Shrines Of Gaiety, Kate Atkinson (possible spoilers)

[Saucery]

Has anyone else read this yet? What did you think?
I have about 1/6 left to read but keep finding other things to read instead. It seems strangely flat and almost boring, which surprises me, as I mostly loved all her other books (Transcription was a little light and unengaging).
Huge potential for a rip-roaring, crime-centred family saga but none of the characters lift off the page for me. I keep wishing Lissa Evans had written it
Have I grown out of Atkinson’s style, or is she just phoning it in these days?

I just finished it. Found it quite page turning but ultimately disappointing too. I also thought her style felt a bit phoned in - sort of predictable.

The ending is unsatisfactory imo and even a bit lazy. Let me know what you think!

I really want to like Kate Atkinson..loved the Peter Jackson series and Life after Life but not found any others I like

Omg. I’m reading this now too and feel a bit meh about it. I honestly couldn’t have described a book that would suit me more than Kate Atkinson writing about SoHo clubs in the 1920s, but yes, it’s a bit flat (I’m listening to it and Jason Watkins is a great narrator) and I do keep putting podcasts on instead. I think I’m just over half way, and I can’t identify the difference between any of the daughters except Kitty.

Phew! I didn’t know if I had picked the wrong time to read it, had too many other good books to go at or if I was missing some theme or pastiche that would make it make more sense. I even bought the hardback copy instead of the kindle version as it seemed the sort of book that needed its pages physically turning in a comfy armchair.

I honestly couldn’t have described a book that would suit me more than Kate Atkinson writing about SoHo clubs in the 1920s yes, this exactly!

@obsessedwithsleep the ending. Well. What a rushed afterthought that was! Pages and pages of inaction then tying all the ends up in the last bit of the book - lazy. It read like rough notes for a plot. Very disappointing.
The list of background reading at the back was the most interesting part of the whole book.

Author now consigned to Buy Only When Books Are Heavily Discounted. Along with Stuart MacBride, Maggie O’Farrell and Phil Rickman (amongst others).

The more I think about the lorry, the more I think it's a really shoddy, lazy ending.

Plus we never really did learn about the prostitution ring. And wtf with Florence - it literally didn't make sense! Where was she?!

The more I think about the lorry, the more I think it's a really shoddy, lazy ending. will every novel of hers now have to include a character being killed by a motor vehicle at the end? Deus ex machina indeed.
It was as if the novel itself was the crap novel Ramsay Coker would have written if fickle fate hadn’t handed him an alternative.

Finished last night.

I don’t know…what was the point? There wasn’t really a clear plot line, just characters doing things and coincidentally meeting one another and then things occurring as a result (which normally KA is a master of). I assumed Florence was traumatised so blocked everything out.

I assume it was meant to be a snapshot of a very interesting time in London, but it didn’t quite work.

I don't think that was Florence. Florence clearly died with the crucifix on. The whole point about the girls was that they were interchangeable. Freda and Bertie were almost identical.

Oh! Clever. Well that went totally over my head.

Sorry, I don't understand! If Freda and Bertie were almost identical, who was it that looked like Florence? Florence looked very different from Freda, didn't she?

I really enjoyed it anyway.

I could not find a double for Florence either. But I am not sure its necessary. They are basically all one girl. Here is Frobisher's take on Freda: "He had seen her everywhere. She was every missing girl in London who haunted his waking hours."

I am not sure about this theory but I think Atkinson is offering the possibility. Florence's mom thinks she might be an imposter. And why does Florence get the last word in the book if there isn't a greater point being made? She's a minor-ish character. Maybe it is meant to be a choice like Gwen/Nevin? Only trucks are definitive I guess.

I think you could be right. Well, KA is still one of my favourite authors and I’ll read anything she publishes, but I was disappointed with this.

Maybe it is meant to be a choice like Gwen/Nevin.

Towards the end of the book it says that Frobisher's widow spends the rest of her life in the care home, and that the fees are paid diligently by Gwendolen Kelling. That suggests to me that Gwendolen doesn't change her name, therefore remains single. But I suppose if she'd changed Gwendolen's surname to Coker, I suppose that would have given the game away.

Good point. Also that she has money which might suggest she becomes Nevin's mistress.

I borrowed this from the library, and as it was new, I had to return it after just a week, so I speed read it, and now can't check for details.

So, spoilers to follow...

Who was it who killed Ramsey's "friend"? I didn't understand why.
And I've now forgotten Florence getting the last word - I just remembered the Gwen Nevin ending. What happened with that? And, ridiculously, I can't remember what the lorry has to do with anything - can someone remind me please?

I enjoyed it! More than Transcription

I thought it was ok but didn’t excite me. I also wondered what the point was. The first KA book I tried was Transcription which I gave up on as just didn’t get into it. I was hoping this would be my gateway book. What would people recommend?

I’m glad others felt the same.
I was slightly disappointed with transcription and very disappointed with this having adored life after life and a god in ruins and enjoyed all of the Jackson Brodie ones.
I though it was stilted and nothingy.
Im not buying the Florence as an imposter theory.

She’s phoning it in
I’m enjoying it to be fair

but nothing like the earlier ones which I totally adored and still re read

it’s been this way for the last 4 IMO

Yellowsun. Try the Brodie series or Behind the Scenes at the Museum.

Have just read this and loved it, so interesting to hear the very different views here. Behind the Scenes is my favourite novel of all and I thought KA was very much back on form with this novel following Transcription. Also loved Life after Life, and A God in Ruins.

Just finished reading Shrines of Gaiety and loved it!

Florence’s storyline intrigued me. I think the author left it vague for the reader to work out like a little mystery.

My guess is that it was the real Florence who returned home at the end (she went on to have kids who had big feet and were adenoidal which are pretty specific hereditary details) but she seemed different to her Mum because I think she’d been badly damaged. I think Maddox or the other cop got her hooked on drugs (Freda found powder in her drawer) and I think she rigged the handbag being stolen to pay for them and as her habit got worse was forced into prostitution (she got picked up in the car). She was able to return home when the policemen died/went to jail. Her Mum thought she was different because she was: drug-addled and with PTSD. It was Freda & Gertie who looked similar (petite with blonde ringlets so both different physically from heavyset Florence) I think the drowned girl was just a poor random girl and a bit of a red-herring from the author.
Just my tuppence worth, lol.

I love Kate Atkinson but was a bit disappointed with this one. I didn’t find the characters convincing. Also , unusually for her, the prose and dialogue were sometimes a bit clunky. I liked the setting, but It didn’t quite work as a story.

There were several points in the book that felt off. I thought Freda might have caused Owen Varley's death but nothing further came from that incident (unless I missed it). But more importantly, Gwendolyn sources photographs of Freda and Florence, and Frobisher muses that the girl just found might be the latter and then finds that both victim and Florence wore a crucifix. And then the investigation goes nowhere despite Frobisher spotting a girl on the next page who looked like Freda.

And please KA or your proofreader make up your mind if you are going to stick with mortuary or morgue.