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cyruspapyrus's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
missprint's review
5.0
Steampunky amazingness. Seriously awesome. Maybe will someday write a coherent review when my brain can come up with something beyond "AWESOME."
mimi_tiff's review
4.0
I loved it! A fun homage to your classic comedy of errors! Plus its a steampunk novel which involves a cross-dressing female protagonist- what can be better!?
ergative's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What a frothy, frilly delight! The sweary bunny, Mrs. Wilkes's steampunk vibrator that stopped the attacking automata ; the mashup of Twelfth Night and The Importance of Being Earnest; Professor Bunbury's metal attachments defend ing him against rampaging robots --in fact, I loved how all the little plot threads and inventions came together during the science fair to stop the attack . It was so well-constructed! Not deep, in any way, but deeply fun.
celiaedf12's review
3.0
I'm not particularly familiar with either Twelfth Night or The Important of Being Ernest (which are the inspirations for All Men of Genius) but it didn't prevent me from enjoying this light hearted novel, which seems to exist to delight in steampunk technology and the sort of misunderstandings arising from a young woman attending a college disguised as her twin brother. Hijinks and romances ensue. There's not a lot of depth here, but I really enjoyed the style of this novel, and it was an easy read while sleep deprived.
thebreakfastbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Meinung:
Seltsame blecherne Erfindungen, die durch Dampfmaschinen zum Leben erwachen? Ein Mädchen, das auf seine Art und Weise gegen die von Männern regierte Welt protestiert? Und all das im viktorianischen Zeitalter in London? Klingt nach einer verdammt guten Kombination, die man sich nicht entgehen lassen sollte. „Die Erfindung der Violet Adams“ enthält all das und sorgte somit bei mir für besonders große Neugierde. Den starken 500 Seiten blickte ich voller Vorfreude entgegen, schließlich deutet der Klappentext auf eine abenteuerliche, lustige und vielleicht auch etwas skurrile Geschichte hin.
Wie es aber bei solchen Wälzern öfter der Fall ist, verläuft sich der Autor und so geht die Geschichte eher schleppend los. Um die Figuren kennenzulernen reichen allemal weniger Seiten und auch für eine Einführung in die Handlung hätte Lev Rosen sich kürzer fassen können. So erfährt der Leser nämlich nicht nur Violets Plan, auf die Wissenschaftsakademie zu kommen, und erlebt ihr Bewerbungsgespräch mit. Nein, all das wird ausgeweitet und noch mit Informationen über etliche Nebenfiguren erweitert, sodass man anfangs wirklich dranbleiben muss, um nicht gänzlich die Lust auf den Roman zu verlieren. Dabei ist die Idee des Autors, zwei große Klassiker zu kombinieren und ihnen eine eigene Würze zu verleihen, gar nicht so schlecht. Besonders ab der Mitte, wenn es dann richtig los geht und die Geschichte eine eigene Wendung bekommt. Dann wird „Die Erfindung der Violet Adams“ nämlich richtig packend, was wohl daran liegt, dass mehr und mehr Ereignisse aufeinander folgen, die Figuren durch ihre Gefühle etwas menschlicher werden und man endlich zu den mysteriösen Geschehnissen kommt, die auf dem Buchrücken angekündigt werden.
Auch wenn die Handlung manchmal etwas zäh ist – Lev Rosens Stil ist das nicht. Manchmal mag er etwas einfach sein, mit aneinandergereihten Hauptsätzen, doch insgesamt ist er angenehm zu lesen und mit allerlei ironischen und sarkastischen Bemerkungen sehr amüsant. An die vielen Perspektivwechsel muss man sich dennoch gewöhnen. Der Roman ist im personalen Erzählstil geschrieben und berichtet hauptsächlich über Violets Sicht der Dinge, doch oftmals gibt es auch Exkurse in die Köpfe anderer Figuren. Bei den Hauptfiguren ist das interessant, weil man verschiedene Motivationen nachvollziehen kann, doch unwichtige Nebencharaktere kommen auch hin und wieder zu Wort, was etwas störend wirkt.
Nichtsdestotrotz ist es größtenteils interessant, aus den verschiedenen Perspektiven zu lesen, zumal die Figuren nicht allzu typisch sind. Violet ist eine eher unkoventionelle Protagonistin mit ihrer Faszination für Mechanik und Erfindungen und ihr Selbstbewusstsein bringt den Leser hin und wieder zum Schmunzeln. Ihr Bruder Ashton und ihr Freund Jack sind derart unbeschwert, dass man ihnen im Buch gerne begegnet, während Ernests Selbstzweifel Mitleid erregen. Manchmal sind die Figuren jedoch etwas zu einfach gestrickt; etwas zu gutmütig oder zu leicht zu berechnen. Ein wenig mehr Komplexität hätte ihnen und der Geschichte sicherlich nicht geschadet, denn so hätte der Autor dem Roman noch mehr Pfiff geben können.
Fazit:
„Die Erfindung der Violet Adams“ ist lustig, unterhaltsam aber manchmal auch sehr zäh. Der gut zu lesende Schreibstil macht die sich ziehende Handlung aber ertragbar und auch die Figuren können weitestgehend überzeugen. Restlos begeistert bin ich von Lev Rosens Roman trotzdem nicht, denn der Klappentext lässt einen mehr erwarten. Man sollte auf jeden Fall etwas Geduld mitbringen, wenn man mit Violet Adams ins London des 19. Jahrhunderts reist!
Seltsame blecherne Erfindungen, die durch Dampfmaschinen zum Leben erwachen? Ein Mädchen, das auf seine Art und Weise gegen die von Männern regierte Welt protestiert? Und all das im viktorianischen Zeitalter in London? Klingt nach einer verdammt guten Kombination, die man sich nicht entgehen lassen sollte. „Die Erfindung der Violet Adams“ enthält all das und sorgte somit bei mir für besonders große Neugierde. Den starken 500 Seiten blickte ich voller Vorfreude entgegen, schließlich deutet der Klappentext auf eine abenteuerliche, lustige und vielleicht auch etwas skurrile Geschichte hin.
Wie es aber bei solchen Wälzern öfter der Fall ist, verläuft sich der Autor und so geht die Geschichte eher schleppend los. Um die Figuren kennenzulernen reichen allemal weniger Seiten und auch für eine Einführung in die Handlung hätte Lev Rosen sich kürzer fassen können. So erfährt der Leser nämlich nicht nur Violets Plan, auf die Wissenschaftsakademie zu kommen, und erlebt ihr Bewerbungsgespräch mit. Nein, all das wird ausgeweitet und noch mit Informationen über etliche Nebenfiguren erweitert, sodass man anfangs wirklich dranbleiben muss, um nicht gänzlich die Lust auf den Roman zu verlieren. Dabei ist die Idee des Autors, zwei große Klassiker zu kombinieren und ihnen eine eigene Würze zu verleihen, gar nicht so schlecht. Besonders ab der Mitte, wenn es dann richtig los geht und die Geschichte eine eigene Wendung bekommt. Dann wird „Die Erfindung der Violet Adams“ nämlich richtig packend, was wohl daran liegt, dass mehr und mehr Ereignisse aufeinander folgen, die Figuren durch ihre Gefühle etwas menschlicher werden und man endlich zu den mysteriösen Geschehnissen kommt, die auf dem Buchrücken angekündigt werden.
Auch wenn die Handlung manchmal etwas zäh ist – Lev Rosens Stil ist das nicht. Manchmal mag er etwas einfach sein, mit aneinandergereihten Hauptsätzen, doch insgesamt ist er angenehm zu lesen und mit allerlei ironischen und sarkastischen Bemerkungen sehr amüsant. An die vielen Perspektivwechsel muss man sich dennoch gewöhnen. Der Roman ist im personalen Erzählstil geschrieben und berichtet hauptsächlich über Violets Sicht der Dinge, doch oftmals gibt es auch Exkurse in die Köpfe anderer Figuren. Bei den Hauptfiguren ist das interessant, weil man verschiedene Motivationen nachvollziehen kann, doch unwichtige Nebencharaktere kommen auch hin und wieder zu Wort, was etwas störend wirkt.
Nichtsdestotrotz ist es größtenteils interessant, aus den verschiedenen Perspektiven zu lesen, zumal die Figuren nicht allzu typisch sind. Violet ist eine eher unkoventionelle Protagonistin mit ihrer Faszination für Mechanik und Erfindungen und ihr Selbstbewusstsein bringt den Leser hin und wieder zum Schmunzeln. Ihr Bruder Ashton und ihr Freund Jack sind derart unbeschwert, dass man ihnen im Buch gerne begegnet, während Ernests Selbstzweifel Mitleid erregen. Manchmal sind die Figuren jedoch etwas zu einfach gestrickt; etwas zu gutmütig oder zu leicht zu berechnen. Ein wenig mehr Komplexität hätte ihnen und der Geschichte sicherlich nicht geschadet, denn so hätte der Autor dem Roman noch mehr Pfiff geben können.
Fazit:
„Die Erfindung der Violet Adams“ ist lustig, unterhaltsam aber manchmal auch sehr zäh. Der gut zu lesende Schreibstil macht die sich ziehende Handlung aber ertragbar und auch die Figuren können weitestgehend überzeugen. Restlos begeistert bin ich von Lev Rosens Roman trotzdem nicht, denn der Klappentext lässt einen mehr erwarten. Man sollte auf jeden Fall etwas Geduld mitbringen, wenn man mit Violet Adams ins London des 19. Jahrhunderts reist!
reader_fictions's review
4.0
How did this book not end up on my radar until now? Seriously, how did I miss this? A book inspired by two of my favorite works of literature, Twelfth Night, my very favorite Shakespeare play, and The Importance of Being Earnest? On top of that, add some steampunky goodness, and you have a book that was obviously just made for me.
Now, when I say inspired by those plays, I don't mean that All Men of Genius is a retelling. It's not. For the most part, Rosen uses those two plays for character names, some assistance with characterization, and the basic shenanigans of a crossdressing plot. There's a stronger correlation to Twelfth Night, obviously, but Rosen has very much created his own story and characters. If you are as much of a fan of these two works as I happen to be, you will probably giggle with delight at the way he weaves quotes and references to them together in brilliant ways. If you haven't read them, I see no reason why All Men of Genius cannot be greatly appreciated on its own merits; there should be no confusion for not having read his inspiration materials, though I do greatly recommend that you do so for your own well-being.
Rosen has created a rather large cast of characters, and done so quite deftly. In some novels, an author attempts to trace a number of story lines and characters, with the end result that all of the characters feel rather flat. Rosen, on the other hand, has created a loveable group of genius misfits, giving depth even to those with smaller parts, like Mrs. Wilks, Violet and Ashton's housekeeper. I really appreciate authors that take the time to care even about more minor characters. There are a few instances where he would have been better off leaving some of the detail out, as with a few of the professors, since we track them for such a brief time and don't accomplish much of anything, but, for the most part, I approve wholeheartedly of how he constructed this.
A handful of the characters are directly comparable to their counterparts in either Twelfth Night or The Importance of Being Earnest, while others come largely from Rosen's own brain or have been tweaked ever so delightfully. Cecily Worthington, for example, has the same sweet, naive spirit of the character of the same name in Wilde's play, as evidenced in her poor choice in a crush and her toy rabbit Shakespeare, which she still takes everywhere with her at sixteen. In All Men of Genius, she also happens to be a genius, rather than a bit of a ditz. Others who hearken strongly to their inspirations are Toby Belch, Miriam (Maria of Twelfth Night), and Malcolm Volio, although in most every case, perhaps with the exception of Volio, they have additional complexities.
As with Cecily, Violet has much more intelligence than Viola, her counterpart in Twelfth Night. While she goes through the same ordeals, she has a much more powerful idea of what women are capable of, while also figuring out that she does want to be a woman, rather than wishing to have been born a man. Her transition throughout the novel had a lot of power to it, allowing her to truly feel that women really are just as powerful as men. Rosen did a good job navigating the dangerous waters of the gender divide. In some cases, as with Ernest Worthington and Jack Feste, Rosen has borrowed the name, but largely built the character from scratch. Whether the characters really served as references or not, I found that I greatly delighted in nearly every single one of them.
Obviously, All Men of Genius is rather lengthy. Much as I enjoyed it, plowing through it did take some time. There's quite a lot of discussion of the various sciences, but kept at a reasonable level that even I, who have always been atrocious at science, could understand. For those who delight in steampunk, Rosen has created a swath of wonderful inventions. Personally, I would love to get my hands on Toby's hangover cure.
My favorite aspects of the novel have to be some of the clever references that Rosen threw into the book. For example, in All Men of Genius, a big change from Twelfth Night is that Violet's brother is gay, whereas in Shakespeare's play he gets to hook up with the woman who falls for his sister disguised as a man. In Rosen's novel, Ashton falls instead for Antony, which every reader of Twelfth Night can probably admit would have been the ending were Shakespeare honest. Rosen also does something quite clever and hilarious with Bunburry. Seriously, if you love those plays, you MUST read this.
As I conclude my review, I've just checked Goodreads to see if Rosen had any more books for me, and found that he doesn't have any other books out yet. He should get on that, because I want more. Witty literary references, well-drawn characters, and good writing to boot? This is my kind of author.
Now, when I say inspired by those plays, I don't mean that All Men of Genius is a retelling. It's not. For the most part, Rosen uses those two plays for character names, some assistance with characterization, and the basic shenanigans of a crossdressing plot. There's a stronger correlation to Twelfth Night, obviously, but Rosen has very much created his own story and characters. If you are as much of a fan of these two works as I happen to be, you will probably giggle with delight at the way he weaves quotes and references to them together in brilliant ways. If you haven't read them, I see no reason why All Men of Genius cannot be greatly appreciated on its own merits; there should be no confusion for not having read his inspiration materials, though I do greatly recommend that you do so for your own well-being.
Rosen has created a rather large cast of characters, and done so quite deftly. In some novels, an author attempts to trace a number of story lines and characters, with the end result that all of the characters feel rather flat. Rosen, on the other hand, has created a loveable group of genius misfits, giving depth even to those with smaller parts, like Mrs. Wilks, Violet and Ashton's housekeeper. I really appreciate authors that take the time to care even about more minor characters. There are a few instances where he would have been better off leaving some of the detail out, as with a few of the professors, since we track them for such a brief time and don't accomplish much of anything, but, for the most part, I approve wholeheartedly of how he constructed this.
A handful of the characters are directly comparable to their counterparts in either Twelfth Night or The Importance of Being Earnest, while others come largely from Rosen's own brain or have been tweaked ever so delightfully. Cecily Worthington, for example, has the same sweet, naive spirit of the character of the same name in Wilde's play, as evidenced in her poor choice in a crush and her toy rabbit Shakespeare, which she still takes everywhere with her at sixteen. In All Men of Genius, she also happens to be a genius, rather than a bit of a ditz. Others who hearken strongly to their inspirations are Toby Belch, Miriam (Maria of Twelfth Night), and Malcolm Volio, although in most every case, perhaps with the exception of Volio, they have additional complexities.
As with Cecily, Violet has much more intelligence than Viola, her counterpart in Twelfth Night. While she goes through the same ordeals, she has a much more powerful idea of what women are capable of, while also figuring out that she does want to be a woman, rather than wishing to have been born a man. Her transition throughout the novel had a lot of power to it, allowing her to truly feel that women really are just as powerful as men. Rosen did a good job navigating the dangerous waters of the gender divide. In some cases, as with Ernest Worthington and Jack Feste, Rosen has borrowed the name, but largely built the character from scratch. Whether the characters really served as references or not, I found that I greatly delighted in nearly every single one of them.
Obviously, All Men of Genius is rather lengthy. Much as I enjoyed it, plowing through it did take some time. There's quite a lot of discussion of the various sciences, but kept at a reasonable level that even I, who have always been atrocious at science, could understand. For those who delight in steampunk, Rosen has created a swath of wonderful inventions. Personally, I would love to get my hands on Toby's hangover cure.
My favorite aspects of the novel have to be some of the clever references that Rosen threw into the book. For example, in All Men of Genius, a big change from Twelfth Night is that Violet's brother is gay, whereas in Shakespeare's play he gets to hook up with the woman who falls for his sister disguised as a man. In Rosen's novel, Ashton falls instead for Antony, which every reader of Twelfth Night can probably admit would have been the ending were Shakespeare honest. Rosen also does something quite clever and hilarious with Bunburry. Seriously, if you love those plays, you MUST read this.
As I conclude my review, I've just checked Goodreads to see if Rosen had any more books for me, and found that he doesn't have any other books out yet. He should get on that, because I want more. Witty literary references, well-drawn characters, and good writing to boot? This is my kind of author.
weirdtea's review
2.0
This book was too uneven for me to heartily recommend it, but it wasn't bad. There is much to like. I liked the emphasis on struggles of identity, equality, freedom, and acceptance. I appreciated that those conflicts were balanced between public and personal, the romantic and pragmatic. I particularly liked the descriptions of the mechanics, especially from the point of view of characters who love and understand them. The mechanical marvels were an excellent way to bring together themes dealing with beauty and science. Steampunk as a genre is particularly well suited to exploring those ideas and I think the novel creates a solid Steampunk setting.
There are plenty of great little moments and lines throughout the book. The book is often quite clever. So why didn't I love it?
Sometimes I think it was too clever for its own good. I kept thinking "This puts the twee in tweed"--a clear case of pot/kettle. I am not sure that the overt literary connections really contributed much. I suppose it kept me from worrying about the importance of well-rounded characters and plot twists. If you are familiar with the plays you won't be surprised. But, really, when you are reading the originals it isn't about the plot surprises either. I've always been more drawn to their language, ideas, and style. The problem here is that Rosen's prose isn't nearly as dazzling and engaging as its inspirations. It comes off as either a touch pretentious or superfluous too often for comfort. There are some entertaining allusions but even they can feel affected at times.
So for almost every triumph there seems to be a clunker. For example, I was baffled about the treatment of biological sciences in the book. I'm not sure why they seemed to be limited to creating chimeras. I couldn't work out if it was some kind of satire or not. It was especially glaring in comparison to the loving treatment the mechanical side got. It just struck me as off. (Bonus points for the foul mouthed experiment. That surprised a laugh out of me).
There are other complaints to make but I don't want to belabor the point too much more.
It comes down to this: I was charmed and enjoyably immersed through portions of this novel. I was irritated and bored through other portions. I found it easy to put down...but I was drawn back to it again. So--read it or don't. Your call.
There are plenty of great little moments and lines throughout the book. The book is often quite clever. So why didn't I love it?
Sometimes I think it was too clever for its own good. I kept thinking "This puts the twee in tweed"--a clear case of pot/kettle. I am not sure that the overt literary connections really contributed much. I suppose it kept me from worrying about the importance of well-rounded characters and plot twists. If you are familiar with the plays you won't be surprised. But, really, when you are reading the originals it isn't about the plot surprises either. I've always been more drawn to their language, ideas, and style. The problem here is that Rosen's prose isn't nearly as dazzling and engaging as its inspirations. It comes off as either a touch pretentious or superfluous too often for comfort. There are some entertaining allusions but even they can feel affected at times.
So for almost every triumph there seems to be a clunker. For example, I was baffled about the treatment of biological sciences in the book. I'm not sure why they seemed to be limited to creating chimeras. I couldn't work out if it was some kind of satire or not. It was especially glaring in comparison to the loving treatment the mechanical side got. It just struck me as off. (Bonus points for the foul mouthed experiment. That surprised a laugh out of me).
There are other complaints to make but I don't want to belabor the point too much more.
It comes down to this: I was charmed and enjoyably immersed through portions of this novel. I was irritated and bored through other portions. I found it easy to put down...but I was drawn back to it again. So--read it or don't. Your call.