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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
Tracy Chevalier wrote "Girl with the pearl earring" in white hot inspiration and that was her finest moment. That was really a good book,well writen and rightly became best-seller. Unfortunately nothing she came up afterwards matches that brilliance and who knows,maybe is too much to expect people to write masterpieces one after another - one is perhaps enough for a lifetime."Lady and Unicorn" was so-so and later I lost her somehow,thinking she perhaps repeats herself and was probably right.
"Burning bright" is set in London around 1792 and its description is the best part of the book - story itself was not so interesting but people,clothes,work,what they eat,drink and circus they had as entertainment (and source of income for many) was good.
Curously enough,one character is called for a certain lady who paid money on charity auction to have her name used for the book,never thought about it.
"Burning bright" is set in London around 1792 and its description is the best part of the book - story itself was not so interesting but people,clothes,work,what they eat,drink and circus they had as entertainment (and source of income for many) was good.
Curously enough,one character is called for a certain lady who paid money on charity auction to have her name used for the book,never thought about it.
I love Tracy Chevalier’s writing. I was not as familiar with William Blake (poet painter) as I was about Vermeer in The Girl With a Pearl Earring, Mary Anning the fossil hunter in Remarkable Creatures, and I’ve see the tapestries being talked about in The Lady and the Unicorn. Still I was drawn into this tale set in London and Dorset countryside. I look forward to reading her other historical novels. It makes me feel like I am peaking around the corner at the lives while they are being lived!
Only reached page 50 before I decided to give this one up--the fact that another Sarah Ruhl play arrived from the library settled it for me. Unfortunately I did not feel drawn into this world the way I did with "Remarkable Creatures" and I wonder if it's due to the distanced and almost superficially omniscient narration? I think telling it from Jem's or even switching among characters, but all in the first person, would have been more effective and sincere. Oh well.
I've read The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Falling Angels and The Lady and the Unicorn and this book PALES in comparison. It was like "let's take London in 1792-1793, mention every single historical event and building that existed during that time period, throw in a bizarre plotline that doesn't really move along or get resolved and call it a book." I didn't even believe, based on her bland, undescriptive writing that the way she was describing the daily life of a London suburb and the circus or even William Blake's life and demeanor was correct! It was bizarre!
I guess after three good stories, she was phoning it in. Oh well.
The ending was terrible too - I totally would have felt a LITTLE bit better and maybe given another star if there was some sort of resolution: was Maisie's baby a boy or girl? What about Rosie's? Did Jem and Maggie wind up together and if so, did they move back to London or stay in Piddle? Did Charlie wind up going off to war? Whatever happened to William Blake? Did Maggie's parents get into a huge fight? Did the Kellaways learn to get along with Sam's wife Lizzie?
It was just so disjointed and did not flow. I am not giving up on Tracy Chevalier's books, but this is probably her weakest out of the four I've read.
I guess after three good stories, she was phoning it in. Oh well.
The ending was terrible too - I totally would have felt a LITTLE bit better and maybe given another star if there was some sort of resolution: was Maisie's baby a boy or girl? What about Rosie's? Did Jem and Maggie wind up together and if so, did they move back to London or stay in Piddle? Did Charlie wind up going off to war? Whatever happened to William Blake? Did Maggie's parents get into a huge fight? Did the Kellaways learn to get along with Sam's wife Lizzie?
It was just so disjointed and did not flow. I am not giving up on Tracy Chevalier's books, but this is probably her weakest out of the four I've read.
a little difficult to get into, but about halfway in the story started taking lots of turns and got much more interesting
This is an interesting novel of historical fiction with some great details about life of a couple of working class families in eighteenth century London, centered mostly on innocent country boy, Jem, and street smart city girl, Maggie. There is some very interesting background on and interactions with William Blake too. Chevalier's descriptions allow you to stroll along with Jem and Maggie as they explore the city and interact with their peculiar neighbor.
Although, I've liked Tracy Chevalier's books in the past, this one didn't quite cut it. It was more about life in the late 19th century then about William Blake. Which is actually interesting on its own. But I kept waiting to really get an intimate look of the author/poet who apparently inspired the book. I suggest skipping this one and trying The Lady and the Unicorn or Girl with a Pearl Earring.
emotional
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was underwhelmed by this book. I found it difficult to get wrapped up into it. I feel like Blake's character could have been so much more interesting. He just happened to pop in and out without leaving you feeling connected to him at all. She left him as a purely eccentric neighbor, which was disappointing to me.
I've always been interested in the work of William Blake so I enjoyed imagining what it might have been like to to know him. This book was a little difficult to read, many dialects and odd ways of speaking. But it was worthwhile and its always good for me to pick up something different, like taking the road less traveled.