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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
you ever feel like a book was written specifically for you?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault
Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The only chapter I liked was when Edward was telling hal about Richard's life. Otherwise this book was so tedious and had no plot/an icky plot. I really don't understand what was the point
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Outing, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Sexual assault
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
i…. was not expecting the CSA/incest??? ? maybe if i knew shakespeare more then i would have? but it felt hard to enjoy a book centering around that. idk. i liked the way the author writes though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Incest
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Rape, Terminal illness
Henry Henry is outside my typical comfort zone, but the premise (a modernized and queer Shakespearian retelling) caught my eye. We follow Hal Lancaster, the eldest son of the Duke of Lancaster. As the heir, Hal's life is one of obligation and duty, which he grows to resent. He's sardonic, spoiled, and generally an awful person - yet as you read more about his upbringing, he becomes much more sympathetic.
Bratton intricately builds a complex family dynamic between the Lancasters that's vaguely reminiscent of something from the classics (it particularly reminded me of [b:Anna Karenina|15823480|Anna Karenina|Leo Tolstoy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546091617l/15823480._SX50_.jpg|2507928]). The generational divide between the Lancaster children and their father Henry is ever-growing and catalyzed by the modern world; many of the siblings reject tradition and begin to separate their feelings of love versus obligation. I really enjoyed Edward and Phillippa as characters.
Thematically, Henry Henry tackles themes similar to [b:A Little Life|22822858|A Little Life|Hanya Yanagihara|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1446469353l/22822858._SY75_.jpg|42375710]. As a gay man, Hal is burdened by shame and the juxtaposition of his lifestyle against his religious beliefs. Religion is constantly weaponized against Hal to perpetuate cycles of abuse and as the narrative unfolds, we trace through the Lancaster family tree and see some interesting parallels to previous generations.
My main critique of the book is the ending - I didn't feel like I required a concrete sense of finality in a book like this, but it feels abrupt. It was on track for a solid 5 stars, but by the 90% mark, I was weary of how much plot was left unexplored and how few pages were left. The only rationale I have behind this decision is the potential for a sequel, which seems unlikely? Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this for what it was, and Bratton is a great writer I'll definitely read from again.
Thank you to Unnamed Press for sending me an ARC of this; I wasn't the speediest with getting this read, but better late than never!
Bratton intricately builds a complex family dynamic between the Lancasters that's vaguely reminiscent of something from the classics (it particularly reminded me of [b:Anna Karenina|15823480|Anna Karenina|Leo Tolstoy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546091617l/15823480._SX50_.jpg|2507928]). The generational divide between the Lancaster children and their father Henry is ever-growing and catalyzed by the modern world; many of the siblings reject tradition and begin to separate their feelings of love versus obligation. I really enjoyed Edward and Phillippa as characters.
Thematically, Henry Henry tackles themes similar to [b:A Little Life|22822858|A Little Life|Hanya Yanagihara|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1446469353l/22822858._SY75_.jpg|42375710]. As a gay man, Hal is burdened by shame and the juxtaposition of his lifestyle against his religious beliefs. Religion is constantly weaponized against Hal to perpetuate cycles of abuse and as the narrative unfolds, we trace through the Lancaster family tree and see some interesting parallels to previous generations.
My main critique of the book is the ending - I didn't feel like I required a concrete sense of finality in a book like this, but it feels abrupt. It was on track for a solid 5 stars, but by the 90% mark, I was weary of how much plot was left unexplored and how few pages were left. The only rationale I have behind this decision is the potential for a sequel, which seems unlikely? Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this for what it was, and Bratton is a great writer I'll definitely read from again.
Thank you to Unnamed Press for sending me an ARC of this; I wasn't the speediest with getting this read, but better late than never!