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There are currently 34 member reviews
for The Typewriter's Tale
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Lucy B. (Urbana, OH)
The Typewriter's Tale
I liked the book until I got to the part about telepathic contact of minds and then I lost interest. I thought Frieda was persuaded by her fondness for Mr. Fullerton to not be true to herself. I didn't think she would ever get to Paris.
There were a lot of words in the book that I did not know the meaning of. I spent about as much time with my dictionary as I did reading the book.
This was not one of my favorite books.
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Judy W. (Tucker, GA)
The Typewriter's Tale by Michiel Heyns
The Typewriter's Tale is a bit of a challenge to read. The author writes in very proper Jamesonian English--it can be a bit of a challenge for modern day readers. Yet, the story is interesting and quite provocative. The reader can once again see that famous people can be "bigger than life" and quite eccentric. Those who support such people are not usually recognized nor remembered. The author paints a vivid picture of the invisibility and struggles of women as the "typewriter" tells her story. This book could be recommended for students of English or Anglophiles--most book clubs would not enjoy the descriptive, tedious narrative.
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Audrey M. (Overland Park, KS)
Much Ado About Not Much
I had a hard time caring about the characters. I am not sure the author made me care much about whether Frieda found the letters or not. I was really ambivalent about the book.
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Maggie R. (Canoga Park, CA)
Just one reader's opinion
Frieda Wroth is the typewriter - forgive me, Michiel Heyns for having thought this might be an unusual POV of the machine.
I confess I am not a great fan of historical fiction involving a figure about whom a great deal is known. Nor do I buy that a young hope-to-be author would write in the very idiosyncratic style of James.
If these issues don't apply to you, you may find this book appealing.
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Ann B. (Kernville, CA)
Henry James fans just might
Frieda Wroth is a compelling character -- a typist, a recreational cyclist, a would-be author, and an independent young woman for the period (1907-08) and the setting (Rye, England). Yet this novel did not appeal to me, as I imagine it will to more avid Henry James-ophiles. I am a very, very casual James reader. His style, to which Michiel Heyns does justice, sets up too many hurdles for my reading enjoyment.
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Carol F. (Lake Linden, MI)
Need a dictionary to read
Although I understand that this book was written in the style of Henry James with as many lengthy, cumbersome, arcane words in every sentence as possible, it seriously hampered its readability. The story gets lost in the swirl of vocabulary, commas and mind numbing chapters about nothing. The chapter where the assembled diners are all Fletcherising was as hard to read as I imagine it was to be present at the dinner.
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Cindy B. (Houston, TX)
Loved Frieda more than the book
The Typewriter's Tale started strong but could not keep that momentum going for the entire tale. Frieda Wroth, Henry James' typist, has a wry sense of humor and plays entertaining games to keep herself occupied while waiting for James to utter his next words for her to transcribe. I liked her attempts at speculating what James might say next (she is never even close), and the fact that she wants to be viewed as more than a human typewriter. I think I might have enjoyed it more had it been shorter. Thanks to BookBrowse, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.
