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Донька є донька
Дві жінки прагнуть любові, уваги й турботи, кохання чоловіка, хочуть пізнати життя в його повноті, але їхні ж заплутані стосунки заважають їм це здійснити. Донька впевнена, що має право втручатися в особисте життя матері, яка рано овдовіла й збирається заміж. Мати намагається уникнути конфліктів, через які сімейні будні перетворюються на пекло. Етика невтручання з боку подруги, яка є відомою особистістю й психологом, не дає змоги змінити закономірний хід подій, аж поки обидві жінки не усвідомлять, що самі мусять відповідати за власні вчинки і слова. Хто насправді винен у тому, що життя летить шкереберть: мати, донька чи..?
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1952
70 people are currently reading
3,273 people want to read
About the author
Mary Westmacott
15books630followersPseudonym used by
Agatha Christie
to write her dramatic novels about relationships.
Associated Names:
Мэри Вестмакотт (Russian)
Мері Вестмакотт (Ukrainian)
Associated Names:
Мэри Вестмакотт (Russian)
Мері Вестмакотт (Ukrainian)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
August 16, 2020
First of all, let me just say ‘wow�! The book’s blurb does in no way prepare you for the sheer power of this story.
For some weird reason, the publishers have labelled Agatha Christie’s 6 Mary Westmacott novels as ‘romance�, just because they don’t feature any murder, when in fact they are taut psychological dramas. Our favourite author uses all her skills not only in portraying complex personalities at a crux in their lives but in setting scenes that progressively become tenser. After the first couple of chapters, I became totally engrossed in the narration, and couldn’t stop, even feeling breathless at some points.
The story seems innocuous at first: a middle-aged woman falls in love but her nineteen-year old daughter does not accept the new suitor and does everything to impede the match. Seems straightforward and yet, Christie crafts this with so much power and skill, showing us these different personalities and perceptions, and the effects and deep-reaching consequences of each’s decisions. Somehow, even though set in the 1950s, this felt ‘modern� or rather timeless since having human nature at its core. The author surprised me even more with her creation of a truly despicable predator - somehow you never correlate Christie with this type and yet, here she concocts a perfect amalgam of suavity and depravity!
Call me impressed!!!!
For some weird reason, the publishers have labelled Agatha Christie’s 6 Mary Westmacott novels as ‘romance�, just because they don’t feature any murder, when in fact they are taut psychological dramas. Our favourite author uses all her skills not only in portraying complex personalities at a crux in their lives but in setting scenes that progressively become tenser. After the first couple of chapters, I became totally engrossed in the narration, and couldn’t stop, even feeling breathless at some points.
The story seems innocuous at first: a middle-aged woman falls in love but her nineteen-year old daughter does not accept the new suitor and does everything to impede the match. Seems straightforward and yet, Christie crafts this with so much power and skill, showing us these different personalities and perceptions, and the effects and deep-reaching consequences of each’s decisions. Somehow, even though set in the 1950s, this felt ‘modern� or rather timeless since having human nature at its core. The author surprised me even more with her creation of a truly despicable predator - somehow you never correlate Christie with this type and yet, here she concocts a perfect amalgam of suavity and depravity!
Call me impressed!!!!
August 6, 2019
In this novel Agatha takes on the complex mother-daughter relationship. Unlike other novels she wrote under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, this one is quite fast paced ending in a Bollywood style climax. Interesting characters and incidents build up the storyline beautifully leading to a brilliant end. Must read.
July 18, 2019
What a thought provoking story!
January 7, 2025
"أينما وُجدت الطبيعة البشرية، وُجدت الدراما" - أجاثا كريستي
لم أصدق حين وقعت مصادفةً على مراجعة تناقش روايات "رومانسية" ألفتها أجاثا كريستي بعيداً تماماً عن رواياتها البوليسية الشهيرة. ليس هذا فحسب، بل اختارت أن تنشر هذه الروايات تحت اسم مستعار، ماري ويستماكوت. كانت مفاجأة! حقا يا أجاثا لازلت قادرة على إبهاري بعد كل هذه السنين!
ست روايات فقط نشرتها أجاثا تحت هذا الاسم المستعار عُرِفت بروايات ويستماكوت. ست روايات مقابل أكثر من مئة وخمسين عملاً بولسياً ما بين روايات ومسرحيات ومجموعات قصصية. وبعد قراءة اثنتين من هذه الجواهر الستة، هل أجرؤ على القول أنني أحببت ماري ويستماكوت أكثر من حبي لأجاثا كريستي ملكة الجريمة؟ بلى، أجرؤ على قول ذلك. بل تمنيت لو كانت الدراما النفسية التي دارت في فلكها الروايات هي مضمار أجاثا الرئيسي الأساسي، وليس القصص البوليسية!
روايات ويستماكوت الستة
كيف فعلتها أجاثا؟ أعتقد أننا نظلم روايات أجاثا البوليسية إذا حكمنا عليها من خلال تصنيفها كأدب جرائم فحسب، فرواياتها هي ثالث الكتب مبيعاً في التاريخ بأكثر من ملياري نسخة! إذن لابد من وجود سر ما. بعيداً عن حبكاتها المحكمة، حققت أجاثا في رواياتها ما جعلها صامدة عبر الزمن، يقرأها الملايين من كل الأجيال. لقد نجحت أجاثا بسبب استكشافها الفريد لطبيعة النفس البشرية بتعقيداتها ودوافعها وتناقضاتها، وتصويرها الماهر لأنماط السلوك البشري المتكررة. هذا الاستكشاف أو لنقل الاستبصار، هو ما جعل رواياتها تلمس وتراً لدى الملايين مهما اختلف الزمان والمكان.
وفي روايات ويستماكوت، صقلت أجاثا كريستي ملاحظاتها الذكية للطبيعة البشرية وكثفتها، وعالجتها بمهارة لتخرُج على أروع ما يكون. ورغم الخط الرومانسي الذي تشترك فيه كل الروايات إلا أنه مجرد خلفية للتفاعل المدهش بين الأحداث والتأملات الذاتية وتعقيد العلاقات المتطورة بين أبطال كل رواية. تدور هذه الرواية حول العلاقة بين آن الأرملة الأربعينية الجميلة وابنتها سارة ذات الطبيعة التملكية، وكيف تتعقد هذه العلاقة حين تقرر آن الزواج من ريتشارد الذي أحبته. مهما حكيت لا يمكن أن أصف عمق وبساطة الحوارات التي دارت بين آن وابنتها وبين آن وصديقتها الحكيمة لورا أو وصيفتها أديث. كل كلمة، كل إشارة، في موضعها. والمدهش أيضاً أن سحر روايات أجاثا التشويقي كان حاضراً وكأنها رواية بوليسية. فما إن أمسكت بالرواية حتى استغرقت فيها، ابتلعتني تماما، واحتبست أنفاسي مع نهاية كل فصل، حتى محاولتي معرفة النهاية ذكرتني بمحاولة معرفة القاتل! وصف أحدهم نوع الرواية الأدبي بالرومانسية التشويقية ولعله كان محقاً.
كان هذا لقائي الثاني مع روايات ويستماكوت بعد لقائي مع أروعهن "غائبة في الربيع". ورغم اختلاف الشخصيات بين الروايتين (في الأولى كانت الأم هي المتملِّكة، وفي الثانية العكس) إلا أن الروايتين تدوران حول فكرة واحدة: معرفتنا لأنفسنا، وكيف أن مشاغلنا وحياتنا السريعة لا تعطينا أي فرصة لنتساءل إذا كنا فعلاً الشخص الذي نحسبه. ففي الرواية الأولى أُجبِرت الأم المتملكة جوان بسبب تعطل الطرق على البقاء في الصحراء. في هذه الفترة لم يكن أمامها سوى تأملاتها وذكرياتها، ولم يكن ما اكتشفته عن نفسها ساراً. أما آن، فاتخذت قرارات دون أن تعرف حقيقة بواعثها، ولهذا كانت نصيحة لورا المتكررة لها اعرفي نفسك أولا.
"ولكن ألا تعتقدين أننا نعرف أنفسنا جيداً؟"
"بالتأكيد لا أعتقد ذلك. في هذه الأيام، ليس لدى المرء الوقت للتعرف على أي شيء باستثناء صفاته الأكثر إرضاءً."
تماماً كما حدث مع الرواية الأولى، شعرت أنه من غير المعقول ألا يكون هناك آن وسارة وريتشارد حقيقيين. لقد أحببت آن وأشفقت عليها وكرهتها أحياناً واحترت معها. كانت شخصية واقعية بمحاسنها، وزلاتها، وضعفها. رسمت أجاثا شخصيتها بحرفية وكانت أجزاء الرواية الثلاثة بمثابة محطات رحلة آن الصعبة، تحولاتها، وصراعها الداخلي، ومحاولاتها المريرة لإنكار سخطها، واستنجادها بصديقتها العاقلة لورا. عند الصفحة الأخيرة ستجد نفسك قد تفاعلت مع كل هذه المحطات بشكل سيدهشك، هل ستكون أكثر حكمة؟ ربما. وهذا لعمري هو الأدب العظيم.
لم أصدق حين وقعت مصادفةً على مراجعة تناقش روايات "رومانسية" ألفتها أجاثا كريستي بعيداً تماماً عن رواياتها البوليسية الشهيرة. ليس هذا فحسب، بل اختارت أن تنشر هذه الروايات تحت اسم مستعار، ماري ويستماكوت. كانت مفاجأة! حقا يا أجاثا لازلت قادرة على إبهاري بعد كل هذه السنين!
ست روايات فقط نشرتها أجاثا تحت هذا الاسم المستعار عُرِفت بروايات ويستماكوت. ست روايات مقابل أكثر من مئة وخمسين عملاً بولسياً ما بين روايات ومسرحيات ومجموعات قصصية. وبعد قراءة اثنتين من هذه الجواهر الستة، هل أجرؤ على القول أنني أحببت ماري ويستماكوت أكثر من حبي لأجاثا كريستي ملكة الجريمة؟ بلى، أجرؤ على قول ذلك. بل تمنيت لو كانت الدراما النفسية التي دارت في فلكها الروايات هي مضمار أجاثا الرئيسي الأساسي، وليس القصص البوليسية!
روايات ويستماكوت الستة
كيف فعلتها أجاثا؟ أعتقد أننا نظلم روايات أجاثا البوليسية إذا حكمنا عليها من خلال تصنيفها كأدب جرائم فحسب، فرواياتها هي ثالث الكتب مبيعاً في التاريخ بأكثر من ملياري نسخة! إذن لابد من وجود سر ما. بعيداً عن حبكاتها المحكمة، حققت أجاثا في رواياتها ما جعلها صامدة عبر الزمن، يقرأها الملايين من كل الأجيال. لقد نجحت أجاثا بسبب استكشافها الفريد لطبيعة النفس البشرية بتعقيداتها ودوافعها وتناقضاتها، وتصويرها الماهر لأنماط السلوك البشري المتكررة. هذا الاستكشاف أو لنقل الاستبصار، هو ما جعل رواياتها تلمس وتراً لدى الملايين مهما اختلف الزمان والمكان.
وفي روايات ويستماكوت، صقلت أجاثا كريستي ملاحظاتها الذكية للطبيعة البشرية وكثفتها، وعالجتها بمهارة لتخرُج على أروع ما يكون. ورغم الخط الرومانسي الذي تشترك فيه كل الروايات إلا أنه مجرد خلفية للتفاعل المدهش بين الأحداث والتأملات الذاتية وتعقيد العلاقات المتطورة بين أبطال كل رواية. تدور هذه الرواية حول العلاقة بين آن الأرملة الأربعينية الجميلة وابنتها سارة ذات الطبيعة التملكية، وكيف تتعقد هذه العلاقة حين تقرر آن الزواج من ريتشارد الذي أحبته. مهما حكيت لا يمكن أن أصف عمق وبساطة الحوارات التي دارت بين آن وابنتها وبين آن وصديقتها الحكيمة لورا أو وصيفتها أديث. كل كلمة، كل إشارة، في موضعها. والمدهش أيضاً أن سحر روايات أجاثا التشويقي كان حاضراً وكأنها رواية بوليسية. فما إن أمسكت بالرواية حتى استغرقت فيها، ابتلعتني تماما، واحتبست أنفاسي مع نهاية كل فصل، حتى محاولتي معرفة النهاية ذكرتني بمحاولة معرفة القاتل! وصف أحدهم نوع الرواية الأدبي بالرومانسية التشويقية ولعله كان محقاً.
كان هذا لقائي الثاني مع روايات ويستماكوت بعد لقائي مع أروعهن "غائبة في الربيع". ورغم اختلاف الشخصيات بين الروايتين (في الأولى كانت الأم هي المتملِّكة، وفي الثانية العكس) إلا أن الروايتين تدوران حول فكرة واحدة: معرفتنا لأنفسنا، وكيف أن مشاغلنا وحياتنا السريعة لا تعطينا أي فرصة لنتساءل إذا كنا فعلاً الشخص الذي نحسبه. ففي الرواية الأولى أُجبِرت الأم المتملكة جوان بسبب تعطل الطرق على البقاء في الصحراء. في هذه الفترة لم يكن أمامها سوى تأملاتها وذكرياتها، ولم يكن ما اكتشفته عن نفسها ساراً. أما آن، فاتخذت قرارات دون أن تعرف حقيقة بواعثها، ولهذا كانت نصيحة لورا المتكررة لها اعرفي نفسك أولا.
"ولكن ألا تعتقدين أننا نعرف أنفسنا جيداً؟"
"بالتأكيد لا أعتقد ذلك. في هذه الأيام، ليس لدى المرء الوقت للتعرف على أي شيء باستثناء صفاته الأكثر إرضاءً."
تماماً كما حدث مع الرواية الأولى، شعرت أنه من غير المعقول ألا يكون هناك آن وسارة وريتشارد حقيقيين. لقد أحببت آن وأشفقت عليها وكرهتها أحياناً واحترت معها. كانت شخصية واقعية بمحاسنها، وزلاتها، وضعفها. رسمت أجاثا شخصيتها بحرفية وكانت أجزاء الرواية الثلاثة بمثابة محطات رحلة آن الصعبة، تحولاتها، وصراعها الداخلي، ومحاولاتها المريرة لإنكار سخطها، واستنجادها بصديقتها العاقلة لورا. عند الصفحة الأخيرة ستجد نفسك قد تفاعلت مع كل هذه المحطات بشكل سيدهشك، هل ستكون أكثر حكمة؟ ربما. وهذا لعمري هو الأدب العظيم.
January 8, 2011
I loved this book :D I was actually a bit 'afraid' that being a great fan of her crime stories I might not entirely enjoy such a different genre. But it was absolutely fantastic, well developed story with great psychological portraits and thought provoking questions. Definitely worth reading and even more worth a moment of reflection.
One could say that the story is written in a bit (sic!) obsolete mode and thus not applying to the modern (post-modern) world/lifestyle or at least not discovering anything new or appealing in respect of relationships and the overcommercialised notion of happiness. But in my opinion it's exactly the other way around. The fact that this book was written some time ago proves only that the perennial questions remain, no matter how much the world changes and how much we change. To be honest, there were moments which sent shivers down my spine making me think that deep inside we remain very simple, though we find it hard to accept it, expecting more and more and faster and more shiny and godknowswhatelse.
This book helped me to discover a completely different face of Agatha Christie's writing. I shall definitely dwell into it further!
One could say that the story is written in a bit (sic!) obsolete mode and thus not applying to the modern (post-modern) world/lifestyle or at least not discovering anything new or appealing in respect of relationships and the overcommercialised notion of happiness. But in my opinion it's exactly the other way around. The fact that this book was written some time ago proves only that the perennial questions remain, no matter how much the world changes and how much we change. To be honest, there were moments which sent shivers down my spine making me think that deep inside we remain very simple, though we find it hard to accept it, expecting more and more and faster and more shiny and godknowswhatelse.
This book helped me to discover a completely different face of Agatha Christie's writing. I shall definitely dwell into it further!
August 7, 2020
Ver y intense and emotional
July 2, 2022
Agatha Christie created Mary Westmacott as a secret identity that allowed her to write for her own pleasure, free from the constraints of the mystery genre. Between 1930 and 1956, Mary Westmacott published six novels.The secret identity remained undiscovered for nearly twenty years. Even when it became widely known that Christie was Westmacott, she continued to write as Westmacott, publishing two more novels, the first of which was ‘A Daughter’s A Daughter� (1952). In that same year, Agatha Christie published Mrs McGinty’s Dead (Hercule Poirot #25), They Do It With Mirrors (Miss Marple #6) and opened The Mousetrap on London's West End so, I was curious to see what kind of book Agatha Christie had made time for in a year when she was already so commercially successful.
The answer was a welcome surprise: a very open and engaging contemplation on what a forty-one-year-old widow with an adult daughter should look for from her life and what relationship she should seek with her adult daughter.
This Mary Westmacott novel seemed much more grown-up than Agatha Christie's mysteries. Seventy years later, it still felt modern and relevant. It was full of gentle reflections on the problems that people create for themselves and others by trying to do what they think they ought to rather than what they really want to. It looks at the concept of sacrifice and asks whether the sacrifices a mother makes for her daughter are really for her daughter or for herself and warns that sacrifices aren't one-off events but rather are self-inflicted wounds that leave scars and may fester if not tended to.
The book is cliché free and non-judgemental. This story is written with great precision. The arguments between the people feel real. The way the situation escalates feels inevitable. There's a fairly unblinking confrontation of how fragile happiness is and how it differs from the pursuit of pleasure and of the dangers of loneliness and of drug addiction.
I realised how well the story was working when I found myself saying to the main character, Ann Prentice, who I know is fictional and who anyway couldn't hear me, 'Why do you want to marry this stubborn, deeply insecure man? He doesn't listen. He doesn't learn. He's not terribly bright, not good at reading people, is dismissive of women, is easily embarrassed, quick to anger and constantly tries to assert his non-existent authority. What is his appeal?'
I particularly liked meeting Dame Laura Whitstable, an old friend of Ann Prentice, who sees the world very clearly. She is given to make succinct, unemotional pronouncements about people and their motivations and limitations but is very wary of giving advice. She seemed to me to be the embodiment of the authorial voice and perhaps an idealised version of Westmacott/Christie herself.
I'm very glad I read this. I loved its distinctive voice and the insights into the emotions of the people. I also enjoyed getting a feel for what the lives of the English middle class were like in the early years after World War II.
The answer was a welcome surprise: a very open and engaging contemplation on what a forty-one-year-old widow with an adult daughter should look for from her life and what relationship she should seek with her adult daughter.
This Mary Westmacott novel seemed much more grown-up than Agatha Christie's mysteries. Seventy years later, it still felt modern and relevant. It was full of gentle reflections on the problems that people create for themselves and others by trying to do what they think they ought to rather than what they really want to. It looks at the concept of sacrifice and asks whether the sacrifices a mother makes for her daughter are really for her daughter or for herself and warns that sacrifices aren't one-off events but rather are self-inflicted wounds that leave scars and may fester if not tended to.
The book is cliché free and non-judgemental. This story is written with great precision. The arguments between the people feel real. The way the situation escalates feels inevitable. There's a fairly unblinking confrontation of how fragile happiness is and how it differs from the pursuit of pleasure and of the dangers of loneliness and of drug addiction.
I realised how well the story was working when I found myself saying to the main character, Ann Prentice, who I know is fictional and who anyway couldn't hear me, 'Why do you want to marry this stubborn, deeply insecure man? He doesn't listen. He doesn't learn. He's not terribly bright, not good at reading people, is dismissive of women, is easily embarrassed, quick to anger and constantly tries to assert his non-existent authority. What is his appeal?'
I particularly liked meeting Dame Laura Whitstable, an old friend of Ann Prentice, who sees the world very clearly. She is given to make succinct, unemotional pronouncements about people and their motivations and limitations but is very wary of giving advice. She seemed to me to be the embodiment of the authorial voice and perhaps an idealised version of Westmacott/Christie herself.
I'm very glad I read this. I loved its distinctive voice and the insights into the emotions of the people. I also enjoyed getting a feel for what the lives of the English middle class were like in the early years after World War II.
March 13, 2023
Agatha Christie es más que sus increíbles misterios, adentrarse a sus libros de no ficción, poemarios o sus novelas “románticas� es descubrir a una escritora polifacética. Este libro contiene a dos de sus personajes más complejos, una madre y una hija, en una relación tóxica destructiva. Basada en la relación que Christie tenía con su hija, el estilo es inteligente bien y las situaciones siempre interesantes. Cuando detona la historia, no puedes parar. �
Shelved as 'wishlist-f'
September 3, 2023***
I highly recommend . This I gave a whopping five stars! Also , which I gave four stars. She writes under her husband's name in the latter, i.e. .
Mary Westmacott novels
* 4 stars
* 3 stars
* maybe
* TBR
* TBR
* TBR
I highly recommend . This I gave a whopping five stars! Also , which I gave four stars. She writes under her husband's name in the latter, i.e. .
Mary Westmacott novels
* 4 stars
* 3 stars
* maybe
* TBR
* TBR
* TBR
June 21, 2020
This novel was pretty awesome. It's almost unbelievable this is also written by Christie looking at her other work!
The story focuses on the relation of a mother and daughter. It's about possessiveness in relationships, the growing up of children (and what that means for a parent) and aging in general. I really think these Mary Westmacott novels are quite insightful; I daresay I even prefer them over her detective novels! (And those are already amazing!) The characters in this one weren't very likable, but that probably was one of the things that made the story work very well. It got extremely dramatic at multiple points, and even though I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, I have to admit that it worked very well. This is a must read if you want to see another side of The Queen of Crime!
The story focuses on the relation of a mother and daughter. It's about possessiveness in relationships, the growing up of children (and what that means for a parent) and aging in general. I really think these Mary Westmacott novels are quite insightful; I daresay I even prefer them over her detective novels! (And those are already amazing!) The characters in this one weren't very likable, but that probably was one of the things that made the story work very well. It got extremely dramatic at multiple points, and even though I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, I have to admit that it worked very well. This is a must read if you want to see another side of The Queen of Crime!
July 13, 2021
Čitajući ovaj roman, postala sam svesna da se zapravo u nekoj meri nerviram dok čitam Agatine romane pisane pod pseudonimom. Zašto? Zato što prikazuje junake sa svojim manama na veoma uverljiv način, tako da prosto možemo takvog junaka ili junakinju prepoznati u nekoj osobi iz stvarnog života. A takođe, kada pogledam konkretno ovu knjigu, možemo videti da su i odnosi junaka (ovde konkretno odnos majka-ćerka) poprilično realni.
Još jedna stvar koju moram spomenuti je da ne bih Merine romane okarakterisala kao ljubavne. Ima elemenata, ali akcenat knjiga nije na tome. Prosto romani zadiru mnogo dublje nego što bi to mogao neki ljubavni roman, i to ne samo kad su pojedinačni junaci u pitanju, već i kad su u pitanju njihovi međusobni odnosi.
Sve u svemu, odlična knjiga.
Još jedna Merina knjiga i kraj. Priznajem da se ne radujem tome. Odlično piše i sasvim joj odgovaraju ovakvi romani. Šteta što nije napisala više ovakvih romana.
Još jedna stvar koju moram spomenuti je da ne bih Merine romane okarakterisala kao ljubavne. Ima elemenata, ali akcenat knjiga nije na tome. Prosto romani zadiru mnogo dublje nego što bi to mogao neki ljubavni roman, i to ne samo kad su pojedinačni junaci u pitanju, već i kad su u pitanju njihovi međusobni odnosi.
Sve u svemu, odlična knjiga.
Još jedna Merina knjiga i kraj. Priznajem da se ne radujem tome. Odlično piše i sasvim joj odgovaraju ovakvi romani. Šteta što nije napisala više ovakvih romana.
May 31, 2019
No hay que negar nunca la verdad. Hay que aceptar el hecho de que sólo tenemos una compañía en este mundo que está con nosotros desde la cuna hasta la tumba... nosotros mismos. Si llegas a un acuerdo con dicha compañía... aprendes a vivir contigo misma. Ésa es la respuesta. Pero no siempre es fácil.
May 4, 2021
As a young woman goes away for a three-week trip skiing, her mother finds herself looking forward to getting together with dependable friends but what she discovers in a new man, and one that she quickly falls in love with. They are happy, looking forward to marriage and a life together � until the daughter comes home.
But suddenly, Ann Prentice finds herself struggling between the needs and wishes of her daughter, Sarah, and her intended, Richard. No matter what she does, Sarah and Richard seem to be focused on one thing: proving that they mean more to Ann than the other. Both are immature but Ann, rather than telling them what they should do for her sake and peace in their little threesome, makes a decision, a sacrifice she calls it, that triggers massive changes for all of them.
One of the amazing things I've always enjoyed about Agatha Christie, AKA Mary Westmacott, is the fine way that she has drawn characters. Realistic, sad and admirable, but first and foremost, memorable. The characters in this story are indeed memorable, but in this case, the overwhelming emotion is dislike. These are not admirable people, they don't know themselves and they make very bad mistakes � they hurt each other and hide behind their own pain.
And yes, I'm sure that these characters are very realistic. I just dislike them and their actions. And I find it very difficult to believe that they would go to the extremes that they did. Because these people came very, very close to destroying themselves � and for what?
Perhaps it's because Christie wrote these stories as psychological thrillers. This is a story of people psychologically eviscerating themselves. All supposedly in the name of love. As a mother, this was extremely difficult to read, but I would like to think that I would not have behaved as Ann does; and that my daughter doesn't react as Sarah does. Because in my mind, Ann didn't so much as sacrifice something, she turned to something much much darker and poisonous. This is a good story, just not one of my liking.
But suddenly, Ann Prentice finds herself struggling between the needs and wishes of her daughter, Sarah, and her intended, Richard. No matter what she does, Sarah and Richard seem to be focused on one thing: proving that they mean more to Ann than the other. Both are immature but Ann, rather than telling them what they should do for her sake and peace in their little threesome, makes a decision, a sacrifice she calls it, that triggers massive changes for all of them.
One of the amazing things I've always enjoyed about Agatha Christie, AKA Mary Westmacott, is the fine way that she has drawn characters. Realistic, sad and admirable, but first and foremost, memorable. The characters in this story are indeed memorable, but in this case, the overwhelming emotion is dislike. These are not admirable people, they don't know themselves and they make very bad mistakes � they hurt each other and hide behind their own pain.
And yes, I'm sure that these characters are very realistic. I just dislike them and their actions. And I find it very difficult to believe that they would go to the extremes that they did. Because these people came very, very close to destroying themselves � and for what?
Perhaps it's because Christie wrote these stories as psychological thrillers. This is a story of people psychologically eviscerating themselves. All supposedly in the name of love. As a mother, this was extremely difficult to read, but I would like to think that I would not have behaved as Ann does; and that my daughter doesn't react as Sarah does. Because in my mind, Ann didn't so much as sacrifice something, she turned to something much much darker and poisonous. This is a good story, just not one of my liking.
October 23, 2024
جعلني اطلاعي على نظام تصنيف الشخصيات disc أنظر للرواية بعين مختلفة تماما عمّا لو كنت أجهلها، ولاحظت عموما اعتناء هذا النوع من الروايات بنفسية الشخصيات والتحول اللاواعي في سلوكياتها والذي يحكم عليه نمط شخصيتها أو طبعها بلفظ آخر ، وكون طبعي فيه نسبة كبيرة من الأخضر (إطلع على الأنماط في كتاب محاط بالحمقى)مثل شخصية آن، جعلني ذلك ألاحظ شيئا من تصرفاتي التي أعيها عموما لكن لا آخذ أي تصرف حيال إصلاحها أو تعديلها، لكن النظر إلى النتيجة البعيدة لهذه التصرفات (الكبت الطويل مثلا كما في حال آن والمعاقبة بالإهمال والبرود دون مواجهة خوفا من تغير الوضع إلى حال نجهله) جعل بدني يقشعرّ!
مهمّ جدا أن يعرف المرؤ نفسه ولماذا يتصرف بالشكل كذا حيال كذا، فالأمر ليس عشوائيا، هو طبع خلقت به له مجموعة من المزايا والعيوب تشحذ أو تفسد حسب التربية والمدخلات من الوسط وما يتعلمه المرأ بنفسه، لكنه لا يختفي ويظل ظاهرا على صاحبه، إما بكونه مزكى أو خام مليئا بالعيوب!
اللهم علّمنا.
المراجعة بعيدة نوعا ما عن محتوى الرواية لكن هذا ما خطر ببالي.
الرواية عمل رائع، وقد جلعت بدني يقشعر.
مهمّ جدا أن يعرف المرؤ نفسه ولماذا يتصرف بالشكل كذا حيال كذا، فالأمر ليس عشوائيا، هو طبع خلقت به له مجموعة من المزايا والعيوب تشحذ أو تفسد حسب التربية والمدخلات من الوسط وما يتعلمه المرأ بنفسه، لكنه لا يختفي ويظل ظاهرا على صاحبه، إما بكونه مزكى أو خام مليئا بالعيوب!
اللهم علّمنا.
المراجعة بعيدة نوعا ما عن محتوى الرواية لكن هذا ما خطر ببالي.
الرواية عمل رائع، وقد جلعت بدني يقشعر.
December 24, 2020
This 1952 novel is an overwhelmingly sad, bitter, discouraging and mournful tale of two lives which, through almost mindless wilfulness and personal spite, end up incredibly disappointed and frustrated. I’m not sure if this is what Christie was trying to get at, but she certainly made the point that mother-daughter relations can devolve into a seemingly endless spiral of spiteful recrimination and vitriolic resentment resulting in egotistical, hedonistic emptiness for both. It is a very well written expose of the inner workings of two psyches driven on the one hand by wilful possessiveness and on the other by a fundamental weakness of will. The reconciliation in the denouement is too brief, too tentative and generally unbelievable in order to relieve the overall impression of an unbridgeable emotional chasm.
The symmetry of the two planned marriages is almost perfect: one is spurned, the other almost grudgingly accepted. The opposition to one is vicious, the tepidness of the acceptance is the other foretells its inevitable disaster. The result for both thus turns out much the same: two souls almost totally divorced from any real feeling and obsessed with a social and materialistic whirl of self abnegation and a hedonistic pursuit of artificial sensual fulfillment. How easy it is to become a vacuous being divorced from any real contact with one’s own inner feelings.
The minor characters of Dame Laura and the maid Edith are very well drawn, with an abundance of pithy observations which quite often cut through the artifice with which the mother and daughter are often hiding behind. A version of this work which Christie adapted for the stage was not all that successful, and then after the author’s death, her daughter resisted a revival since it was felt that one of the main characters had been based on her.
Some memorable observations:
A son’s a son till he takes him a wife, a daughter’s a daughter for all of your life.
There is no greater waste of time than saying the right thing to the wrong person.
The fewer people who love you the less you will have to suffer.
Language is given you to conceal your thoughts as much as to express them.
Better to say them to think them. It’s the things that you think and don’t say that turn bitter as bile in you.
How unfair it is that women in love look their best and men in love look like depressed sheep.
An intensely uncomfortable foray into a spiteful and intensely antagonistic relationship, but well worth reading. Highly recommended.
The symmetry of the two planned marriages is almost perfect: one is spurned, the other almost grudgingly accepted. The opposition to one is vicious, the tepidness of the acceptance is the other foretells its inevitable disaster. The result for both thus turns out much the same: two souls almost totally divorced from any real feeling and obsessed with a social and materialistic whirl of self abnegation and a hedonistic pursuit of artificial sensual fulfillment. How easy it is to become a vacuous being divorced from any real contact with one’s own inner feelings.
The minor characters of Dame Laura and the maid Edith are very well drawn, with an abundance of pithy observations which quite often cut through the artifice with which the mother and daughter are often hiding behind. A version of this work which Christie adapted for the stage was not all that successful, and then after the author’s death, her daughter resisted a revival since it was felt that one of the main characters had been based on her.
Some memorable observations:
A son’s a son till he takes him a wife, a daughter’s a daughter for all of your life.
There is no greater waste of time than saying the right thing to the wrong person.
The fewer people who love you the less you will have to suffer.
Language is given you to conceal your thoughts as much as to express them.
Better to say them to think them. It’s the things that you think and don’t say that turn bitter as bile in you.
How unfair it is that women in love look their best and men in love look like depressed sheep.
An intensely uncomfortable foray into a spiteful and intensely antagonistic relationship, but well worth reading. Highly recommended.
October 5, 2016
This is the first book by Mary Westmacott I have read, so far.
I was almost abandoning it but I was curious with the enrollment of the main characters.
.
2* A Daughter's a Daughter
TR Absent In The Spring
TR The Burden
I was almost abandoning it but I was curious with the enrollment of the main characters.
.
2* A Daughter's a Daughter
TR Absent In The Spring
TR The Burden
October 28, 2020
For people who think Christie can't do characters, you gotta read her Westmacott books. They have such a strong ability to pull you in - I literally could not put this down to the point where I was picking up my book during breaks in Court!!!
Agatha Christie really understands people and relationships, any kind of relationship. This is a great psychological novel about a mother and daughter and how families can hurt each other but then also how to move on from it. You understood each character very well. At times I was rooting for Sarah and hating Ann and then the next page I was rooting for Ann and hating Sarah. That's how good of a writer Christie is!!!
Also - I saw some other people commenting that this really reads like a stage play and I agree. Someone needs to put this on stage!!!! It has a Tennessee Williams feel to it!
Agatha Christie really understands people and relationships, any kind of relationship. This is a great psychological novel about a mother and daughter and how families can hurt each other but then also how to move on from it. You understood each character very well. At times I was rooting for Sarah and hating Ann and then the next page I was rooting for Ann and hating Sarah. That's how good of a writer Christie is!!!
Also - I saw some other people commenting that this really reads like a stage play and I agree. Someone needs to put this on stage!!!! It has a Tennessee Williams feel to it!
December 31, 2019
Wow. I can't believe how relevant Agatha Christie's novels are, and probably will be for decades to come.
Ann and Sarah were both so different, yet so similar. Without actually voicing out their issues, they expected their love to help resolve their issues - until it doesn't.
It reminded me a bit of the premise of an old Tamil film, Keladi Kanmani, that I'd watched. But obviously, this is no movie which gives the viewers exactly what they want.
But then, that's life, isn't it?
Ann and Sarah were both so different, yet so similar. Without actually voicing out their issues, they expected their love to help resolve their issues - until it doesn't.
It reminded me a bit of the premise of an old Tamil film, Keladi Kanmani, that I'd watched. But obviously, this is no movie which gives the viewers exactly what they want.
But then, that's life, isn't it?
November 17, 2021
Я почала читати цю книжку два місяці тому і закинула. Вона здалась мені примітивною, і почуття були примітивні в ній, і герої. Але зараз взяла і не просто заглибилась, а втопилась. Бо вона про найважливіші стосунки довжиною в ціле життя. В ціле життя мами точно. Та і дитини також.
як вчасно я дочитала її.
«Завжди простіше розповідати комусь, як пекти пиріг, ніж зробити це самій. А також повчати значно приємніше. Але від цього псується характер.»
як вчасно я дочитала її.
«Завжди простіше розповідати комусь, як пекти пиріг, ніж зробити це самій. А також повчати значно приємніше. Але від цього псується характер.»
May 30, 2020
Ms Christie could be writing for daytime dramas with this one! The heroines dilemma, for love or money - same theme as Giant’s Bread, but this one I liked!
Such a pathetic mother/daughter relationship. As I read, the dialogue sounded as if it was being performed on the stage - was that her intention? How did she relate to her own daughter? Oh how we try to analyze Ms Christie’s motives!
Such a pathetic mother/daughter relationship. As I read, the dialogue sounded as if it was being performed on the stage - was that her intention? How did she relate to her own daughter? Oh how we try to analyze Ms Christie’s motives!
June 13, 2023
Really goes into the detail of the relationship between mother and daughter which was both painful and beautiful through their separate aspects of life and how they wish to lead it.
There were several times where I felt they were a bit overly involved in each others personal life's which probably lead to the disputes. I understand the fact they are mother and daughter and want to be there to support one another but I believe they should respect each others choices even if they don't like it themself and should be happy for their happiness.
Overall I did like the book, it is the first Westmacott I've read, and I have previously read some of her crime books so it was nice to see a different side of Christie. Will definitely read another one 👍
There were several times where I felt they were a bit overly involved in each others personal life's which probably lead to the disputes. I understand the fact they are mother and daughter and want to be there to support one another but I believe they should respect each others choices even if they don't like it themself and should be happy for their happiness.
Overall I did like the book, it is the first Westmacott I've read, and I have previously read some of her crime books so it was nice to see a different side of Christie. Will definitely read another one 👍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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January 22, 2025Whew. A brutal little trip.
I have now finished reading all of Agatha Christie’s Mary Westmacott books, and I find them very challenging to sum up. Do they make me uncomfortable psychologically? Yes. Are they so readable that I can finish one in a day? Also Yes.
I think the reason they’re so effective is that Agatha doesn’t abandon her mystery-writing skills even in a book that centers on relationships. It’s almost like she’s creating a murder mystery where the victim is� The Human Psyche.
It’s a concept that makes me shudder, but these are every bit as gripping to read as her detective novels (or even more so?). I don’t enjoy what’s happening on the page but I am mesmerized by the craft of it.
I have now finished reading all of Agatha Christie’s Mary Westmacott books, and I find them very challenging to sum up. Do they make me uncomfortable psychologically? Yes. Are they so readable that I can finish one in a day? Also Yes.
I think the reason they’re so effective is that Agatha doesn’t abandon her mystery-writing skills even in a book that centers on relationships. It’s almost like she’s creating a murder mystery where the victim is� The Human Psyche.
It’s a concept that makes me shudder, but these are every bit as gripping to read as her detective novels (or even more so?). I don’t enjoy what’s happening on the page but I am mesmerized by the craft of it.
January 20, 2025
Such a clever story, once again! The mother-daughter relationship reminded me of the Gilmore Girls TV series, but things got a lot darker here.
I also loved the godmother Laura’s presence, as she was the one who forced Ann and Sarah to realize the traumas they caused to each other. There were some truly heartbreaking scenes.
I also loved the godmother Laura’s presence, as she was the one who forced Ann and Sarah to realize the traumas they caused to each other. There were some truly heartbreaking scenes.
July 15, 2020
A very interesting exploration of the relationship between a mother and daughter. It was a simple straightforward story and the plot and characters made it super easy to read. Really liked the ending and the excitement of the last scene!
May 4, 2020
Very interesting theme and it does make one think on what it means to live with hard feelings, disappointment and passive-aggressive tactics of entitlement...
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February 24, 2025Podobała mi się sama książka, ale czuję się niepocieszona zakończeniem. Ale ogólnie bardzo fajna.
July 7, 2016
Ainsi vont les filles est un roman psychologique très différent de ceux auxquels la «reine du crime» nous a habitués. Mary Westmacott y brosse un tableau acide des relations mère-filles. Jalousie, vengeance, manipulation, ce roman à l'humour pince sans rire et au cynisme féroce sonne si juste qu'on pourrait presque s'y reconnaître !
Ann est une jeune veuve séduisante et Sarah, sa fille, sort à peine de l'adolescence. Une solide et profonde affection semble les unir mais lorsque la mère, qui n'est pas sans charme, décide de refaire sa vie, leur relation tourne rapidement à l'aigre... La jeune fille serait-elle égoïste et la mère trop faible? N'aurait-elle pu être heureuse si sa fille n'était pas intervenue? La mère à son tour, n'a-t-elle pas sciemment gâché la vie de sa fille ? L'amour peut-il vraiment prendre si aisément le visage de la haine? Avec l'extrême habilité d'Agatha Christie, Mary Westmacott apporte à autant de questions une réponse surprenante et juste !
Vif, piquant, à la fois léger mais aussi très cynique, Ainsi vont les filles est un petit bijou de sarcasme et d'humour noir à lire absolument !
Ann est une jeune veuve séduisante et Sarah, sa fille, sort à peine de l'adolescence. Une solide et profonde affection semble les unir mais lorsque la mère, qui n'est pas sans charme, décide de refaire sa vie, leur relation tourne rapidement à l'aigre... La jeune fille serait-elle égoïste et la mère trop faible? N'aurait-elle pu être heureuse si sa fille n'était pas intervenue? La mère à son tour, n'a-t-elle pas sciemment gâché la vie de sa fille ? L'amour peut-il vraiment prendre si aisément le visage de la haine? Avec l'extrême habilité d'Agatha Christie, Mary Westmacott apporte à autant de questions une réponse surprenante et juste !
Vif, piquant, à la fois léger mais aussi très cynique, Ainsi vont les filles est un petit bijou de sarcasme et d'humour noir à lire absolument !
January 23, 2020
Such a bittersweet story I did not expect. You can't help but love the mother and the daughter. The cold perceptive comments of Dame Laura, the grumpy Christian Edith with her pessimistic remarks, such a lovely set of memorable characters! Easy flowing writing of Agatha makes it a fun read. An excellent bittersweet short novel that makes you want to root for everyone's happiness. Excellent portrayal of dark emotions of good people in good relationships.
October 15, 2019
An excellent character driven novel
We follow Ann Prentice and her daughter Sarah and their relationship as events take over their lives
A wonderful well written cast of characters with believable motives and consequences
A delightful insight into how a relationship can turn sour and how it affects all parties concerned
5 stars - loving these Mary Westmacott novels
We follow Ann Prentice and her daughter Sarah and their relationship as events take over their lives
A wonderful well written cast of characters with believable motives and consequences
A delightful insight into how a relationship can turn sour and how it affects all parties concerned
5 stars - loving these Mary Westmacott novels
August 10, 2020
A little-known gem written by Agatha Christie under the pen name Mary Westmacott. This is the story of a widow who gives up the man she loves in order to make her teenage daughter happy. The consequences are dire.
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