July book club - The Other Side of the World

I've just finished the book today! Just as well the August book is late. I quite enjoyed the book but found it too slow moving and started to skip some of the descriptive passages. I thought the fling while Henry was in India was predictable but I thought we learnt a lot about Henry on his visit to his homeland. My main thought was would a wife of today just up sticks in the same way? Maybe the PND made her give in too easily?

Like many previous posters, I found this book a bit dreary. Some of the descriptive passages were excellent, making full use of all the senses, but then others seemed to be just the same thing repeated. Whilst reading this book, it became obvious to me that I prefer a book with more action but that is clearly just my personal preference.
I found it difficult to identify with either character - Charlotte's depression influenced everything she did and Henry's lack of identity made him drift through life. Presumably he thought that emigrating would solve all his problems.
I also struggled with the ending. I'm still not sure whether Charlotte walked away from her family again or went back to them.

Finally finished reading this book. I found it really hard to pick up and read on as Charlotte and Henry really irritated me. I also never thought about post natal depression but just thought they were those airy fairy arty minded people who don't seem to connect fully with the real world, especially the responsibilities of parenthood. I also thought the flowery descriptions( as a previous poster aptly described it) were part and parcel of the two main characters attitude to life. I was looking forward to this book as in the early eighties my then husband and two small children were on the verge of being Australia bound to start a new life, then we decided a divorce was the only thing to sort our marriage problems out, maybe Charlotte and Henry should have done the same!

This book started in the 1960s when a family living in England decided to emigrate to Australia. I felt that Charlotte seemed to be suffering from depression all the way through the book. There was not much joy in the story for any of the family including the children. I was shocked when Charlotte left her family and never got in touch with them for a whole year, and it appears that when they were finally reunited she left those two little girls again. I did not enjoy the story, but I thought it was well written.

I'm sorry to say I'm struggling with this book. It hasn't 'grabbed' me and I'm finding it heavy going. There is a lot of descriptive writing and not much actual story as yet. I have now started reading something else instead, though I will go back to it at some point to see if i can get into it.

I don't think I will finish reading this book it uses too many flowery descriptions at the expense of the story. I can usually tell if I will enjoy a book after the first few pages but this one sadly went from mediocre to dreary. I expect a more interesting read when the cover announces that the author is a prize winner. Would not recommend this book to anyone.

I was hooked from page one to the end. The authors vividly drawn images and scenes made me imagine was really there. I could empathise with Charlotte feeling overwhelmed by motherhood and the feelings of losing ones own identity. I also felt for her husband as he obviously felt he was doing g the best for his family however there were points when I wanted to shake them both. Overall a good read which didn't require to much thinking perfect for a holiday read.

I'm finding this book a bit hard to get into and as I'm going on holiday in a few days I will take it with me. I will put a review on my book blog as soon as I've finished it.

The descriptions of places, events and people are beautiful and transport you right in there. I'm afraid I was constantly cross with Charlotte and forever telling her to pull herself together and get on with life (maybe that's because I'm old school and believe you should work at your marriage).
I couldn't believe what she did to her children.
I read my books in bed to help me to sleep. The night before last I put this book down with what appeared to be a couple of chapters left. I couldn't believe it last night when the last few pages were the acknowledgements! I had no idea the story had ended the previous night! I had to go back and re-read the last chapters.
It still left me wanting to know what happens to the family. I hope there's more to come.

I finished this book last week on holiday (no internet!) but have only now found the time to comment on it.

I was looking forward to reading it as my husband and I considered relocating to Australia in the mid seventies but I couldn't do it. He often mentions it now and wishes we had gone.

I was lucky that I was able to choose unlike Charlotte.

I did find Charlotte's behaviour odd at times especially as she seemed to leave her children unattended at times. I was quite the opposite and rarely let mine out of my sight. I have read other reviews and am ashamed to say that PND never occurred to me as the reason for her actions. Now perhaps I can see what the author was doing.

Henry irritated me. Don't know why exactly, but he did. Perhaps it was because it seemed that he was living in his own world and didn't see (or didn't want to see) that Charlotte was having problems.

Can I ask what the authors next project is?

I've just finished the book - thanks for my copy.
I agree with many others that the post natal depression, not recognised then, was clearly a big part of Charlotte's character. But that is what drove the book in quite a big part. It can still go undiagnosed today and some prefer not to take medication if it is diagnosed. Support for Charlotte seemed zero, both here and in Australia, which is why the book was so dark in many parts and explains what drove Charlotte to leave her family. As for Henry's character, that seems almost to be irrelevant as he just played his part as was expected at that time. There seemed no strength to the marriage, but I assume that was intended. I was hoping that the mixed race marriage would play a stronger role, but was disappointed that was not worked on more. It must have been very unusual then.
The one scene when Charlotte sees her children for the first time in a year, keeping herself unseen by them, not realistic at all - a mother's feeling for her children, for whom she ached so much, must surely be overwhelming. Charlotte would surely not have been able to really behave as she did?
Having said all that, I did want to finish the book and found the end intriguing. I have two questions. Was Charlotte's post natal depression meant to drive the book? And was the ending, which I read as Charlotte resigning herself to going back rather than making an informed choice my correct interpretation?

"But then they were lucky enough" not "but then we're lucky enough" - damn iPad!

I enjoyed this book, but it didn't engross me the way some books can (and do).

I've tried not to read the other reviews first, but my eyes did fall upon one complaining about Charlotte being an absent mother. Having been a single mother in my teens back in the early 70s, I can kind of sympathise with Charlotte. Although she yearns for the person she used to be, I can remember yearning to find out who I was meant to be. In fact that was what I enjoyed most about the book: its description of that dichotomy between how much you love your child - and how much you wish you could be free to be you. I can understand how some women would find that difficult to grasp, but then we're lucky enough to have this children at the right time in their lives, and with the right partner in life. I was not, though I was a little surprised that Charlotte felt the same way, as I thought she did love Henry.
I also felt that he loved her, in spite of his selfish behaviour. It was clear that they didn't communicate enough, and I wasn't sure if I was meant to take that as a symptom of their relationship or of the times.
Most of all, I felt cheated at the end. I know it's the modern fashion to allow the reader to choose their own ending (did she go back in, or did she leave again?) but to me that's a bit of a cop out on the part of the author - I want the author to tell me the whole story, and not leave me to decide (unless it's the ending of The Sopranos - that was superb, though I did shout at the telly for about 10 mins saying it wasn't allowed ).

I was given this book (didn't get it from GN). I thought I might identify with the characters in it in some way, having changed countries myself (I never call myself an immigrant, I'm not sure what I am - a bit like Henry, I guess).

But, as others have said, what a flipping dreary book. Unless Charlotte did have PND (difficult to work out as it is not made clear), could she not have found some joy and purpose in her new surroundings, or found a bit of gratitude to have all that time with her children? I became very irritated with all the main characters. I enjoyed the chapters where Henry goes to India the most.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.
Poor Charlotte, isn't her life so dreary! Perhaps she has post natal depression or maybe she is a woman who doesn't mind being taken for granted & what her husband says goes. I can see that Henry wants a lovely life for his family and although he isn't unkind to Charlotte he isn't really able to compromise. The descriptive writing in this book really sets the scenes and makes the story. I found the story ending a bit abrupt but I did enjoy the read.

First of all, thank you for the book, it was a lovely surprise and I read it on holiday.

I adore books about life in other countries and at other times so this was definitely for me. By the end, I had been fascinated by life in Australia and the experiences of Henry and Charlotte - brilliant descriptions, great use of words, which made the place come alive - that was the author's strength. I was a little disappointed in the characters themselves - I felt I was looking AT them and not living them, hence I had no strong bond with them and they seemed a little vapid. I shall try the author's other book as overall, for me, this one has been a good read!

I have just finished reading The Other Side of The World. Thank you for my copy GNHQ.

I agree with granh1 when she says that Henry does not seem to understand Charlotte.

Whilst they were clearly in love at the beginning I don't think they had a great deal in common. I thought that both Henry and Charlotte were quite selfish but in different ways. It was clear that Charlotte did not want to go to Australia and was perfectly happy being miserable in The Fens. Henry on the other hand, saw the move as something positive, something that would change their life his life for the better. In Australia he had a job and colleagues. He had a purpose whilst Charlotte was expected to be content being wife and mother.I don't feel that Henry took her painting very seriously at all.
I could see Charlotte abandoning her children from early in the book (especially after she sold the painting) although I can't quite understand how any mother could do this, I can understand why she did it. I found the ending (where they all met up again) a touch too far fetched but enjoyed the book nonetheless. I would like to know what happened after and can't help but feel that Charlotte probably abandoned her children for the second time.

The main characters in the book are a couple, Charlotte and Henry, and the main theme is their relationship to each other and their past lives.

Charlotte is an artist, so vision and her relationship to her environment are important to her. There are beautiful descriptions of the countryside around the cottage where they lived, in the Fens. She is alive to the weather, plants and trees growing and the call of the birds. She identifies with it all, and uses it in her art work – at least while she was painting, pre children. I am also an artist, and had three children in quick succession, so I understand where she is coming from. No time and space for self anymore, just an endless task of caring, which however much you love, you also resent. I think Charlotte was depressed. I found a link between creativity and depression – a vicious circle, creativity lifts depression, depression deadens creativity. The way out is to force yourself to be creative, which Charlotte did by starting a painting of Henry. It is hard to do though, so the painting is very slow, and she gives up. Another way out of sadness is to relate to something new. She takes the children to play group, which at first looks unpromising, but does lead to a new female friend.

Henry is a poet and academic, so words and ideas are more important to him than visual imagery. He loves Charlotte, but does not understand her. It’s a sad story really, two people meet and fall in love and have children together, without having a similar view on life – there’s bound to be problems.

I love the way it is written, with words conjuring up visual images of profound beauty.

I was very much looking forward to reading this book, as my parents, sister and I were due to travel to Australia as £10 Poms back in the 50s, when I was a few months old. My mother refused to go at the last minute and although she never regretted it for a moment, my dad did, not only because they lost their £20 , but because he remained firmly convinced that we would have had a much better life out there.

I would have liked more fleshing out of the family's life both in England and Australia. I'd like to have learnt more about the lifestyle they had in both countries - who were their friends, where did they shop, did they ever have any fun? I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, though I had sympathy for Charlotte and a bit more for Henry as they struggled with their sense of identity and belonging. The affair between Charlotte and Nicholas was very sterile – I didn’t detect any real feelings there. The only people I really cared about were the children.

Saying that, I enjoyed the author’s very accomplished writing. Her descriptive prose was beautiful and very strong.

Could I ask the author whether the ending is supposed to be ambiguous, or is it just me? I can't decide whether Charlotte intends to stay with her family or abandon them again for Nicholas (in which case I like her even less ).

I thought this was so beautifully written and the sadness of her situation came through in such a realistic way. I would love to know what inspired the story?

Well, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I really felt for Charlotte who never really wanted to go to Australia in the first place. Then being left on her own in a new country with 2 young children - and the heat - no wonder she was depressed. I know we moan about the cold and the rain here but I think I would miss it! I found it very easy to read and wanted to know what happened eventually.

I found this book very bleak. Charlotte and Henry were two egocentric personalities who did not understand each other's needs. She was not cut out for the self-sacrifice motherhood entails and he was an academic who felt rootless and a bit lost.

There was no joy or pleasure or fun and the characters, as written, were selfish and boring. To me the novel was claustrophobic and I would not recommend it to friends.

My question to the author is why was it so very gloomy?

I really enjoyed this book probably because of my experience in Australia in the forties as the child of two £10 POMS .My mother was desperately unhappy in Sydney but unlike Charlotte she had the support of her sister who had married an Australian. My memories are dim but I do remember the unpleasantness of many of the rather rough Australian men and boys in contrast to my own gentle and kind British Father. Charlotte did not seem to meet any of those characters possibly because she went a couple of decades later. I can really feel for her and the loneliness she felt in this huge country and to me she seemed an incapable rather than a bad mother. I can also appreciate the rootlessness of Henry. When people ask me where I come from, I do not have an answer having moved around a lot as a child .A sequel would be great following Charlotte as she was a very interesting character .I would like to know what happened to her eventually.

I've just finished The Other Side of the World and whilst I agree it wasn't entertaining, I did enjoy the book.
The time period, the settings and the emotional turmoil of Charlotte were well drawn and the writing was beautiful. Henry was very much a flawed character and whilst Charlotte would probably have been despised for the abandonment of her family, he was a major cause of the unhappy situation. Thank you for the opportunity to read such an insightful novel.

A belated thank you GN for my copy of The Other Side of the World. Found it waiting for me on our return from holiday. Have just finished the book I was reading so will now begin reading this one.