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ClareR (6067 KP) rated The Illumination Of Ursula Flight in Books

Jul 30, 2018

The Illumination Of Ursula Flight

Anna-Marie Crowhurst | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Humor & Comedy

9.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

A bit of feminism in post Puritan England!

Ursula Flight's story takes us from her birth during the time of Charles II, all through her early years and her life as a married woman. She comes from an affluent family, is taught to read, write, speak classic and modern languages, and she loves the idea of writing plays and the theatre (although she has never been). She marries at a very young age, just after her beloved father dies, and her husband couldn't be more different to her own father and family. He is dull, Puritanical (in the true sense of the word), ugly and controlling. Ursula wants more from her life than sewing and bible study (which she shouldn't be reading either - it's not the done thing for a woman to be able to read). And she sets about getting it after she arrives in London.
I loved this book: a bit of feminism set in the latter half of the 1600s. Ursula grabs hold of life and makes it what she wants (partly it's thrust upon her, but she makes the best of it). It's very funny in places and also incredibly moving. A really well-rounded, excellent book, frankly!

Kudos

Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Why Mummy Drinks in Books

Jan 21, 2020

Why Mummy Drinks

Gill Sims | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

8.1

(7 Ratings)

Book Rating

Swear heavy rantings

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Gabrielle Glaister. My expectation picking up this book was that it was going to be a humorous commentary on the daily trials of motherhood but for me, it didn’t hit the funny spot I was hoping for.

Written from the point of view of a 39-year-old mother of two young children we have a view of her life as she hopes it is going to go and then how things actually happen.

The beginning of this book came across as some sort of constant swearing rant by a rather stuck up woman who I was struggling to feel any sympathy for. I nearly gave up on it but it did improve.
I just couldn't muster any love for this mum. I don't think the narration helped for me but overall the tone just wasn't enjoyable. There were moments, in particular, the Christmas period that brought a smile to my face but I had wanted more of a laugh.

I generally don’t mind a lot of swearing but it was done in such a repetitive way it didn’t help the story, oh and having FML read out as letters frequently grated.