Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - The Historian

Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

9 reviews

caidyn's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Wow, what a great book. It was so winding and Gothic and just amazing. Definitely a favorite book.

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rorikae's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

‘The Historian’ by Elizabeth Kostova is a complex story about three generations of a family that have been pulled into a search for information about Dracula.
The story twines between the story of a college student as she seeks to learn what happened to her father and his mentor as they searched for news about Vlad the Impaler and the legend of Dracula. It is mostly told through recollections that the daughter (and her father before her) have found, including letters, journals, and notes.
I’m quite conflicted about this book. I enjoyed it but I feel that the length is unnecessary (even though it is well paced). So much of this story is recollection that it feels very passive as other characters are doing things and the daughter’s story is really just a frame narrative. For the length of the book, it doesn’t feel like a great much happens, which is part of why I feel it could have been greatly cut down in length without sacrificing the story. There were some interesting revelations throughout the story, which I did enjoy. The ending was very quick (especially considering how long the book is). This is very much a book for people that want an academic focused but fictional look at Vlad the Impaler and legends of Dracula. Action is minimal but Kostova does a good job of keeping questions moving throughout the story in a way that pulls along the interest of the reader.
Important note: this book was published in 2005 and uses the slur for the Romani people multiple times.

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internationalreads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark informative tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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laurenw's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

3.75

Wonderfully atmospheric, with beautiful descriptions of the travels within. It did, however, ramble on a tad too much. The layers of story within the story were intriguing, and the research element was enjoyable to read, but there were a few stories that could have perhaps been culled. Ultimately, a good read, especially if you already harboured an interest in Dracula and his ilk.

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