I needed a light novel after the great Time's Arrow and Cavandon Hall was definitely a light entertainment. I stumbled upon the book at the airport bookstore while I was waiting for my flight for Turks and Caicos. On a whim I bought two paperbacks, Cavendon Hall and a novel by Gillian Flynn. I picked Cavendon Hall because I liked the cover and the summary on the back looked intriguing.
The story is about the Inghams and the Swann families. The Inghams are English aristocrats, proud owners of Cavendon Hall. The Swanns have been serving them for generations and know all the family secrets. Sounds like Downton Abbey? Well Barbara Taylor Bradford just wrote a bad copy of the excellent TV show. All the protagonists of the series (from the Crawleys to Carson, Alfred, Miss Patmore) are in Cavendon Hall. While their names are changed, their characters are so much the same that you could sue the writer for copyrights infringement.
The story fails also to deliver. While some parts are promising, the main storyline is very "cliché". Moreover the main characters are extremely annoying as they are extremely affected and prissy. My anger is specifically aimed at Daphne, the "beautiful" Daphne who has no character whatsoever, but ends up seducing everyone around her. The lesson that Barbara Taylor Bradford delivers is if you are stupid and look nice you will end up in a happy marriage.
All my condolences to women who are both smart and single.....
Author: Barbara Taylor Bradford
Publisher: St Martin's Press
The story is about the Inghams and the Swann families. The Inghams are English aristocrats, proud owners of Cavendon Hall. The Swanns have been serving them for generations and know all the family secrets. Sounds like Downton Abbey? Well Barbara Taylor Bradford just wrote a bad copy of the excellent TV show. All the protagonists of the series (from the Crawleys to Carson, Alfred, Miss Patmore) are in Cavendon Hall. While their names are changed, their characters are so much the same that you could sue the writer for copyrights infringement.
The story fails also to deliver. While some parts are promising, the main storyline is very "cliché". Moreover the main characters are extremely annoying as they are extremely affected and prissy. My anger is specifically aimed at Daphne, the "beautiful" Daphne who has no character whatsoever, but ends up seducing everyone around her. The lesson that Barbara Taylor Bradford delivers is if you are stupid and look nice you will end up in a happy marriage.
All my condolences to women who are both smart and single.....
Author: Barbara Taylor Bradford
Publisher: St Martin's Press