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mattiedancer's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Writing: 4.75⭐️/5
Eley Williams writes with fascinating control and ease. I thoroughly enjoyed how our two main characters thought about and used language, given how in love with language they both were. At very small moments, I do think the writing became a bit too much, but these moments were so short and fleeting that it really didn’t matter.
Characters: 5⭐️/5
I really loved both main characters. Williams extended the depth and arcs she crafted towards her side characters as well, giving them a fullness that was wonderful to read.
Plot: 4.75⭐️/5
The plot is deceptively simple and suddenly explosive, leading up to an exciting ending that was unexpected but not unwelcome. I did feel that a portion of Peter Winceworth’s plot happened a little too quickly, as though to match the pace of Mallory’s story, which was winding to a close. I would have enjoyed a bit more time there to build to the ending.
Who Should Read This Book?
- Fans of literary reads
- Fans of dictionary-based fiction
- Fans of learning new words and discussions about language
- Someone looking for a good read with decadent language and stunning, well-developed characters.
Content Warnings?
- Homophobia, lesbophobia, biphobia, fire, fire injury, injury, injury detail, ableism, sexual content, bullying, animal cruelty, medical content, infidelity, blood, outing, hate crime, emotional abuse, alcohol
Post-Reading Rating: 4.75⭐️/5
What an unexpected ending, and yet, so right.
Final Rating: 4.75⭐️/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Death, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Outing, Homophobia, Hate crime, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Blood, Biphobia, Bullying, and Injury/Injury detail
colourfulthreads's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A wonderful read for lives of words and dictionaries. The two main characters are lovers of words who find themselves working at a dictionary publishing house, one in 1899 and one in modern times. The story really did seem an opportunity for the author to fit in philosophical musings about dictionaries, words, their meanings and how they change over time, and the formation and capture of language. The mastery the concepts is evident in the storytelling, combined with some quirky characters, and at least one interesting plot line, make this an enjoyable vacation read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood and Animal cruelty
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