The Cleaner of Chartres: A Novel

What a pleasure to read! The plot is satisfyingly intricate and original. Vickers convincingly manages to weave together enlightening detail from history and mythology, provocative perceptions of religion, and sharp comment on society, all of which enrich Agnes' unique story.The author understands human complexities. Agnes is not an ordinary character, though her issues, identity, relationships, justice and trust, are universally engaging. She was abandoned at birth and Vickers reveals grim aspects of such a start to life. Though in much smaller ways for most of us, we connect to hardships, injustices and battles, and any triumphs along the way.Vickers successfully made me care about what had happened and what would happen to Agnes. Agnes is a simple, self-contained, resilient character, constant amidst curiosity and rumour - until, finally, the balance is tipped. She has a spiritual quality and we become aware of an intellectual depth below her simple exterior, a depth perceived by only those around her who are not confined to conventional judgements. In fact, convention is held up for scrutiny in many ways, in this story.My only reservation about the book is in the resolution between Agnes and Alain. I felt Vickers hadn't quite sorted this point. Fleetingly, this part of the story generated flashbacks to the forbidden, under-the-desk-top reading in the formulaic romance era stage of my youth. But that was just a brief moment or two out of a thoroughly satisfying read.This was a book that kept me reading when I really ought to have been doing other things.

The story flowed well within Chartres France, with the Chartres Cathedral the focal point of the action. Realistic, characters made the story interesting. Because the cathedral is so historically unique, a picture with some history would help readers who are not knowledgeable about it.

This is almost an absorbing book. The author has woven history and fiction very well, and tourists who have visited Chartres Notre Dame Cathedral will no doubt enjoy the background information just a little bit more than those who would like to visit the town. This is not a criticism, by any means, I found the historical information to be well integrated into the story.And the story is a good one. Agnes as the central figure is strong enough to hold it together without taking over from the other interesting characters. wWe want to know her real origins, and Sally Vickers keeps us reading in order to find out. The other characters are well drawn and interesting - particularly the religious orders. I have read 'Miss Garnett's Angel' by the same author, and I think this book just shades it as being the better of the two.

This is the first Sally Vickers book I have read. Its subject is a mysterious woman but throughout the book the character is slowly developed with the help of the other characters which is the basis of the plot. The labyrinth of Chartres Cathedral gives a clue to the development of plot and character. I found the book especially interesting because it had an old fashioned feel. I was continually surprised when I was reminded, through speech patterns and ordinary things like buses or trains, that this was about present day. It has an antiquated feel. A story about the people attached to an old and famous cathedral, draw our mind and its expectations into the past. I shall certainly read more from this author.

A great book, as all of Salley Vicker's books are, always leaving me wanting the story to continue. There are well-developed characters, attention to detail (an amazing amount of research was done on the cathedral itself), and a few surprises in the plot. However this time I really would have liked a little more; I felt the handling of the ending was a bit too abrupt. Apart from that, The Cleaner of Chartres is a good read and I will probably re-read it in the future.

This is a lovely story, full of querky characters. It leaves you feeling happy and wanting to know more of what happens to Anges. The only problem I found is that we are not allowed into Agne's mind until near the end of the book, this is necessary keep a degree of suspense in the story, but it does ring a false note as we see into the mind of all the other main protagonists. Despite that I did find myself exclaiming "oh no" at various points when Agnes was about to be treated shabbily.

I did enjoy the story but I almost tossed it aside after the first chapters as I couldn't fathom where it was going and wondered whether it was an historic study of churches and cathedrals. Not what I wanted to read - but then the story took off and I became attached to all the characters, and a great descriptive variety of them there were. It did have some overtones of Chocolat, a novel I love, altogether a pleasing story with some wonderfully atmospheric descriptions of the Cathedrals and church society.

Sally Vickers has written a most interesting novel that swings easily between past events and the present,each interesting and each contributing to the climax. The novel raises anxiety in the reader and mixes this with the hope of the human spirit. At times mixing the cultures of provincial France, tough Australian aboriginal womankind, slightly vague Englishness, crabby nosiness and youthful joie de vivre, the novel has something for all readers. The text is a joy to read. there is suspense, relieved by the comeuppance where it is deserved.

I've read a couple of Salley Vickers' other books (inc. the excellent Miss Garnet's Angel), and was pleased to be able to buy this for my wife's birthday last year (we both visited Chartres ten years ago, and were enchanted by the imposing, mysterious, beautiful cathedral).It's the story of Agnes, a foundling raised (more or less) by nuns until tragedy overcomes her and she ends up (no spoiler here) cleaning the cathedral. The implications of what happened to her, and the way in which she interacts with the other characters (good, bad, damaged, searching) is delineated skillfully, although I found it difficult to remember the differences between a couple of the men (doubtless due to my inattention) and wasn't sure whether the jumping back and forth between Agnes' past and present was as illuminating as it could have been.On the other hand, it contains some evocative writing, particularly in moments of pathos - e.g. "'My dear Owen.' he read [...] 'We hope you will soon be coming on the big train to Aberystwyth to see us. Phoebe' - their black-and-white cat, Owen Jones, alone on his single divan in the faraway town of Chartres, remembered - 'is looking forward to seeing you.'" [p59]. A tale about redemption, healing and grace which is a stimulating read.

I've never read any novel quite like this before. The plot resembles a fairy-tale, but is substantial and down-to-earth. The prose is elevated yet manageable. There is humour, tragedy, religious conviction and lost faith, cheer and heartbreak. Salley Vickers is a gifted writer, no doubt of that, with the ability to spin an enchanting, many-faceted yarn which will seduce even the sourest critic. Do read "The Cleaner of Chartres" - you'll be the better for having done so.

I am quite a fan of this author having read most if not all her novels, so I had no hesitation in uploading this to my Kindle cloud and I wasn't disappointed . It is a complex character filled novel which might not appeal to everyone.I read the entry for Chartres and its Cathedral in Wikipedia before I started: it reaches back to the 12th Century. The story also takes in the not too distant towns and cities of Evreux, Rouen and Le Manx.The 'cleaner', Agnes Morel, first appears (to the new Curate) at the Cathedral as a young lady seeking shelter for the night by sleeping under a man's coat. Reluctant to turn her out to (what must seem) a hostile world he helps her to earn a living by performing daily chores (washing, ironing, babysitting, etc) for the inhabitants of the Cathedral Close. Eventually she gets taken on as the main cleaner when the then current lady retires. All this was twenty years before our story starts to unfold. There will however be many lengthy past passages as the early life of Agnes unfolds, much of which is traumatic.The Story is how Agnes interacts with the many different characters she encounters, the Residents of the close, the Cathedral Clergy and and Visitors of all kinds.

I have taken a few weeks to complete this book. So I clearly didn’t find it gripping. But the author is skilled at painting pictures of a location, and also at developing characters. Sometimes there’s a lovely turn of phrase that stays in the memory. And in the end I was really glad I had read it all, so much so that I will seek out another novel by Sally Vickers. (I have already read and thoroughly enjoyed ‘Miss Garnet’s Angel ‘. I give that one 5 stars.)

Having read ‘Miss Garnet’s Angel’ many years ago, and been disappointed by it, I have since avoided Salley Vickers but because ‘The Cleaner of Chartres’ was chosen by a book club that I belong to, I read it and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Either she has vastly improved as a writer or I have become a kinder reader.This book was an easy read, with a touch of mystery, some light philosophising, plenty of subtle humour and a great deal of pathos. It’s just the right length with no moments of boredom for me, just a gentle evocation of a picturesque French town with intriguing darker undercurrents. The large and colourful cast of characters are drawn with wry observation, whilst over everything looms the ancient and beautiful cathedral, described in vivid and erudite detail.