Angel Puss - Book Club Review, September '05

This month the Platinum Book Club is reviewing Angel Puss by Colleen McCullough

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Sydney's Kings Cross, 1960: Harriet Purcell leaves her conventional, respectable Bronte home and respectable, passionless boyfriend and moves into a rooming house owned by Mrs Delvecchio Schwartz.
There, Harriet finds a life she relishes. Her world oscillates between two poles - the starchy hospital where she works as an X-ray technician, and the madcap nonconformity of Kings Cross.

Landlady Mrs Delvecchio Schwartz makes an under-the-lap living from telling fortunes, and is mother to four-year-old Flo. Beautiful little Flo - the 'Angel Puss' of the title - is mute, and Harriet comes to love her as if Flo were her own.

Awakened to pain and terror, the confusions of the heart and the preciousness of her new life, Harriet battles to retain her freedom and her integrity against overwhelming odds.

Angel Puss is Colleen McCullough at her vintage best, writing of a world that has gone, calling to mind its dynamism, laughter, and unbridled passions. Most of all, it is a tale of women's love for children, and what they are prepared to endure in order to protect and nurture a cherished child.

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How The Members Rated It - score out of 5

Astrolady - 5
Tigergirl1980
Nellbe - 4
Iris -
*Shannon* -
Katanya - 5
Jackie
Megan -
Sarah_H
Mum5boyz
Dee73
Jillian -
Ambah
Christy -
Sal -
BabyDreams
Bieleemorris
RayRay -
Mitch4now -
Onelittleone - 5
Fi -

If you wish to read the book, but are not a part of the Book Club please be warned that the following posts may contain spoilers for certain books.

Love

I have to say I really enjoyed this book. I loved the way it was written in a diary format, and really enjoyed the little twist near the end after Mrs Delvecchio Schwartz died, and they realised who she really was. I had to read over that bit a couple of times to make sense of it, till it clicked.

It was great to have it based in Australia during the time where ppl were migrating to Australia in droves. You could just picture the scribbles over the walls from Flo and the purple curtains hanging in 17d (or was it 17b lol)

I thought it ended really well and I seriously could not put it down. I had it read within 24 hrs.

So all up I gave this book a whopping 5 stars :D

Love

I thoroughly enjoyed this book also. I'm like you Kellie, it's not a book I would have picked up ordinarily, but I thought it would be a good 'book club book'

It really shouldn't be surprising that I did like it, I really enjoyed Thorn Birds which Colleen McCullough also wrote.

I loved the twist as well, it was a really easy book to read. The diary format didn't make the 'chapters' to long. Flo just sounds like a lovely child.

I do give it a 4 star rating though. The ending didn't make too mcuh sense to me, so that was disappointing.

Ahhhhhhh, I just finished! It's not a book I would pick up either and when I told Ben what we were reading he groaned and said "Oh God", he doesn't like Colleen McCullough, but I really enjoyed it.

I like that it was in diary format too, because it was easy for me to find my place again if I had to put it down (not that I ever wanted to). I have to say I nearly cried when they took Flo away from Harriet, and I smiled when she got her back. It made me have real feelings for the characters, and I could put myself right in there.

I give it a 5 too!

I got it yesterday and tonday it is finished..wow what a read!

I have never read any Colleen McCollough, but after this book I will be looking for more!

Where do I start..?? This books has everything, firstly it has a rich tapestry of characters, and I fell in love with all of them. It has mysticism, it has murder, it has romance, and it has heartbreak..but so completely unconventionally, nothing like a hollywood script.

Like everyone esle it seems I couldn't put it down easily (though having a toddler it is impossible to get through it in a sitting!) I would think about the book when not reading it, my hopes for the evolution of the characters.

The gradual coming togther of the occupents of "The House" was believeable, and so was the time frame, it actually cemented the books realism having it place in Sydney in the early 1960's..the diay format also enforced this..the attitudes of people, the limited choices for women, the bigotry the child welfare systme, when I complain about our current system, I will now remember how far we have come as a country in a mere 45 years!

Harriet goes through such a incrediable awakening in the book, she is the most likeable, real heroine I have read in ages..the lead up of events to the twist at the end is SO worth the read, unlike some other books.

The ending was well timed and left me satsified, but I felt a little mournful at leaving the characters I had got to know so well..

I would have never picked it up, I am so glad I've read it..

Particularly loved the extended breastfeeding of Flo! Made me chuckle and think of Felix and myself..

A definiate 5 !