Rate this book

The Kissing Gates (2008)

by Mackenzie Ford(Favorite Author)

3.54 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0751541257 (ISBN13: 9780751541250)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Sphere

review 1: I actually really enjoyed this book. It is well written and not frilly in its language, and the narrator's voice is very engaging. My only criticisms as such would be that Hal (the narrator) seems to be suspiciously modern in his outlook - despite it being set during WWI, he seems rather unfazed by an unmarried mother (his lover has a child by another man), unmarried people having sexual relationships, or lesbianism, much less so than you'd expect from a person born during the reign of Queen Victoria. The other thing is that really dramatic events are reported and then left without a backward glance, I'm thinking in particular of Will's accident or Reg's demise. Hal spends ages mulling over his relationship with Sam, and how it came about, and his dark secret, but the dea... moreths of a few minor characters are almost mentioned in passing. What's interesting is that Sam, the love of his life, remains a slight enigma throughout the book, you never feel that you really get to know her. I suppose it fits with the conceit of the book: that it is a memoir, so you do only see her through Hal's (besotted) eyes.I liked the non-love parts, the spy stories and medical advances, they added meat to the bones of the book, and I enjoyed Izzy's letters, even if her character did speak like someone out of 'central casting circa 1915'. All in all, this is a very pleasant, easy, interesting read, and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who wants to read a reasonably intelligent, well written love story. (Oh, and how refreshing to read a love story written from a man's perspective.)
review 2: This is, in essence, a love story but with a huge secret at the heart of it.Hal, the protagonist, is fighting in the trenches in World War 1, when a Christmas truce happens. He, hesitantly, climbs into No Mans Land and meets Wilhelm his counterpart in the German Army. They exchange gifts and Wilhelm gives Hal a picture of himself and asks him to give it to his English girlfriend, Sam, who he met and fell in love with in England before the War started. Hal agrees to do this for him.Shortly after, Hal is badly injured and goes home to recuperate - for him the fighting is over.Hal, after recovery, then decides to try and find Wilhelm's love, Sam, and when he sees her he is instantly smitten. They meet accidentally (or so Sam thinks) and, the more Hal gets to know her, the more he falls deeply in love with her and, consequently, he doesn't tell her about Wilhelm, even though he knows that Sam is still in love with him and, indeed, has a son by him (though Wilhelm is unaware of this).As the War rages, Hal and Sam go to live in London together but there is always Wilhelm's memory in the background. Is he still alive? Is Sam still in love with him? Can Sam ever love Hal and forget him?As I said this is basically a love story but there is much more to it than that...it's the story of secrecy, guilt, hatred for the Germans, and how the War affected families in so many ways, how it teared them apart.I have to say that I was disappointed with the last 10 pages or so, I felt that the author rushed it and didn't know how to end it properly. But if I try and put that to one side I thoroughly enjoyed the whole engrossing story, in particular the part Hal played in the Intelligence and also his sister's letters from the Front (she was a nurse) were very interesting.Overall, an absorbing novel set during the First World War less

Download links for: The Kissing Gates

Advertising