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cgv's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
rosekk's review
4.0
The novel was very different in the first and second halves - they kind of felt like two different books. Both were good though, so I was happy. The book did a good job of balancing an impression of old-world glamour with characters that felt genuine. Given ho strange some of the events were, that's pretty impressive.
houxli's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
chromiumboron's review
2.0
I have a lot of feels about this book.
It was a roller coaster. I'd go through spells where I was really into it, and then I'd get so bored with it that I'd have to make myself read it just so I could get through it and start a new book (I'm not a quitter and can't really read two books at a time). I agree with most of the reviews I see - This story starts out great. It caught my interest, and I was excited to read about Carter's adventures, but I feel like it skipped over all of the exciting stuff. For example, I was super interested in this book when I got to the part where Carter But no, we just got a few pages that were slapdashed together in order to cover enough detail that we know this event happened. I just think more story development would have been nice. However, I also feel like this book was way too long for what it was. Part of that is maybe the fact that Gold went into a LOT of detail about stuff that didn't interest me. I mean, I didn't need to read a zillion pages about how . Sure, it's a little bit relevant to the story later, but not enough to have warranted so much space in this book. If Gold was going to write a 600+ page story, couldn't he at least cut out some of the more boring stuff and gave us more details about Carter's adventures?
Finally, Girls are cool enough on their own; you don't need to give them corny dialogue!
It was a roller coaster. I'd go through spells where I was really into it, and then I'd get so bored with it that I'd have to make myself read it just so I could get through it and start a new book (I'm not a quitter and can't really read two books at a time). I agree with most of the reviews I see - This story starts out great. It caught my interest, and I was excited to read about Carter's adventures, but I feel like it skipped over all of the exciting stuff. For example, I was super interested in this book when I got to the part where Carter
Spoiler
meets Sarah. It was a bit of a surprise, and I was really looking forward to reading about the adventures they have together, and then - BAM! She's dead. Another instance was when pirates took over Carter's boat. THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SO COOL.Spoiler
Griffin went down a coal shoot early in his career.Finally,
Spoiler
Phoebe and the whole She never died bit. I can't even begin to talk about how much she annoyed me, and I really think the story would have been better off if she was just some rando blind chick. The She never died thing got really old for me, and when they used it as some huge plot twist at the end, it bothered me, and I felt like Gold was trying too hard to make her character "badass" when he should have just wrote her as a "normal" (albeit blind) woman.al_spudkin's review against another edition
3.0
An enjoyable, lighthearted story with a lot of atmosphere and a few truly dazzling scenes. In the end I felt the book was a bit too long for its own good - the length and depth of the narrative wound up muddying up the sense of dramatic tension in several places. Gold's details were always charming and interesting and had a certain historical fascination, but I felt as if the drama of the storyline got swallowed up over and over again by his need to be so thorough. I could tell that he had put a lot of passionate research into the setting and mood of the story, but sometimes those details swallowed up what should have been taking center stage: the dramatic tension. The whole time I was reading, I couldn't help but think this story would benefit from a bit of editing and maybe even a (necessarily truncated) silver screen treatment. I feel like it could be a really magical film.
Definitely pleasurable to read.
Definitely pleasurable to read.
skywhales's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
well! maybe i need to pick up more random books from the library because this was very very pleasantly surprising!
i've been really into the 1920s as of late for reasons (reasons are mostly tracy butler's lackadaisy, thanks for that) which was the main reason i picked this up but it wasn't exactly normally something i'd go for so part of me worried it'd be boring. but honestly? i was hooked. within the two categories of "books that i read to finish them" and "books that i read to find out what happens next" this fell largely in the latter category.
carter was very likable actually, i was kind of expecting him to be arrogant and a bit of an asshole but he was genuinely sweet, and i love characters who have a driving passion the way he does. i like that he's nice to kids and animals. i really loved his relationship with james. i am SUCH a sucker for loving yet realistic sibling relationships and their scenes together were so wonderful. also there's gay people in this book! i didn't even go in expecting that! just drawn to them i guess. the red necktie bit made me chuckle out loud (this book got like 3 audible laughs out of me which is pretty good tbh). i wish there were more women who weren't just someone's love interest but the women we got weren't too bad even if i do think they were kind of the weak spot of the book. rip annabelle, gone too soon. she'd be so disappointed to be the fridged wife. i liked her relationship with carter though. honestly i didn't like phoebe as much as annabelle and i couldn't really get a distinct read on her personality but the romance aspect of this book wasn't unbearable, it was sweet at times, which, you know, i'll accept.
this is relatively progressive for a book about the 1920s written in 2001? i mean they use the g slur a lot and "oriental" a couple times but the character who uses natives as props and cardboard villains in his act is the main antagonist and there are actual native characters who call him out for being a shithead which is. more than i'd expect from certain things today, tbh. and they were delightfully normal about the gay people.
i don't know a Lot about stage magic though i've read a good few books about it at this point and the technical mechanics flew over my head at certain times but i actually really enjoy reading fiction about stuff i don't know a lot about from the perspective of characters who do know a lot about it. i liked following carter's rise to glory and genuinely almost teared up at the ending which is like. WHAT! that alone is usually a certificate of quality from me.
genuinely might seek out this book to own it which is Nottt what i expected to come out of this reading experience! but it was honestly a delightful palate cleanser after the daughter of dr. moreau and just fucking fun to be honest! is this a romp? could i call this a romp?
i've been really into the 1920s as of late for reasons (reasons are mostly tracy butler's lackadaisy, thanks for that) which was the main reason i picked this up but it wasn't exactly normally something i'd go for so part of me worried it'd be boring. but honestly? i was hooked. within the two categories of "books that i read to finish them" and "books that i read to find out what happens next" this fell largely in the latter category.
carter was very likable actually, i was kind of expecting him to be arrogant and a bit of an asshole but he was genuinely sweet, and i love characters who have a driving passion the way he does. i like that he's nice to kids and animals. i really loved his relationship with james. i am SUCH a sucker for loving yet realistic sibling relationships and their scenes together were so wonderful. also there's gay people in this book! i didn't even go in expecting that! just drawn to them i guess. the red necktie bit made me chuckle out loud (this book got like 3 audible laughs out of me which is pretty good tbh). i wish there were more women who weren't just someone's love interest but the women we got weren't too bad even if i do think they were kind of the weak spot of the book.
this is relatively progressive for a book about the 1920s written in 2001? i mean they use the g slur a lot and "oriental" a couple times but the character who uses natives as props and cardboard villains in his act is the main antagonist and there are actual native characters who call him out for being a shithead which is. more than i'd expect from certain things today, tbh. and they were delightfully normal about the gay people.
i don't know a Lot about stage magic though i've read a good few books about it at this point and the technical mechanics flew over my head at certain times but i actually really enjoy reading fiction about stuff i don't know a lot about from the perspective of characters who do know a lot about it. i liked following carter's rise to glory and genuinely almost teared up at the ending which is like. WHAT! that alone is usually a certificate of quality from me.
genuinely might seek out this book to own it which is Nottt what i expected to come out of this reading experience! but it was honestly a delightful palate cleanser after the daughter of dr. moreau and just fucking fun to be honest! is this a romp? could i call this a romp?
megmcardle's review
5.0
LOVED this! Setting of turn of the century/early 20th century San Francisco was fabulously rendered and the characters were great. Plus: magic!
mayajade1701's review
5.0
I picked this book up off the shelves of my parents cabin this summer when I needed something to read. They had two copies of it so I figured someone must have liked it.
I wasn't sure what to expect as I honestly picked it by name and cover alone. I was pleasantly surprised. For a dense book that covers the main characters entire lifespan the story moves quickly. It felt like a combination of Water for Elephants, Kavalier and Clay and The Prestige and I loved it.
I was drawn into the world and characters and since I grew up in San Fransisco and knew a lot of the places the characters go I really felt like I was living the story and watching a movie unfold. I love that the book is based in real history but you're never sure if it is fantasy or not the entire time. I would recommend this to anyone who loved the above mentioned books or Season of the Witch and Devil in the White City.
I wasn't sure what to expect as I honestly picked it by name and cover alone. I was pleasantly surprised. For a dense book that covers the main characters entire lifespan the story moves quickly. It felt like a combination of Water for Elephants, Kavalier and Clay and The Prestige and I loved it.
I was drawn into the world and characters and since I grew up in San Fransisco and knew a lot of the places the characters go I really felt like I was living the story and watching a movie unfold. I love that the book is based in real history but you're never sure if it is fantasy or not the entire time. I would recommend this to anyone who loved the above mentioned books or Season of the Witch and Devil in the White City.
thelaurasaurus's review against another edition
5.0
Sometimes I enjoy a book so much it makes me wonder whether my rating system is overly generous to other books... Something my book club would confirm is true. I've thought about buying this many times over the years, entirely for the cover as I had no idea what it was about, and now I've read it, I can't believe it took me so long.