Customer Reviews

The Light Years (The Cazalet Chronicle)

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

if you do nothing else this year, buy the four books in the Cazalet Chronicles, they are absolutely fantastic - I deliberately tried to read the fourth and last one slowly because I didnt want it to end, but Jane Howard is such a good writer that I couldnt help myself. I have kept them and will read them again in a year or so, they are set to become "old friends" - definitely not a set that will be passed onto the PDSA shop (sorry PDSA)....

Not having been born until 1973, and growing up in another country, I can't say whether Elizabeth Jane Howard's fictitious account of the life and lives of an English family during WWII and beyond is historically accurate or not, but with this much detail, she must be writing either from her own experience or from extensive research. It certainly felt very real to me.

Told from the points of view of different members of this large, extended upper-class family and its household, The Light Years gives an account of English life in the lead up to the second world war. The author gives fine details of the running of the household inside the family's country manor, the social conditions of that time and the political situation as seen through the eyes of young, middle-aged and elderly, male and female, upper, middle and lower classes, providing a fantastic tapestry of life at that time.

All of this detail could have the potential to be dry and boring, but the characters are so beautifully and realistically drawn that the reader can't help but be drawn right inside the novel and feel a part of the family. These characters begin to affect the reader in a way that is rarely seen, and after finishing "The Light Years", I couldn't wait to begin the second instalment, "Marking Time".

I read this book following seeing some of the TV production recently. I found that it 'grabbed' me as soon as I started reading it and proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable read, so much so that I proceeded straight on to the next of the series, "Marking Time".

The book gives an excellent picture of life immediately pre-WWII and is an effective social statement of the state of the 'classes' at that time.

Mundane, boring. I kept forgetting who was who. It seems to be lots of conversations between fairly uninteresting characters. How this comes to have been serialized on Radio 4 I cannot imagine.

I read the four books in the series several years ago and remember the enjoyment they gave me. Beautifully written and researched.Imagine the disappointment when I realized I had given them away. I'm now having to buy another set and this time they will not be passed on. I cannot decide whether they will be paperback or on kindle. They would look so good on the shelf. My Christmas book token will be well spent.

Fairly enjoyable read which totally immerses the reader in the lives of the well-to-do Cazalet family just before the second world war. Good as far as family sagas go with some well developed characters, however I prefer novels to have more of a plot so this is not really my kind of book. It is well written, but has a few errors in grammar and accuracy which, although minor, I found really jarring.

Summary: If you like books which totally immerse you into the lives and characters of one family this is for you. If, like me, you prefer plot, suspense and passion, then I suggest you look elsewhere

Enjoyed this book so much I bought the other three in the series (Marking Time; Confusion; Casting Off) on my Kindle (The Light Years not available for Kindle). Beautifully written - I really wanted to know what happened next to all the characters - even the 'bounders'! Thoroughly recommend for a good summer/holiday read.

This is the first book by Elizabeth Jane Howard that I have read and I loved every moment of it. The pace never slackens and I found myself wasting no opportunity to settle down and read some more. Although there are so many characters they are all so well drawn that they do not become confused. They are all likeable people, despite their flaws and foibles. What struck me most was that I actually cared about what happened to each and every one of them. The period details are not laboured but the atmosphere is unmistakeable. Can't wait for the sequel to be delivered to see what happens to the fascinating Cazalets next.

Not quite what I expected, a bit slow, but a very unchallenging read if that's what you're looking for. I have to admit to skipping through a fair amount.

Enjoying this book but seems to be a number of errors in the ebook. Missing paragraph early on and Edward has inexplicably turned into Hugh mid way! All a bit confusing...