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East of the Sun | 
 enlarge | Author: Julia Gregson
Publisher: Orion
Category: Book
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 464
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 5.8 x 1.8
ISBN: 0752865811
EAN: 9780752865812
ASIN: 0752865811
Publication Date: June 12, 2008
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| Customer Reviews: Read 45 more reviews...
 Extremely disappointing November 19, 2008
As this was a Richard and Judy recommended read, I thought this would be a cracking read. How wrong I was! Very slow; boring two dimensional characters, Im afraid it went to the charity shop before I reached the end. I read two-thirds of it, by which time I was ready to scream with annoyance!
AWFUL! patronising and badly written November 11, 2008
Like many other reviewers I was looking forward to reading this book and was severely disappointed. The prose is badly written, full of non-sequiturs and in some cases, simple bad grammar ("she might of..." being one such example which stuck in my mind). The treatment of the Indian characters and the protagonists' interaction with them is patronising to say the least. The novel may be set in colonial India but there is no effort made to question the (stereo)typical colonial attitudes and behaviour. Even Viva, the supposed liberal thinker and bohemian, views the Indian children as 'poor but happy'. The characters' motivations are often unclear and the resolutions in the story vary wildly from over-simplified fairy tale (Tor) to no closure whatsoever (Guy Glover). The boat journey over to India, i.e. a couple of weeks, seems to take up around half the novel and the following year in India is rushed through leaving the feeling that all major events are skimmed over (Rose's wedding, the episode with Viva and Mr Azim). The use of both narrative and linguistic cliché became so irritating that I almost couldn't finish the book. The only reason I ploughed on was so that I would feel justified in writing this review in the hope that more people would not be duped into reading this drivel!
In summary, terrible. Should never have made it out of the slush pile.
Note: I'm afraid I simply can't take seriously a book which contains the line "he took her like a man" in a stream of consciousness passage of an alleged feminist!
 Poorly written chick lit October 21, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I took this book on holiday, and I did finish it, but it was disappointingly badly written and the story was no more than historical chick lit really.
I'm interested in this phase of colonial history, but this book told me nothing of interest about that time. An easy read if you're not a demanding reader I suppose.
 Excellent historical novel October 18, 2008
I bought this book for a work trip which meant I would spend a few days away from my family. What a joy it was to be transported into the last days of Colonial India. A really splendid well written book which I kept going back to until I had devoured every last word. The most un-put-downable book I have read for some time. Thought provoking and fabulous storytelling.
Starts off well then is so boring October 15, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
At first this book was promising but it quickly deteriorated into a muddle of forgettable characters doing forgettable things.Very disappointing.
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