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14. Page number

The tagged book came in the mail yesterday. I've read the first few pages to see if I'd like it and keep it (yes). But first, I'll read Henry James' Portrait of a Lady, since Banville's book continues the story of Isabel Archer. So, it's off to the TBR list with this one for a while.

#31bookpics @howjessreads

Some lunch with John Connelly & then some book shopping! Still reading Every Dead Thing , def the slowest reader on Litsy... I‘m loving it though 👍🏻❤️

Just ordered this book in addition to the one I just posted about (The Big Book of Female Detectives).

Today's 50p charity shop find!

Should I read the Henry James first....?

John Banville is a magnificent writer. In MRS OSMOND, he crafts the next few weeks of Isabel Archer‘s life in a continuation of James‘ PORTRAIT OF A LADY. Brilliantly written, but I would agree that “At times it has the glacial pace of the original, endless psychological dithering punctuated by brilliant flashes of melodrama” (Edmund White‘s review in The Guardian, 2017)

Book 3: My first rating was so-so, but few months after reading this ‘sequel‘ I still thinking about Mrs Osmond ...

#4NewFavesIn4days

Always trepidatious of re-workings of classics that are near to my heart, but I am very much enjoying Banville's James impression in this one!

Curiously unsatisfying. Not sure if it was because I have evidently forgotten the book it was based on, but I think I was far more interested in the side characters than in the moustache twiddling villain of the piece, Gilbert Osmond. Isabel was a good character, as were many of the other female characters but I wasn't particularly interested in her going after her husband, then the book seemed to end just as it got interesting.

#readathon

When you didn't actually realise that the book was a take off of Henry James and you wish she would just quit stalking her husband and go spend some time with either her suffragist former friend or her other rather interesting friend who is marrying a nice gambler...

#readathon

Fearing a #libraryfail I have started this. Been really looking forward to it as I have enjoyed some of the author's other books. This sounds like good #HistoricalFiction

Of course it's not a bad book, but I'm not sure that is exceptional. Probably, it wasn't such a good idea that I had read it immediately after the Portrait of the Lady, because I did constant comparisons between them and all disadvantages goes unfortunately at the expense of the latter ... and the more I think about this book, the more I'm sure that the Mrs Osmond‘s story should end up as it is written by Henry James. Very mixed feelings ⭐️⭐️⭐️

An amazing sequel to The Portrait of a Lady - exquisite writing - every sentence felt beautifully constructed.

Heard an interview with the author about this book today on NPR, and in Googling to find out who he was, I saw him described as “one of the best novelists in the English language.” Well then! I guess I‘ll be adding John Banville to my reading list in the new year, though maybe not this particular book. The Sea sounds more appealing to me.

As I enjoyed a coffee at one of my favourite cafes this morning the owner approached my table and GAVE me this book.

She said, “The writing is beautiful but it‘s just not for me. I wanted to give it to someone I knew would appreciate it.”

😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃

Have any of you read this?

Part 3 of the mail - this is totally a #blameitonLitsy purchase! So happy I know about Book Depository, I can get awesome U.K. editions so much easier and cheaper than from Amazon UK. Plus, I can get titles that are released earlier there than in the States! #booknerdwin

3.5/5 ⭐️. Not a good story imo but blooming beautiful writing style.
https://mysticreadsbookblogblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/13/mrs-osmond-by-john-banv...
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• Going to be starting Mrs Osmond by John Banville which is inspired by Henry James' A Portrait of a Lady. It will be released October 5th by @vikingbooksuk ✨#mrsosmond #henryjames #book #booklover #bookstagram #bookblogger #bibliophile #met_createchange