Judgment Day [Paperback]

Penelope Lively (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 20, 2003

Penelope Lively is one of England's greatest living writers, whom The New York Times Book Review has called "blessed with the gift of being able to render matters of great import with a breath, a barely audible sigh, a touch. The result is wonderful writing." Judgment Day takes us into the life of Clare Paling, who has just moved with her family to Laddenham, a seemingly drowsy village enlivened by sideshows of adultery and gossip. An avowed agnostic, Clare is nonetheless caught up in the restoration of the church, even inciting the villagers to put on a pageant that re-creates the church's dark past. With flawless precision, Lively brings the village and its inhabitants to life as an unpardonable death reminds them all that the world is a very uncertain place. "Penelope Lively exhibits an almost Hardyesque concern with fate and its mysterious workings.... A stimulating novel." -- William Boyd, The Times Literary Supplement "A beautiful and brilliant novel." -- Auberon Waugh "Marvelous observation, wit, control and zest." -- The Observer (U.K.)

Product Details

• Paperback: 210 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press; 1st Grove Press Edition edition (February 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802139663
• ISBN-13: 978-0802139665
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #226,640 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Behind the scenes in a small town, March 17, 2005

By 

Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Judgment Day (Paperback)

This small town happens to be in England, but don't be fooled - behind many a stiff upper lip lies a wealth of secrets, reminiscent of an old soap opera. Beneath the horsey smiles, the self-conscious snorty laughter and the other public facades, lie the real people - the repressed and the depressed, the bored and the ignored, the bullies and the blusterers, those waiting for something to happen, and those that do something about it.

Penelope Lively carefully develops her characters, unpeeling the fragile exteriors layer by layer, never causing embarrassment, but stripping them to the bone never-the-less. From time to time she pauses to reveal the darker side, but does so without breaking the surface tension, and the story flows onwards.

My problem with the story is that, like an enquiring mind, I wanted to know more. I know "who", I know "where", I know "when", but the author leaves me helplessly dangling on the "how" and "why".

This is an entertaining peek into little Laddenham, but Penelope Lively pulls the blinds before we can get a fully satisfying look.

Amanda Richards, March 17, 2005

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging story of small town intrigue, October 13, 2000

By 

Renee Thorpe (Karangasem, Bali) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Judgment Day (Paperback)

Fictitious English hamlet is home to a little-appreciated church with some fine Gothic details. When a newcomer, deemed a little too flamboyant for some, arrives and tries to give the church a boost with a little show biz, unsettling events unfold.

It's a delightfully descriptive, fast-paced story filled with nicely conceived characters. This is really a low-key mystery novel, but there's more to it than a whodunnit. In my opinion it remains one of her better works; shame it's not in print.

Great fun if you want to get a taste of English country sensibilities.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Short, Sharp and Unpretentious, August 18, 2004

By 

prisrob "pris," (New England USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Judgment Day (Paperback)

Laddenham is a small English village known as a bedroom community of London and also known for its terrible traffic. Laddenham has a lovely triangular green with old Victorian homes on the long of the triangle. Into this village and one of the Victorian homes moves Clare Puling, her husband, a high powered executive in an engineering firm and their two children. Clare is a very intelligent lady, and she is bored. Not bored with her family but bored because she does not have enough to keep her busy. Her husband suggests she invest her time in the village.

The town is like all towns. People with secrets, people having affairs, people just getting by, children at loose ends, mothers too busy with everything, and a church in need. Clare and her family are agnostic, but that does not stop her from joining the Church, St Peter and St Paul. George Radwell is the vicar. He is need of assistance to help with fund raising. A lot is needed for the Church's restoration. Clare is a believer in the savagery of fate, and she suggests they put on a pageant that re-creates the Church's history. The entire group works very hard to make the costumes and the designs. What could happen to prevent this pageant from happening?

Next door to Clare lived the Bryans. A family full of secrets. Mr. B was having an affair, Mrs. B did nothing but complain and George, the son had stomach aches from the constant arguing. Dad finally left, mom went to visit her sister, and George was left with Mr. Porter who lived next door. All in all it wasn't too bad for George. He had someone who loved him and cared for him, and on top of it all, his dad sent him a new red bike. And then the impossible happened..

This is more of a dark book than Penelope Lively usually writes- she left too many things undone and unsaid; the book was too short. The story was wonderful but left us with too many unanswered questions. However, that said, Penelope Lively is such a marvelous writer that I would even recommend this book. prisrob