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Title: Sleeping Beauty
ISBN: 0380786451
Author:
Judith Ivory
Publicate Date: 1998-06-01
Publish: 1998-06-01
List Price: $6.99
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Mass Market Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $8.77
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.75
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1: Just wasn't interested!
Normally, I really enjoy Judith Ivory's books. I even thought the twist that the heroine was older would make the book more interesting-- have more depth etc. However, it was just plain boring. The hero was not the typical romantic "hero" and I guess that is what I really didn't care for. I like being caught up in the whole story, the whirlwind romance etc and this was just not that story. I've read some of the other reviews and agreed that if you need the torrid romance, the suspense, the damsel in distress etc then this is not the story for you. Obviously it wasn't for me but that doesn't mean it won't be for someone else-- well then fair reader.. fore warned is forearmed.
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2: Any Ivory Is Golden.
While this isn't my favorite of Ivory's works, I have yet to find anything by her that isn't a 5 star book, if only for the delicious descriptives she uses. I suspect the few bad reviews here are by people who are, perhaps, not yet well seasoned by life. (Just as I've found that those who don't like Laura Kinsale often seem to be a bit narrow in the outlook. This may or may not change with age, depending on the person.)
There's a huge difference between flow and slow; unfortunately, we live in a society that is so anxious to get someplace (and usually not even sure what the actual destination is) that some not only don't know the difference, they might never learn it.
The person who wrote that she couldn't get the female protagonist's age out of her head for example, although, to give her credit, she did admit this was 'lame'. So, there's hope! *G*
Anyone who's read Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series knows that women with age on them are the best kind--like wine, they just get better. If you can't figure out a way to make yourself better as you age, more interesting than you were when you were 20, well, then you're average and will no doubt be quite satisfied with what passes for entertainment on t.v. these days, and an eventual barco in couch 'tater heaven.
But if your biggest challenge in life is you, and the exploration thereof, Ms. Ivory is your gal. And she explores male characters in a way that is unequaled, in my opinion, by any other writer around (although, I have to admit, L.K. Hamilton does some pretty nice exploring of male characters in a purely salacious way. Ah, Nathaniel. . . *G*).
The hero in this book is like a lot of us; wanting, God, wanting, but just so unfigured-out about it all. And that's always complicated, because WE don't understand ourselves--ourselves! This is the aspect of life that J.I. catches so well in all her books, the growth from emotion into the understanding of that emotion, and she takes such pure delight in doing so, and shows such wickedly loving humor in its expression, that the soul nearly breaks into a Mozartic paean of gratitude.
Read the book. If you don't like it--hard to imagine, really, but--set it aside for a few years. When you've gone through some serious merde, pick it up and read it again. (By then it'll probably be worth 100 bucks on the used book market.)
Which is basically the same advice I give to those who 'can't get into' Laura Kinsale. Growth is part of life, and not all of us are at the level where we can enjoy the truth of certain things.
But hopefully, we'll eventually get there. And, it's all good, really (especially after it's over in some cases), and nobody captures that better than Ivory. Ivory's a good moniker for her; like ivory, as she ages, she just gets more golden. Just preordered her newest book; fans take note, she's writing again!
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3: Couldn't keep my interest
Description from inside front:
Once, a long time ago, Coco Wild learned to never allow a man's kiss to move her, for that way led to downfall. A slender beauty with alluring eyes, she built impregnable defenses around her emotions. The men who came to adore her, fought to conquer her and learn her mysteries, made her the toast of London, but none were able to rouse her passions.
Beauty awakens...
But that hard-taught lession is about to unravel because of Sir James Stocker. Back in England with a treasure of gold from his adventures, newly knighted by Queen Victoria herself, and feted everywhere, the handsome explorer has the world at his feet. He's exactly the man Coco might have dreamed about when she was young: a tall, fair hero with a charming smile. Now he's turned his energy toward winning her, the most desireable and the least attainable woman he knows: and Coco's afraid James may just find his way past the thorns that have so long protected her from the world, and awaken her slumbering heart...with just one kiss.
And my review:
This was the first book I tried by Judith Ivory, and it will probably be my last. I think the words another reviewer used sums it up exactly: slow-paced and tedious. I like books with more dialogue and humor, instead of an overload on descriptions. Setting the stage for your scene is fine, but pumping it full of a million descriptions after every bit of dialogue is tedious. I felt like everything was being overthought, as if the author was trying to impress the readers with her huge vocabulary and complex sentences.
I tried to get past this and finish the book, but my eyes kept glazing over and my attention kept wandering. Also, the author kept throwing new characters at the reader every few moments in some scenes, leaving the reader feeling confused. I kept thinking, 'did I miss something? Am I supposed to know who this guy is?' Then I'd flip back and find out that, no, he's never been properly introduced to the reader, yet I'm supposed to magically know him. Maybe this book is part of a series and can't work as a stand-alone? I don't know.
I liked the idea of a younger man falling in love with an older woman, as that rarely happens in romance these days. That being said, the hero has to be mature enough for the heroine for this to work, and he came across as too boyish for me. This concept wasn't enough to save this book for me. Reading a romance novel should be fun, not feel like work. I was constantly left feeling like I was slogging through this story. I gave this book two stars, as I usually only give one star for books that are offensive, and this one wasn't. Still, I don't recommend it.
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4: an awesome hero + an awesome heroine = an awesome romance novel
Coco and James are an intimidating pair. Really. James is the quintessential golden boy: charismatic, bold, sensitive, intelligent, good. And Ivory writes a halo around his head without ever having to put it so bluntly; he shimmers and shines through the book, and as a reader it was very easy to share Coco's awe of him.
And Coco? Oh, this woman is more than a romantic heroine. She is mature, elegant, fun, sexy, loving...actually, Coco Wild is gracious, which is something that is bizarrely rare in historicals. And Ivory does a really good job of crafting her as a sexual creature; she isn't vulgar at all; she uses her skills and experience without ever becoming dominant or manipulative...and that's one great example of exactly how skilled she is.
I thought that the book itself was excellent. The story is developed very naturally; the plot doesn't hinge on stupid misunderstandings or miscommunication & Ivory avoids most of the old standbys: one of the cleverest parts of the book is the way that Ivory adapts and then subverts one of the commonest romance cliches when Coco and James have to take shelter from a storm.
And one last thing about Judith Ivory: she doesn't write the same book twice. This is the fourth book of hers that I've read and each one is totally its own creation; the characters are unique, their relationships and the trajectory of their romance totally distinct. I can't think of any other romance author I can say this about - so bravo! to Ms. Ivory.
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5: Couldn't get over the heroines age...
I know, I know. Pretty lame. As soon as I read she was almost 40, the visage of a wrinkled elegant lady appeared in my head and I couldn't shake it. I could NOT get my mind to grasp that she should be a woman in her prime and very desirable. Because of this, I just couldn't get into the story. If the hero was older, it would not have been a problem.
However, because I couldn't finish the book (despite the story being interesting) I don't feel I can justify giving a one or two star rating simply because I couldn't get over the heroines age. So, I'm rating SLEEPING BEAUTY as a three. Judith Ivory has the ability to write an engaging story and she came highly recommended by a couple friends. I liked the plot line, I thought the way James and Coco met brilliant and the story was interesting enough but the age thing didn't work.
I'm planning to giving the author another chance and reading a different story.
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