romance between Clarissa Granville, an eligible and privileged young lady, and Tom Cuthbert, the housekeeper's son, is emotionally exquisite, despite the many barriers that stand between belonging to one another. The devastating loss experienced by all characters, and the aftermath of War, and its social consequences, are incredibly harrowing, although the gorgeous description and passion defined throughout the story made for a hugely gratifying read.
Consistently, The Last Summer is entirely sincere and believable, and the imperfections of the characters force you to fall even deeper in love with them.

Their love story is not alone, accompanied with letter extracts from a further secretive but poignant relationship throughout the main plot, whose lovers are revealed at the end, presenting a fabulously enigmatic twist. I became completely lost and captivated by each character, and the heart-breaking dramas they endured.

A word of warning: tissues, preferably a box, will be required.

Pure polished and elegant escapism in a book. Enchanting.

'The Last Summer' is a truly wonderful book and a compelling read, not only because of its excellent story with many an unexpected twist but also the characters so finely drawn, and so engaging. There are passages of dark beauty spun seamlessly into a canvas of seasons unfolding - nature in all its unending glory. Indubitably the book is a celebration of the human spirit and so moved was I by it, that I wrote two letters to Judith Kinghorn, which I thought I'd share here...

My dear Judith,
I am halfway though your remarkable book. (Tom has arrived in a boat and presented champagne).
The read has proved an unexpected pleasure. Your writing is quite exquisite. Your book is a celebration of the human spirit. Clarissa's first watercolour of sky blurring into sea is beautiful and reminded me of many of my paintings.
The white moth moving from rose to rose and then below on the rooftop and then onto places unknown... You have drawn such moving images....

My dear Judith,
Yesterday I finished your book, and did so with great reluctance.
I wished I could have made it last longer, but then all good things, I am told, end. The ending was perfect. I so enjoyed the book - it was beautifully crafted and I congratulate you on a truly fine piece of writing.
The reader of the audiobook had just the right voice to engage with the atmosphere of the book. In fact, there were many echoes in your book which were endlessly fascinating.

Thank you ever so much for providing me with such an extended pleasure.

If, like me, you always welcome the return to autumn TV scheduling, to dramatic series that transport you back in time, then you may also love books that do the same for the reader.

Judith Kinghorn has created a world around Deyning Park with its house and family affected by the outcome of World War One. One daughter, Clarissa, never loses sight of her first (and only) love, Tom Cuthbert ... but will the passage of time, down through years of chance meetings, arranged opportunities, dreamy scenes, passion, despair, other loves ... will all this result in a destiny that fulfils their love or ends it?

This is how The Last Summer has left me - with the ability to précis the storyline (minus spoilers, of course) in my own words. Yet, not so much my own words because the landscape of this highly filmic book is described using 'ordinary' storytelling. Kinghorn's prose is deceptively straightforward as it crafts many accessible characters and settings.

In many ways, Kinghorn's writing skill is not of its day; the beauty of this book is the sum total of the story, the author and your emotional response.

Now I'll read the other reviews - I always tell it how it is for me first. So you can trust this review.

The last summer is the story of Clarissa, only daughter of the wealthy Granville family, who are the owners of Deyning, a vast and decadent country estate. For seventeen year old Clarissa,Deyning is the only world she has ever really known, and she spends her days in a blissful, innocent haze; however the glass bubble of her world is about to shattered as the growing threat of war draws ever nearer. Before then, however, she is afforded one last, glorious summer, surrounded by her family, her beloved brothers, and it is then that she meets Tom Cuthbert. TOm is the housekeeper's son, studying at Oxford, and though they come from different worlds, there is an undeniable connection between them. Yet their romance is only blossoming when war breaks out, a war that will forever change all their lives and leave Clarissa yearning for that long ago summer. Will Clarissa and Tom's love for each other survive the war and the social barriers between them; or will that too merely fade into a memory?

This is an old-fashioned story, stretching from 1914 to 1930; and is as much a story telling of the changing society of the times as it is a love story. The horrors of the war told mainly from the point view of the mothers, wives and daughters left behind, and the sense of loss, the grief never really recovered from is achingly poignant in its depiction. The decline of the great houses, slow loss of a whole way of living, shift in society and power, rising independence of women are all observed upon.

The romance between Clarissa and Tom at the story's heart is deeply engrossing; their encounters over the years, and the criss-crossing of their paths keeping you on tenterhooks to the eventual outcome. At times their relationship and the obstacles that keep forcing them apart is frustrating, yet believably so; for Clarissa is a product of the generation of the time, held back by the rules she has been brought up to follow. I do, however, think that towards the end of the story, the author did drag things out just a little too much, which hampered just slightly, what was otherwise a beautifully shaped love story.

All the central characters are engaging; and their progression, the changes to their personalities over the years believable and very much shaped by events and circumstances, the direction that life takes them. I loved the innocent Clarissa at the start of the story, her optimism and belief in everything good, yet she couldn't stay like that; and Tom too changes from the shy and reserved young man we first meet.

Kinghorn writes quite beautifully, her descriptions, particularly of Deyning wonderfully vivid and evocative to the senses; you can see the sights she describes, feel the textures, inhale the smells as if you inhabit the world of her pages.

Overall this is a simply sumptuous read.