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Is Rosamunde Pilcher aimed at a particular age group or demographic ?

58 replies

Everyonesliverlovesparvo · 25/09/2023 19:31

Listening to one of her audiobooks ‘Winter Solstice’. Really enjoying it as a nice relaxing listen but probably only a 1/4 of the way through.
I’m mid 50s but it seems to be written in a quaint style more for folk a bit older than me. Almost twee but that’s probably not the right word to be honest and I’m wondering whether it’s the reader’s diction rather than the actual book. Normally I read/listen to psychological thrillers by authors like Lisa Jewell, Louise Candlish and Sophie Hannah so very much less cosy and far more gritty ! I guess it’s essentially the trials and tribulations of stinking rich folk, gentile types fallen on hard times and the working class salt of the earth. Are all her books like this ?

OP posts:
Needmorelego · 25/09/2023 19:56

@PJ04JCW I had a quick Google - her last book was published 2000, before that 1995.
That's old 😂
I mean 2000 is almost a quarter of a century ago !

PJ04JCW · 25/09/2023 19:53

Oh I love September and Shell Seekers!
Winter Solstice was written in 2000 so not that old!

QualityCorner · 25/09/2023 19:53

I've read Winter Solstice and The Shell Seekers recently. Winter Solstice was dull, irritating and twee. The Shell Seekers was better but I won't be looking for a third book by her.
The characters are so old for their age: women in their early 60s behaving like they're 90...... And fentestically middle class- oh there's a lovely little man who lives in a hut at the tip!
It's all about the family relationships and dynamics - there's a lot of bacon frying-and the characters are at least two dimensional.

wlv12 · 25/09/2023 19:45

I love Rosamunde Pilcher - I find myself Coming home and Winter Solstice most years, especially Winter Solstice in December!
They're very twee and comforting, I find Fern Britton’s Cornwall books comforting in a similar but less twee way!

Nothingbuttheglory · 25/09/2023 19:42

Agree they are comforting. I read Winter Solstice a few years ago and found the character of the 13/14 year old girl like something from a (very sheltered) hundred years ago.

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 25/09/2023 19:42

I was a teenager when I loved Coming Home

MrsTwartle · 25/09/2023 19:40

It’s of its time.
I used to read them as a teenager, they were politely formal and quite comforting.
my favourite is called Under Gemini (I think?).

Needmorelego · 25/09/2023 19:34

Weren't her books written donkeys years ago?
They might seem old fashioned and "quaint" simply because of the era when they were written?