Briefly, A Delicious Life
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- Create Date：2022-08-18 09:53:17
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Nell Stevens
- ISBN：1529083427
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Summary
An unforgettable debut novel from an award-winning writer: a lively， daring ghost story about a dead teen girl who falls in love with a female writer who has no idea she exists。
In 1473， fourteen-year-old Blanca dies in childbirth in a hilltop monastery in Mallorca。 Nearly four hundred years later， when George Sand， her two children， and her lover Frederic Chopin arrive in the village， Blanca is still there: a spirited， funny， righteous ghost， she’s been hanging around the monastery since her accidental death， spying on the monks and the townspeople and keeping track of her descendants。
Blanca is enchanted the moment she sees George， and the magical novel unfolds as a story of deeply felt， unrequited longing—the impossible love of a teenage ghost for a woman who can’t see her and doesn’t know she exists。 As George and Chopin， who wear their unconventionality， in George’s case， literally on their sleeves， find themselves in deepening trouble with the provincial， 19th-century villagers， Blanca watches helplessly and reflects on the circumstances of her own death （which involves an ill-advised love affair with a monk-in-training）。
Charming， original， and emotionally moving， this is a surprisingly touching story about romantic fixation and a powerful meditation on creativity。
In 1473， fourteen-year-old Blanca dies in childbirth in a hilltop monastery in Mallorca。 Nearly four hundred years later， when George Sand， her two children， and her lover Frederic Chopin arrive in the village， Blanca is still there: a spirited， funny， righteous ghost， she’s been hanging around the monastery since her accidental death， spying on the monks and the townspeople and keeping track of her descendants。
Blanca is enchanted the moment she sees George， and the magical novel unfolds as a story of deeply felt， unrequited longing—the impossible love of a teenage ghost for a woman who can’t see her and doesn’t know she exists。 As George and Chopin， who wear their unconventionality， in George’s case， literally on their sleeves， find themselves in deepening trouble with the provincial， 19th-century villagers， Blanca watches helplessly and reflects on the circumstances of her own death （which involves an ill-advised love affair with a monk-in-training）。
Charming， original， and emotionally moving， this is a surprisingly touching story about romantic fixation and a powerful meditation on creativity。
Reviews
Jade
，
3 stars
Gio
，
3。5 starsAtmospheric， sensory， smart…
Shelbie1199
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3。5 wanted more from the ending
Nina
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I am in the minority here， but I really didn't like the dead girl narrator and I didn't care about her story。 I was interested in Chopin and George Sand and would have preferred a more straight narration of their story。 I am in the minority here， but I really didn't like the dead girl narrator and I didn't care about her story。 I was interested in Chopin and George Sand and would have preferred a more straight narration of their story。 。。。more
Salomé Esteves
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"Briefly， A Delicious Life" is a lovely， easy， and wholesome book。 Although it is mostly predictable， it is also surprising， which is a tricky feat。 Overall， I think this book will please many readers， and I highly recommend it。 "Briefly， A Delicious Life" is a lovely， easy， and wholesome book。 Although it is mostly predictable， it is also surprising， which is a tricky feat。 Overall， I think this book will please many readers， and I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Laurie Bridges
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A ghost narrator。 I expected there to be a reason for this， but I never found one。
Rose
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I picked this up on a whim and it really blew me away。 I loved the writing style and all the different timelines。 It was atmospheric and beautiful and sad in a way that just really worked for me。
renee
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i loved the premise but this was kind of disappointing。 interesting but plotless and thus not quite interesting enough
Geertje
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A delicious book！ Stevens has a wonderful way of writing。 I can't wait to see what she writes next！ A delicious book！ Stevens has a wonderful way of writing。 I can't wait to see what she writes next！ 。。。more
Caralee
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The premise had me hooked from the start。 A teenage ghost girl caught between life and death for 400 years falls in love with brash， brilliant， cigar-smoking， trouser-wearing writer George Sand when she and her children and her lover Frederic Chopin spend the winter at the monastery she's been haunting for centuries。 Blanca， the spirit narrator， has all the impetuosity of adolescence combined with the wisdom of centuries of observation as she follows the lives of successive generations as they c The premise had me hooked from the start。 A teenage ghost girl caught between life and death for 400 years falls in love with brash， brilliant， cigar-smoking， trouser-wearing writer George Sand when she and her children and her lover Frederic Chopin spend the winter at the monastery she's been haunting for centuries。 Blanca， the spirit narrator， has all the impetuosity of adolescence combined with the wisdom of centuries of observation as she follows the lives of successive generations as they come and go while she inexplicably remains。 The timelines from the 19th century present and the 15th century past are woven seamlessly and skillfully together as Blanca reveals past， present， and future， set against the backdrop of the exquisite ache of unrequitable love and longing， and the ever-present sparkling notes of piano preludes。 （In fact I highly recommend listening to Chopin as you read）。 It's a haunting Sapphic love story， but more than that， it thoughtfully explores societal limitations on women's lives， and what it means to be messily， beautifully alive。 It's an unconventional story that imagines real people in a real place at a real time， through the eyes of a ghost girl。 It's more cerebral than heartfelt， it's beautifully written， and I couldn't put it down。 An easy 5 stars。 。。。more
Makenzie
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Highly original and delightful， with one of my favourite last lines of a book ever。 "How could it be that the same note over and over could convey exactly how it was to be Chopin， to be stuck in a body and a mind that undermined him; how it was to be alone in the dark and leaky coffin of his room on a blustery Mallorcan hillside in 1838， surrounded by a fog of ghosts and loss and worry and no George to be found and no comfort to be found; to know that he was not as good as he might be， not as ge Highly original and delightful， with one of my favourite last lines of a book ever。 "How could it be that the same note over and over could convey exactly how it was to be Chopin， to be stuck in a body and a mind that undermined him; how it was to be alone in the dark and leaky coffin of his room on a blustery Mallorcan hillside in 1838， surrounded by a fog of ghosts and loss and worry and no George to be found and no comfort to be found; to know that he was not as good as he might be， not as generous or as kind as he might be， and that he would die without thinking as clearly about things—life， music， love， gentleness—as he wanted？ He could it be that the prelude conveyed so precisely how it was to be anyone （me， for example） who has been lost in something （time， for example） and unable to find a way out？" 。。。more
Kristen Gergely
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More like a 2。5。 I’ll start by saying I don’t love historical fiction， but the concept of this book really caught my eye。 Unfortunately， I was not at all interested in the Sand family， none of them were likeable， mostly very annoying。 I was much more interested in Blanca and her story and how she came to her death， which of course you don’t find out until the second to last chapter and the only reason why I finished this book。Also， the cover of this book is absolutely stunning。
georgia marie
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4。5WOW the writing in this is BEAUTIFUL 💖💖
Whimsy Dearest
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Briefly， A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens is an achingly beautiful and unconventional ghost story told from the perspective of a ghost named Blanca who haunts a monastery in Mallorca。 The story chronicles her life over the centuries as she watches people’s private moments。 However， her afterlife gets more interesting when the famous novelist George Sand and the pianist Chopin move into the monastery。 I’d certainly categorize this one more as an introspective literary novel than a plot-oriented s Briefly， A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens is an achingly beautiful and unconventional ghost story told from the perspective of a ghost named Blanca who haunts a monastery in Mallorca。 The story chronicles her life over the centuries as she watches people’s private moments。 However， her afterlife gets more interesting when the famous novelist George Sand and the pianist Chopin move into the monastery。 I’d certainly categorize this one more as an introspective literary novel than a plot-oriented story。 It focuses first and foremost on the characters themselves and Blanca’s musings and observations about life， but it does this poignantly and well。 All in all， I found this to be a truly unique story filled with yearning that wonderfully blends together the historical alongside the supernatural。Thank you， NetGalley and Scribner， for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Elaine
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I just finished this and if you think I'm not crying at work right now you're wrong。 I just finished this and if you think I'm not crying at work right now you're wrong。 。。。more
Michelle
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✨ O B S E S S E D ✨More ghost stories like this one please！Also， I’m just gonna leave these line of a Richard Siken poem here: “What is a ghost？ Something dead that seems to be alive。 Something dead that doesn't know it's dead。” But what if the ghost know they're dead。 What then， huh？ ✨ O B S E S S E D ✨More ghost stories like this one please！Also， I’m just gonna leave these line of a Richard Siken poem here: “What is a ghost？ Something dead that seems to be alive。 Something dead that doesn't know it's dead。” But what if the ghost know they're dead。 What then， huh？ 。。。more
Mariana Vite
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 4。5 redondeados para abajo xq las 5 estrellas solo son para libros que me llenan el alma。Me encantó poder sentir el enojo que sentía Blanca Pude seguirle el rastro a todos los personajesAl principio pensé que iba a ser aburrido por la perspectiva desde el q está escrito， pero al revés。 Podía imaginarme muy bien a cada personaje， los temas cambian lo suficiente rápido y no se siente carrereado。La manera en la que se toca el tema de la muerte me gustó mucho。Y la visibilidad bisexual tan natural fu 4。5 redondeados para abajo xq las 5 estrellas solo son para libros que me llenan el alma。Me encantó poder sentir el enojo que sentía Blanca Pude seguirle el rastro a todos los personajesAl principio pensé que iba a ser aburrido por la perspectiva desde el q está escrito， pero al revés。 Podía imaginarme muy bien a cada personaje， los temas cambian lo suficiente rápido y no se siente carrereado。La manera en la que se toca el tema de la muerte me gustó mucho。Y la visibilidad bisexual tan natural fue de lo mejor de este libro 。。。more
tatterpunk
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DNF @ 9%
Dorian McIntush
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Man。 I really wanted to like this more。 It wasn't bad but I really just could not care or get invested in anything happening。 I wasn't convinced at all by Blanca's supposed love for George。 All the events felt so detached。 I will say I did really love the last line of the book， so that's something。 Man。 I really wanted to like this more。 It wasn't bad but I really just could not care or get invested in anything happening。 I wasn't convinced at all by Blanca's supposed love for George。 All the events felt so detached。 I will say I did really love the last line of the book， so that's something。 。。。more
CrabbyPatty
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Nell Stevens' debut novel draws upon the time Frederic Chopin and George Sand （and her two children） spent in Mallorca Spain during the winter of 1838-1839。 It was not a pleasant holiday but rather a daily fight against the cold and damp and the increasing hostility of the locals。 Stevens uses a unique literary device - Blanca， a long-dead teenage ghost who becomes enamoured with George - to tell their stories， and hers。 It allows the author to give us George's imagined inner thoughts and demons Nell Stevens' debut novel draws upon the time Frederic Chopin and George Sand （and her two children） spent in Mallorca Spain during the winter of 1838-1839。 It was not a pleasant holiday but rather a daily fight against the cold and damp and the increasing hostility of the locals。 Stevens uses a unique literary device - Blanca， a long-dead teenage ghost who becomes enamoured with George - to tell their stories， and hers。 It allows the author to give us George's imagined inner thoughts and demons， tidbits into what Chopin's creative process might feels like， the feeling of the locals who are appalled by this unmarried couple bringing disease （Chopin's TB） into their world and so on。 Stevens' writing is beautiful and well-crafted and in one sense you could continue to read the story in the same way the ghostly Blanca wanted to attach herself to George - forever。 However， if you know nothing of Chopin or Sands， there is little character development within the book and Blanca is similarly lightly defined。 Having had limited experience in her "real life，" Blanca is able to decipher emotions and actions as an observer only。 We learn of Blanca's death eventually as well as an account of what happens in the future for Chopin and Sands and her children。 Blanca serves well as a device to give insight and offer a different perspective， but by its very nature， it's difficult to turn off this device and allow the book to come to a natural end。 The awkwardness and abruptness， for me， led to a quick and unsatisfying conclusion。 3。5 stars。 I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Gawain_the_Cat
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An astounding and very enjoyable debut novel that is well worth reading。Blanka， a ghost has already been around for 300 years when George Sand and her children arrive on Mallorca with the composer Chopin and move into The Charterhouse in a village high on a hill。Blanka’s back story is interwoven with the villagers and residents past and present in the village and The Charterhouse in interesting and imaginative ways。Towards the end it seems the author Nell Stevens might have decided she had reach An astounding and very enjoyable debut novel that is well worth reading。Blanka， a ghost has already been around for 300 years when George Sand and her children arrive on Mallorca with the composer Chopin and move into The Charterhouse in a village high on a hill。Blanka’s back story is interwoven with the villagers and residents past and present in the village and The Charterhouse in interesting and imaginative ways。Towards the end it seems the author Nell Stevens might have decided she had reached her word count as chapters seemed a bit rushed before the final chapter came full circle in a brilliant denouement。WELL WORTH READING！ 。。。more
Angel Zhong
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4。25 stars 3Delicious prose imbued with feminine rage
Regine
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As much as I applaud the exploration of pubescent curiosity and adult sexuality， I found it hard to understand the ages of the characters and to believe their actions。 The pacing was difficult to keep track of towards the last quarter of the book， especially with past and present timelines being discussed within the same pages。 I like the premise of the book， and what it tries to do with the female characters， but in the end， it feels a little out of order and hard to distinguish adolescent from As much as I applaud the exploration of pubescent curiosity and adult sexuality， I found it hard to understand the ages of the characters and to believe their actions。 The pacing was difficult to keep track of towards the last quarter of the book， especially with past and present timelines being discussed within the same pages。 I like the premise of the book， and what it tries to do with the female characters， but in the end， it feels a little out of order and hard to distinguish adolescent from adult， moody man from girl toddler， mother from teen， since they all talked the same — if that makes sense？ 。。。more
Cheyenne
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I loveddd the writing in this book and it is definitely a page turner from the start in my opinion。 I love how the main character， Blanca， seemed so grown from all of her knowledge and wisdom， but still showed he curiosity of a 14 year old girl through out the entire book。 I am for sure going to read Nell Stevens other books。
Eerika
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3，5
meg
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ACTUAL RATING 3。5 STARSwhilst this was an enjoyable read， i did find it slightly underwhelming。 the writing was gorgeous and i loved the idea， however i felt that the characters lacked development and the pacing felt off in places， which wasn’t helped by the overall lack of narrative direction。 for me， the sapphic plot was also underwhelming - i expected it to be a far bigger element。 thank you to picador/pan macmillan for the arc！
Clarke
，
The combination historical fiction/just a touch of fantasy was an interesting device to gain such insight into the lives of the characters。 I also felt that the way the story was set up， not necessarily moving towards a big goal， was like life itself and in line with Blanca's experience of life and the afterlife。 There doesn't always need to be a big climax in a novel， though it's hard to pull off。 I felt that this book did it well。 The combination historical fiction/just a touch of fantasy was an interesting device to gain such insight into the lives of the characters。 I also felt that the way the story was set up， not necessarily moving towards a big goal， was like life itself and in line with Blanca's experience of life and the afterlife。 There doesn't always need to be a big climax in a novel， though it's hard to pull off。 I felt that this book did it well。 。。。more
Amanda
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This was nice。 I listened to it tho and I would like to revisit it and read it physically。 There was some parts that felt like a dream。 It was beautiful and sprawling。 I would recommend it to my friends and family alike。
Fiadh
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This book is intimate with life in its absence。
lauraღ
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