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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Makes me go down the rabbit hole of doing more research on Titanic.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
I have a bit of obsession with the Titanic and have read so many books on it and while this book was not centered on the Titanic, it had one of the best renderings of the sinking. I felt the cold and the panic and the frustrations through the writing. I didn't love the main character at first because she complained about things like breakfast being at 6 instead of 7 ...awww poor spoiled rich girl but by the time they were on the titanic, I had empathy for her. The love story is beautifully written, rich in prose and description. Her loss of her husband felt tangible. The very detailed account of everything that happened the night of the sinking and aboard the Carpathia made me feel like I was experiencing it myself in a way that few authors have been able to do. Well done.
I didn’t dislike it, but I couldn’t really get into it. Interesting story, and I do like most historical fiction, but it was just fine for me.
An easy and enjoyable read, without challenging you to think at all. A good summer afternoon read but forgettable.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The story of The Second Mrs. Astor is a fictional retelling of Madeleine Force's romance with American royalty and richest man in the world, John Jacob Astor. The summary is very much a summary and not a teaser; the story follows the Astors' entire story together, from the first time they encounter each other when Madeleine is a still a child to Colonel Astor's last influence on Madeleine after his death following the Titanic sinking: the birth of their child. There is a large age gap that was already the talk of the town in the 1910s but is even less acceptable today. It is a factor that may turn off many readers, however I found I was able to look past it enough to appreciate the story.
The writing is heavily romantic. Many elements that are often deemed as trivial in every day life are emphasized and brought to life through keen attention to detail throughout. It grounds the characters in the present moment, however as a reader it can become a little monotonous. I found that such descriptions often made scenes duller for me.
I did, however, really like the ending. I understood and even felt the emotions Madeleine was going through. The style of the writing really elevates the emotion and each moment, and it was during that time that I was the most engaged.
I would not recommend listening to the audiobook. I listened to it primarily in the car and had to crank up the volume due to the narrator's quiet voice, especially for Colonel Astor's dialogue. There was a huge dynamic range, however, and when a character shouted, the narrator did as well. I often had to actively control the volume in order to not have my ears blasted and still catch every word of the quieter characters. It disturbed the listening experience and immersion.
The writing is heavily romantic. Many elements that are often deemed as trivial in every day life are emphasized and brought to life through keen attention to detail throughout. It grounds the characters in the present moment, however as a reader it can become a little monotonous. I found that such descriptions often made scenes duller for me.
I did, however, really like the ending. I understood and even felt the emotions Madeleine was going through. The style of the writing really elevates the emotion and each moment, and it was during that time that I was the most engaged.
I would not recommend listening to the audiobook. I listened to it primarily in the car and had to crank up the volume due to the narrator's quiet voice, especially for Colonel Astor's dialogue. There was a huge dynamic range, however, and when a character shouted, the narrator did as well. I often had to actively control the volume in order to not have my ears blasted and still catch every word of the quieter characters. It disturbed the listening experience and immersion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy
DNF. Surprised more people aren’t mentioning this but couldn’t get over the fact that it’s a love story between a 17 year old girl and a 46 year old man.
I loved every second of this book. Madeleine Astor is often overshadowed by prominent Astor family. You really get to know her - her and Jack as one uniformed soul. Beautifully written, extremely captivating.