The Decision

I love Penny Vincenzi, though I can’t tell you exactly why.

Part of it is the rich world she delivers. I know little about London in the 1960s, or about fashion magazines, or about real estate, but I was immediately drawn into Eliza and Matt’s lives. I enjoyed reading about how they flit in and out of each others’ lives before they marry. I also liked seeing the social changes happening in the world during that time period.

A larger part of it is the dialogue. Vincenzi relies heavily upon dialogue to tell her story, with some sections having no exposition at all. It can get confusing at times — there were a few sections where it took a paragraph or two before I was certain who was speaking — but her dialogue is so natural and show more effortless that I couldn’t summon a care.

As for the characters, there are definitely a lot. Not only are there Eliza and Matt and their respective families, but several friends, acquaintances, and coworkers. Each of them works to show a different aspect of the story; no one is superfluous. I liked both Eliza and Matt, and could see each of their points of view, but I definitely thought Matt was a bit too boorish. I understand that Vincenzi was trying to root him solidly in out-dated mid-century views, but sometimes his bull-headedness was a bit overdone. But I guess it balances out when you consider how ridiculously helpless Eliza is at times. You can see why they were attracted to each other, but you can also see that it was doomed from the start.

That all may sound like I really have a beef with the book, but I definitely did not. I loved this, from beginning to end. It was an absolute joy to read. It made me think, and it made me feel, and I’m not sure what more you can ask for. show less

As usual, I enjoyed this latest from Penny Vincenci. She has a way of bringing her characters and settings to life and hooking me immediately into the story.

In More Than You Know, Vincenzi explores not only the world of fashion design, but of lifestyles and marriages; one marriage in particular.

Eliza Clark's family has always hoped she would make a brilliant marriage to someone rich and powerful. Eliza, although she enjoys her life as a deb, she does have other ideas. She's in no hurry to marry while she pursues her dream of fashion editing in London in the early 60's. It's a heady business and she can't get enough of it.

Until the day she falls for Matt Shaw, an overly ambitious young property developer. They marry quickly and Matt show more just as quickly makes known his somewhat antiquated ideas on women working. She should stay home tending the hearth, so to speak, and has no business going out to work. When their daughter is born, even though Eliza loves her with all her heart, she does miss working but long held beliefs run deep and are hard to shed. Resentments build and soon over the years, this becomes the straw that will break the camel's back. It's not a question of if the marriage will implode, it's a question of when.

Vincenzi does a wonderful job of rounding out all her characters and bringing them to life. There is quite a large cast of characters but soon the reader feels as if they are all friends. Highly recommended for those who like complex family stories. A very enjoyable read I found hard to put down.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Doubleday and LT in exchange for my honest opinion. show less

Posh fashion editor Eliza Clark defies beginning to crumble class barriers by falling hard for working class, self-made property developer Matt Shaw in the trendy London of the swinging 60s and early 70s. It’s a passionate relationship that ends in divorce and a fearsome custody battle—this isn’t a spoiler because the book opens on the day before the judge’s decision in 1971, then hops back to 1958 when Eliza, in mid-curtsey to the Queen, decides it’s time to rid herself of her virginity. Eliza is in the last batch of debutants to be presented at court, and in her the old traditions of pomp, country homes, and privilege collide, often knottily, with stylishly bold new ways of thinking and living.

Weaving in several plot show more streams and thickly populated with characters that range from glamorously rich to loo-on-the-next-floor poor, More Than You Know could be hard to navigate without the helpful Cast of Characters list at the beginning of the book. Author Penny Vincenzi is very good about giving redeeming characteristics, good intentions and sympathy-inducing back stories to even the most infuriating characters, and the many charming characters are not free from weaknesses and flaws. This book is an indulgent pleasure, a little history of mod era England mixed with generous spoonfuls of sugar and cream. show less

I really like Penny Vincenzi’s books – you know that you are guaranteed an interesting plot, well written characters and an element of surprise. The Decision is no exception. It is slightly unusual in that you know what will happen to the main characters Eliza and Matt ultimately – it’s no secret that they will get divorced. But it is an interesting reflection on what leads to a marriage and then its downfall. All but the epilogue is revealed by the blurb on the back cover. Is it still worth reading? Of course.

Like Vincenzi’s other books, The Decision is quite weighty (and the large format paperback was still cheaper than the ebook). It is a tome to carry around, so I’d suggest that the ebook may be easier for portability show more (and anonymity if that’s what you’d prefer). The story is very engaging, and as always, there is a lot of skill involved in creating the supporting characters – they are all memorable from the horrid Juliet to Jenny, the biscuit-wielding receptionist. Each has their quirks which makes such a long list of characters (thoughtfully summarised at the beginning of the book) unique and unforgettable.

Surprisingly, much of the book focuses on the earlier, happier days of Matt and Eliza – how they met, their romance and early marriage. Emmie, their daughter, is thoroughly precocious (to illustrate, she gets lost and is found trying on shoes in a department store!) but lovable. It’s easy to see how Matt and Eliza both want custody of her. The divorce itself is fraught with tension and I found it hard to decide which team to ‘bat for’ – Matt or Eliza? Both had obvious faults to their claim for custody (even in 1960s London, adultery was still frowned upon). I found the ultimate decision a little strange and perhaps a bet each way, even though it’s probably a logical conclusion. The ending tied up a little too neatly for my tastes, but it also ensures the reader knows exactly what happens to each character.

Although this book is set in 1950s-70s London predominantly, there is not too much use made of the setting. The Swinging Sixties gets a glimpse, but the plot could be set anywhere, anytime. This is not a criticism, just a comment.

This is still a lovely, warming read, leaving you satisfied with some brain stimulation. It’s easy to imagine the characters and the settings – Penny Vincenzi does these types of characters (generally middle to upper class British) so well.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com show less

This book would be a great vacation read. I loved the setting: London in the 60s and 70s. The characters were a bit like the rich and beautiful people you expect to meet in a miniseries. I also liked the way Vincenzi moved the action along by alternating conversations.
What really makes the book stick with me though is the way she portrays the lives of the women characters. I think it is easy to forget that there was a time not all that long ago when a man could say 'I forbid my wife to work' and be taken seriously.
Thoroughly entertaining, well written, and I expect she is setting us up for a sequel featuring Emmie.

I found this book to be a pretty frustrating read. While the storyline was good, I can't say I'm a fan of Vincenzi's writing style. She divided the book into three major parts rather than chapters. I've never read anything else by this author, so I'm not sure if this is the norm for her other works. There are a lot of characters to follow in the beginning. Fortunately, Vincenzi does narrow this down a bit as we get into the meat of the story. I think what made switching between character point of views confusing for me is the fact that Vincenzi often starts each paragraph with dialogue. Often I would read about three or four paragraphs of dialogue before any characters were named, causing me to go back and reread to understand what was show more going on.

What I also found frustrating was Eliza's situation. She is trapped in an abusive marriage in a time where women are only just beginning to be able to make careers for themselves. It was difficult to watch her husband, Matt, belittle her wants and needs again and again; all the while making it seem that SHE is the one who is being unfair. The feminist in me wanted to punch Matt in the throat throughout most of the book.

Matt wasn't the only bad one. All the characters seemed to have their good and their bad points. Nobody was portrayed as perfect. In fact, they all made some pretty bad decisions over the course of the story. This is probably why I just couldn't find it in me to invest much emotion into any of them. show less

I'm a fan of Penny Vincenzi's work, and this novel did not disappoint. It is basically the story of a marriage. In the 60s a couple falls in love and marries, despite their differences in class, background, life goals, and personalities. The marriage is stormy, like the decade.

The story unfolds leisurely and slowly, but I found it suspenseful and satisfying. It is long, almost 600 pages, but I read it quickly, couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

Reminded me of the novels my mom used to read in the 70s. Loved it.