Spellbound |
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Jane Green
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Pages: 448 (Paperback)
ISBN: 0140295941
Pub: Penguin Books Ltd
Pub date: 2003-12-04
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 63620
Editorial Review:
Jane Green's sixth novel has a touch of Pygmalion about it. Alice Chambers, the heroine of Spellbound was known as "wallpaper" at school a "shy, mousy girl" who tended to disappear into the background. As an adult she runs a successful catering company but things remain pretty much the same. That is until Joe Mitchell, a crush from Alice's teenage years, decides to make her his fair lady: "with a diet, a decent hairdresser and a new wardrobe she'd be a whole new woman by the time he'd finished with her"--and, yes, you can grit your teeth at this very un-feminist idea! Joe works hard and earns lots of money, Alice has a lovely house and enviable clothes, and they both live happily ever after.
No of course they don't. Alice soon realises that "Joe is not the knight in shining armour she had once thought", largely due to his serial philandering. When his affair with a coworker is discovered, he is forced by his company to move to New York, and Alice goes too. It is at this point, in their new country home, that Alice is forced to face up to all that is wrong with her life. Feeling "quite happy" is no longer good enough, nor is staying with a man who "loves his wife", but who "is addicted to having affairs". It's time for Alice to pursue her own dreams, no matter how painful the process. Spellbound is an old fashioned story of metamorphosis, but told with the modern economy and wit that is Jane Green's trademark. --Eithne Farry
Reader Reviews:
Jane Green never disappoints.......... (0/0 people found this helpful)
I must say I am enjoying Jane Green more and more as I read her books and this one casts a sort of spell on you that makes you want to keep reading until you get to the end -the ending was bit predictable but didnt disappoint the read! What can I say she has another fan! well done!
this book really does put a spell on you!! (0/0 people found this helpful)
spellbound was the first jane green novel i read. Very easy to read and not very taxing, but still it blew me away. Very magically written and like i said really does put a spell on you....
Excellent - Perfect for any Chick Lit fan (4/4 people found this helpful)
An intense, dynamic and true to life novel, which shows the reality of the modern day world and lets some women know they are not alone.
Jane Greens "spellbound", takes every woman on a journey that if we haven't been through ourselves, we can totally absorb ourselves into and sympathise with. The unique aspect of the book is that we have an insight into each characters background and thoughts. Her choice of tense allows us to dip into each characters minds and shows us just how normal we all are when we have marriage/relationship problems.
Not only does it highlight "typical" commitment issues in a relationship, but also indicates exactly what we will put up with for the sake of love.
If you enjoy a sensible but hard gripping chick lit novel to completely dedicate a week of hard core reading - then this book is definitely for you. You wont want to put it down and by the end of it you will feel like you really know Alice and all her co-characters.
Brilliant Writing (3/4 people found this helpful)
I loved this book, i can be a little predictable but good writing all the same.
Thanks
Loved it (6/6 people found this helpful)
I read books like nobody's business and if I don't think much of one I can put it down and move onto the next without much thought. But this is one that will stick in my mind. Although it doesn't stray too far from the 'chick-lit' path (I must add I love chick-lit!!) it's definitely worth a read... it was a definite page turner because I found myself desperate to see Alice finally 'wash that man right out of her hair' to use a terrible cliche... the only thing I would criticise is the use of the house they move to as one an author used to live in. To me it only had a minor role in the book. True, it was used to move the plot on in places; but I didn't feel it was necessary. As the first of Green's book I've read, I will be reading more.
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Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Subjects -> Fiction -> General
Books -> Subjects -> Fiction -> General AAS
Books -> Refinements -> Language (feature_browse-bin) -> English
Books -> Refinements -> Age (feature_two_browse-bin)
Books -> Refinements -> Format (binding_browse-bin) -> Paperback
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