Heat Wave: A Novel

Penelope Lively is a wonderful writer, taking us into the thoughts of her characters with intelligence and humanity. Unfortunately, this particular novel doesn't live up to her usual storytelling. There is too much description of landscape and extraneous detail that takes away from the story which, when boiled down, isn't that complicated unlike The Photograph which punched you in the stomach and made a lasting impression. So much so, I read it twice.

Brilliant study of intimacy and the lack thereof. Lively creates a world so complete and compelling and by turns desirable and despicable we are loath to leave it for reality.

I found this book to be a good read, well articulated, good story line . Thank you

Cant get enough of Lively.....she is a brilliant writer

Loved this powerful story. What an ending!

Very disappointed. After reading a very positive review I thought it might be a story I would enjoy. It seemed to be taking forever to get to the point of the story and after reading one third of the book, I never reached that point. Unfortunately it has been placed in my box of books to be donated.

Anything by Penelope Lively is wonderful-but this is my all-time favorite. I don't think anybody has described philandering husbands as well, and the common strategy to make the suspecting spouse appear irrational and unhinged. A small masterpiece and classic

I really enjoyed this book, not fast action just comfortable. This writer really explains the time and the place well.

Loved this book. It's slow moving but beautifully written. It follows the seasons of a year in rural England with the narrator going back in time to her own marriage & its disintegration. These memories are prompted by her watching her daughter & son in law as they live their lives for the summer months in the country cottages they share.It's a sharply observational look at arelationships & also a gentle but realistic look at modern life in a rural setting seen through the eyes of a city woman.

This superbly written English novel takes place in a remote country cottage surrounded by rippling wheat; accessed only by baked mud tracks creaking under a blistering sun. It is there that a mother witnesses the end of her daughter's marriage whilst confronting her own simmering anger over the infidelities of her ex-husband. The intense heat and isolation magnifies her feelings and allows the past to impinge on the present; creating a surprisingly dramatic ending for a Penelope Lively novel.The author writes with insight about the pain and romantic obsession of jealousy and suspicion. You can actually feel the tension building between the lines. You can see and hear the subtle nuances of spoken word and body language which is so realistically captured on page. As always, it is what Penelope Lively does not say that is so powerful. Her intense, but muted style often mirrors the detached anguish of her characters, and for this she is often misunderstood, over-looked or under-estimated.This is a short novel - why not give it a try? This author deserves a greater following. If you like reading novels where the author uses the atmospheric intensity of the weather to compliment a story line, such as 'Atonement' by Ian McEwan or Jeremy Page's 'Salt' & 'The Wake', you'll enjoy this.

Lively manages to create the sultry hot atmosphere of a heatwave against which she sets the heat of the rising emotions in this book..both creep up on the characters and on the reader. Slowly she paints the picture of her main characters life and as in real life it is full of subplots and quirky friendships and characters and imperfections and a desperation and helplessness as she watches her daughter fall into traps that remind her of her own past, knowing that as a parent she can just be there and watch and wait but say nothing as the plot unfolds. The ending surprises which makes the book even better, I audibly gasped. But it was still believable and the surprise was I felt as true to life as the rest of the book. A sufficiently good read that I immediately downloaded two more Lively books that I hadn't read to my Kindle!

Another wonderful novel by Penelope Lively. Atmospheric, beautifully written, full of those arresting scenes, images and turns of phrase that characterise Penelope Lively's work. I didn't want this novel to end and will read it again. Her characters are always interesting, even fascinating, and it's always a pleasure to spend time with them. Highly recommend this one.

Wonderfully written, simple story of an ageless tale of marrying interesting but self absorbed feckless men and the consequences . If far afternoon's rabbit scared these men to death, then this book should show them the damage they wreak and the fury they engender, that shoulders long after their sorry assets have gone. Masterful.