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Felwine

Encore une réussite de Maggie O'Farrell

Commenté en France le 7 octobre 2011

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Ce roman mérite les mêmes éloges que les autres oeuvres de Maggie O'Farrell tout en gardant sa part d'originalité. L'auteure y démontre encore une fois son talent: réveler le caractère poétique des choses ordinaires de la vie, montrer avec simplicité la profondeur des personnages même ceux secondaires, maintenir le mystère jusqu'à la fin.
On pourrait peut-être regretter qu'à la fin, des réponses ne soient pas apportées à toutes les questions mais peut-être aussi que vu la tournure des évènements ... cela n'était plus utile.

Utile

ObEiNGLISH

Roman très prenant et facile à lire

Commenté en France le 23 septembre 2017

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THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Maggie O'Farrell

Encore un excellent roman entre Écosse et Hong Kong où les trajectoires de Jake et Stella, finiront par se croiser dans un village reculé de la campagne ecossaise où chacun est venu chercher refuge.
Ils y trouveront les réponses qu'ils cherchent.

Lecture très abordable recommandée par o'bEiNGLISH
372 pages

Utile

Floppy

Un roman plein de mystère

Commenté en France le 9 mai 2011

Jake est un jeune homme anglais qui est né et a toujours vécu à Hong Kong. Sa mère s'est installée là lorsqu'elle était enceinte d'un homme, un écossais qu'elle a rencontré pendant ses voyages et avec qui elle a fait un bout de chemin pendant quelques semaines, un homme dont elle ne connait que le prénom. C'est le nouvel an chinois et Jake est sorti faire la fête avec Mel sa petite amie anglaise. Mais ils se retrouvent au centre d'une émeute où les gens se font bousculer et piétiner, ils sont séparés par la foule et Jake a peur de cette foule dangeureuse dans laquelle il est prisonnier. Quand il retrouve Mel, celle-ci est à l'hopital, mourante, les médécins disent qu'elle ne passera pas la nuit. La dernière volonté de Mel est de se marier avec Jake avant de mourir. Il ne l'aime pas, mais elle va mourir alors il l'épouse. Mais Mel survit miraculeusement...
Stella est une jeune femme italienne de mère et écossaise de père. A Londres, elle croise un homme, qui lui rapelle un horrible souvenir, son pire cauchemar, son terrible secret. Prise de panique Stella prend la fuite, elle veut commencer une vie nouvelle, loin de sa famille, loin de ces affreux souvenirs qui la hantent.

Comme à son habitude, Maggie O'Farrel a créé des personnages pleins de mystère! Stella et Jake sont tous deux trés attachants. Il y a beaucoup de flashbacks qui nous font découvrir le passé de ces personnages, qui vont nous dévoiler leurs secrets, des morceaux de vie qui s'assemblent peu à peu comme dans un puzzle. C'est fascinant!
J'aime beaucoup le style de cette auteure qui connait toutes les ficelles du suspens...

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M. Mahauthaman

Even as an O'Farell fan, I cannot recommend this

Commenté au Royaume-Uni le 13 décembre 2017

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It seems to be quite commonplace in the negative reviews for ‘The Distance Between Us’ for the reviewers to actually be quite fond of Maggie O’Farrell’s other works but let down somewhat by this particular book.

I definitely fall into this category as well; ‘This Must Be the Place’ and ‘The Hand That First Held Mine’ are among my favourite books I’ve read in recent years, and I’ve very much enjoyed her others as well (I think ‘My Lover’s Lover’ and her autobiography are the only ones I haven’t read), but in contrast to those, ‘The Distance Between Us’ falls painfully short for me. O’Farrell is normally very adept at putting us directly into the shoes of her flawed but endearing and believable characters as we get snippets of their lives and gradually piece a narrative together (generally out of chronological order), and while her style of narration is still very much evident in this book, I think the story overall is hindered by two major points.

***Mild spoilers ahead***

The first is that the key focus of the story is a blossoming love between its two characters, but this love and the affections involved never had time to develop and seem to spring out of nowhere. The first half of the book covers the lives of our protagonists Stella and Jake, from opposite ends of the globe and how they find themselves in the same place. This section of the book echoes O’Farrell’s approach in her other books much more and is enjoyable to read; we find out about all the influencing forces in the extraordinary-but-believable lives of Stella and Jake very organically through reading the thoughts of their families (extending as far back as Jake’s estranged grandmother, even) and learning about their ancestry and the accompanying effects this has on them living in places they are not native to. This slow, character-building work is arguably the best part of O’Farrell’s writing, and probably the most enjoyable aspect of this book. However, the culmination of the plot, when the two finally meet, undoes all this swiftly as the two characters (who we spend half the book learning are guarded, slightly awkward and independent individuals) immediately fall hopelessly in love with each other and then begin acting in ways that seem to deeply contrast everything that has come before. It feels like a separate novel completely, and while we do still see flashbacks that expand the backstories for the characters, it feels somewhat pointless as these revelations have no real bearing on the current events at all, as the characters become defined purely by their love for each other. While it is briefly acknowledged by the characters, we get no real context or build-up for this ‘love at first sight’, and if you cannot enjoy a story where the romance isn’t developed beforehand, you may well find the book un-salvageable after this halfway point, as I did.

The other major issue with the book as the character of Jake, whom I found to be staggeringly unlikable. His backstory is interesting, and you can easily empathise with the difficult situation he finds himself in during the first half of the story, but his likability erodes quite rapidly after he decides to flee from his problems and meets Stella. I’ve already expressed my dislike for the way the characters fall for each other so quickly, but the character of Jake seems to take this to extremes with repeated descriptions of how obsessed he becomes with Stella, and it only gets worse. Far more troublingly, he becomes quite aggressive and controlling as well, and this is where I really took issue with the book: it is never quite clear whether this aspect of the character is intentional or whether this is meant to convey the passion of the romance, but I found it quite bizarre to read. Jake is certainly never called out by any other character for how his behavior and repeatedly justifies himself (when Stella is trying to avoid him, he physically restrains her, drags her into a laundry room against her will and locks the door while exclaiming how difficult she is, later explaining it is his ‘only option’), so the reader is left to assume this behavior is fine and Jake is meant to remain a protagonist. This, with the way he seems to repeatedly order her to do things when her attention is away from him (and Stella’s reluctant obedience), and his constant drilling of personal questions all give off a very nasty vibe that makes the spontaneous love story even harder to fathom.

While I didn’t enjoy the book myself, I can’t give it a lower rating because it may resonate much more with readers who don’t have preconceptions of Maggie O’Farrell, and indeed I may have just missed a key theme of the story that others pick up on right away because I do find it hard to believe that such an unremarkable and straightforward love story could have been produced by an otherwise talented author.

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Woodford Mum

Just didn't get it

Commenté au Royaume-Uni le 25 février 2022

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I have read several of Maggie O'Farrell's books and enjoyed them reasonably well but I found this one to be a huge disappointment. Chosen as a read by a member of my book club, so I think it will give us lots to discuss as I expect we'll all feel quite differently. Generally I felt this was a pretty unlikely and yet tame romance novel dressed up as semi-literature. The dragging out of the main characters whys and wherefores - Stella and Jake - was irritating and in many places quite boring. I just struggled to care. Stella and Nina her sister's relationship was annoying too. Basically I was annoyed.

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Evocative and captivating language

Commenté au Royaume-Uni le 29 avril 2022

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I always love a Maggie O'Farrell book so started this one with high expectations. I thought I'd read all of her novels but realised I'd missed this one so bought it.
The copy I was sent had been put together oddly and some of the pages were out of line but no narrative was missing so it wasn't worth sending it back.
There are 4 parts to the book, each written with no chapter breaks although there are many pauses as the story moves around in time.
The first part sets up the two main characters. They are on opposite sides of the world with seemingly nothing in common except that both are traumatised and seem to be in shock.
It's a powerful start that poses all sorts of questions. The descriptions of the places is wonderful and seem to connect with the emotions being experienced. The language is evocative and captivating with a rhythm that keeps the reader engaged.
The book was first published in 2004 so probably written in 2002/3 and it is interesting to see the tentative appearance of mobiles and emails that is handled very genuinely. It is curious to look back 20 years and see the effect that increased technology has had on our communications.
The narrative jumps back and forward often, giving back history and eventually giving answers too. The movement of time is never confusing though and the author places trust in the reader to work out where they are.
My only slight disappointment was the plot which has some great ideas but becomes predictable and over dramatic towards the end. It is also unlikely at times. It was a great book to read though.

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eileen w.

Lets start from the very beginning it's a very good place to start!

Commenté au Royaume-Uni le 11 septembre 2021

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Having just read this Author's most recent novel - "Hamnet" I was interested to see how her writing has evolved. This author had passed me by (I am very pleased to share my ignorance!)
"The Distance Between Us" is a beautifully crafted love story. I can see how in this book, her switching between time, place and person must have been so original in 2004. This technique is exemplified in Hamnet and in reading her first and latest novels I am now totally hooked!
However; I must read " Memoirs of a Highland Lady" next as she cited this as an inspiration for "The Distance Between Us "
Eileen Wilson x

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Sarah-Lou

Another great read from Maggie O'Farrell

Commenté au Royaume-Uni le 25 août 2018

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Two separate traumatic events shape the lives of two complete strangers, Stella and Jake. Individually, they are compelled to leave behind their everyday existence in search of answers. This book takes the reader to Hong Kong, Scotland and London. In typical O'Farrell style, she drifts from present to past seamlessly, drawing the reader in and along. There are no chapters to this book, only four sections, which allows the reader to enjoy without interruption. So many things are subtly tackled- school bullying, immigration and adjusting to a new country, blending two cultures. The relationship between Stella and her sister, Nina, is complicated and touching. Jake's sense of entrapment is heartbreaking. How the two main characters come together would be to reveal a spoiler. Another great read from Maggie O'Farrell.

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DubaiReader

Abridged audiobook

Commenté au Royaume-Uni le 3 janvier 2014

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I absolutely loved After You'd Gone, my first Maggie O'Farrell book, but when I followed that soon after, with My Lover's Lover, I was disappointed. Three years later, I decided to try another of the author's books and was pleasantly surprised with The Distance Between Us. There were some vague similarities with my first read, but I was quickly drawn into the story and enjoyed it. This review is actually from a re-read, as I later acquired an abridged audio copy of the book and decided to enjoy it again.

I was particularly drawn to the character of Jake, who lived all his life in Hong Kong, with a British mother. I found myself identifying with him, as I have raised four children as expats in Dubai. Although he is comfortable with the Chinese, he can never quite fit in to the Chinese community. As a result of a tragic accident, he finds himself married to a girl he has no feelings for, back in a country he cannot identify with. So he runs away to Scotland on a search for his unknown father.

There are similarities in the situation in which Stella finds herself. She lives in Britain but is of Italian extraction. She is very close to her sister Nina but is alienated by the other children. She is also running away, though it's not until near the end of the book that we actually find out what she is running from.

Inevitably, Jake and Stella meet up, sparks fly and explanations are finally given. While somewhat formulaic in this respect, the wonderful descriptions and the time spent in Hong Kong, made this an excellent read.

Also read by Maggie O'Farrell:
After You'd Gone (5 stars)
My Lover's Lover (3 stars)
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox (5 stars)
Hand That First Held Mine (5 stars)

3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

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Elusive but Interesting Characters

Commenté au Royaume-Uni le 23 février 2012

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Maggie O'Farrell's third novel deals with two people, both from slightly complicated multi-cultural backgrounds, who meet by chance, find they are perfect for each other, but have to fight through a lot of present and past complications to get to the stage of having a life together. It is also about how families make us, and sibling relationships.

Scots-Italian Stella is a radio producer, travelling from country to country on short-term jobs. She is very close to her Italian relatives in Edinburgh (particularly her mother), to her quiet Scots father and to her difficult, volatile older sister Nina, but will not put down roots near her family or anywhere else. A strange meeting on Hungerford Bridge in London with a stranger causes Stella to have a strange fit of terror (why we learn much later), and she flees London and her current short-term job in radio for a hotel in the Scots countryside where she takes on a job as a chamber made.

Jake, son of a hippy mother and raised in Hong Kong, is British but has never been to England - until a tragedy at Chinese New Year leads to him impulsively agreeing to marry an Englishwoman. Coming to the UK, Jake realizes what a mistake he has made. Trying to escape his new bride and the life that is already weighing him down, he heads off to the Scots countryside, to a hotel where he believes his unknown father once worked - and where Stella is working...

Gradually, through a series of flashbacks contrasting to episodes in the present day, O'Farrell tells us more about Stella and Jake, and their families. We learn about Stella's clannish Italian/Scots family, her sister Nina's near-fatal illness as a child and how it changed the girls' relationship for good, with Stella almost becoming the older sister. We learn about Stella's mother and her anxiety for her girls. We learn about Jake's hippy mother who left Wales and her own difficult parents and got pregnant after a chance encounter and brief love affair in India. And, finally, we learn about the secret that has blighted Stella's life, and in a gripping final section, see whether she can actually break free from the past, and whether her sister Nina will let her go, and whether Jake can emerge from his increasingly messy private life and make a new beginning.

There's lots that's very enjoyable about this book. O'Farrell is fascinating on Jake and Stella's family backgrounds and how they've made them the people they are, and brings Scotland and Hong Kong very vividly to life. She makes Stella a very appealing character, and her relationship with sister Nina is certainly believable, though I found myself disliking Nina quite a lot and wishing I didn't. (O'Farrell never makes it quite clear how much Nina's manipulative and unstable behaviour as an adult is due to her illness; I guess it never would be clear though). The mystery in Stella's life is well portrayed, held cunningly back until the last minute. And Jake, though I didn't find him quite as sympathetic as Stella, and a bit self-involved, is also very interesting, and O'Farrell writes well about his longing to find out about his father. The only things that stops me giving the book a top rating is that firstly I felt Jake's reckless decision to marry his dying girlfriend - who then recovers - in Hong Kong wasn't quite believable, and secondly I wasn't entirely convinced by Stella and Jake's love for each other. O'Farrell gives them some lovely scenes together, but one's never sure exactly what the pull between them is (what they have in common, other than physical attraction, whether they envisage a longterm partnership). Both seem slightly remote people to be feeling such passion for each other - and the ending was rather deliberately 'cinematic' - I suppose a tribute to Jake's work in films. (Also one other query - why did O'Farrell kill off the sisters' cat? I thought that was just a bit of gratuitous nastiness.) Not my absolutely favourite O'Farrell but still a very good and rewarding read, and one I'd definitely read again several times.

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5 étoiles		38%
4 étoiles		31%
3 étoiles		21%
2 étoiles		6%
1 étoile		4%

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