Customer Reviews: Read 28 more reviews...
 Highly disappointing September 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
More than two thirds into the story,Rosamond the woman who tells the story in the book begins a chapter with the following words:
"Thank goodness! I am growing tired of this story, and you must be exhausted,listening to me chatter on for hours on end. (....) It will be over now,all over , very soon.A relief all round ,I am sure."
There is not much to add really , this is exactly how I felt after 200 pages - rarely have I witnesed a more contrived story and as little character development as in this book .
As a great admirer of Coe's previous work I can only advise readers to stay away from this one and read any other of his books which are all great (especially House of sleep,The rotter's club and What a carve up).
 A little contrived for my taste September 18, 2008
The story told here is moderately interesting, rather than page-turningly exciting, and I found the device of the old lady telling it, prompted by a series of photos, somewhat contrived and unconvincing. Perhaps it is because the point of view is limited - it's effectively told in the first person - and because it 'tells rather than shows'. The story is topped and tailed by a description of Gill, the recipient of the tapes, listening to them with her own daughters, and there is a brief interval featuring them, too. To start with I had hopes of interesting links being made between the tale told and the current day, but this was not to be; all there is at the end is Gill having a rather feeble glimpse of a pattern in things... I got to the end and felt it was all a bit 'so what?'.
A photographic story September 11, 2008
The best thing about this novel is its layout: we start with a chapter or so of background, narrated in the third person, and then move onto a series of tapes left by a childless aunt by way of explaining the family background to a younger relative who cannot to be traced. Each section of the tale is hung off a photograph, described in detail by the late aunt (as her intended listener is blind). We, of course, can't see these photos, but neither can the family members who are listening in (they haven't unearthed them yet). Midway through, we come up for air with a bit more third-person narration, and we get a little more of this at the end too, to sew things up.
So much for the device by which the tale was told. Was the tale any good? Not bad, but not brilliant. Some of the characters were intriguing and quite compelling, and some of the writing should carry you effortlessly along, but I felt that the ending was a bit too tidy to be convincing.
By the way, can anyone explain why disabled people in literature are mostly either horrendous monsters (Clifford Chatterley, Blind Pew) or saints/sacrificial victims (Tiny Tim, for example, and that chap in `The Time Traveller's Wife' who loses his legs and promptly snuffs it)? Suffice it to say that Mr. Coe falls bang into this particular trap, and I'm not impressed.
 Evocative and well crafted... August 26, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Having previously read "What A Carve Up!" and "The House Of Sleep", I expected Jonathan Coe's latest to be more quality fiction laced with his slightly mischievous, surreal edge.
So, that "Before The Rain Falls" is a more traditional, straightforward (although no less memorable) book came initially as a bit of a shock. Still, I found it a moving and enjoyable novel. The switch from first to third person narratively is handled deftly throughout and, without wishing to give anything away, using a series of old photographs to unfold the narrative was a slightly teasing, but very clever, plot device. For anyone who has looked through an old photograph album that has laid dormant for several years, you know how the feeling of nostalgia and memory over takes you - and he replicates that feeling well here.
I've always found Coe an unusual, but always interesting and entertaining writer and "Before The Rain Falls" is well worth a read.
Disappointing male stereo types were not up to the job August 5, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
J Coe is male but he is hard on his own sex - the men in this book are not the best. Perhaps one or two are ok types but they lie low. The big secret of Rosamund is not so very shocking and the only thing slightly iffy is whether she did did do what Beatrix thought she saw her do.. Ungrateful, damaged, hard and frightening women abound, luckily slightly to the left of the Executrice herself. A multi layered story that was worth the telling with plenty of delightful period detail to set the scenes. Satisfying and enjoyable, the dissection of various mother / daughter relationships was worth the trouble. The setting out of their feelings was accepting and understanding. I went on thinking about it all afterwards (read it overnight) and will read it again less hurriedly to enjoy the writing.
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