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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Like other Kate Morton novels, The Clockmaker's Daughter was one I couldn't put down, once I had the time to read it! Since it isn't due out for a few months, I'm going to save some more detailed thoughts until a bit later. Needless to say, I loved it, and wanted it to continue for a few hundred more pages! There were moments of extreme angst while I read this and also moments of pure delight! I appreciated the various threads of narrative Kate wove together and cannot wait to get a finished copy when the book is out this fall!!
I truly loved all of the characters and the storylines, and how they intertwined. I am a big fan of historical fiction and this was a great example of the genre.
I felt invested in the plot, but it took a long time for me to get there. The beginning felt particularly dense, which made it hard to get through—and even harder to remember the characters and their stories. I would have liked for some more specific resolution at the end for Elodie, especially as she was the first character to whom we were introduced. Other than that, I really enjoyed the way the storylines were wrapped up. I’ve heard this isn’t the authour’s best work and it’s the first I’ve read of hers, so if I ever come across another one of her books, perhaps I’ll read it.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4!
I felt invested in the plot, but it took a long time for me to get there. The beginning felt particularly dense, which made it hard to get through—and even harder to remember the characters and their stories. I would have liked for some more specific resolution at the end for Elodie, especially as she was the first character to whom we were introduced. Other than that, I really enjoyed the way the storylines were wrapped up. I’ve heard this isn’t the authour’s best work and it’s the first I’ve read of hers, so if I ever come across another one of her books, perhaps I’ll read it.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4!
mysterious
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A home with an alluring appeal for many and a ghostly presence with a keen intellect and sense of curiosity builds a sweeping story in Kate Morton’s The Clockmaker’s Daughter.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Finding a leather satchel containing an old sepia photograph of a beautiful young woman in Victorian garb and an artist’s sketchbook, which contains a drawing of a house that utterly arrests her attention, archivist Eloise Winslow is compulsively driven to uncover the story, and truth, behind these items and who they belonged to. Through her investigations and the narration of an unknown spirit residing in the house in question, tales relating to both the house and the spirit unfold and paint a larger image of events that took place in the home over the span of 150-odd years. Finding that the sketched home is real, and more than just an element of a family bedtime story, Eloise learns more about the group of artists who spent time in the home that Edward Radcliffe purchased, including him and his last muse, while also finally finding the ability to voice her desires.
A complex, sweeping story addressing the most basic of tales – love – that weaves together the various strands throughout the ages to build a comprehensive narrative and history of the numerous lives that have congregated at Birchwood Manor through the perspectives of numerous narrators, including the ever-present voice of the woman whose spirit was around to watch it all unfold over one hundred-plus years. With plentiful details strewn throughout the text to understand who is behind the ghostly voice and how she came to be that way, the mystery of the story develops well over the vast number of pages dedicated to the story; though much is resolved by the end of the tale, there are still some loose(r) threads that I would have liked to see tightened up to reduce some lingering questions.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Finding a leather satchel containing an old sepia photograph of a beautiful young woman in Victorian garb and an artist’s sketchbook, which contains a drawing of a house that utterly arrests her attention, archivist Eloise Winslow is compulsively driven to uncover the story, and truth, behind these items and who they belonged to. Through her investigations and the narration of an unknown spirit residing in the house in question, tales relating to both the house and the spirit unfold and paint a larger image of events that took place in the home over the span of 150-odd years. Finding that the sketched home is real, and more than just an element of a family bedtime story, Eloise learns more about the group of artists who spent time in the home that Edward Radcliffe purchased, including him and his last muse, while also finally finding the ability to voice her desires.
A complex, sweeping story addressing the most basic of tales – love – that weaves together the various strands throughout the ages to build a comprehensive narrative and history of the numerous lives that have congregated at Birchwood Manor through the perspectives of numerous narrators, including the ever-present voice of the woman whose spirit was around to watch it all unfold over one hundred-plus years. With plentiful details strewn throughout the text to understand who is behind the ghostly voice and how she came to be that way, the mystery of the story develops well over the vast number of pages dedicated to the story; though much is resolved by the end of the tale, there are still some loose(r) threads that I would have liked to see tightened up to reduce some lingering questions.
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I normally like time travel books, both of the Sci-fi variety and the historical romancy type. This one though I just found tedious and excessively wordy in the way of someone being paid by the page. So many words and yet the plot just doesn’t move forward. And some dangling threads at the end that maybe are trying to be mysterious? But just are poorly executed imo.
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A thoroughly enjoyable meander through time, Kate Morton's 'The Clockmaker's Daughter' weaves an intricate story about a house, a lost diamond, and a missing woman, and how these three things connect multiple people over a span of about 150 years. Evocative, descriptive, and pleasantly informative, "The Clockmaker's Daughter" explores the themes of love, loss, grief, and, of course, how art and places can reach through time and connect people who otherwise never really meet.
The start was quite slow, particularly for the first-person POV that weaves throughout the book. It was a good book, but it wasn't a 'wow' book for me like Homecoming was. The novel has an incredibly strong second-half with fantastic POV characters, but at times I found myself wanting to read more about their stories than the actual murder mystery plotline. Also, I found some of the answers at the end of the book...fell flat? There had been some good tension and build-up, but the final delivery felt a bit rushed and unsatisfying, as did the end of the book itself. I feel like if the beginning had been shortened, the ending could have had more room to breathe, if that makes sense?
The use of multiple POVs to give the reader bits and pieces of the overarching plot was really well done, even if the pay-off wasn't what I expected. Morton has a way of being able to bring the characters to life with very limited page counts. Some POV characters we only meet for perhaps a chapter or two, but they were instantly alive; almost real people whose stories were rich and whom you can't help but fall in love with. The characters and their stories really drove the plot forward as opposed to the other way around, in my opinion, so I'd keep that in mind if you prefer plot-driven books.
There are quite a few different narrators in this novel, particularly in the large "Part Two/Three" middle section, so be prepared for that going in. They all had really distinct voices and were all written beautifully -- a particular strength of Morton -- but as much as I loved the glimpses into their lives, it sometimes caused the pace of the story to drag and some of the character POVs perhaps weren't necessary to the advancement of the plot.
*LITTLE BIT SPOILERY BEGINS*
The overarching themes of grief, loss (be that of a lover, a parent, a sibling), and love were woven beautifully with motifs musing on art and time, houses and places and rivers and how they forge connections between people. The power of art and stories being passed down from person to person really drives this home. Also, I'm pretty sure some element of time, rivers, and houses were in each POV, which was really cool to notice as I was reading.
Birchwood Manor and it's nearby river, in particular, felt like actual characters and I fell as deeply in love with the manor as everyone who stepped foot inside it did. Morton's descriptive writing made me feel like I was actually there, in the manor; or in Elodie's flat; or in Bombay; or in the English countryside. She has a knack for bringing places to life that I really, really love. It made up for the weakness in the ending/plot wrap-up.
I also love that there was a bit of a ghost story element to this one; a bit of magic and the supernatural, if one chooses to interpret it that way. As well, some of the POVs in the middle of the book explored the notion of a person being haunted, which was quite compelling and, at times, heartbreaking. I definitely teared up a little bit at various points in the back half of the book - and I am /so glad/ we found out what really happened at the river that day during the 1899 part of the book, because I was TENSE about what had happened to the POV character, and especially to Bili the cat.
*SPOILERY BIT ENDS*
Two books in, and I think Morton also has a talent for bittersweet endings. Again, we the reader know what really happened, but the characters don't. They never have all the pieces like we do. It's implied that the truth is finally found and told to the world; it's flat out stated that our main narrator is happy where they are, but I did find it a bit sad that the lovers weren't reunited in the end. This is where I feel the ending could have been a bit longer to wrap things up in a more satisfying way. Still, an great book and a really fun read!
The start was quite slow, particularly for the first-person POV that weaves throughout the book. It was a good book, but it wasn't a 'wow' book for me like Homecoming was. The novel has an incredibly strong second-half with fantastic POV characters, but at times I found myself wanting to read more about their stories than the actual murder mystery plotline. Also, I found some of the answers at the end of the book...fell flat? There had been some good tension and build-up, but the final delivery felt a bit rushed and unsatisfying, as did the end of the book itself. I feel like if the beginning had been shortened, the ending could have had more room to breathe, if that makes sense?
The use of multiple POVs to give the reader bits and pieces of the overarching plot was really well done, even if the pay-off wasn't what I expected. Morton has a way of being able to bring the characters to life with very limited page counts. Some POV characters we only meet for perhaps a chapter or two, but they were instantly alive; almost real people whose stories were rich and whom you can't help but fall in love with. The characters and their stories really drove the plot forward as opposed to the other way around, in my opinion, so I'd keep that in mind if you prefer plot-driven books.
There are quite a few different narrators in this novel, particularly in the large "Part Two/Three" middle section, so be prepared for that going in. They all had really distinct voices and were all written beautifully -- a particular strength of Morton -- but as much as I loved the glimpses into their lives, it sometimes caused the pace of the story to drag and some of the character POVs perhaps weren't necessary to the advancement of the plot.
*LITTLE BIT SPOILERY BEGINS*
The overarching themes of grief, loss (be that of a lover, a parent, a sibling), and love were woven beautifully with motifs musing on art and time, houses and places and rivers and how they forge connections between people. The power of art and stories being passed down from person to person really drives this home. Also, I'm pretty sure some element of time, rivers, and houses were in each POV, which was really cool to notice as I was reading.
Birchwood Manor and it's nearby river, in particular, felt like actual characters and I fell as deeply in love with the manor as everyone who stepped foot inside it did. Morton's descriptive writing made me feel like I was actually there, in the manor; or in Elodie's flat; or in Bombay; or in the English countryside. She has a knack for bringing places to life that I really, really love. It made up for the weakness in the ending/plot wrap-up.
I also love that there was a bit of a ghost story element to this one; a bit of magic and the supernatural, if one chooses to interpret it that way. As well, some of the POVs in the middle of the book explored the notion of a person being haunted, which was quite compelling and, at times, heartbreaking. I definitely teared up a little bit at various points in the back half of the book - and I am /so glad/ we found out what really happened at the river that day during the 1899 part of the book, because I was TENSE about what had happened to the POV character, and especially to Bili the cat.
*SPOILERY BIT ENDS*
Two books in, and I think Morton also has a talent for bittersweet endings. Again, we the reader know what really happened, but the characters don't. They never have all the pieces like we do. It's implied that the truth is finally found and told to the world; it's flat out stated that our main narrator is happy where they are, but I did find it a bit sad that the lovers weren't reunited in the end. This is where I feel the ending could have been a bit longer to wrap things up in a more satisfying way. Still, an great book and a really fun read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, War
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Car accident, Murder
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I've liked other Kate Morton books, but this one was just okay. It's suuuuper slow, which isn't always a bad thing, but I don't think the pay off was worth it in this case. The answer to the mysteries turned out to be weaker than the solutions I had guessed at, and you have to suspend your disbelief pretty hard because characters can act pretty randomly just to add to ~the drama~. I liked the multiple timelines/multiple POV though.