Comments (37)

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Dec 03, 2023
December 24
May 05, 2023
"This book is delightfully and deliciously eccentric. It is a quintessential English coming-of-age story that is so easy to read." - Raven P.
Aug 27, 2022BARosen1112 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Hopelessly dated, but once you accept that this story of a young 17 year old girl's unrequited love for her older sister's fiance is of its time, you can appreciate how beautifully the novel, told in the form of the younger sister's…
Aug 11, 2022Maria_Wa rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I will be honest, the book starts out extraordinarily dull, offering little in the way of plot and entertainment, beyond a few jokes. However, as Cassandra Mortmain slowly reveals her hopes, desires, feelings; as we get to know Rose and…
Jun 07, 2022lcvoth23 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Cassandra's diary of her poetic life, eccentric family and wishful relationships is incredibly engaging. It transported me right to a storybook-style castle in England, enjoying the simple things in life alongside her. A beautifully…
Jun 07, 2021JenniferM15 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I loved this book. I couldn't put this book down, there was something about this book that just pull you through and want to stay forever. This book takes you through love, adventure, and Cassandra's life.
May 14, 2021Indoorcamping rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
You know those odd movies that you happen across one Saturday and keep watching, and then are completely mesmerized by? This is that. It’s like jumping into another place and time, a weird one, like the opposite of a predictable, middle…
Jan 27, 2021
D/l audio
Jan 13, 2021gumboot_tea rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A book I reread as often as I reread Jane Austen, and with such a similar way of observing women in the world. Delightful.
Jan 09, 2021takeclare rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A vivid, funny, melancholic and thoughtful portrait of a family in early-twentieth century England. Narrated via the diary entries of Cassandra Mortmain, her's is the voice that enchants this novel - her wry, thoughtful, intelligent and…
Aug 02, 2020
A.J. Fikry and Used Books in India
Jun 27, 2020
The first of the pandemic list novels that was a dud.
Jun 02, 2020phyllis94941 rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
This book was so highly praised that I kept reading way beyond when I would normally give up and give it away. In fact, I actually finished it because I was sure it would be getting better in just a page or two and all those 5 and 4 star…
Mar 15, 2020norma777 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
À charming story of an eccentric family living in extreme poverty in a run down castle. The arrival of 2 brothers from the USA changes life for their family. Jane Austen fans will like this. Several interesting characters have strong…
Nov 01, 2019darladoodles rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
View life in a crumbling castle through the eyes of 17-year-old Cassandra. She is writing in her journal to improve her writing skills. Meanwhile her family goes through some drastic changes after meeting the Americans who move in next…
Aug 17, 2019DBRL_KrisA rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
First published in 1948, but the book is written in such good, plain, non-affected English that I assumed it to have been written just a few years ago. Enjoyable characters - Mortmain, Topaz, Leda Fox-Cotton, the Vicar. Reference is made…
May 21, 2019IndyPL_SteveB rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A wonderful novel with a charming narrator. One of those fascinating surprises that you run into; I am most pleased because I’ve never read anything else like it. In 1932, 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain’s family lives in a house…
Apr 14, 2019jeffreyochsner rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I heard that this book would appeal to fans of Downton Abbey, so I decided to give it a try. This book is written in the first person from the perspective of teenaged Cassandra, who keeps a journal. As the book opens, Cassandra and her…
Mar 19, 2019angievigilante rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I adore this book. I think about it all the time. This book is magic and I never wanted it to end. It's about an eccentric family that is educated and cultured but also completely free spirited. The point of view is a young woman who loves…
Mar 21, 2018SPPL_Kristen rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Cassandra was such an important character to my teen self in ways I couldn't possibly articulate in such a small comment box. But I'm so excited that this book has endured for so many years and so many other young girls can feel the same…
Oct 24, 2017brangwinn rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
As I started reading I saw similarities to Cold Comfort Farm. There’s no mad woman in the attic, but there is a father, a famous author, who has no idea what his three children are doing. There’s no income, the kids seem to be the adults…
Aug 26, 2017SusannahWhite rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Lovely lovely lovely book. Intelligent, touching, and perceptive, with one of literature's most amusing narrators and narratives--most understandably a classic.
Apr 30, 2017kwsmith rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This wonderful classic coming-of-age romance novel centers around two young sisters and three attractive young men. The two English sisters are living with their poor family in a crumbling old castle when a pair of rich American brothers…
Dec 29, 2016
I adore this novel, so much so that I read it almost every year. Cassandra is the inner young woman in all of us with many of the same insecurities and dreams for the future. It's a story you won't soon forget. You'll be charmed!
Nov 30, 2015rationallady rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
It reminded me of Jane Austen's books. The style of writing about young love in 1948 and the early 1800's is quite similar. Now I'll watch the movie based on the book.