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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
This book had the same hallmarks of all the books I've enjoyed in the past - each chapter alternating both who the narrators are and when their story takes place. We're first introduced to Elodie, who comes across a mysterious picture in a satchel in the present day, and then we're abruptly introduced to a ghost, who we later learn is important to the story, who narrates both in the present and the past, and then there's the revolving door of narrators in the past, some of whom we see time and time again, while others only appear for 20 pages, never to be seen again.
And so while this book had all the hallmarks of books I've enjoyed, I did not enjoy this book at all. Elodie appears primarily at the beginning of the book, and then only at the very end. It was unclear to me why the author included her story at all in the novel - except as a set up to the other two narrations - especially when her story had many gaps in it. For example, throughout Elodie's story, Morton hints at a tension between Elodie and her fiancee, Alastair, but it's left at just that. There's no explanation or resolution to this conflict, and the reader (me) was left wondering why it was included at all.
The ghost's portions of the book confused me, partially because the transitions between the ghost and the other narrators were incredibly abrupt. In books that alternate narrators, often what makes them so interesting to read is that the transition between the narrators' stories is smooth - one event ends in one narrator's story, only to have a related event begin in the other story. This book was not like that. We wouldn't be done with an event in Elodie's story, before the ghost would jump in. And trying to switch from a human narrator to a ghost (who makes it very clear that she can just observe all and will go up to people and blow in their ears to make them do things) was, for lack of a better word, weird.
The only redeeming quality of this book, in my opinion came with specifically Birdie & Lucy's - two women in the past - stories. For those two recurring narrators, Morton did a fantastic job with the way she described their lives - the detail given to the characters, their interactions, and their emotions were incredible and vivid, and I found myself glued to those parts of the stories (only to be rudely interrupted when the book switched back to the perspective of a ghost).
Overall, the expressive, colorful stories of Birdie & Lucy's pasts weren't enough to save this book. I only finished it because I needed to know what happened to the main characters.
And so while this book had all the hallmarks of books I've enjoyed, I did not enjoy this book at all. Elodie appears primarily at the beginning of the book, and then only at the very end. It was unclear to me why the author included her story at all in the novel - except as a set up to the other two narrations - especially when her story had many gaps in it. For example, throughout Elodie's story, Morton hints at a tension between Elodie and her fiancee, Alastair, but it's left at just that. There's no explanation or resolution to this conflict, and the reader (me) was left wondering why it was included at all.
The ghost's portions of the book confused me, partially because the transitions between the ghost and the other narrators were incredibly abrupt. In books that alternate narrators, often what makes them so interesting to read is that the transition between the narrators' stories is smooth - one event ends in one narrator's story, only to have a related event begin in the other story. This book was not like that. We wouldn't be done with an event in Elodie's story, before the ghost would jump in. And trying to switch from a human narrator to a ghost (who makes it very clear that she can just observe all and will go up to people and blow in their ears to make them do things) was, for lack of a better word, weird.
The only redeeming quality of this book, in my opinion came with specifically Birdie & Lucy's - two women in the past - stories. For those two recurring narrators, Morton did a fantastic job with the way she described their lives - the detail given to the characters, their interactions, and their emotions were incredible and vivid, and I found myself glued to those parts of the stories (only to be rudely interrupted when the book switched back to the perspective of a ghost).
Overall, the expressive, colorful stories of Birdie & Lucy's pasts weren't enough to save this book. I only finished it because I needed to know what happened to the main characters.
I wanted to like this one, but . . . wow. The somewhat-tired trope of switching narrative voices EXPLODES here, to the point that I'd sometimes be listening and trying to remember who a particular character was and why I was supposed to care. SEVENTEEN HOURS!!!! I cheered when the Author's Note started--"I"m done!"--and then felt guilty because the author's motivation and interest level were admirable, and she seemed like a fun person. But oh my gosh--her editor should've calmed her *right* down and made this a nice seven hour novel.
Problems: waaaaaaay too many character sets, most of which were never effectively concluded or developed.
The central love relationship involved two unlikable characters.
Lucy's actions are super hard to understand.
Why do we need to hear about . . . Leon? Oh, yeah, to include WWi in the history.
Reader was not great--her men got cringy super fast.
Elody's wedding conflict is developed VERY carefully, and then . . . not resolved.
AND. . . if you're going to call the freakin' book "CLOCKMAKER'S DAUGHTER," let's have that fact play some kind of a major role in the whole seventeen hours of it, okay?
Why did I stick with it the whole 17 hours and 3 minutes? I guess 1. the horrible fascination of it all, and 2. a whisper of curiosity about how/if all the ends were going to get wound up. (Which they didn't.)
Problems: waaaaaaay too many character sets, most of which were never effectively concluded or developed.
The central love relationship involved two unlikable characters.
Lucy's actions are super hard to understand.
Why do we need to hear about . . . Leon? Oh, yeah, to include WWi in the history.
Reader was not great--her men got cringy super fast.
Elody's wedding conflict is developed VERY carefully, and then . . . not resolved.
AND. . . if you're going to call the freakin' book "CLOCKMAKER'S DAUGHTER," let's have that fact play some kind of a major role in the whole seventeen hours of it, okay?
Why did I stick with it the whole 17 hours and 3 minutes? I guess 1. the horrible fascination of it all, and 2. a whisper of curiosity about how/if all the ends were going to get wound up. (Which they didn't.)
I listened to the audio book narrated by Joanne Froggatt and loved it. When it finished, I said out loud, "Gah! So good!" I wistfully wanted to cry at not being able to inhabit that place and hear the main voice of the story for the first time anymore.
I don't usually like stories where timelines and characters shift, but this one did so deftly without ever losing my concentration on the main story and those characters, man. I think I love every single one of them, even Mrs. Mack. Pale Joe, Elodie, Leonard, Juliet, Tip, Edward, Jack... and of course Birdie!!
Beautifully told and a delight to consume. Checked all the boxes for me!
I don't usually like stories where timelines and characters shift, but this one did so deftly without ever losing my concentration on the main story and those characters, man. I think I love every single one of them, even Mrs. Mack. Pale Joe, Elodie, Leonard, Juliet, Tip, Edward, Jack... and of course Birdie!!
Beautifully told and a delight to consume. Checked all the boxes for me!
Despite being frequently prolix and displaying an obsessive-compulsive leaning towards showing off all her research findings and knotting up all the loose ends, Morton creates intriguing puzzles that hook me every time. This one did not disappoint.
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Many time periods and a plethora of characters makes this a read that you need to pay attention throughout. That being said, I thought it was entertaining and I enjoyed it.
Didn’t love this one as much as her others. 🙁 So many characters, so many storylines. . . I love books that are character driven and I didn’t have enough time with any one character to really get to know and love them.
I liked this a lot, though having a ghost narrator was sometimes a little too farfetched for me. I suppose it is more 3.5 stars.
There is a mystery at the heart of this novel, though I suppose it is mostly historical fiction. It jumps around in time, and there is definitely romance intertwined.
Read it if you like romance, historical fiction, or a protagonist who wallows in nostalgia.
There is a mystery at the heart of this novel, though I suppose it is mostly historical fiction. It jumps around in time, and there is definitely romance intertwined.
Read it if you like romance, historical fiction, or a protagonist who wallows in nostalgia.
I would say this is more of a 4.5 book for me. This was my first Kate Morton book and WOW does her language engage and draw me in as a reader. I read other reviews of folks disliking that she had too many characters telling their stories, but I actually frustratingly like that way of building tension. I like the challenge of keeping track of characters and i actually enjoyed they way she overlapped and dovetailed the stories together. Definitely had to pay attention since some things were more subtle.
The ending was a little less pitch perfect for me which is why it is not 5 stars. I can only buy into the fact that an intelligent child chooses to believe the cops over what she remembers and never speaks up about it so much. Characters NOT talking is something I have a very hard time with, and to think that Lucy wouldn’t try to help her brother heal from this apparent betrayal (even if she was technically “responsible”) just seems a bit too far for me to stretch. I understand that trauma can be too close and to near to address and then become a habit of guilt. Also, I can imagine that it is different and compounded when someone is accidentally murdered, but if she was doing it to protect her relationship with her brother, he couldn’t even do that because of his intense depression and seeking Birdie. So why wouldn’t you give your brother some peace!
I do wish we had a bit more resolution surrounding Elodie as well. She left on the precipice of major life decisions. We have an inkling of where she is leaning, but I wish we had a bit more resolution.
The ending was a little less pitch perfect for me which is why it is not 5 stars. I can only buy into the fact that an intelligent child chooses to believe the cops over what she remembers and never speaks up about it so much. Characters NOT talking is something I have a very hard time with, and to think that Lucy wouldn’t try to help her brother heal from this apparent betrayal (even if she was technically “responsible”) just seems a bit too far for me to stretch. I understand that trauma can be too close and to near to address and then become a habit of guilt. Also, I can imagine that it is different and compounded when someone is accidentally murdered, but if she was doing it to protect her relationship with her brother, he couldn’t even do that because of his intense depression and seeking Birdie. So why wouldn’t you give your brother some peace!
I do wish we had a bit more resolution surrounding Elodie as well. She left on the precipice of major life decisions. We have an inkling of where she is leaning, but I wish we had a bit more resolution.