The Chimney Sweepers Boy [Import] [Paperback]

Ruth Rendell (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books (2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0141035102
• ISBN-13: 978-0141035109
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,147,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific novel, March 6, 2001

By 

Joel Jacobsen (New Mexico USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Chimney Sweeper's Boy (Paperback)

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.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vine Climbs to the Top with "Chimney Sweeper's Boy", June 14, 1999

By 

Billy J. Hobbs "Bill Hobbs" (Tyler, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Chimney Sweeper's Boy (Paperback)

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!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful way to discover Barbara Vine, January 26, 2006

By 

Mysteri Reader "busprof" (Urbana, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Chimney Sweeper's Boy (Paperback)

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.