Bitter Orange

Do you know any such people? Or perhaps you’ve briefly encountered them? Those people whose appeal is so compelling that, even when their actions are dubious or dishonest, the desire to be in their circle overcomes common sense and sometimes even your scruples? And, if you’re lonely, the allure is even more powerful.Claire Fuller’s dark and dramatic novel, Bitter Orange tells the story of a friendless 39-year-old woman whose longing to belong and be loved leads to the entanglement in the lives of a gorgeous, hedonistic couple – and evolves into a tale of lust, envy and greed.Old and ill, Frances Jellico is languishing in an ‘end-life-bed’ in an unnamed institution where she’s visited by a mysterious vicar who is determined to extract a confession from her. Bitter Orange is the revelation he’s after, but Frances’s story is murkier, more tortuous and less conclusive than he probably expected.Twenty years earlier, Frances was commissioned by the absent American owner of a dilapidated English country house to write a report on the follies (that is, the decorative structures) of its garden. After nursing her bedridden (recently-deceased) mother for ten years, socially awkward Frances was grateful to escape London and to have a place to stay. To her surprise though, a couple – young and beautiful, Cara, and Peter, a little older, but “an Apollo” nonetheless – occupied the rooms below hers. Peter, it emerged, had been employed by the American to report on the inside of the house. To save money, he’d decided they’d live in the house.The dashing couple befriended Frances, who was delighted to finally experience friendship. As they grew closer, she discovered Peter and Cara were not husband and wife, but were united by an undisclosed trauma. Tension mounted as Frances (the narrator for most of the novel) was drawn into Peter and Cara’s lives, and fell in love with Peter. Such was her obsession with the couple, that even when her conscience warned her otherwise, Frances went along with their depraved decisions.Cleverly eking out clues on the way to an unexpected finale with numerous twists, the author moves easily between the time of the story and to Frances’s deathbed. She also creates a vivid and detailed setting, and fascinating characters with equally interesting back-stories.Bitter Orange is a dramatic and engaging psychological thriller that kept me on my toes until the very end. Fuller is an accomplished writer and I’ve made a note to look out for her other two novels, Our Endless Numbered Days and Swimming Lessons.

I can’t write a synopsis of this book. No plot description could do it justice. Claire Fuller has written a transcendent work of fiction. I have just finished the book, and when I finished all I could say was, “My God!”.Fuller has a gift for describing a place and time so completely that the reader can SEE every detail so clearly that one feels that she is actually there, part of the scene, the fly on the wall, as it were. Self deception and lies are a major theme, as is fantasy and loss.Three-quarters into the book, the reader is given a shock so great that the spell is broken and one can now glimpse reality interwoven with the dreams and memories . The new reality is stark, devoid of the vivid description that permeates the dream segments; both the colorful and black and white are interwoven through the denouement. The contrast is welcomed because the reader is loathe to fully let go of the vivid experiences of the three main characters, yet yearns to know the final consequences of the choices made.The actual truth behind the web of delusion is never fully given; it is left to the reader to ponder what is truth and what is a lie. The ending is bittersweet. Unforgettable.This a book for anyone who has questioned the truths behind the memories that we hold. And don’t we all? I am not sure if this work has been recognized as the jewel that it is. I would recommend it to teachers of fiction writing, or writing seminars. Of course, anyone who enjoys a book that envelops her in great writing without the slog through the “Great Books” will treasure this book. The works of Carlos Luis Zafon and Louis De Bernieres come to mind as possible comparisons. There is much to chew on hereI will not forget this book. It is one of those books that will stay with me. One worthy of rereading. A beautiful work. Unforgettable.

I did enjoy this book, it has all the ingredients of a popular formula - a woman looks back at the one golden summer of her life, the only time she was loved and had friends. Ingredients include a romantic sinister setting, food, alcohol, a few cryptic notes, some secret spying, an unreliable narrator and some star-crossed lovers. However the formula is not well-executed, because I didn't get much of an image of the house compared to Manderley (Rebecca), for example, which I could navigate tomorrow if I found myself there. Also for people who sat around talking so much about their past (or imaginary past) they didn't put much thought into their actions on the day.There are a few missing links in the story. Frances, the narrator, had presumably gone her whole life without making a friend and there's no real reason for this apart from an unpleasant mother. For someone so isolated without much education, she somehow is offered a job that requires some specialist expertise, demonstrating that she must have had some level of confidence and drive... but nothing of that is shown. There's no logic to why she is suddenly so comfortable with these strange neighbours, when she must have had neighbours and schoolmates in the past. Also why was she so passive about what was clearly going on with all those beautiful objects? As it's a familiar formula, just a few extra sentences here or there might have smoothed out the logic.The other thing that bothered me was the timeline. Frances was 39 in the story's opening, yet 20 years later, it sounds like she's on her deathbed as an elderly woman. It's a long way to the end of the story to figure out that detail. I think the story would have been more logical if she had been reminiscing on her sickbed from 40 years later.SPOILER ALERT:I don't know how she got permission to be buried where she was, after all those years and in those circumstances!!

In Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller, the main character, Frances, is asked to survey the garden architecture of a decaying, overgrown, large country house (Lyntons),Frances’ mother has recently died and at 39, a repressed Frances finally feels free to live her own life.Frances arrives at Lyntons and finds Peter and his younger mercurial partner Cara have also recently arrived to survey the house.Frances finds Peter charming and very handsome and his partner Cara exotic and beautiful. The glamorous and sensual couple befriend her and give her exotic food, expensive wine, and cigarettes.The story is told in flashbacks by Frances who is dying and recalling the events of the summer she spent with Peter and Cara at Lyntons in 1969.As Frances goes in and out of consciousness and the events of the summer are revealed, secrets and conflicting stories about the couple’s past are disclosed.Frances also reveals that she spied on the couple through a ‘Judas hole’; from her bathroom which is above their bathroom.She tells of how she got caught up in Peter and Cara’s volatile relationship and was their confident in some disturbing past events. There are also tales of strange smells, and hints of ghosts ….The sense of place and the stifling, brooding atmosphere is beautifully written and the characters and the setting are wonderfully evocative of the hot summer and many of the thoughts and details are fascinating..I first read this book a year or so ago and I enjoyed it but I much preferred re- reading it a second and in parts a third time.I absolutely loved the growing sense of unease and tension and descriptions of the dilapidated old house and grounds are so claustrophobic and sad.It’s a book with many twists and turns and many complicated rich and vivid storylines.My main criticism is that there is too much detail for one book as I missed many intriguing ideas and observations when I read it the first time.I also found the hints of vaguely supernatural things were at times unnecessary and at other times confusing and adding little to the storyIn conclusion this is a perceptive, complex novel with rich and evocative details of a very memorable summer.

Claire Fuller is my new favourite. This one has cemented that decision. She has managed to create a completely dreamy and ethereal atmosphere that also surprised me with it’s minute details.

An unpleasant story about unpleasant people

"Payment will always be due for any wrongdoing, don’t lie or steal, don’t talk to strange men, don’t speak unless spoken to, don’t look your mother in the eye, don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t expect anything from life." Claire Fuller, Bitter Orange📖Title- Bitter Orange📖Author- Claire Fuller📖Publisher- Penguin India📖Format - Kindle Edition📖Total number of pages - 281📖 Genre - Psychological Fiction📖 About the book- The novel is narrated by the female protagonist Frances, who is on her death bed. She is diagnosed with a wasting disease & in periods of lucidity is reminiscent of 'The Summer of 1969' when her 39 year old self, a single woman from London & a self-acclaimed expert in historic architecture is hired by one Mr.Liebermann, to report about one 'Lyntons estate'. There she meets a mysterious couple Cara and Peter, the handyman & strikes a friendship with them. The trio start eating & drinking together at all times & spend time exploring the ruins. Frances discovers a 'Judas hole' to the couple's bathroom & secretly spies on them. As she gets close to the couple, she doubts Cara's stories & finds herself falling for Peter. A conflict stirs up when antiques & collectibles are unearthed at the museum of the estate. Victor, a local priest dissatisfied with his job finds a confidant in Frances & repeatedly warns her to leave the estate. But, Frances persists.. The trio's friendship turns into a dark, twisted tale of lies & mistrust leading to devastating consequences.. Read up to know more about this beautifully crafted psychological thriller of a novel..📚❤ 📖My Rating- 4.2🌟/5.The novel has a protagonist of a single, lonely woman who is socially awkward, almost on the verge of autism. She has a difficult relationship with her parents & experiences friendship for the first time at the age of 39. The novel is almost written in a lyrical prose style involving a gothic mansion, a mysterious couple & a voyeur of a woman with absolutely no loose ends to the storyline. The only drawback for me in the novel were the elaborate explanations of the architecture, bridges & gardens of the Lyntons estate which I found difficult to imagine. Overall, a good read.

I read all the fantastic reviews of this novel . That it's like Daphne du Maurier's work ? I don't think so . Du Maurier builds tension fast and creates thrilling characters, and even , as in "Rebecca" , when we never even meet them ! The protagonist and "narrator" of "Bitter Orange" is exceedingly dull throughout, and the so-called "bohemian" couple are essentially irritating , particularly the unhinged Irish woman who constantly breaks down, and incomprehensibly raves in Italian. . Nothing much happens for a very long time . There's lots of back story on the three characters though , which does not serve to make them more compelling . I was about to give up , when suddenly there's a supernatural incident at the ruined stately home ... Ah ! At last ! But this ghostly addition is not developed or resolved . The two "twists" at the end were predictable . I shall be careful in future not to believe the blurb written on the back cover of a book.