Anyone read The Names?

Brilliant book!

Interesting reading this thread as reactions are mainly very positive. On Good reads there are many negative reviews. Personally I liked the book, I thought it was an interesting concept, and the endings for each variation character were unexpected. In my book club, 1 friend said they won't read it because DV and another read it and was surprised I liked it because of the DV.

Loved this book. Want another soon please

I don't think she calls him Hugh @deeahgwitch isn't that just another possible path but in Gordon's mind? I can't remember now.

@TheBlueKoala possibly you're the only one on this thread. I suspect most people, if they don't like a book that everyone else does, would just move on past the thread.

Am I the only one who was really disappointed by this book?

Spoiler Alert.
I’ve just finished it and am in awe of Florence Knapp.
What a debut in fiction. 💐
Such a talented woman.
Please explain the ending to me - so she named him Hugh (I’m chuffed that I guessed she would call him after her beloved Dad who died young, prior to reading it in the book ).
Surely Gordon her husband would still hit the roof and physically assault and emotionally abuse her because she broke his family tradition ?

For those that enjoyed this, I really enjoyed Nesting by Roisin o Donnell

“I listened to it on Audible with Dervla Kirwan narrating it with her beautiful Irish accent.”
She has a lovely accent @MonkeyTennis34 I preferred her doing the M&S food ads on tv than Dawn French.
She has a middle class Dublin accent.
Because I’m Irish perhaps I am biased 😀

I’ve just finished this, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It had me gripped and I finished it in a few days. Well done to Florence Knapp! Look forward to seeing what she writes next.

@pollyhemlockThanks, yes I re read the epilogue and it made sense to me! Think I read it too quickly the first time.

I felt really guilty reading this thread. I didn't enjoy the book at all. I think it was beautifully written but the characters never came alive for me. I'm glad everyone else did though and the writer sounds a wonderful person.

@stonkytonk11 I think the point of the epilogue is to show how Gordon ( the father) could have been a different man if things had gone differently at various points in his life. In other words he didn’t have to be the monster he is in all three timelines. He could have chosen another life.

I think her going against him and choosing a wild name was the most rebellious version of herself. Very unlikely but what she would have liked to have been like.

I can't remember the episode very well but didn't it tie up some loose ends, particularly with the husband? I remember I liked it.

Just finished this book and really really enjoyed it. Not sure I entirely got the epilogue?

Also, one thing I kept thinking was - would a woman in Cora’s position actually ever go ahead and choose a name on a whim without agreement from her husband? I don’t see any woman, even one in a solid and strong marriage doing this. It just niggled at me. Loved the whole sliding doors premise though

My favourite book of the year so far. Loved it and already itching to reread

So much this. The crossovers were so clever, and the names. I thought the outcome for each character was so good too. Except for one - I don't want to give a spoiler though!

Read that, although forgot about it until you mentioned it here.

I don't think the blurb is accurate focusing on 'the baby boy'. For much of the book it's actually about a woman, her daughter, her mum and their reactions to events.
This woman author has written a book like all books should be, women and men in the centre of their universe plus as support roles in other people's lives.
I'm quite cross about the précis being about how men affect men it's actually a book very much about about individuals.

And I'm with Katherine Parkinson who, in a lovely recent interview sort of, said that she's realised she just wants to read books written by middle aged women about middle aged women.
I think she'd enjoy this one, despite having named men characters who talk to each other but it's not the main focus.

I really enjoyed it.

For anyone who liked it, the ‘obvious’ other one to read is Life after Life by Kate Atkinson if you haven’t read that.

@FilofaxforlifeThe adaptation on channel 4 is also excellent & very faithful to the book.

No. Will look up the book. Thank you.

@Filofaxforlife, have you read Trespasses that has been televised on channel 4 this week? It’s a great book too.

I’m slightly dithering over whether to read this, as from the description it doesn’t quite chime with me, but every single review I’ve read has been positive.

I knew Florence Knapp previously as 'Flossieteackes' from her wonderful blog and truly amazing patchwork (I've got her book on English Paper Piecing, which is a joy just to look at). Pleased for her that her move into fiction writing has been so successful.

Late to the party but just finished it. Absolutely brilliant. Loved it and devoured it in days. Given all on this thread have such good taste in books - could anyone recommend anything else to read next please? I enjoyed The Lost Bookshop by Evie Wood and Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I promise not everything I read mentions DV but that has been a theme in my reading recently.

I absolutely loved this too. It’s really stayed with me.
if you follow Florence Knapp on insta you can follow a link to vote for the book in the Goodreads choice awards.