Rebecca HuntRecensioni

I'm not sure what I think about this book yet. I might add more stars after thinking about it for a bit because I think I'm giving it fewer stars because I started with very high expectations.

Originally I was influenced by the artwork on the cover. It's the silhouette of a black dog (looking like a Newfoundland) holding a black hat in his mouth against a yellow/orange background. The dog looked so cute that I wanted to know more about the book. The synopsis begins "July 1964. London. Esther Hammerhans, a young librarian in the House of Commons, goes to answer the door to her new lodger....." The visitor is Black Pat (the name Winston Churchill used for the depression that visited him throughout his life.) This all sounded interesting to me.

The story bounces back and forth between Winston Churchill on the eve of his retirement and the young librarian who works in the House of Commons. They are both currently in the middle of visits by "the black dog."

As I read, I kept hoping Esther would overcome her depression. I really liked the character but I wish she'd been developed even more...and I wanted to know more about her husband and their life together. But the book focused more on the hold the black dog had on her.

The idea I had the most difficulty with was a big, black dog representing depression. I associate animals in general and dogs in particular with good things in people's lives so I had to continuously remind myself that Black Pat was an evil character in the story and that was very hard to do.

This was a bit of an odd book, but in a good way. Whenever someone asked what the book was about, I had to think a bit trying to come up with something a bit more coherent than "the personification of Winston Churchill's depression." I never did, actually. But as I read the book in under two days, I probably didn't have enough time to truly formulate my thoughts. It took me a long while to fully comprehend that this wasn't a book about a dog, or the lodger from hell, or even Winston Churchill. This is a book about depression and how it comes onto people and how they either overcome it or live with it -- or not. I wish the cover blurb was a bit less circumspect about that aspect as it would have greatly improved my reading of the book. I may have to give this another go in a few months and see if it improves with a second reading; I suspect it might.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher.

Tricky book to evaluate impartially and I'm probably being a little hard on it.

Esther Hammerhans lives a mild life although lonely since her husband, Michael, died. When she opens her house to a lodger, she gets someone she did not expect. Her lodger is a large black dog, known as Black Pat, who not only speaks to her, but also runs roughshod through her life. Through conversations with Black Pat, she learns that this dog is on assignment and his client is Winston Churchill.

Winston Churchill is about to retire from office in a few days. With this, a dreaded companion throughout his life has re-emerged. Black Pat is back to wreak havoc on his psyche. The dog wanders in and out to cause sorrow and angst.

When Esther and Winston meet, they find that they are the only ones who can see this awful animal. Winston implores Esther to fight the dog because this is a war. She realizes what a drag Black Pat has been on her mind and takes his advice to fight back.

Black Pat is the embodiment of depression. This depression has haunted Winston and Michael their whole lives. It even drove Michael to take his own life. Now it is stalking Esther. Armed with good friends and resilience, Esther refuses to be taken down.

I did not like this book at all. I found it disturbing. Before choosing this book, I read a few brief reviews and comments. The phrases that made me want to read this were "exuberant fun-house ride," "brilliantly original and thought-provoking," "marvelously original, tender and funny." It is not any of those things! It's fiction that includes real people with depression and the story describes how depression affects people, their families, and many other lives. The black dog of depression is Mr. Chartwell (who also goes by the name Black Pat). He is huge (the size of a mattress), smelly, slobbers and sheds all over everything. This repulsive and oppressive presence haunts Winston Churchill and others in his family (i.e. a daughter who committed suicide two years before this book takes place). The other (fictional) character who is haunted by Black Pat, Esther, had a husband who committed suicide two years prior, and was also haunted by this same macabre dog. The only reason I finished this mercifully short book was to find out what happened to Esther - does she succumb to the overwhelming and debilitating depression Black Pat instills? Or does she break free?

I purchased this audio book for $1.00. If I did not like it I felt I could just pass it along. I'll be honest there were times I was board and not as engaged as I'd like but Miss Hunt's use of Mr. Chartwell as the shadow of depression or the feeling of malaise was very unique and interesting. Also using a well known historical figure (Sir. Winston Churchill) made the story that more realistic.

The main character of this novel is a dog. Not just any old pet, he is something of a celebrity: the Black Dog of depression. In her debut novel, Rebecca Hunt takes the often-used metaphor and transforms it into a very physical character who alternately charms, irritates, menaces and seduces his victims.

Set in 1964, the novel tells two interlocking stories, initally only connected by the presence of Mr Chartwell. The first is the story of Winston Churchill, who suffered from episodes of depression throughout his life and in fact was the person who popularised the image of the ‘black dog’ to describe this illness. At the age of 89, Churchill is facing his retirement from parliament. One morning he wakes to find a familiar but unwelcome canine guest lurking in his room. Meanwhile, a young librarian called Esther has advertised for a lodger to live in her spare room, and is surprised to find that the Mr Chartwell who turns up on her doorstep is a monstrous 6ft 7 labrador. She has never seen him before, but as the story progresses, it emerges that Mr Chartwell is not a complete stranger to her... The book takes place over a few days, following Esther and Churchill’s conversations and struggles with Mr Chartwell (or Black Pat as he is less formally known).

I found this book a very intense and interesting exploration of depression. I think making the illness into a character meant the author could really examine and analyse depression and draw out its many facets. I liked the way Black Pat constantly appeared at very plausible moments for both characters, when they are talking to friends or relatives, looking in a mirror, taking a bath. They attempt to ignore and outwit him by pretending to scribble notes or to read but are always aware of his looming presence. Black Pat is a constant distraction, which seems to reflect the way depression removes people from the present, makes it difficult to concentrate and interferes with relationships. So when Churchill is talking to his wife, or Esther with her friends, Black Pat is constantly interjecting and threatening to sabotage their relationships. He is like the critical voice inside your head that just won’t shut up. I have to say that I couldn’t see the charm in Mr Chartwell at all, I found him very annoying and was always hoping he would (as Churchill puts it) bugger off. However, as becomes increasingly clear throughout the book, he is a complex character, with mixed motivations and the capacity for sympathy as well as a compelling hunger, and it’s suggested he is forced to do what he does because of the unusual contract between him and his victims. In the book, Churchill refers to it as a ‘vile alliance’, or, in a beautiful image, depression is ‘a dark star in the constellation that forms me’.

The book raised some interesting questions about the attractions of depression, since on some level Esther does like and welcome Black Pat. She invites Black Pat to become her lodger and sometimes feels forlorn and bereft when he is away. I don’t really agree with the (possible) implication that it is a choice to be depressed because I think of clinical depression as an illness, although I can see that it is possible to surrender to melancholy, just as it is possible to fight against it. Mr Chartwell can be a comfortingly familiar companion. He is a ‘gothic seducer’, portrayed in a very physical way in the book. I liked the way the author describes the dog very vividly so that the reader can really imagine his huge bulk, the way he eats, his expressions, the way he can lie heavily in a corner of the room or on top of Churchill’s chest to prevent him from moving. Esther feels a weird physical attraction: ‘She imagined putting her arms around that neck...feeling it react with shimmering strength. His blackness was radiant in the rising dusk. A handsome spectre, he let her look.’ At other times, the physical nature of Mr Chartwell can be utterly repulsive and disturbing, which I think reflects the more serious side of depression.

Despite the parallels between the stories of Esther and Churchill, their encounters with Mr Chartwell are fairly different. Esther is young and it’s her first entanglement with the black dog, while he has been a constant visitor to Churchill, which in a way makes him easier to deal with and in another way a greater burden. Although I don’t know much about the details of his real life, I liked the way Rebecca Hunt fictionalised Churchill, as his voice came across as both poetic and witty, and it left me with an admiration for the way he coped bravely with the depression that afflicted him and several members of his family. The relationship between Churchill and his wife Clementine, who obviously love eachother very much, was quite moving. As the plot develops, the lives of Esther and Churchill are drawn closer together, and I was interested to see where the connection between the former prime minister of Britain and this young unknown woman working at Westminster would lead.

I probably haven’t given much idea of the humour of this book, which makes it really enjoyable to read. Some people might find Mr Chartwell amusing (although I think I mainly just disliked him), but I found the most entertaining characters were Esther’s friends, Beth and Big Oliver, and especially her awful boss, Dennis-John, who gives her amusingly insulting advice about her work, such as ‘do everything right, do it silently, paste on some rouge, wear something coherent with other women your age...’ Overall, I’d very much recommend this funny and moving novel. [2011]

This book takes two Arctic expeditions, in 1913 and 2012, and examines the psychology of those who undertook them. From the derring-do of the early adventurers to the quest for scientific knowledge of the present day, it looks in detail at two groups of three landed on a very remote island. The depiction of the privations of life in the Antarctic climate are portrayed in fine detail and leave one failing to understand why anyone would put themselves through such torture. In both cases the impact on the minds of the explorers is graphically depicted. In the case of the earlier expedition we also follow the main party from whom the trio become separated.
On the whole the writing is well paced and lucid. I both enjoyed and learned from this book.

I don't know how to rate this. I thought it was an amazingly creative take on depression and what it feels like and the character of Churchill esp was very poignantly drawn. Very sensitive. But I didn't think the writing was that good - it felt clunky to me, very self conscious, very labored.

But it is an unforgettable premise.

So I would say read it and also that I hope Ms Hunt has a better editor next time.

After a period of studying and reviewing factual history, it was lovely to read this fictionalised account of Churchill leaving parliament for the last time.

The book contains some nice, lyrical turns of phrase, and the tight control of time throughout helps to build the tension nicely.

That said, a story about depression and mental illness is a difficult one to pull off, and I don't think the author has succeeded entirely. The sub-plot with the minor characters is not easy to follow, and the "dictation" scene and the final scene with Churchill are obtuse, as well as being linguistically and stylistically different from the remainder of the book.

This reservation apart, I found "Mr Chartwell" an enjoyable, relaxing read.

This book is so well written (lovely phrasing and clever new words) and smart. The whole idea of depression arriving on big black feet to worm its way into lives was fascinating (but not close enough to real-life experience, which is why I didn't give it a 5). By the way, even though this is about depression, there's a good bit of humor and the book itself is not depressing. The characters, including Churchill himself, are appealing and it's easy to care about them.

Mostly I enjoyed this book a lot. It was easy to read. Certain things were completely unbelievable i.e the character who won't admit they've broken their ankle - talk about suicidal tendencies.
But I liked the parallel stories and the investigation of small group dynamics in an extreme situation.½

I couldn't put this book down. I love an Antarctic exploration tale! This follows two groups of explorers 100 years apart; the (fictional) 1913 expedition is well known to the modern-day group who are researching Everland, an Antarctic island, and that trip ended in controversy and tragedy. The modern-day group find out more about what really happened on that expedition, challenging the accepted version of events, and find out more about themselves as their trip begins to have parallels to the 1913 one.
I enjoyed this far more than Rebecca Hunt's previous one, I loved the atmospheric writing in this one, and the fact that although there were common themes and similarities between the two trips Hunt doesn't hit you over the head with them. I also liked the relationships between the modern day group, and the shift as time went on. A great read.

Loved this book what an adventure thid book took me on and loved every minute of this story good story lines and characters well thought out and finely put together in some parts of the story gave me chills but that I think is a good thing as it saids something about the story in other words loved this book and would happily recommend this book to all my friends and a big thank you to the author Rebecca Hunt thank you very much for the privilege of reading your wonderful book and with all that said keep smiling and happy reading all with love from wee me.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Moving back and forth in time across an entire century, Everland is the story of two very different groups of explorers who undertake two very different Antarctic expeditions to the same place. The first, in 1913, is set in the heyday of British polar exploration; the second, marking the centenary of the first, takes place in 2012. Despite the passing of a full century, unmistakeable and eerie parallels exist between both expeditions.

In March 1913, the captain of the British ship Kismet, had, a month earlier, dropped the mate and two others off in a dinghy named the Joseph Evelyn to begin their journey for a short stay at an unmapped island the mate christened Everland. The idea was that while the men, Napps, Millet-Bass, and Dinners, were exploring the island, the rest of the Kismet's crew would be sailing around Cape Athena "for a last geologizing excursion," to meet back up with the explorers in just two weeks. The Kismet sails off, but immediately problems set in, beginning with a storm that made the four-hour dinghy journey last about six days; unbeknownst to the three explorers, the Kismet had also suffered in the same storm and had to stop to make repairs. It wasn't until April that the Kismet returned to take the three-man team home, but only one badly-frostbitten, nearly-dead man was found on the island. What happened on that island became the stuff of legend. In fact, one hundred years later, in celebration of another three-person expedition that is about to be launched to Everland from the Antarctic base Aegeus, the film night pick is a 60s "classic" called Everland, a movie the group knows by heart about the 1913 ill-fated venture based on the "famous book" written by the captain of the Kismet. The novel goes back and forth between the two expeditions, chronicling the events during both. The similarities are notable -- the flaring resentments, the tensions, the dangers and ultimately the choices that are made among each team for survival echo across the century.

The idea brought out in this novel that reality is often pushed aside, replaced to suit various motivations, and can leave an altered version of events to be taken as fact by following generations In the case of the 1913 expedition, at the outset the reader is given the modern-day understanding of events that coincide with the book written by the captain and then the movie. Then, little by little the true events come to light, as the author fills us about what actually happened to these men. In the second expedition, the situation is not only manipulated by one of team members, but after a particularly dramatic scene, a deal to elevate one story over another is tacitly agreed to for reasons particular to and kept secret between the parties. In both cases, the story that emerges is based on collaboration and self-serving motivations, while the real truth of both will remain behind forever on Everland. In the meantime, reputations are made, both positive and negative.

I bought this book it thinking it was along the lines of a Scott or Shackleton type historical fiction novel, but I got so much more. I really liked the two stories, although the 1913 setting for me was much more interesting. In terms of survival, both narratives were filled with tension, although the modern explorers came equipped with technology that the earlier ones could never have dreamed of, and they were only an airplane flight away from rescue, so that sort of lessened the drama for me. In setting up the often-striking parallels between the two, I suppose to some readers it might seem contrived (and I suppose maybe it is a little), but it works well. More than anything, though, I absolutely loved how the author let the idea of the distortion of reality play out through the novel, even before the reader fully comes to understand why and how it's important. I also walked away with pity for the so-called "villain" of the piece, as the real truth turned the established history on its head.

I've only offered a bare-bones outline, but it's going on my shelf of favorite books of the year. I have to admit that things started out a bit slowly, but I hung in there and was greatly rewarded. Also, I found myself backtracking to the chapter headings to keep the chronology straight, since not only does the book go back and forth over a hundred years, but within the 1913 time frame, it goes from the expedition to back on the Kismet and the crew on board. Otherwise, it is a very engrossing read that left me frustrated whenever I had to put it down. Highly, highly recommended.½

Ik vond dit boek, ondanks alle loftuitingen, matig. Flauwe humor, lastige metafoor, een grote zwarte hond die een depressie voorstelt. Zou het boek niet aanraden.½

I thought this book was going to be historical fiction but it's not. It takes place at a historical moment - Churchill's retirement - but the story itself is about depression. Depression takes the form of an imaginary creature, a large dog, named Black Pat. Black Pat regularly visits Winston Churchill and now is also dropping in on Esther Hammerhans, a librarian at the House of Commons.

It's an interesting and clever concept but try as I might, I just could not get into this story. Maybe because there wasn't much of a story, just a lot of conversation. There were a few humorous moments and it made me think about depression and how it affects people, but mostly it left me unsatisfied and glad it was a short book.½

Read from February 07 to 12, 2011

To turn something tragic like depression into something entertaining seems impossible, but Rebecca Hunt manages to do just that. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Even the horrible Mr. Chartwell, aka Black Pat, was a pleasure. (I feel the need to learn more about Winston Churchill after reading the book though!)½

This book offers a really interesting perspective on depression through two sufferers. Winston Churchill's suffering is a burden programmed into his psychology; Esther is experiencing more situational depression, it may pass, or it may take her over. Imaginatively told with depression represented via a very large, mostly unpleasant black dog, this book is informing as well as a page turner.½

Geniaal ! Depressie bescheven als een grote hond...........Prachtig, goed leesbaar. Aanrader.

Originally published on Read Handed.

Winston Churchill is a widely admired and respected figure. A renaissance man, he excelled at writing, painting, politics, oration, history, military service, leadership, and more. And, apparently, he did it all while suffering from depression.

Rebecca Hunt's novel Mr. Chartwell gives insight into Churchill's depression, which he called his "bête noire", literally "black beast", but often interpreted as "black dog." The book follows Churchill through his final days in parliament as he prepares to retire. It also follows the struggles of a library clerk named Esther Hammerhans as she commemorates a dark anniversary. Throughout these days, the two characters are hampered by Black Pat Chartwell, a giant black dog who insists on making their lives even more difficult.

Esther decides to rent out her spare room for some extra money and receives only one response to her advertisement: someone called Mr. Chartwell. When Esther opens her front door when he arrives for their meeting, she is shocked to see "a mammoth muscular dog about six foot seven high" (pg. 10). Oh, and he can talk. For some reason, this is much easier for Esther to swallow than for the reader. The strange character took some getting used to, but by the end of the book proved to be an effective and accurate personification.

Black Pat is depression. With Esther, he creeps in innocently enough. She does, after all, invite him into her house and rents her spare room to him. For Churchill, he is a lifelong, uninvited companion. He has dealt with Black Pat for years and has seen him take over the lives of dear family members. Once Black Pat has his victim's attention, he hangs around, annoying and distracting them with his foul odor, disgusting habits, and tendency to destroy everything. Esther doesn't know how to deal with Black Pat, and doesn't really understand his purpose in her life, but Churchill knows him too well.

Structure-wise, the book follows a chronological pattern, separating the action into days and times and alternating between Churchill's and Esther's stories. The writing is light, funny, and descriptive. The side characters, such as Esther's friends Beth, Big Oliver, and Corkbowl, are quirky and fun. Hunt's descriptions are unusual, striking, and apt. For example:

"Corkbowl watched Esther's cheeks light with a nunnish smile. He looked at her hair, hair that had never been lavished with attention. A plaster wrapper around the end of her index finger was found to be mystically stylish. Corkbowl's heart rang like a tuning fork" (pg. 88).

Or

"Black Pat burst through like a bowling ball smashing into fresh pins" (pg.169).

And, as an example of Hunt's understated wit:

"He made a welcoming sound over a mouthful of flapjack and shut his newspaper. He did the universally understood spin of his hand to show he couldn't understand why it was taking so long to swallow. It was the spin that said, I'm bored of chewing; I can't believe I'm still chewing" (pg. 131).

And, finally, an example of how disgusting Black Pat is:

"Black Pat's head rolled to manoueuvre her hand to the base of his ecstatic ear. She scratched it, swearing never to eat with this hand again. Fur worked loose in clouds" (pg. 143).

Hunt depicts Winston Churchill as a highly intelligent, determined, and tender old man who loves his wife.

Overall, Mr. Chartwell was good: imaginative if a little strange, witty and delving.

I originally saw this book on LibraryThing Early Reviewers and immediately wanted to get it the moment it came out. Happily, I discovered it at my local library and immediately check it out.

I've always been the type to shy away from historical fiction, but I must admit that this book is not only well-constructed but let's you see history from a different point of view.

Mr. Charwell, or Black Pat is a big black dog. A big black dog that can talk.

In the book he is shown in the lives of two people, Winston Churchill and Esther Hammerhans. He is the legendary "black dog" that bothers Churchill throughout his life. He is also the new tenant at Esther's house.

Throughout the series it is hinted as to what Black Pat really represents and upon realizing it, the two main human characters can learn to live through their "ordeal".

I loved this book from page one. It is a story that occurs over the course of five days, and yet the story changes the two humans forever. Chruchill learning how much Black Pat is tied to him, while Esther realizes the truth of what happened to her husband and her.

I recommend it to anyone interested in Churchill as it provides a different insight to what the man went through, as well as anyone who has ever gone through depression.

Rebecca Hunt's Mr. Chartwell is certainly an odd and interesting book -- I enjoyed reading it and loved the awful character of Black Pat. I've wrestled with the dark beast of depression myself, and I thought Hunt portrayed the problem very adroitly. The one thing that bothered me all the way through, however, was the lack of period detail to ground the story in the time period of the book. Just a few extra touches of 1960s worldview would have been nice. But that's just nitpicking on my part. Overall, I thought this was a wonderful tale, and Rebecca Hunt is an exciting new writer. I'll be looking for more of her work in the future.

Summary: Winston Churchill is about to step down from the Parliament and his old enemy, the black dog, reappears in his life as it has at many stressful moments. He has also seen what it did to his father and his daughter (who committed suicide in 1963 - the book takes place in 1964). He apparently referred to this black dog in his life frequently and his bouts with depression are well recorded. Here, Hunt thrusts the black dog (called Black Pat or Mr. Chartwell) on an unsuspecting young widow (Esther) on the second anniversary of her husband's suicide as well as Churchill.

The concept (as others have agreed) is an interesting one - to 'flesh out' that depression as a literal black dog. I will have to take their word on it that Hunt's descriptions are what depression feels like and I applaud her efforts there...and recommend that people interested in learning more about that read this book.

As just a stand alone story, though, I felt it lacked something - it did not really hold my interest. Hunt did not draw me into the story of two depressed people dealing with big moments in their lives enough for me to really care about them. I found Churchill interesting and searched the internet a bit to read more about him, and may even pick out a biography to learn more and perhaps see if Hunt really did her research. The information I've found does refer to alcoholism (Hunt does portray him taking a drink frequently, but not showing him outright as an alcoholic) and also indicates that by 1959 he was using a wheelchair, which Hunt does not convey at all, 4 years later...although he is generally seated or on the bed, he is also taking walks through the garden at times.

It is a quick read, the chapters are short and there is a slight side story with a new co-worker that might be able to help Esther through her visit from the black dog. I found the ending a bit 'pat' shall we say (pun totally intended)...as if wrapped up (too) nicely for a Hallmark movie. I guess it is supposed to feel hopeful, and it does to a small degree, but just seemed unrealistic as the black dog seems to show compassion toward both main characters.

Three stars - not awful, but not great. Read it if you want to explore depression in an interesting way.

A curious novel about depression which many describe as a black dog. Do people have the choice to reject him when he first appears? Is his company hereditary?