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Girl In A Blue Dress (2008)

by Gaynor Arnold(Favorite Author)
3.53 of 5 Votes: 2
ISBN
0955647614 (ISBN13: 9780955647611)
languge
English
publisher
Tindal Street Press
review 1: Arnold has created novel in which the story reflects the life of Charles Dickens. The main characters are Alfred Gibson and his wife, Dorothea. The story begins with their courtship, and proceeds through their marriage with the birth of many children, and the eventual marriage collapse. The magnetism of Gibson’s personality and the popularity of his books continued to draw adulation from his fans. The story illustrates the strictness of the Victorian era and how a marriage break-up and separation would impact the participants in that society. There is also the theme of how women were generally viewed at that time, not only by men but by society in general. The characters are well drawn making the story an interesting read. However, in the conclusion, it is a ... morebit difficult to accept the sudden transformation of Dorothea as she escapes her self-imposed exile. Unfortunately, readers cannot consult the author’s sources as Arnold did not include a bibliography. It would be interesting to see how closely the book reflects the life of Dickens.
review 2: I liked, but did not love this book. Arnold writes well, and this is a solid first novel. However, I found that the story sagged near the middle, and many of the internal emotional scenes of the protagonist were repeated, causing them to lose effectiveness. Overall Arnold's semi-biographical account of the intricacies of loving a "universally adored man" is an interesting read, especially for lovers of Dickens. less
Reviews (see all)
superaceman22
Enjoyable. Makes me want to learn more about the real Dickens family and revisit his fiction.
lauraloveme2002
Nice change of pace--a la Dickens, relaxing pre-winter read.
aishramji
Didn't like at first, however I persisted and loved it!
Val
Enjoying all the family drama in this book.
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