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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
I wasn't sure what to make of this book at first; it starts with one set of characters, then jumps to another set in another time period, and then again to someone else. But each section was so beautifully written, I kept wondering what had happened to the characters in the earlier sections. They all start to intersect as the novel unravels to reveal the secret at the core of a haunted house on the Thames. I genuinely did not see the ending coming until the last couple of chapters, and even when you work it out you won't be able to stop reading to find out more.
As is typical of Kate Morton’s novel this is an absorbing and beautiful story where multiple timelines and characters are introduced and their stories and secrets revealed slowly until they twine together. Detailed period detail and sumptuous descriptions bring the settings to life in glorious colour and the beautifully depicted Birchwood Manor runs throughout with a magical quality that reaches out to the reader. With the story jumping back and forth and so many characters it can be tricky to follow at times but it is well worth persevering.
This could have been a four star book at least if it hadn’t been so very long. I think several characters and a significant chunk of the middle could have been eliminated easily.
This would get 31/2 stars if that were possible. I liked the characters and the idea of this book as it weaves many peoples stories together over a long period of time. Seems like it could’ve been a lot shorter and still done well, though. Pretty slow-moving plot but good foreshadowing and interesting characters. I don’t think I had the same issues with Kate Morton’s “Secret Keeper” as I remember flying through and loving it!
*Set and jumps between several time periods.
*First half of historical story was confusing and difficult to read - too many characters and writing style appeared different to the rest of the book.
*Ending felt incomplete
*Great storyline and potential but fell short of expectations.
#Ghosts, Murder, Greed, Parential loss and love, Societal inequalities, Separation, Bullying
*First half of historical story was confusing and difficult to read - too many characters and writing style appeared different to the rest of the book.
*Ending felt incomplete
*Great storyline and potential but fell short of expectations.
#Ghosts, Murder, Greed, Parential loss and love, Societal inequalities, Separation, Bullying
I didn't expect to like this book. It just isn't my usual sort of thing, and I was disappointed my book club voted to read it. It took me ages to get around to cracking the cover... and then by the end of the first chapter, I thought "Gosh darn it, this is actually GOOD. Now I have to read the darn thing."
This book is a bit like a kaleidoscope, all moving pieces that are both separate from each other and part of the same whole. It's a half dozen different stories, all taking place at different times but intersecting with the same place (Birchwood Manor), and all of them are engaging and meaningful. Unexpected threads connect them, similarities resonate, clues to the great mystery of the ghost (the 'clockmaker's daughter' of the title) peep in and out like groundhogs. Sometimes it's hard to keep track of everything, so if you're a note-taking person, indulge that impulse! But I wouldn't call it a confusing book, only complex. Much to my surprise, I loved it.
This book is a bit like a kaleidoscope, all moving pieces that are both separate from each other and part of the same whole. It's a half dozen different stories, all taking place at different times but intersecting with the same place (Birchwood Manor), and all of them are engaging and meaningful. Unexpected threads connect them, similarities resonate, clues to the great mystery of the ghost (the 'clockmaker's daughter' of the title) peep in and out like groundhogs. Sometimes it's hard to keep track of everything, so if you're a note-taking person, indulge that impulse! But I wouldn't call it a confusing book, only complex. Much to my surprise, I loved it.
This book overall kept my interest but it took me a long time to get through it. I had very expectations which might be affecting my reaction. I liked it but I didn't love it.
The mystery was interest and the characters unique. But there was almost too much?
The mystery was interest and the characters unique. But there was almost too much?
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
**2.5, leaning towards a 3**
I wanted to love this book but just couldn't get there. I'm not really sure I can describe what it was all about. There are themes aplenty—time, love, art, nature, poverty, music, etc., etc.—but they don't come together in a satisfactory way. Not that I need neat ends or thematic tidiness to enjoy a read, but I guess there's a "je ne sais quoi" that it's lacking.
The book leans heavily on gothic tradition, but man... pageturner-ness is something I very much associate with gothic reads, and I found this too easy to set aside. The pacing is all off. As I reached the end, where many big questions are answered, I was only mildly motivated to keep reading, whereas with most other gothics I'll forgo sleep, meals, work, and any/all social obligations until I reach the end where all is revealed.
The layering of different stories, same place, different time periods bored me a bit. I don't know why I find that style of storytelling so offputting... but really, would it kill writers to tell *one* tale, without having to weave together so many gosh-darned layers? To me, it's like the difference between a simple meal made with the best ingredients vs. a fancy one with tons of components, but without the care for the quality of each ingredient. The fancy dish distracts you from its lesser quality precisely by being so complicated. In the simple one, the superiority shines through by nature of its simplicity. I'm craving more or this simple excellence. I'm craving storytelling and writing so masterful that it shines on its own merit, without needing to resort to complex devices and timelines.
A bright spot: I do love when buildings or structures are written as characters. Birchwood Manor is a magical place, described in stunning detail. I felt like a child reading the story of the Fairy Queen and the forest and the night of the following. Kate Morton is a skilled writer who knits together lovely sentences, so while as a whole it didn't quite come together for me, it wasn't exactly a chore to read. Certainly pleasant enough.
That said, I'm not sure I can recommend this book. Jane Eyre, Rebecca, Frankenstein, The Haunting of Hill House, The Moonstone... all so infinitely superior. This is a fine read, I suppose, but at 482 pages it is, in my opinion, simply too big an investment of time (oh the irony!) for its actual worth.
I wanted to love this book but just couldn't get there. I'm not really sure I can describe what it was all about. There are themes aplenty—time, love, art, nature, poverty, music, etc., etc.—but they don't come together in a satisfactory way. Not that I need neat ends or thematic tidiness to enjoy a read, but I guess there's a "je ne sais quoi" that it's lacking.
The book leans heavily on gothic tradition, but man... pageturner-ness is something I very much associate with gothic reads, and I found this too easy to set aside. The pacing is all off. As I reached the end, where many big questions are answered, I was only mildly motivated to keep reading, whereas with most other gothics I'll forgo sleep, meals, work, and any/all social obligations until I reach the end where all is revealed.
The layering of different stories, same place, different time periods bored me a bit. I don't know why I find that style of storytelling so offputting... but really, would it kill writers to tell *one* tale, without having to weave together so many gosh-darned layers? To me, it's like the difference between a simple meal made with the best ingredients vs. a fancy one with tons of components, but without the care for the quality of each ingredient. The fancy dish distracts you from its lesser quality precisely by being so complicated. In the simple one, the superiority shines through by nature of its simplicity. I'm craving more or this simple excellence. I'm craving storytelling and writing so masterful that it shines on its own merit, without needing to resort to complex devices and timelines.
A bright spot: I do love when buildings or structures are written as characters. Birchwood Manor is a magical place, described in stunning detail. I felt like a child reading the story of the Fairy Queen and the forest and the night of the following. Kate Morton is a skilled writer who knits together lovely sentences, so while as a whole it didn't quite come together for me, it wasn't exactly a chore to read. Certainly pleasant enough.
That said, I'm not sure I can recommend this book. Jane Eyre, Rebecca, Frankenstein, The Haunting of Hill House, The Moonstone... all so infinitely superior. This is a fine read, I suppose, but at 482 pages it is, in my opinion, simply too big an investment of time (oh the irony!) for its actual worth.