Customer Reviews

Chimney Sweeper's Boy, The

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

It is evident that people have strong reactions to this book. I liked it more than any other Rendell/Vine book, with the possible exception of "Dark Adapted Eye." One of the most fascinating features of the book is the way in which forms of sexual pathology get repeated, with variations, through three generations of a family. Gerald's mother's relationship with her second husband gets echoed in Gerald's relationship with his wife, and Gerald's two daughters act it out in their own peculiar ways, until the very end, when one of them wakes up. There's great insight into what might be called the erotic lives of families, and the writing is first rate.

Barbara Vine is arguably one of the most prolific of contemporary writers and her creative genius is never more obvious than in "The Chimney Sweeper's Boy." (Vine is the pseudonym of author Ruth Rendell.) And in this novel, Vine departs from her "regular" thrillers and embarks on a different route from what we've come to expect from her. Granted, Vine's ability to capture her reader totally, as in her thrillers, is once again to the fore. In this book, famed writer Gerald Candless early on suffers a fatal heart attack and one of his daughters, Sarah, is persuaded to write a biography, a memoir of what it was like to be the daughter of such a famous writer. Thus begins the odyssey: she quickly discovers that Candless is not her father's real name. And what she unearths is at once chilling, emotionally trying, sentimental, and tragic. Sarah is in for a long haul. And Vine is at her best as she lays bear the souls of her principle characters. Perhaps what keeps the book alive--and the reader so absorbed--is Vine's penchant for capturing her audience completely. And while "Chimney's Sweeper's Boy" is not a Rendell-mystery, complete with police procedural revelations, it is a book that is compelling, almost impossible to put down. That is the beauty of the work, the genius of Vine's writing ability. Vine scores easily in this scholarly, sophisticated, yet readable, missive. The characters, in addition to Sarah, are complete and believable. Early on, Candless and his Girls play The Game, an esoteric, snobbish parlor contest. No rules are explained but the object is for the players to pass a scissors a certain way and to be able to explain the move, thus the "solution" to the riddle. Few solve it and Candless and company make buffoons of their guests (which is basically why they play it), belittling them for their inability to solve The Game. This turns out to be a metaphor for his own life and for Vine's intricately written and cleverly presented work. One of Vine's chief characteristics is the pace she applies to her works. There is never a doubt whether the author is in control of the plot development, her characters, or any other literary aspect. Nothing goes awry as she orchestrates the book's denouement and the reader's reactions. It is a treat to see such writing and to see such a writer display her command of her prose. In the Inspector Wexford novels, Rendell is content to stay within the bounds of police investigation and solution--and feels quite comfortable in doing so--and has created one of the best of current British mysteries, but when she lets loose her writing psyche as Vine, watch out! And in "Chimney Sweeper's Boy," she leaves no ash unturned!

I discovered Barbara Vine through this book while living in Hampstead this summer, a location that is featured in many of her other books. It was so compelling that having recently completed about 10 of her Barbara Vine novels (which I believe are superior to the Ruth Rendell novels by the same author), I read this book again. It is truly fascinating, and a total page-turner, stay-up-late-until-you-finish it experience. Having read almost all of her novels now, I think it holds up as one of the best. She writes almost cinematically, although the flashbacks would make it hard to transfer to the big screen. Her characters (even Gerald, who is primarily described through his disillusioned wife) is made to be sympathetic in the end. I highly recommend this book.

It's no secret that Barbara Vine and Ruth Rendell are one in the same. Rendell writes police procedurals under her own name, while using the Vine pseudonym for novels more psychological and less police-driven. Her books are novels rather than mysteries-character-rich and plot-complex, surprising, and often haunting.

"The Chimney Sweeper's Boy" is her best Barbara Vine book since the remarkable "No Night is Too Long." Barely into the story, Gerald Candless, a writer both critically acclaimed and popular, dies at the age of 71. Vine has already deftly revealed his family-the detached wife, the adoring, unkind daughters and Candless himself as unfeeling and even cruel. They've invited guests to lunch, treat them with indifference and get them to play a parlor game, the only point of which seems to be to mock those not part of their inner circle. When Candless dies, his daughter Sarah is asked by his publisher to write a biography of her father. Almost immediately, Sarah discovers that her father was not what he seemed-in fact, his name wasn't even Gerald Candless. But who was he? How does she find out, and does this self-centered woman who reveled in her father's love really want to find out?

As in "Simisola," the Ruth Rendell book where the source of the title was not revealed until the very end, "The Chimney Sweeper's Boy" uses an interesting narrative process to unroll the story. How she tucks the ends of the story together will both intrigue and satisfy readers, although she wisely knows that no story should give all the answers.

This fine psychological study is long on characterization and suspense, but short in the thriller department. I think Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell) has surpassed herself in the creation of Ursula, the ignored wife and mother.

Gerald Candless, famous author, devoted and adored father, husband of Ursula dies of a heart attack at 71 in his home on the Devon coast. His two daughters, to whom he has dedicated his life, are devastated. Ursula feels nothing, but as both Gerald and her daughters have disregarded her since they were born, no one particularly notices. Elder daughter Sarah is commissioned to write a memoir of her celebrated father. During her preliminary research, she finds that Gerald Candless reinvented himself at age 25, that the real Gerald Candless died when he was six years old. This seems to be an impossibility given the extreme closeness among Gerald (who wasn't really Gerald) and his daughters. Sarah is ambivalent about going forward with her research. The daughters who are in their early 30's are just about as spoiled as you would expect them to be and shockingly indifferent to their mother. Ursula is almost paralyzed by her apathy toward Gerald and unable to reach out to her daughters after being thoroughly rebuffed for so many years. This is the mystery that is to be solved.

Ms. Vine cleverly gives us more and more well-placed psychological clues that lead us toward Gerald's secret. Each chapter heading is supposedly a quote from one of Gerald's books and they are engagingly witty---"The meek may inherit the earth, but they won't keep it long." --- and serve as clues to the upcoming events. Great importance is placed upon "The Game" which Gerald and his daughters trot out to torment those not in their inner circle. It is so stupid; the entire trio should have been smacked. Ursula wisely has never taken part. (Not that she was asked!)

The problem with "The Chimney Sweeper's Boy" is the setup is great, but the denouement doesn't live up to it. Some readers might feel they have invested a great deal of their time and energy for very little. I felt like getting there was half the fun and admired the way Ms. Vine breathes life into all these people. Even the enigmatic Gerald is more to be pitied than scorned. I would recommend reading Ms. Vine's "Dark Adapted Eye" first. If you find that enjoyable and are anxious for more, pick up "The Chimney Sweeper's Boy." Hint: The title is a clue.

-sweetmolly-Amazon.com Reviewer

A friend gave me her copy of "The Chimney Sweeper's Boy" and I was hooked from page 1. The numerous characters are all complex and fascinating--even the minor ones; the plot, although I guessed the "mystery-surprise," unfolds beautifully--I certainly do not want to tell you any of the twists and turns (& there are plenty)of this "psychological mystery;" the writing is graceful, but never calls attention to itself. This is a truly terrific story told wonderfully. I have already purchased my second Barbara Vine book and cannot wait to start it.

I love Barbara Vine. I think she is one of the most thought-provoking and edgy writers of our times. "A Fatal Inversion" is one of my favorite books, and a perfect example of a surprise-ending novel. But this title, "The Chimney Sweeper's Boy," fails to live up to the author's normally high standards.

This is the story of a man who was idolized by his daughters and resented by his wife who has been hiding a whole other side to his personality rarely glimsed by his inner circle. The journey that his daughter and others take in discovering this secret person is fascinating and well-crafted.

Unfortunately, the ultimate revelation of his deep, dark secret is disappointing, out-of-date, and predictable. Read this for the deft and incisive writing of Ms Vine, but do not hope for a stunning revelation at the end. This one will disappoint.

Yes, as the reviewer from Richmond, Virginia has mentioned, the book doesn't live up to its promise. But the sharp character studies, most especially Ursula, the wronged wife, are remarkable. I also enjoyed the titillating sexual love affair between Sarah and her sadistic boy-toy. By the end, however, I was terribly disappointed; I felt the book came to an abrupt halt, as if the publisher had given the author an ultimatum on how many pages they could publish. She set up some very tragic lives, and I wanted her to give them at least a parcel of resolution. I wanted a reaction from the two spoiled daughters when they learned the truth about their doting, proprietary father and to know that the light dawned in Ursula's mind and when she realized that Gerald had deliberately tried to make her believe that she was the problem in their marriage. And I wanted the girls to have, at least, an inkling of what their father had done to their mother. It was amazing, the damage his lies did to them all, including the girls. He basically stole them from their mother, and raised them to be empty, self-centered, vain, snobbish and cold. I hated Gerald Candless. What a rotten s.o.b. I wonder if Ms. vine modeled him after some insufferable, publicly-lionized British author or other celebrity she scorns. Though I was let down by the book's uneventful ending, I will continue to seek out her work. Compared to many contemporary writers, she does attempt to engage her readers in a deliciously entertaining manner - and with great writing to boot.

I "discovered" Ruth Rendell almost thirty years ago. I was overseas and books in English were hard to find and expensive when you could find them. From time to time, my mother would send me a carton of paperbacks that she had chosen from secondhand bookshops and library sales. She was guessing at what might interest me. The combination of her good judgment and my desperation for books of any kind meant that I usually read or at least started to read just about everything in the carton.
One carton included Rendell's One Across, Two Down. I didn't read much detective fiction or murder mysteries, but I had gone through an Agatha Christie phase in my teens, and later I would go through a similar Sue Grafton phase. Ruth Rendell's book was unlike anything I had read. There was no hero ("protagonist," the author in The Chimney Sweeper's Boy would correct me) in the conventional sense. None of the characters was particularly likeable. I couldn't identify with any of them. But I was fascinated by the odd story and couldn't stop reading until I had finished.

I continue to be a Rendell fan, but I prefer her Barbara Vine novels, the psychological thrillers with no hero. Inspector Wexford leaves me cold. This still leaves dozens of Rendell books for me to read and reread.

The Chimney Sweeper's Boy is a fine thriller. The characters are fascinating, the plot moves along like a pulp novel, and I really wanted to know what happens next. And like many thrillers and throw-away fiction, I didn't know what was going to happen until the author wanted me to know. I thought I knew several times, but I was wrong. Everything was tied up in a neat package at the end.

Unfortunately, The Chimney Sweeper's Boy doesn't bear scrutiny. As I stopped to think about the story after I was done, I became less satisfied. Real people wouldn't act like that, would they? And the shocking revelation didn't strike me as being quite as earth-shattering as the characters seemed to think it was.

After finding myself skimming the last third of Grasshopper and not even finishing The Blood Doctor, I began to wonder if I had come to the end of a thirty year Ruth Rendell phase? But her latest two, The Rottweiler and Thirteen Steps Down, have reassured me that Rendell is still the master of psychological suspense.

I don't think this was a perfect novel -- but it was fascinating and very well written. I agree with previous reviewers that the was the plot was wrapped up was not completely satisfying -- but I also think this is not a thriller and deserves to be read as a novel with an unexplained mystery at the center. Vine also tells the story in a ingenious yet careful way and her writing style is as good as I've ever encountered. Recommended for anyone who likes literary suspense novels.