They are born with their own hearts and they cannot be made otherwise, no matter what love a man lavishes on them." once upon a river by Diane Setterfield ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 8, 2019 In Setterfield’s ( Bellman and Black , 2014, etc.) A farming family, reeling from the discovery of their son’s secret liaison, stand ready to welcome their granddaughter. Are there stories (family stories or personal ones) that have shaped you and your sense of the world? Hadn’t heard of this one, but I’m interested now! The Swan Inn, Buscot Lodge, and the towns and villages along the river Thames create a very specific atmosphere for the story that unfolds. 17. Does it remind you of any other stories in particular? Article
Setterfield focuses more on storytelling than character development, but the storytelling is purposeful and imaginative enough to drive the book forward. Genres & Themes |
Folk beliefs are still alive on the riverbank - changelings, witches, and dragons are all still real to some, and the Armstrongs believe Bess has a Seeing eye. What were your early thoughts about who she really was, and did they alter as the story developed? When the story of the miracle involving a young girl at the Swan Inn begins to make it way from town to town, each of these families hope that this young girl is their own. I’m glad you reviewed this one since it’s on my reading list and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it.
Radcot, the Devil’s Weir, Kelmscott, by Henry Taunt 1897. I too like when a novelist uses real places that I could visit.
I’d recommend getting comfortable with not knowing precisely where the story will end up, and just enjoying the ride. Setterfield’s prose is beautiful, dark and eerily atmospheric, and her rich cast of characters convincingly illustrate the best and worst of humanity. Learn more about author Diane Setterfield by visiting her website at www.dianesetterfield.com, or following her on Facebook. Once Upon a River is an engaging and atmospheric tale, and I’d strongly recommend it for people who like folktales and stories with subtle fantastical elements. lol. Is Lily White responsible for her actions? Great review! Naturally, I was very excited to be approved for an advanced copy of the book. . In the context of women's lives in the nineteenth century, what do you make of Rita's reluctance to marry? Do you agree with Armstrong's lament at the end of the book? The identity of the girl is one of the driving mysteries of Once Upon a River. What brings her to reconsider? Numerous strands of the same story are skillfully woven into a magical web from which I, as a reader, had no desire to escape. Once Upon a River is about three families — the Vaughans, the Armstrongs and and Lilly White — who have each lost a young girl.
Should you be so lucky to go, start planning your trip at www.experienceoxfordshire.org. I found those collisions with reality rather charming, enhancing the overall theme of fact and fantasy being intertwined in this book. $39 for a year. And Victor? The story of Quietly the ferryman is an invention of the author, but it contains many elements from traditional or mythological tales.
© 2020 Diane Setterfield. I just finished reading the Snow Child (based in a Russian folktale), maybe you’d like that better? That said, this is a narrative where the characters often act in service to the folklore-ish story line, operating partially as plot devices, so people who prefer character-driven or more grounded stories may end up feeling a little dissatisfied. When the story of the miracle involving a young girl at the Swan Inn begins to make it way from town to town, each of these families hope that this young girl is their own. The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. An exquisitely crafted multi-layered mystery brimming with folklore, suspense and romance, as well as with the urgent scientific curiosity of the Darwinian age, Once Upon a River is as richly atmospheric as Setterfield's bestseller The Thirteenth Tale. Consider the importance of family in the novel. What were your early thoughts about who she really was, and did they alter as the story developed? I still think this is a book many people can enjoy though! Dec 2018, 480 pages
"Sometimes I think there is nothing more a man can do.
Could this story have taken place anywhere else? Hope you like it if you get a chance to check it out! I liked this one, but I recall being really moved by The Thirteenth Tale. How about resurrecting the art by devoting part of a book club meeting to telling stories aloud?
On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. If this summary was useful to you, please consider supporting this site by leaving a tip ($1, $2, or $4) or joining the Patreon! Bonnie Jo Campbell is the author of the National Book Award finalist American Salvage, Women & Other Animals, and the novels Q Road and Once Upon a River. Three families are keen to claim her. The synopsis of Once Upon A River would have readers expect a story about a missing girl and a medical mystery, but there is so much layered on top of that. The story explores each of the claims on the young girl, the motivations and histories of these claimants, and many the townspeople who are drawn to the young girl and the mystery behind her apparent miracle. Jul 2019, 496 pages, Book Reviewed by:Dean Muscat
Thanks for dropping by! The parson’s housekeeper, humble and isolated, sees in the child the image of her younger sister. Have you read this or are you thinking about reading this book? Thank you for reading and your thoughful comments!
What did you think of the way this question was resolved at the end? And to whom does she belong? :), I really like books based on folklore, however, character exploration is something I look for so I don’t think this one is for me. Could the novel have been set at another time in history? See the archives. Beyond the Book |
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Rita, a nurse who fulfills all the medical needs of the town, and Henry, who is a photographer, provide the “scientific” and logical voice of the novel, seeking to explain these fantastical happenings in rational terms. On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. The book opens with an injured man entering the bar of the Swan Inn, an inn-slash-tavern in the small town of Radcot situated along the Thames — carrying a young girl, who appears to be deceased. While this prelude is atmospheric and infused with magic, the question of “what exactly is going on here” takes a while to be answered since each chapter ends in a cloud of mystery and each new chapter seems to introduce a new set of characters. I can definitely understand that though, as I was on the fence in the first few chapters as well. The identity of the girl is one of the driving mysteries of Once Upon a River. Find books by time period, setting & theme, Read-alike suggestions by book and author.
Good to hear other people are loving it too, I hope it does well! I also got this as an ARC and LOVED it.
Another interesting point about the novel is that, although it is definitely using folklore elements for the story, it did not quite strike me as a magical story, which I think it was supposed to. I am in the middle of this novel, and I love it. Is it a miracle? I’m putting this one on my list, thanks! The author of Orphan Train returns with an ambitious, emotionally resonant historical novel.
Once Upon a River is about three families — the Vaughans, the Armstrongs and and Lilly White — who have each lost a young girl. Spam Free: Your email is never shared with anyone; opt out any time. There’s nothing more telling than a story . By the time Vaughan had written a concise two-page account of Amelia's kidnapping to his father in New Zealand, "the horror of it was quite excised." You can review our. :).
Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath, and returns to life. I tried this one, but it just wasn’t for me. What did you think of the way this question was resolved at the end?
:). These questions have many answers, some of them quite dark indeed. Thank you for reading Katelyn! These questions have many answers, some of them quite dark indeed. This book sounds like it could be very interesting…thank you for the review. Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers! What important functions do they perform? I usually enjoy character-driven realistic fiction, but this tale was just so beautifully told that it caught me and held me all the way through! I do love character in a book, but I also appreciate complex plots, so I might just have to read it. :) Have a lovely day! Yes I might just like that one as I am half Russian! © BookBrowse LLC 1997-2020. Is it possible if he had been a different kind of father things might have turned out differently for Robin? Suspenseful, romantic, and richly atmospheric, the beginning of this novel will sweep readers away on a powerful current of storytelling, transporting them through worlds both real and imagined, to the triumphant conclusion whose depths will continue to give up their treasures long after the last page is turned. Were you satisfied with how the book's mystery unfolds? The child herself is mute and unable to answer the essential questions: Who is she? The Thirteenth Tale has been on my TBR for ages, ooo honestly, between the two I liked Thirteenth Tale better, but maybe you’ll read both at some point!
What does Once Upon A River have to say about the act or activity of storytelling and how stories evolve? What do you think really happened with the mysterious girl? It was a decent book, but I don’t know that I would read it again, whereas I have read The Thirteenth Tale numerous times, and seeing this post reminded me that it may be a good time for me to re-read it again. Search:
Same here! Hope you like it if you get a chance to read it! Of the people who had claims on the young girl, who were you rooting for? Her debut novel managed to incorporate fairy tales and the feeling of magic and fairy tales very well, whereas I think this novel has “literal” magic and has dark realistic elements, but the use of them did not result in my wanting to suspend disbelief, if that makes sense. Sounds intriguing and honestly I don’t know if I’d like it or.not. What is the role of the river throughout the book? Full access is for members only.
Or can it be explained by science? But answers proliferate nonetheless.
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