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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Hauntingly beautiful. Morton does a great job of tying everything together at the end to make a neat little package, so that's a plus if you're into that type of closure. It's a very engrossing read, really enjoyed it.
mysterious
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
1.5/5 stars.
This was far from my favorite Kate Morton book, let's just say that.
From a plot standpoint, in the other books I've read from her there is usually some sort of mystery with a surprising twist at the end. There was really no twist to this book, except maybe how some of the (many) characters were related to each other. And there were too many characters for me to really be invested in how any of their stories turned out.
Language and sexual content were about on par with her other books - a couple of cuss words, and one brief not-too-explicit description of two characters sleeping together.
The one thing that actually made me uncomfortable was the thread of occultism throughout the book. One of the narrators is actually a ghost, who can sometimes interact with people who visit the house she is in. There are mentions of mediums, talismans, ouija boards, and occult books, including one old-English book on demonology. One character has an interaction with some sort of evil spirit in the woods and escapes to this house with a protecting "presence".
As a Christian, I actually take spiritual elements like this very seriously, because I don't think in real life these kind of spiritual interactions are the result of imagination, and they aren't innocent. I think getting involved with this kind of thing can open up a person to demonic activity, which is very serious from a spiritual standpoint. Because of that, I do not feel I could recommend a book that has occult elements like this tied into it, especially since the way it is done in the book is rather intriguing. I think some people are more susceptible to wanting to look into this kind of thing in real life, and I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending this for fear it may cause someone to be interested in New Age/occult topics. I hope this isn't a direction Morton will continue to take with her future books.
It gets the two stars because the writing was so good, but it's not a book I would recommend without a lot of care and a HUGE disclaimer because of the spiritual elements to the story.
This was far from my favorite Kate Morton book, let's just say that.
From a plot standpoint, in the other books I've read from her there is usually some sort of mystery with a surprising twist at the end. There was really no twist to this book, except maybe how some of the (many) characters were related to each other. And there were too many characters for me to really be invested in how any of their stories turned out.
Language and sexual content were about on par with her other books - a couple of cuss words, and one brief not-too-explicit description of two characters sleeping together.
The one thing that actually made me uncomfortable was the thread of occultism throughout the book. One of the narrators is actually a ghost, who can sometimes interact with people who visit the house she is in. There are mentions of mediums, talismans, ouija boards, and occult books, including one old-English book on demonology. One character has an interaction with some sort of evil spirit in the woods and escapes to this house with a protecting "presence".
As a Christian, I actually take spiritual elements like this very seriously, because I don't think in real life these kind of spiritual interactions are the result of imagination, and they aren't innocent. I think getting involved with this kind of thing can open up a person to demonic activity, which is very serious from a spiritual standpoint. Because of that, I do not feel I could recommend a book that has occult elements like this tied into it, especially since the way it is done in the book is rather intriguing. I think some people are more susceptible to wanting to look into this kind of thing in real life, and I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending this for fear it may cause someone to be interested in New Age/occult topics. I hope this isn't a direction Morton will continue to take with her future books.
It gets the two stars because the writing was so good, but it's not a book I would recommend without a lot of care and a HUGE disclaimer because of the spiritual elements to the story.
I love Kate Morton to death and this was one of my most anticipated reads of this year. For the most part, I did enjoy it. Reading this book was like being transported to another world. However, there were a number of things that kept it from being a 5 star read for me. It's not my favorite of hers and I think she could have done things a lot better.
It might be that Morton bit off more than she could chew with all the different timelines and perspectives. I felt like the primary mystery and its characters got a little lost. This book felt like a mashup of The Forgotten Garden and The House at Riverton with more overt supernatural elements thrown in. I loved both of those books, but this one felt a tad repetitive. I saw most of the twists coming and didn't have as many "ohhh!!!" moments as I've come to expect with Morton's work.
I also thought the ending felt rushed. After 500 pages, surely we could have gotten a bit more closure? As I mentioned, I saw the major twist coming from a long way, but I wouldn't have minded if we got a little more emphasis, excitement, or oomph. I still love Kate Morton, but this didn't feel like her best work...
It might be that Morton bit off more than she could chew with all the different timelines and perspectives. I felt like the primary mystery and its characters got a little lost. This book felt like a mashup of The Forgotten Garden and The House at Riverton with more overt supernatural elements thrown in. I loved both of those books, but this one felt a tad repetitive. I saw most of the twists coming and didn't have as many "ohhh!!!" moments as I've come to expect with Morton's work.
I also thought the ending felt rushed. After 500 pages, surely we could have gotten a bit more closure? As I mentioned, I saw the major twist coming from a long way, but I wouldn't have minded if we got a little more emphasis, excitement, or oomph. I still love Kate Morton, but this didn't feel like her best work...
QUÉ ES LO QUE SUCEDE EN ESTE LIBRO?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
No tenía ninguna expectativa de qué podía encontrarme aquí pero lo digo ahora mismo: ES DE LOS MEJORES QUE HE LEÍDO.
Sí, la trama avanza un poco lento pero es porque se toma el tiempo de explicar las cosas como se debe y da un excelente desarrollo a los personajes. Cada uno de los personajes importantes tienen su desarrollo y al final la historia da un giro inesperado que sinceramente vi venir cuando empecé a leer ese capítulo.
Es el primer libro que leo de Kate Morton y superó todas mis expectativas.
Si bien, algunos dicen en sus reseñas que el final está abierto, a mí no me lo pareció del todo. Lo único que encuentro es que no se terminó de desarrollar lo que precisamente comenzó la búsqueda de la historia real.
En fin, lo que puedo decir es que aunque avanza un poco lento, vale la pena leerlo. Conforme avanza la lectura, algunas de las cosas que parecían no tener sentido, lo adquieren. Así que, sí, altamente recomendado.
No tenía ninguna expectativa de qué podía encontrarme aquí pero lo digo ahora mismo: ES DE LOS MEJORES QUE HE LEÍDO.
Sí, la trama avanza un poco lento pero es porque se toma el tiempo de explicar las cosas como se debe y da un excelente desarrollo a los personajes. Cada uno de los personajes importantes tienen su desarrollo y al final la historia da un giro inesperado que sinceramente vi venir cuando empecé a leer ese capítulo.
Es el primer libro que leo de Kate Morton y superó todas mis expectativas.
Si bien, algunos dicen en sus reseñas que el final está abierto, a mí no me lo pareció del todo. Lo único que encuentro es que no se terminó de desarrollar lo que precisamente comenzó la búsqueda de la historia real.
Spoiler
De alguna forma siempre sospeché que quien hablaba acerca de los visitantes era Lily. Me habría gustado que contaran la experiencia desde la perspectiva de Tip; el cómo es que la conoció (o más bien a su fantasma) y la forma de asimilar lo que estaba viviendo. Aún así me sorprendí mucho cuando comencé a enterarme que no encontraron a Lily Millington porque nunca salió del escondite donde Lucy la había puesto. Me dolió en sobremanera enterarme de eso porque creo que me llegué a encariñar con ella de alguna forma.En fin, lo que puedo decir es que aunque avanza un poco lento, vale la pena leerlo. Conforme avanza la lectura, algunas de las cosas que parecían no tener sentido, lo adquieren. Así que, sí, altamente recomendado.
Jag blev tyvärr besviken på denna bok. Jag har tidigare läst 'Huset vid sjön' av samma författare. Den fick mig både att skratta och gråta och blev en av mina favoriter direkt. Det är troligtvis därför jag inte gillade denna så mycket; eftersom jag hade ganska höga krav på den. Jag hade troligtvis kunnat ge den en trea om jag inte hade läst 'Huset vid sjön' innan denna, men inte mer än så.
'Klockmakarens dotter' var förutsägbar, långsam och hade ett tråkigt och otillfredsställande slut. Jag rycktes inte med och kände inget för karaktärerna. Därför brydde jag mig inte vad som hände dem. Därmed får den två stjärnor av mig eftersom den endast var okej, och inget mer.
'Klockmakarens dotter' var förutsägbar, långsam och hade ett tråkigt och otillfredsställande slut. Jag rycktes inte med och kände inget för karaktärerna. Därför brydde jag mig inte vad som hände dem. Därmed får den två stjärnor av mig eftersom den endast var okej, och inget mer.
thoroughly enjoyed it, but it was a rough start... a bit clunky at first (multiple jumbled timelines), then as the story progressed, it smoothed out
Delightful.
Sure, it’s a bit cheesy and you’ll find small holes in the storyline, but it’s also thoughtfully written, interesting and well-researched. I’ll read more from her.
Sure, it’s a bit cheesy and you’ll find small holes in the storyline, but it’s also thoughtfully written, interesting and well-researched. I’ll read more from her.
This is a beautiful book I read in one day because I didn't want to put it down. This is the second book of Kate Morton's I have read, and I found it both skillfully crafted and enchanting.
When I was halfway through, I told my husband I was excited to keep going because the story had so many interesting threads and sometimes, as a reader, that starts to feel risky because of the potential for disappointment. But because I had read The House at Riverton, I felt like I could enjoy this story because I trusted the author to pull it off. I was not disappointed.
The story is full of rich characters. It made me want to be a painter, to collect art and fossils and shiny rocks, to devote more time to reading every book I can find, and to spend a summer day in the garden of an English country house. There is sadness in it, but it's the kind of story that shows how to live a well-rounded life.
I'll be excited to read it again someday.
When I was halfway through, I told my husband I was excited to keep going because the story had so many interesting threads and sometimes, as a reader, that starts to feel risky because of the potential for disappointment. But because I had read The House at Riverton, I felt like I could enjoy this story because I trusted the author to pull it off. I was not disappointed.
The story is full of rich characters. It made me want to be a painter, to collect art and fossils and shiny rocks, to devote more time to reading every book I can find, and to spend a summer day in the garden of an English country house. There is sadness in it, but it's the kind of story that shows how to live a well-rounded life.
I'll be excited to read it again someday.
Outstanding!! I had a little trouble tracking the different characters and following how they inter-connected throughout the time span, but it was awesome to see it unfold!!! The end will leave you breathless as you try to wrap your mind around it!!!! Must read to believe!!