Moving

As other reviewers have commented, this novel is split into 3 stories about 3 intertwined lives. Some readers haven't liked this aspect of the book, I loved the way this deepened the characterisation and events. I am not a big fan of sad books, and this is sad but in a moving, real life kind of way, and not in an unremittingly miserable way.I bought the audio book as well, although it is expensive. The readers are excellent. But the audio doesn't always track the writing well, and a few of the written sections don't have any audio at all.

This book was recommended to me, and after checking the reviews and the six star ratings (never seen before) I was looking forward to a great read, and a new author to me too.Unfortunately this book, in my opinion, did not deserve the high rating - it started off ok with Edwina's story but Fern and then Lucas' stories were lewd and unnecessary in their level of detail - an attempt to attract a wider audience maybe?I persevered to the end in the hope of improvement, but overall I felt I was reading two completely separate books - although the ending showed some resemblance to the promising beginning hence my two stars rather than only one.I will not be reading more from this apparently highly rated author.

All of Jenny Eclair's novels never fail to disappoint, she just seems to get better with each book that she writes. "Moving" is no exception. Eclair never stoops to stereotype or to predictable plots and endings, but she is never pretentious. She is darkly humorous and heartbreaking at the same time. There is no author like her and I can't wait for her next novel.The seller of this book was great. It arrived promptly and in pristine condition, also included a cute bookmark.

A great family saga with some nice and some 'not so nice' characters. Entertaining and engaging throughout.

Excellent read. Sadly very credible story. No happy ending. Life like. Congrats to jenny eclair for another great story.

Excellent book. Different. Really enjoyed it.

What a fabulous story,the theme will resonate with many I'm sure.its a cant put down.

Absolutely loved it.

Jenny Eclair is a great comedian but she is also a great author. I hadn't read any of her books prior to this one but they all seem to review well. I heard her talking on the radio about this novel so thought I would give it a go.The premise is really clever. Edwina is an elderly lady who has decided that she needs to sell her large family house. As a reader, we work through her emotions and the practicalities involved with selling up (including the young estate agent visits!). Everything stirs up memories and this gives Edwina the opportunity to ponder the roller coaster life she had led.Telling her past history seems to be triggered by random things around the house but the book is actually very well structured - keeping secrets and building tension gradually.Having reached a pivotal point in Edwina's house clearance, the story goes back in time to 1980 and the focus changes completely.I was particularly impressed with the period detail throughout which was very carefully used.For a novel so packed with plot it was delightful how much emotion is explored. Also the relationships between the characters are very important - Fern and her mother were particularly interesting with Edwina and Lucas becoming more important as the plot moves on. It is really about families and the effects that individuals have on the other individuals.The title refers to Edwina "moving" out of her house but I also thought that the whole story was very "moving" emotionally.My next job is to buy more Jenny Eclair novels....

My wife and I share a library on our respective kindles, her half full of chick lit and mine with gruesome murders and never the twain shall meet.Being at a loss to know what to read next I decided, despite having never heard of the author, nor fancying the title too much, to have a peek at this book.I have just finished it and think it is magnificent and so interesting to read a woman author's take on life's relationship issues.I can't possibly own up to my mates down the pub but I have now put every book by this author on a secret wish list and intend to read them all before the next DI Banks book is published.A great book so well written and a revelation.

A family home haunted by heavy hints of heredity, history, and heartache is about to go on the market. Edwina is exhausted with it all and can’t summon up the energy to do anything else. She is an acclaimed illustrator, in the vein of Shirley Hughes, but the happy siblings she so charmingly captured with her brushes have eluded her own experience, the memories of ones she had have festered, left her alone and embittered. Her way of seeing things initially inspires sympathy but, that's not the whole story, this book has lessons to teach us all. A triptych tale of loss, misunderstanding, and hopefully, some redemption to come.With no attempt at being ‘stand up’ funny, Jenny Éclair has matured into a storyteller par excellence, at the top of her game. She has taken a panoramic view of a blended family, showing us that there are always two, or in this case, three sides to a story. Confounding my suspicions, I was only too glad to be proved wrong from time to time. Revealing, surprising, with a pitch perfect penultimate phrase (it’s no good peeking it only works when you’ve read it all).As soften, sadly, in a separation, the outright trashing of a family, a young child can suffer unseen. This holds true for Lucas, who is torn with secret, terrible fears about what his mother might do, with good reason; thoughts of injustice, jealousy and general disappointment in life. A high price is paid by him, and later others, for his father’s pursuance of personal happiness.Set in three sections, at first it is all Edwina Treadaway - Spinner, in her old age, and jolly well done that is. She acts as a reluctant tour guide to the hapless estate agent Lee, who has come to value her home of half a century. So enjoyable and real is that third of the book, I was reluctant to temporarily leave it and get to grips with Fern, a character from the sidelines, it seemed. Pressing through, I was increasingly attracted to her and the light she shone into the dark corners of the story as I had seen it at first. Fern’s time as a student in Manchester, her close shaves, relationship with the Treadaway family, all carried along interestingly towards the denouement, the story of Lucas, Edwina’s stepson, who was at the epicentre of the tragedy, the disaster that befell them all.I really enjoyed the way it all worked out and highly recommend this as a sharply observant epistle of family drama. Jenny Éclair has subdued her own voice a little so I could read it without hearing her in my head but the gentle asides, the wry remarks, the robin like eye glancing around is all her, and I loved it.

Eventually as really good her other books that I have read....however the first 22 chapters about Edwina in my opinion could have been well condensed into one. I found them long and tedious and it was only after these 22 chapters, when I was about to give up, the story turned to Fern and from then on it was a really good read that I couldn't wait to get back to.Her characters are very well defined and unlike some authors are really different from book to book. Quite often you find the same character in all the books of one author, simply under a different name with a different story line.We needed some information about Edwina to get the ball rolling and to refer to later on in the book but not 22 boring chapters which I why I am only giving it 4 stars instead of 5.

First time reading a jenny eclair book and felt very underwhelmed.Initially I loved the style of writing, reminiscing about the history of the house and wanting to know what awful things that happened to her and her family.However as the book progressed it just didn't get going for me. There was no real unexpected twists or turns and I really struggled to reach the end.I did manage to finish this book but fount myself not overly bothered by the outcome for the characters involved. After other reviews I am still tempted to try other jenny eclair books, but I wouldn't recommend this one:(