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hewlettelaine's review against another edition
2.0
I found this novel really difficult to get to grips with. It tells the story of Catherine Sorgeiul, a young woman with a past who is now living in east London with her uncle. When a spate of vicious murders occurs, Catherine becomes fascinated by them and hopes to track down the killer herself.
Williams' style of writing was very hard to read. She attempts to conjure up Catherine's disturbed mind with the very heavy use of elaborate, disjointed imagery but the only effect this had on me was to make me want to stop reading it very quickly! Catherine felt alien and it was hard to feel any sympathy for her as the protagonist. Likewise, the plot is so wrapped up in its own mysteriousness that it becomes almost unintelligable. I was left feeling unmoved by Catherine's plight and I felt that the motives of the other characters were never explored sufficiently. Frustratingly, the identity and motives of the London seriel killer, which underpinned the entire plot, felt briefly handled and underexplored.
Not a very satisfying read!
Williams' style of writing was very hard to read. She attempts to conjure up Catherine's disturbed mind with the very heavy use of elaborate, disjointed imagery but the only effect this had on me was to make me want to stop reading it very quickly! Catherine felt alien and it was hard to feel any sympathy for her as the protagonist. Likewise, the plot is so wrapped up in its own mysteriousness that it becomes almost unintelligable. I was left feeling unmoved by Catherine's plight and I felt that the motives of the other characters were never explored sufficiently. Frustratingly, the identity and motives of the London seriel killer, which underpinned the entire plot, felt briefly handled and underexplored.
Not a very satisfying read!
doritobabe's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5
Full review to come.
Largely this book did not paid well with my mental state which was deeply affected by a head cold. Wow
Review updated November 2021:
It's been several weeks, months since I finished this novel.
Working my way though my library TBR and this was shelved in 2014 or earlier.
The book was probably inspired by the Jack the Ripper murders and kept me hooked only because of the unreliable narrator. Readers cant solve the mystery because our view is obscured by the main characters mild madness and obsessions.
Stories that attempt big reveals for me are usually disappointing, so the ending of this left me wanting.
So I don't forget: plain, alone and bored. Trapped in the main house while the world exists and moves on around her, the main character is obsessed with her own wickedness and a series of murders taking place in London. She begins to fantasize and write stories from the murderers perspective, eventually getting into dangerous situations in attempt to find out if she is one to guessingbthe truth and to better understand. This leads to trouble, but being a helpless woman during that time, there isn't much that can be done. So, trouble continues, the murderer is revealed, and the main character is able to flee to a different continent. For a time.
Full review to come.
Largely this book did not paid well with my mental state which was deeply affected by a head cold. Wow
Review updated November 2021:
It's been several weeks, months since I finished this novel.
Working my way though my library TBR and this was shelved in 2014 or earlier.
The book was probably inspired by the Jack the Ripper murders and kept me hooked only because of the unreliable narrator. Readers cant solve the mystery because our view is obscured by the main characters mild madness and obsessions.
Stories that attempt big reveals for me are usually disappointing, so the ending of this left me wanting.
So I don't forget: plain, alone and bored. Trapped in the main house while the world exists and moves on around her, the main character is obsessed with her own wickedness and a series of murders taking place in London. She begins to fantasize and write stories from the murderers perspective, eventually getting into dangerous situations in attempt to find out if she is one to guessingbthe truth and to better understand. This leads to trouble, but being a helpless woman during that time, there isn't much that can be done. So, trouble continues, the murderer is revealed, and the main character is able to flee to a different continent. For a time.
anouk90's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
susan_ok's review against another edition
1.0
I'm sorry to say I cannot finish this. I'm not so down with the overwrought female and creepy uncle. And I needed something to happen more quickly. The Victorian horror is one of my favorite genres so I'd usually be really interested in this. But it's just not doing it for me. And I had such high hopes.
beastreader's review against another edition
1.0
Someone is murdering women. The murderer however does take the time to nicely arrange the women by braiding their hair and stuffing the end of the braid in their mouth.
Catherine Sorgeiul lives with her Uncle. She is supposed to be a proper lady and that means she does not have much of a life. With lots of time on her hands, Catherine soon finds herself drawn to the murders. Catherine starting writing about the murders. However, Catherine’s writing brings her into the killer’s sight.
This book sounded really good as it might still turn out to be good but for me, I found myself struggling to get into this book. In fact I sadly had to give up after only making it to page 66. The writing just seemed too monotone for me. There was nothing interesting about the story. I did not feel anything for the murdered women. This I felt was an important aspect of the story as this is the mina focus of what the story is about. If I do not feel anything for the women then there is no point in going any further with the book and trying to discover why the women were murdered.
Missing: A more interesting cast and a quicker story line pace.
Catherine Sorgeiul lives with her Uncle. She is supposed to be a proper lady and that means she does not have much of a life. With lots of time on her hands, Catherine soon finds herself drawn to the murders. Catherine starting writing about the murders. However, Catherine’s writing brings her into the killer’s sight.
This book sounded really good as it might still turn out to be good but for me, I found myself struggling to get into this book. In fact I sadly had to give up after only making it to page 66. The writing just seemed too monotone for me. There was nothing interesting about the story. I did not feel anything for the murdered women. This I felt was an important aspect of the story as this is the mina focus of what the story is about. If I do not feel anything for the women then there is no point in going any further with the book and trying to discover why the women were murdered.
Missing: A more interesting cast and a quicker story line pace.
erikadawnbraham's review against another edition
4.0
I quite enjoyed this book. It's not your typical Victorian era novel. It isn't about being a proper lady and finding love, it is about a very twisted main character who gets wrapped up in the murders in London. It had me not wanting to put the book down. It's definitely a little weird at parts but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
pea_nut18's review against another edition
2.0
I found it difficult to keep up with the switching of characters throughout the book. I was really hoping to enjoy this book more because I enjoy reading this era but was overall disappointing.
debjazzergal's review against another edition
4.0
Very well written and thoroughly researched. Intricately plotted. Overall a great read.
leavingsealevel's review against another edition
1.0
Ugh.
I swear there is not a single likeable character in this book. NO ONE.
I swear there is not a single likeable character in this book. NO ONE.
litwrite's review against another edition
3.0
This was heavy but kind of in all the wrong ways. There was this air of drudgery in the entire novel which really felt like suffocating which I guess goes along with the plot of the book, but really I felt less like it was about the plot and more about the prose which seemed really overworked to me.
[a:Sarah Waters|25334|Sarah Waters|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1208970232p2/25334.jpg] gets mentioned a lot when trying to pigeonhole this book and I do see where that comparison is coming from but I feel like Williams is a lot less successful in writing about the same sorts of things as Ms. Waters. If anything, I would say this book reminded me more of a highbrow attempt at [b:My Sweet Audrina|805023|My Sweet Audrina|V.C. Andrews|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1178550284s/805023.jpg|2702382], with all the gaslighting and the 'what happened to my family' drama. I found the first 50 pages to be very dull, with a pick up in the middle where things got quite exciting for a while, and then ultimately it just fizzled out again at the end which I found to be pretty lackluster.
I do, however, love that cover.
[a:Sarah Waters|25334|Sarah Waters|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1208970232p2/25334.jpg] gets mentioned a lot when trying to pigeonhole this book and I do see where that comparison is coming from but I feel like Williams is a lot less successful in writing about the same sorts of things as Ms. Waters. If anything, I would say this book reminded me more of a highbrow attempt at [b:My Sweet Audrina|805023|My Sweet Audrina|V.C. Andrews|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1178550284s/805023.jpg|2702382], with all the gaslighting and the 'what happened to my family' drama. I found the first 50 pages to be very dull, with a pick up in the middle where things got quite exciting for a while, and then ultimately it just fizzled out again at the end which I found to be pretty lackluster.
I do, however, love that cover.