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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
This novel had a lot going on. Like, a lot. But every character was really complex, interesting, and authentically themselves. Imperfect, but no one was truly, fully unlikable. It’s hard to capture it exactly, but that complexity was lovely. It felt a bit like a combination of character studies, and it was very well done. I’d absolutely recommend it.
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow. This woman can write. For real! The storyline, although not particularly exciting on the surface, becomes enriched by colourful, lovable and real-feeling characters (with just a small touch of almost dickensian dramatisation) and deep philosophical ideas. I truly loved it. The characters are all uniquely flawed and perfect in ways that seem contradictory, for example, Will (the character who's greatest strength is his faith both in himself, God and the falsify of the serpent) is also the one who cheats on his wife. I also loved Stella and found her madness incredibly fascinating. Furthermore, the deep yet subtle philosophical ideas present are so, so fascinating, and the book gives you just a small spark to start a great fire. This is a book (just like Frankenstien) which I believe could be read over and over through different lenses, getting better and better each time. Absolutley loved it
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This has excellent prose but nothing happens, and none of the characters was interesting enough for me to care remotely about anything in the book. Also there's weird religious symbolism that could be made interesting but it's very dull instead, and almost intriguing hints of magical realism early on that amount to absolutely nothing. The best moment for me reading this book was when it ended.
2 stars for the writing or it would've been 1
2 stars for the writing or it would've been 1
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I need to try this again when I'm not so frazzled and tired.
To me, this is a mixture of historical fiction and gothic. I've seen it mentioned alongside The Lie Tree, both in the context of awards and themes, and this makes sense - though that book is for all audiences and this is probably 'reader discretion advised'. The setting is not my favourite - due to the gothic aspects, there's a bit more focus on mood which means a bit less on details, though it does seem well-researched. This is a novel that focuses on very flawed characters. I think they're well written and believable and interesting, with enough good points that they don't get wearing. The plot is a bit unstructured for my tastes. Although that adds to the realism, it makes the conclusion a bit weak - though that sort of fits with the ideas the author conveys. I think this is worth reading if you like historical fiction and classic gothic literature, or drama in general.
Pretty darn close to a 5 for me (oh, heck, I am going with 5) but the ending puzzled me too greatly.
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story was really good in some places, and extremely confusing and hard to follow in others. Overall, it was just okay. The narrator saved this book for me - she did such an incredible job of providing original voices to all the characters that I actually thought there was more than one narrator!