A Quiet Belief in Angels
Product Details | Similar Products | Customer Reviews | Author: R.j. Ellory List Price: £7.99 Availability:  |
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 | Product Details: Paperback 396 pages Release Date: 02 January 2008 Publisher: Orion ISBN: 0752882635 Rating:   Sales Rank: 1726 | | Look for similar books by subject:
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| | Customer Reviews: Vivid descriptions of the Deep South (09 January 2009)Having lived in this area of the USA for a while, this book was a delight to read, just for the evocative descriptions of Georgia and the surrounding states. That is only one reason to love it though - it is also an amazingly accomplished thriller that keeps you guessing right to the end. It follows the grisly trail of a serial killer who preys on little girls in a small community. The longer the killings go on the more the members of the community suspect each other, outsiders and anyone who is "different" The lack of progress finding the killer and stopping the deaths inspires a young boy, called Joseph, to take matters into his own hands and form The Guardians with his friends, to try to hunt down the murderer. It is to be a shadow that haunts his entire life and affects the direction it takes. It is a novel that explores small town fears and mentalities that can engender racism and prejudice among seemingly "decent folk". What is also fascinating about this story is the relationship that Joseph forms with his teacher. She is the only one to recognise his brilliance as a writer and encourage it. I won't spoilt it for you though - just read it yourself! I am looking forward to the next offering from R J Ellory. A Quiet Belief in Angels (08 January 2009)First off, let me just tell you to look elsewhere for a synopsis. It's easy enough to find one if that's what you want, and I don't wish to ruin this book for anyone else by giving away extraneous details. "A Quiet Belief in Angels" is marketed as a crime book, but it's not one at all; at least, that's not what I think it is. It's quite beautifully written: haunting and poignant. It's lyrical without being pretentious, bitterly dark and disturbing in places, and utterly unexpected. To me, it's a book about compassion, humanity, and the tragedies small (but nevertheless profound) that affect us as we move through life. In fact, AQBIA subtly deals with the idea that all tragedy is personal to someone, no matter its scope. Although the styles of the two authors are completely different, R J Ellory's book reminded me of the desolation, loneliness and fragile hope that Cormac McCarthy's novels evoke. Other reviews have complained about pacing; I disagree. In places, my heart was pounding and I couldn't help but keep turning the pages; at other points, the mood was more reflective. None of this was gratuitous, but instead entirely served the mood. And I have never felt the oppressive stilted backwater America of the WW2 era so clearly and succesfully communicated to me as in this novel. Overall, it was a fantastic read. To each their own, I suppose, but I must confess to being surprised anyone found this anything other than exquisite. A Melancholic Tale (06 January 2009)A Quiet Belief In Angels starts off in the 1930s, in the small town of Augusta Falls, Georgia. We see the world through the eyes of twelve year old, Joseph Vaughan. A child killer is on the loose, murdering young girls. Joseph and his friends form a group calling themselves the 'Guardians', and try to to look out for the small kids of the area. As Joseph grows older and moves away from the town, the events of his youth, still haunt his consious, and he cannot break away from his past. I found this book sucked me in, even though it was not really a page turner, and slow in parts. However, I enjoyed the writing style, and the story will stay with me for a while. disappointed (02 January 2009)Oh dear what a let down. I too was interested in this book on the strength of readers recommendation on Amazon but I am very disappointed. I usually enjoy these types of novels, Harlan Corben etc. But for me there was no suspense whatsoever. Characters are one-dimensional and frankly I am three-quarters of the way through and could'nt care less if they live, die, disappear whatever!!!! I am vaguely curious as to why so many seem to love it - maybe the last few pages will reveal something glorious???? Ugh is it worth it? I will gallantly struggle on only because my lovely mother bought it for me for xmas so I feel I should make an effort. A difficult read (24 December 2008)I found this a difficult book to read and quite hard going. The overall story was okay but getting from start to finish was not enjoyable. The writing style does not agree with me. | |
