The Pleasing Hour Audiobook

" The writing was beautiful, evocative, made me want to be in Paris. But the plot lines, bouncing back and forth from first person to third person, past time to the eventual resolution were at the least, confusing. Ended up in keeping the story from being really stunning. Too bad, really. "

" First BC selection in 2001 "

" I read this a long time ago and remember liking it. Wish I could remember more details... "

" Mysterious story of girl who has child for her sister and then escapes to Paris. "

" This novel has received rave reviews, but I found it rather uninteresting. A young woman becomes an au pair for a Parisian family to escape her past & ends up falling in love with the father (I guess; even that's not altogether clear). "

" Beautifully written, great insight into the characters. "

" Another "wonder how this ended up on my bookshelf" book. Can't say I disliked it but I can't (and didn't) say I liked it much. I know I glanced over the Book Club Discussion Points at the end and pretty much wasn't interested in discussing any of those points at all. "

" A storyline that is disjointed but prose that is surprisingly fluid, with unexpected lyrical and deeply authentic lines that catch you unawares. "

" A predictable plot about a nanny in France that falls for the father of the 3 children. Plot jumps around too much for my liking. "

" This was oddly inconsistent. The symbolism was incredibly "in your fce, beat you over the head" and the story line suffered from too-subtle details and odd time changes. I can clearly tell this was a first novel. Honestly, it seemed a bit amateurish for me. "

" Can't wait to read more books by Lily King! "

" A lovely, nuanced story about families, loss and common bonds that transcend culture and place. My only disappointment is that I don't think the French settings came through as vividly as Spain did. "

" It's about a young American woman who goes to paris to work as an au pair and escape a decision she made back home. I really enjoyed it, especially because of the language issues that came up. "

" Takes place predominately in France, story of an au-pair who is escaping her past and the family she ends up working for. Great story that moves back and forth beautifully from past to present, very touching. "

" There are dull parts, and I honestly wouldn't have lasted this book if not for the main character and her French host family's visit to Spain! "

" I enjoyed the author's relaxed writing style. Each part of the story unfolds in a natural way. "

" Oh what a wonderful book. I loved loved loved this story of an au pair in France who escaped a suspect past in America. It was a lovely 1st novel by King. "

" After reading several rave reviews of this book, I expected more. It is a decent, quick read. The book is set in France, both Paris and Southern, so if you like France, you may enjoy the setting. "

" Don't waste your time...unless you have a 20 hour car ride and your brain needs a rest from weightier reading... "

" It was hard for me to rate this book. I liked the style of writing and the characters that were developed, but the ending didn't seem to bring things together and I closed the book wondering what the author had intended in writing this story. "

" I loved the beginning and could really relate to the protagonist. I thought the perspectives of the three children, though well written, was unnecessary & detracting. "

" Had a somewhat compelling plot but was maudlin and cliche. I kept wanting to go somewhere other than the predictable but it never did. The author kept bringing in random things that did not seem to fit in with the book. "

" I read this book a number of years ago, but loved it. We ended up doing it for my book club at the time, too. "

" Beautifully written novel from the perspectives of several characters. The story centers around an American girl working as an au pair in Paris. Lovely, and just my kind of book -- a perfect fit for me. I'd highly recommend it. "

" This was much better than I expected. Well-written and at least a little relatable for any reader who has lived in a foreign country. Made me want to go live abroad some more! "

" A year in France brings a young American new reserves of sympathy and maturity. This is a light easy read yet contains much more than meets the eye. Very enjoyable and well written. As another reviewer said, "it left us feeling as we've become fluent in a foreign language". "

" Don't waste your time...unless you have a 20 hour car ride and your brain needs a rest from weightier reading... "

" There are dull parts, and I honestly wouldn't have lasted this book if not for the main character and her French host family's visit to Spain! "

" The writing was beautiful, evocative, made me want to be in Paris. But the plot lines, bouncing back and forth from first person to third person, past time to the eventual resolution were at the least, confusing. Ended up in keeping the story from being really stunning. Too bad, really. "

" Lily King has gone to the top of my all-time-favorite authors. Beautiful! "

" It's about a young American woman who goes to paris to work as an au pair and escape a decision she made back home. I really enjoyed it, especially because of the language issues that came up. "

" Beautifully written, great insight into the characters. "

" A subtle, steady, satisfying read about a girl who has outgrown her home. Great, strong, clear characters. "

" This was much better than I expected. Well-written and at least a little relatable for any reader who has lived in a foreign country. Made me want to go live abroad some more! "

" This was oddly inconsistent. The symbolism was incredibly "in your fce, beat you over the head" and the story line suffered from too-subtle details and odd time changes. I can clearly tell this was a first novel. Honestly, it seemed a bit amateurish for me. "

" Beautifully written novel from the perspectives of several characters. The story centers around an American girl working as an au pair in Paris. Lovely, and just my kind of book -- a perfect fit for me. I'd highly recommend it. "