A Year of Marvellous Ways: The Richard and Judy Bestseller

Imaginative and wonderful descriptions of scenery

St Just Monday Morning Reading Group 27th December 2021.

A year of Marvellous Ways. Sarah Winman.

The reading group’s comments on this book display a number of similar opinions on the content of the book, but very different ones on the readers’ reactions to it.

Several people agreed that it was a very well written book, easy to read; some said lyrical and heart warming. A lot of poetry and magic in it, and clever story-telling, especially the pulling together of the different aspects of both Marvellous and Drake’s lives – the one simple and uncomplicated and ruled by the sea, the other filled with events and searching. Some felt that these characters came over well, especially that of Marvellous: ‘so believable and delightful’; also the characters of Peace and the lovely ideas about baking bread and the way feelings of happiness or sadness could affect the taste of the bread. One reader commented that ‘the whole book had so much to say about love and loss and heartbreak, and how love and nature can heal a wounded heart’. Several remarked that they had not foreseen Jack being the father Drake had been longing for.

The Cornish setting of the book also seemed popular with quite a few readers, who said they could see it all through Marvellous’s eyes, especially the passages by the river.

However, another common remark was that the book was ‘confusing’, and ‘cannot really understand what the author was trying to tell us as readers’. One was ‘disappointed in the content’ and another was bored by the sex scenes and the London elements. The word ‘contrived’ was used by more than one reader. Another thought the writing was ‘over lush and irritating’, and a third commented that there was ‘too much poetry and magic and not enough story’.

This book was read during December 2021 and the continuing restrictions due to the Covid-19 virus, and so the discussion was not 'live' as usual, but took place via a Facebook group, email and telephone conversations.

Beautifully written, enchanting, engaging, heartwarming and human. An absolute gem of a novel with a lovely old lady as the main protagonist but in the most unexpected ways. Absolutely loved this book.

Beautifully written, complex rather than complicated. A story of lost loves, caring relationships and dreams! Thoroughly recommended for a quiet winter's evening!

I loved this book so much that I've since bought it for two other people - definitely something that I wouldn't normally do.
The characters and the language are delightful - there is a part earlier on where some scenes (and some swearing) are more difficult to read because of the nature of the content, but this provides an ideal balance to the beauty of the novel in later chapters.
Quite a quick read.

Great!