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nvreads's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
aloonamuna's review
4.0
I didn't know what this book was about when I started to read it. What I did know was that Marian Womack is a rising star in the contemporary gothic literature scene and that this book is based on the famed short story "The Golden Key" by George MacDonald. Otherwise, I delved into it without the slightest clue. Of course, I had read the synopsis, but I didn't fully process it until I finally finished this lovely novel.
Upon starting the first chapter, I was puzzled. It's as if I had arrived in 20th century London myself; I could feel the cobblestones beneath me and then slowly sink into marshy land to be swept away by an ever-present green light. I'd never read contemporary gothic fiction before, so I felt displaced, but I was marveled. Womack has a way with words. She manipulates them in such a way that you feel transposed into the setting. You are given three unique perspectives that help you unravel the mystery of the Norfolk Fens as the characters themselves do.
I'd always thought that to write a successful detective novel, you would have to feed the reader information that not even the characters know. You could anticipate the character to find that information. This book's pleasure comes from you trying to figure out the puzzle with vague strands of information that aren't all that accessible. Even when I thought I'd figured out what's going on with Sam and the Maud girls, did I really? I was desperate for the book to give me answers because I didn't trust the answers I'd given myself. The ending was oh so satisfying, but at the same time, not at all. Here's to hoping that Womack gives us more of Helena Walton-Cisneros.
I enjoyed that this novel is difficult to categorize. Of course, it fits into the greyness of the gothic novel, but it has deep underlying fantasy tones—without feeling completely unreal—and definitely mystery as well. Even so, there were times when the chills ran down my spine, and I would have to snap the book shut. I'd suddenly feel this sense of dread, of creepiness, and being home alone while I read it certainly didn't help.
Womac's tale also felt like home, in a sense. The story is reminiscent of Latinx magical realism. Magic is everpresent, and even if the characters want to ignore what's going on, it will continue to happen. Some of the characters address the unusual side of the sup[ernatural events that happen while others embrace the strangeness of it all. Due to these gray areas, the book lands right in the place between where the magical realism ends and where fantasy begins. The use of typical traits from each of the genres was masterful and delighted me.
Though the characters are not necessarily the focus of the novel, they have enough development that you feel the shift in personality and a shift in the narrative. The ambiance and plot were expertly crafted. I very much enjoyed the subtle references throughout the book to critical social issues: gender equity, the mistreatment of the Roma people, the consistent structural oppression of women, spiritualism, and many more themes that are softly melded into the book. Lulled with the mesmerizing use of language, your subconscious sparks with every cultural reference she incorporated. The way Womack chooses to do it, as in all ways, is beautiful.
I'm pleased I read this book. It's one I wouldn't generally reach for, but I loved it from beginning to end. The symbology of self, of otherness, and magic is both philosophical and reflective. I recommend The Golden Key with all my heart, and I'm looking forward to reading more from Marian Womack.
Upon starting the first chapter, I was puzzled. It's as if I had arrived in 20th century London myself; I could feel the cobblestones beneath me and then slowly sink into marshy land to be swept away by an ever-present green light. I'd never read contemporary gothic fiction before, so I felt displaced, but I was marveled. Womack has a way with words. She manipulates them in such a way that you feel transposed into the setting. You are given three unique perspectives that help you unravel the mystery of the Norfolk Fens as the characters themselves do.
I'd always thought that to write a successful detective novel, you would have to feed the reader information that not even the characters know. You could anticipate the character to find that information. This book's pleasure comes from you trying to figure out the puzzle with vague strands of information that aren't all that accessible. Even when I thought I'd figured out what's going on with Sam and the Maud girls, did I really? I was desperate for the book to give me answers because I didn't trust the answers I'd given myself. The ending was oh so satisfying, but at the same time, not at all. Here's to hoping that Womack gives us more of Helena Walton-Cisneros.
I enjoyed that this novel is difficult to categorize. Of course, it fits into the greyness of the gothic novel, but it has deep underlying fantasy tones—without feeling completely unreal—and definitely mystery as well. Even so, there were times when the chills ran down my spine, and I would have to snap the book shut. I'd suddenly feel this sense of dread, of creepiness, and being home alone while I read it certainly didn't help.
Womac's tale also felt like home, in a sense. The story is reminiscent of Latinx magical realism. Magic is everpresent, and even if the characters want to ignore what's going on, it will continue to happen. Some of the characters address the unusual side of the sup[ernatural events that happen while others embrace the strangeness of it all. Due to these gray areas, the book lands right in the place between where the magical realism ends and where fantasy begins. The use of typical traits from each of the genres was masterful and delighted me.
Though the characters are not necessarily the focus of the novel, they have enough development that you feel the shift in personality and a shift in the narrative. The ambiance and plot were expertly crafted. I very much enjoyed the subtle references throughout the book to critical social issues: gender equity, the mistreatment of the Roma people, the consistent structural oppression of women, spiritualism, and many more themes that are softly melded into the book. Lulled with the mesmerizing use of language, your subconscious sparks with every cultural reference she incorporated. The way Womack chooses to do it, as in all ways, is beautiful.
I'm pleased I read this book. It's one I wouldn't generally reach for, but I loved it from beginning to end. The symbology of self, of otherness, and magic is both philosophical and reflective. I recommend The Golden Key with all my heart, and I'm looking forward to reading more from Marian Womack.
jwalker320's review
2.0
What did I just read? The path of the plot was haphazard and confusing, which made the book extremely hard to follow, and the characters were forgettable. While the premise was interesting - the blurb on the back is what drew me to want to read the book - was poorly executed. The author jumped around so much that it was very hard to figure out the flow of the story and how everything, including the characters, connected. Not an enjoyable read.
louloureadsbooks's review
Dnf.
I had high hopes for this book as I'm a sucker for fairy tale/fairy tale esque and the title, but I'm done at about a third through. The story seems all over the place and hinting at things and yet more things, all vague. Lots of imagery, is that what I mean? Maybe.
There seems to be a strong current of how hard Victorian life could be for women and environmental concerns (if the constant reference to the missing tern is anything to go by). I don't dispute either of these things but I'm not interested in it either.
The ruined Tudor house and all the hints (that word again) surrounding it is intriguing but not enough to keep me going.
I'm done.
I had high hopes for this book as I'm a sucker for fairy tale/fairy tale esque and the title, but I'm done at about a third through. The story seems all over the place and hinting at things and yet more things, all vague. Lots of imagery, is that what I mean? Maybe.
There seems to be a strong current of how hard Victorian life could be for women and environmental concerns (if the constant reference to the missing tern is anything to go by). I don't dispute either of these things but I'm not interested in it either.
The ruined Tudor house and all the hints (that word again) surrounding it is intriguing but not enough to keep me going.
I'm done.
salderson's review
2.0
I just could not seem to get engaged with this book. I don't think that it was written badly, it just really wasn't my thing.
kellyvandamme's review
3.0
Hi and welcome to my review of The Golden Key!
Folk tales and dark magic, seances and mediums, a twenty-year-old mystery waiting to be solved AND a pretty cover?! This little blogger was all in! The Golden Key delivers all these elements, and does it with verve. Reminiscent of Rebecca and the novels of Laura Purcell, The Golden Key starts out with the kind of Gothic gloom I simply adore; the prose marvellous, detailed but not overly so; the story incredibly atmospheric, dripping with a brooding tension, shrouded in mystery… Although, perhaps a little too much mystery, and perhaps a little too much information as well…
I often state that “there’s a lot going on” in a book, and I usually mean that as a compliment. There IS a whole lot going on in The Golden Key, but in this case, I had some problems with that. I was suffering from scatter-brain and brain fog when I read this, so perhaps it’s just me and I shouldn’t even mention it, but I just couldn’t properly process all the names, events and details, and by the time I’d turned that final page, I was more than a little confused.
On the other hand, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and I do feel it’s intentional. One of the minor characters is the author George MacDonald and he states that he hates having to explain his stories, that stories, like nature, and the world itself, do not have to have a fixed meaning, that meanings are unsettled and borders are porous and each person is free to create their own interpretations. I’m not sure if MacDonald actually said anything of the kind, or these words are entirely Ms Womack’s work, but pondering what to write, what to tell you about The Golden Key, I thought back to those words, and started wondering if that might be Ms Womack’s intention: to rouse the reader’s consciousness, to force us to think and come up with our own explanations.
For me The Golden Key was a bit of a bumpy read with ups and downs and I don’t think I was the ideal reader for this book.
Folk tales and dark magic, seances and mediums, a twenty-year-old mystery waiting to be solved AND a pretty cover?! This little blogger was all in! The Golden Key delivers all these elements, and does it with verve. Reminiscent of Rebecca and the novels of Laura Purcell, The Golden Key starts out with the kind of Gothic gloom I simply adore; the prose marvellous, detailed but not overly so; the story incredibly atmospheric, dripping with a brooding tension, shrouded in mystery… Although, perhaps a little too much mystery, and perhaps a little too much information as well…
I often state that “there’s a lot going on” in a book, and I usually mean that as a compliment. There IS a whole lot going on in The Golden Key, but in this case, I had some problems with that. I was suffering from scatter-brain and brain fog when I read this, so perhaps it’s just me and I shouldn’t even mention it, but I just couldn’t properly process all the names, events and details, and by the time I’d turned that final page, I was more than a little confused.
On the other hand, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and I do feel it’s intentional. One of the minor characters is the author George MacDonald and he states that he hates having to explain his stories, that stories, like nature, and the world itself, do not have to have a fixed meaning, that meanings are unsettled and borders are porous and each person is free to create their own interpretations. I’m not sure if MacDonald actually said anything of the kind, or these words are entirely Ms Womack’s work, but pondering what to write, what to tell you about The Golden Key, I thought back to those words, and started wondering if that might be Ms Womack’s intention: to rouse the reader’s consciousness, to force us to think and come up with our own explanations.
For me The Golden Key was a bit of a bumpy read with ups and downs and I don’t think I was the ideal reader for this book.
eastofthesunwestofthemoon's review
3.0
I loved parts of this book and I wanted to love it all, but I could not. It was excessively confusing in places, and tedious in others. I'm glad I read it, because where it succeeds it really shines, but overall I can't say it's above average.
chelsl's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
madeleinemazzio's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
the_coycaterpillar_reads's review
1.0
Had to DNF @25%
I couldn't connect with the characters or discriptions. A real pity.
I couldn't connect with the characters or discriptions. A real pity.