Love Me Tender by Jane Feaver - Revision history

Sue at 09:03, 11 August 2020

2020-08-11T09:03:57Z

Sue at 09:45, 2 April 2018

2018-04-02T09:45:58Z

Sue at 16:20, 27 January 2015

2015-01-27T16:20:57Z

Sue: Created page with '{{infobox |title=Love Me Tender |author=Jane Feaver |reviewer=Luci Davin |genre=Short Stories |summary=A series of beautifully written linked short stories about isolation, lonel…'

2010-04-26T16:12:00Z

Created page with '{{infobox |title=Love Me Tender |author=Jane Feaver |reviewer=Luci Davin |genre=Short Stories |summary=A series of beautifully written linked short stories about isolation, lonel…'

New review

{{infobox
|title=Love Me Tender
|author=Jane Feaver
|reviewer=Luci Davin
|genre=Short Stories
|summary=A series of beautifully written linked short stories about isolation, loneliness and even murder in a Devon village.
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|paperback=0099521288
|hardback=1846551692
|audiobook=
|ebook=
|pages=224
|publisher=Vintage
|date=May 2010
|isbn=978-0099521280
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099521288</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>0099521288</amazonus>
}}

A woman remembers her dead husband playing Love Me Tender (the song made famous by Elvis Presley) on his tenor horn. She is in a daze, feeling the grief of the bereaved widow she is, the betrayal of the deceived wife, and the guilt of having murdered him. The title story of this collection is all the more moving and startling because of its understated style, and what is not said as well as what is.

Two of the most moving stories are about Eustace Webber, a loyal servant to a duke for some years, now retired but feeling the lack of a place where he belongs – he has come to Buckleigh allegedly for a holiday, one of several in the same place over the years, but this time, it seems probable he has no home to return to.

The twelve linked short stories in this collection are set in the Devon village of Buckleigh. Many of the characters drink or work in the same pub, the Red Lion. The setting is a popular tourist destination, but the village of these stories is no rural idyll – it is the setting for tales of difference, division, isolation, communication breakdowns, loneliness and even death – the collection has a higher body count than many crime novels.

The drawback of the form is that with many of the most interesting characters in the collection, we are left wanting to know more, about how they got where they are or what happens next. In some cases there are allusions in later stories to fill in the gaps, but in others I was left wondering.

The stories are beautifully written, and this makes the tragedy of the lives of many of the characters all the more moving – too many of the characters are feeling the pain of some sort of rejection, the lack of a place to occupy.

I would not suggest Love Me Tender to anyone looking for escapism or cheerful reading, but I would recommend it highly for the quality of the writing.

Thank you to the publishers for sending a copy of this book to the Bookbag.

If this book appeals then you might also appreciate [[It's Beginning To Hurt by James Lasdun]].

{{amazontext|amazon=0099521288}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=0099521288}}

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@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 |reviewer=Luci Davin
 |genre=Short Stories
-|summary=A series of beautifully written linked short stories about isolation, loneliness and even murder  in a Devon village.
+|summary=A series of beautifully written linked short stories about isolation, loneliness and even murder in a Devon village.
 |rating=4.5
 |buy=Yes
@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 The twelve linked short stories in this collection are set in the Devon village of Buckleigh. Many of the characters drink or work in the same pub, the Red Lion. The setting is a popular tourist destination, but the village of these stories is no rural idyll – it is the setting for tales of difference, division, isolation, communication breakdowns, loneliness and even death – the collection has a higher body count than many crime novels.
-The drawback of the form is that with many of the most interesting characters in the collection, we are left wanting to know more, about how they got where they are or what happens next. In some cases there are allusions in later stories to fill in the gaps, but in others I was left wondering.
+The drawback of the form is that with many of the most interesting characters in the collection, we are left wanting to know more, about how they got where they are or what happens next. In some cases, there are allusions in later stories to fill in the gaps, but in others, I was left wondering.
 The stories are beautifully written, and this makes the tragedy of the lives of many of the characters all the more moving – too many of the characters are feeling the pain of some sort of rejection, the lack of a place to occupy.
@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 Thank you to the publishers for sending a copy of this book to the Bookbag.
-If this book appeals then you might also appreciate [[It's Beginning To Hurt by James Lasdun]].
+If this book appeals then you might also appreciate [[It's Beginning To Hurt by James Lasdun]].  We've also enjoyed [[An Inventory of Heaven by Jane Feaver]].
 {{amazontext|amazon=0099521288}}

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-{{infobox
+{{infobox1
 |title=Love Me Tender
 |author=Jane Feaver
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 |date=May 2010
 |isbn=978-0099521280
-|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099521288</amazonuk>
+|cover=0099521288
-|amazonus=<amazonus>0099521288</amazonus>
+|aznuk=0099521288
 }}

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 |buy=Yes
 |borrow=Yes
 |pages=224
 |publisher=Vintage
@@ Line 36: / Line 32: @@
 If this book appeals then you might also appreciate [[It's Beginning To Hurt by James Lasdun]].
-{{amazontext|amazon=0099521288}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=0099521288}}
+{{amazontext|amazon=0099521288}}
 {{commenthead}}