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There Were No Windows
There Were No Windows | Norah Hoult
13 posts | 9 read | 7 to read
Contains three 'acts' which describe what happens to 'Claire Temple' in her last months.
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review
quietjenn
There Were No Windows | Norah Hoult
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Pickpick

Like others, I was a little uncertain about this #persephoneclub pick, given the subject matter. But, I'm so glad everyone else's reviews convinced me to pick it up, albeit slightly belated. It was a delicate but fair portrait, which I thought rang very true. Wonderful details and I appreciate how the humor helped lighten what could've been very grim. I also appreciate that we got to experience the book through lots of different viewpoints.

Tamra I loved it - I‘m so glad you decided to read it too. 7mo
Cathythoughts Great review 👍🏻♥️ it‘s so well worth the read. X 7mo
See All 6 Comments
jlhammar Yes, it rang so true. Wonderful review! So glad you gave it a try. 7mo
LeahBergen Great review! 7mo
BarbaraBB Glad you decided to read it. Great review 7mo
63 likes1 stack add6 comments
review
andrew61
There Were No Windows | Norah Hoult
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Pickpick

#persephoneclub When I 1st picked this up, I was uncertain abt what the bk was but quickly found the character of Claire engaging, so while her memory is failing, she remains wickedly ascerbic in her encounters with friends whose pomposity she punctures. The memory loss is well done as is relations with cook + secretary
@rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @LeahBergen @Cathythoughts @CarolynM @BarbaraBB @elkeOriginal @Gissy @Aimeesue @Tamra @jlhammar ⬇️

andrew61 My only slight niggle was the finale of the bk which seemed a little hurried and I felt was entirely unexpected. Otherwise the portrayal of wartime London was well done. I liked the reference to writers and artists Claire had known. Kathleen the cook is a great character as is miss Jones. But the scenes with Francis maitland were priceless. Another very enjoyable persephone club read. 7mo
jlhammar Wickedly acerbic - yes!! I agree, great characters and just really well done. Great review! I‘m loving our Persephone reads so far. 7mo
Tamra This was a favorite selection for me, but yes “acerbic” is the perfect descriptor! 7mo
See All 6 Comments
LeahBergen Nice review, Andrew! I really enjoyed the scenes with Francis Mailtaland, too (especially at the pub 😆). 7mo
Aimeesue Nice review! You all are making me eager to get to this one this weekend! 7mo
Cathythoughts Great review! Yes I agree memory loss is well done, and the other characters are well written too👍🏻 7mo
44 likes6 comments
review
LeahBergen
There Were No Windows | Norah Hoult
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Pickpick

I was quite dreading this month‘s #PersephoneClub pick, a 1944 novel about a famed bluestocking facing her last years alone and suffering from dementia. It ended up being a quite delicately nuanced treatment with flashes of humour and something to say about the fate of women from several different classes during the London Blitz.

A pick for me!

jlhammar Nice review - glad this ended up a pick for you! I really liked how the Blitz played into the story. Not only did it add another layer of confusion to exacerbate Claire's condition, but London as she knew and loved it was deteriorating along with her. 7mo
LeahBergen @jlhammar That‘s a great way of putting it … the deterioration of the both of them. 👍 (edited) 7mo
Cathythoughts Great review 👍🏻❤️ @jlhammar Yes , we‘ll put .. the deterioration of both. 7mo
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review
jlhammar
There Were No Windows | Norah Hoult
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Pickpick

“They were about to enter that world which is lit by the unstable moon.”

This was brutal, but not without its moments of humor and kindness. One of the most affecting and insightful depictions of dementia I‘ve ever read. Claire isn‘t a particularly likable character (quite the snob!) and yet I felt compassion for her. Another outstanding Persephone! Loved it.

#PersephoneClub

jlhammar I loved when Claire remarked “There‘s an extreme lack of spirituous comfort in this house”😆 8mo
Tamra There was lots of humor, which can be overlooked given the overall serious nature! I appreciated Claire was not mono-dimensional. 8mo
Cathythoughts I love your moon quote 🤍. I agree , the descriptions of dementia were insightful. So we‘ll written on this subject. 8mo
LeahBergen Great review! And yes, I loved that “spirituous comfort” bit. I think I‘ll use it when I need the husband to pop out for a bottle of wine. 😆 7mo
65 likes4 comments
review
BarbaraBB
There Were No Windows | Norah Hoult
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Mehso-so

Claire Temple is a former society lady and writer who is losing her memory. She is paranoid, delusional, confused and often a pain in the ass to the few people who can stand still being with her. Meanwhile London is in the grip of the Blitz, but Claire mostly forgets the War is going on as she is lamenting her loneliness.
The book was funny at times but also very repetitive - which fitted the main character but wasn‘t really enjoyable for me.

Tamra I thought it was painful, but I couldn‘t stop! Agreed it was repetitive, reflecting Claire‘s failing memory. 8mo
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Librarybelle Oh! A 1944 publication - awesome! 8mo
BarbaraBB @Tamra that was painful and what the author wanted I assume, but a bit annoying too - for me personally 🤷🏻‍♀️ 8mo
jlhammar Darn, sorry this didn‘t work for you. It felt so real, so true to me. @Tamra - yes, painful! I loved that it kind of felt like I was watching/reading a play. 8mo
BarbaraBB @jlhammar I read your review and I can totally see why you loved it. I probably would have to in another state of mind. I know felt a bit too impatient for the repetitiveness of it - even though it is an indispensable part of the book 8mo
Cathythoughts I‘m sorry you didn‘t enjoy it. I thought it was a memorable book. Dementia is a scary place. I liked the way Nora Hoult wrote about it. 8mo
BarbaraBB @Cathythoughts It might have hit home a bit too much as well. My mother is detoriating and I am scared of her heading this way 🤷🏻‍♀️ 8mo
Cathythoughts I hear you. Hopefully she will escape this. It‘s a fear as we get older. ❤️ 8mo
LeahBergen I‘m so glad you read along with us this month! And yes, it hit a bit close to home for me, too, with how my Mom died. This aging thing sucks. 😆 7mo
BarbaraBB @LeahBergen It does. I am sorry to hear about your mother. It feels so unfair to end life this way. I hope you‘ve had wonderful traveling! 7mo
LeahBergen I‘ve been having a wonderful summer and we‘re heading off again next week, too! It looks like you‘ve been having some lovely travels yourself. 😊 7mo
71 likes14 comments
review
Cathythoughts
There Were No Windows | Norah Hoult
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Pickpick

‘What scars of the heart, what hidden wounds of the mind, do not the dreams of even those who feel that their lives have run to a placid and conventional measure, reveal ! ‘

What a beautiful wild story of old age. I feel the years catching up with me, so I was a little afraid of this book at first… but I loved it. I loved the dynamic of the women in the house , fascinating and heart wrenching. #PersephoneClub I think we have another winner here !

TrishB Great review Cathy 👍🏻 8mo
Cathythoughts I loved Dr Fairfax too. When Claire was dying he made a note to send some flowers to Mrs Temple. There were so few friends left to perform this last offering from the living to the dying. ❤️💔 8mo
Cathythoughts @TrishB ♥️ ThanksX 8mo
See All 16 Comments
Tamra Awesome review and I agree with the trepidation! ☺️ Definitely a winner. I am on there lookout for more of her work. 8mo
Tamra @Cathythoughts ♥️ that was a compassionate moment. 8mo
jlhammar Wonderful review! I just finished part 1 last night and I agree, definitely a winner. Heart-wrenching for sure, but so good. Look forward to reading more this evening. 8mo
Cathythoughts @Tamra Yes , I‘d like to read more of her too. She‘s good !! 8mo
Cathythoughts @jlhammar Oh enjoy! ❤️ 8mo
BarbaraBB I will be starting this soon! 8mo
quietjenn I was a little nervous about this one as well, but the enthusiasm y'all have for it have reassured me *and* made me really excited about it! 8mo
Cathythoughts @quietjenn I really enjoyed it. I hope you do too Jenn x 8mo
andrew61 Enjoying it so far Cathy. Claire is such a great character. I love the spikiness and cutting comments amid the memory loss. Not sure I would enjoy being her friend however . 8mo
Cathythoughts @andrew61 She has a sharp tongue for sure !! Quite a character 8mo
LeahBergen Great review, Cathy! Yes, I was a bit afraid of this book, too, to begin with but I thought it was really well done. 7mo
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen It was really well done ! I agree 👍🏻❤️ 7mo
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blurb
Cathythoughts
There Were No Windows | Norah Hoult
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Just started. #PersephoneClub
I can‘t believe the cats name is Lisa. There‘s our Lisa ! Our dog , still , I see it as a happy coincidence 😁♥️

Tamra 🐶 Love it! Happy reading Cathy 8mo
IndoorDame She‘s so cute!!! 🐶😍 8mo
TrishB That‘s so cute 🐶 8mo
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Leftcoastzen Cutie pie! 8mo
DivineDiana ❤️ 8mo
dabbe Hello, Lovely Lisa! 🖤🐾🖤 8mo
Ruthiella Hi Lisa! ❤️🐶❤️🐶❤️ 8mo
Cathythoughts @Ruthiella Hi 👋🏻 🐶 8mo
LeahBergen I was thinking of YOUR Lisa every time Claire went in search of her cat. 😆 7mo
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen I know 😂 I got a great kick out of it 😁 7mo
69 likes11 comments
review
Tamra
There Were No Windows | Norah Hoult
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Pickpick

Claire discovers herself abandoned in the desert of old age, trapped within her own failing and lonely mind.

Frightening and maddeningly realistic writing. I loved every reading moment and could not put it down. Fantastic choice @Cathythoughts 😘

#PersephoneClub

Tamra Definitely going on the hunt for more Hoult! 8mo
jlhammar Wonderful! Can‘t wait to get started. 8mo
See All 8 Comments
Tamra @jlhammar it‘s riveting in a frustrating way. 😏 8mo
Cathythoughts Great review 👍🏻 I‘m excited. I‘m nearly finished Covenant of Water … another day or two I should be done. Then I‘ll start No Windows 8mo
CarolynM Looking forward to this. It will be a couple of weeks before I can start. 8mo
Angeles Love the elegant, simple lines of your book‘s cover in this edition in the picture. 8mo
LeahBergen It was really well done. And frightening is right! 😬 7mo
66 likes8 comments
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Tamra
There Were No Windows | Norah Hoult
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Straight away I had to look up a word - “monad.” This is a good sign I hope!

#PersephoneClub

jlhammar I hope so! Cool bookmark. 8mo
Tamra @jlhammar thank you - I bought it at a really cool art center which features the arts & crafts of people with disabilities in Rapid City, SD. It was a super visit! (edited) 8mo
quietjenn Agree about the bookmark! Hope I'll be able to start this one soon. 8mo
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Tamra @quietjenn absolutely loving it so far! I hope you do too. 8mo
Cathythoughts I‘m dying to start our Persephone. But I‘m half way through Covenant of Water , I‘m afraid if I stop I won‘t get back to it. So Persephone will have to wait another week or two … and your absolutely loving it 🥰 🥰🥰 8mo
Karons1 Will be joining in at some point 😆 8mo
Tamra @Cathythoughts definitely keep your momentum with Covenant! 💚 I better push that one to the top of the list because the fall term starts too soon. 8mo
Tamra @Karons1 yay!! I raced through Part 1 because I couldn‘t put it down. 8mo
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blurb
LitsyEvents
There Were No Windows | Norah Hoult
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Repost for @LeahBergen

It‘s now August so that means it‘s time for one of our #PersephoneClub reads!

@Cathythoughts ‘ pick for us this month is There Were No Windows by Norah Hoult. This is a casual buddy read; read and comment on each other‘s posts and reviews as you see them. We usually aim to finish by the middle of the month but that‘s not written in stone. 😉 And anyone is welcome to read along with us, of course!

Karons1 Thank you ☺️ 8mo
LeahBergen Thanks for the repost! 😘 7mo
29 likes3 comments
blurb
LeahBergen
There Were No Windows | Norah Hoult
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It‘s now August so that means it‘s time for one of our #PersephoneClub reads!

@Cathythoughts ‘ pick for us this month is There Were No Windows by Norah Hoult. This is a casual buddy read; read and comment on each other‘s posts and reviews as you see them. We usually aim to finish by the middle of the month but that‘s not written in stone. 😉 And anyone is welcome to read along with us, of course!

willaful Couldn't get a library copy so I'm afraid I'm out this month. 😕 8mo
jlhammar Wonderful! Looking forward to it. 8mo
julieclair I will skip this month. The subject matter is a little too close to home for me right now. 8mo
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rubyslippersreads I‘m going to skip this one. Too sad for me. 8mo
CarolynM Just waiting for my copy to arrive🙂 Hope all is well with you, Leah 💕 8mo
Tamra Took my copy down off the TBR shelf. 😁 8mo
BarbaraBB I like to read along with you this month. I have the books on my shelves! 8mo
batsy Hope you're doing well, Leah! ❤️ 8mo
Cathythoughts Great Leah !! I must take my book down from its high shelf 👍🏻❤️ 8mo
Cathythoughts I may not get to start till mid-month this time. But I‘m looking forward to it. 8mo
CarolynM @BarbaraBB Great to have you along for this one🙂 8mo
BarbaraBB Thank you @CarolynM 🤍 looking forward to it 8mo
LeahBergen @willaful Oh, that‘s too bad. We‘ll see you for the next round! 😊 8mo
LeahBergen @julieclair @rubyslippersreads I was a bit worried about that myself. 😬 8mo
LeahBergen @jlhammar @CarolynM @Tamra @BarbaraBB @batsy @Cathythoughts Sorry for the late reply! I‘ve been travelling around again for the last couple of weeks and not checking into Litsy. I‘ve even been having too much fun to read a lot. 😆😆 I‘m home again for a few weeks and just starting the book today. 8mo
Tamra @LeahBergen enjoy!! 8mo
CarolynM Sounds lovely. I'm envious. Enjoy💕 8mo
Cathythoughts Sounds like all is very well with you 😘 8mo
batsy That's great! Enjoy ❤️ 8mo
48 likes20 comments
review
Andrea313
There Were No Windows | Norah Hoult
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Pickpick

This was a pick for me, mostly for the incredibly vivid writing, but beware- its a heartbreaking, gut-punching portrait of aging, decline, and dementia. We get the POV of our MC, who succumbs to memory loss, mood swings, and paranoia, as well as that of her cook, her live-in companion, old friends, and a doctor. Nobody gets off easily; there is suffering all around. But there's also real wit and an up-close look at humanity at its most vulnerable.

BarbaraBB That sounds heartbreaking but I can‘t resist a good Persephone! #stacked 2y
catebutler I haven‘t found a Persephone I didn‘t like! And this one sounds extremely intriguing. 2y
elkeOriginal Nice #persephonebooks collection! (edited) 2y
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Andrea313
There Were No Windows | Norah Hoult
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Beginning my final #PersephonePick of the year! It's been so much fun to read through these selections this year; I have definitely encountered rollicking stories, sobering history, and absolutely gorgeous writing. I still have a few unread in my collection to get me through the early months of next year, but then I guess I'll just have to buy a few more for '22. 😉 #CurrentlyReading #PersephoneBooks