The Light Between Oceans is a 2012 Australian historical fiction novel by M. L. Stedman, her debut novel, published by Random House Australia on 20 March 2012. A film adaptation of the same name starring Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender was released on 2 September 2016.
Beautifully written. It takes you back to another place and time. You really feel the anguish and internal conflict they are feeling
My only critique is that some aspects seemed to have been drawn out longer than they needed to.
I've had this one on my list absolutely forever and finally got around to it. I did the audio and the narrator was decent, if a bit hard to understand in parts. I was hoping for so much more in this book.
I have to admit, I went in knowing nothing but it was a romance set in Australia and it was made into a movie. I didn't know the plot, and I think that actually helped. I loved the intrigue around Lucy, how the secrecy impacts everyone's lives, and the back and forth perspectives. And while it wasn't the best book I've ever read, I did enjoy the story. It drives home how secrets are damaging and sometimes no good comes from the truth, too. Be careful what you wish for.
I liked the ending but wanted to have more the blanks filled in for the missing years. 3 …
I've had this one on my list absolutely forever and finally got around to it. I did the audio and the narrator was decent, if a bit hard to understand in parts. I was hoping for so much more in this book.
I have to admit, I went in knowing nothing but it was a romance set in Australia and it was made into a movie. I didn't know the plot, and I think that actually helped. I loved the intrigue around Lucy, how the secrecy impacts everyone's lives, and the back and forth perspectives. And while it wasn't the best book I've ever read, I did enjoy the story. It drives home how secrets are damaging and sometimes no good comes from the truth, too. Be careful what you wish for.
I liked the ending but wanted to have more the blanks filled in for the missing years. 3 solid stars.
3 1/2 stars
This was a pretty good book that was somewhat weakened by, what I shall call, plot implausibilities. There were a few times the characters acted in ways that were unbelievable but the action was needed to drive the plot forward. So, I guess I understood why the characters acted in certain ways, only I didn't believe they really would have acted in those ways based upon their personality traits and as I had come to understand them. So yeah.
Interesting idea, living in a lighthouse. I would have been happy with a straightforward story about that, never mind all the melodrama.
Incredible prose, beautiful story. The premise can be a bit haunting at times, but the writing more than makes up for it.
I found this book to be very disappointing. I just didn't care about any of the characters, and there are significant chunks that are simply descriptions of a toddler's "cute" behavior, and should have been cut out by a good editor. The characters' motivations didn't make much sense -- everyone makes poor decisions, and it's never really clear why. I found myself skimming the last 30 or so pages because I just wanted it to be over.
Stories about lighthouses always appeal to me. There's something so romantic about being all alone with a view of the ocean and a duty to those you cannot see.
My favorite part of the book was Tom Sherbourne. He's a great character, one who has sustained some emotional damage both from his family and his time in WWI, but he is so very thankful to be alive. He's a stable rock, and that is why I had a very hard time believing that he would do anything so immoral and hurtful as what his wife urged him to do. It was hard to accept, but I tried to get over that and keep reading. It became an urgent read near the end, as I hoped Isabel would come around and be Tom's ally again. There was a tense moment there, when I thought Isabel might do everything she could to …
Stories about lighthouses always appeal to me. There's something so romantic about being all alone with a view of the ocean and a duty to those you cannot see.
My favorite part of the book was Tom Sherbourne. He's a great character, one who has sustained some emotional damage both from his family and his time in WWI, but he is so very thankful to be alive. He's a stable rock, and that is why I had a very hard time believing that he would do anything so immoral and hurtful as what his wife urged him to do. It was hard to accept, but I tried to get over that and keep reading. It became an urgent read near the end, as I hoped Isabel would come around and be Tom's ally again. There was a tense moment there, when I thought Isabel might do everything she could to do him harm, out of revenge. I can't say that I understand Isabel. In the beginning, she's such a lighthearted, fun-loving person, but quite the opposite in the end. Exactly how did this happen? There didn't seem to be any foreshadowing about high expectations or pressure to produce children, or any signs of depression. And being so secluded on Janus Rock would seem to lighten any perceived feelings of inferiority.
I did like the way the author occasionally left the story line to tell other people's stories. During this time period, most people, most families, had been touched by the war in different ways, and these details added some rich perspective.
This is a sad story, and it is thought-provoking. I did enjoy it, though with some mixed feelings.
I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either. I actually expected a lot more.
4 stars because it broke my heart over and over. Epitome of "good read," but left a crack in my heart.
