You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
The Weight of Ink is running neck-and-neck with Circe for the best book I've read this year. I'm always suspicious of a split narrative, but Kadish did a beautiful job of not only following the lives of a 17th century (female, Jewish) scribe and a misfit pair of 21st century academics, but tying them together in ways that emphasis the importance of studying and remembering human history. She made the historian's love for artifacts as windows into earlier worlds, or perhaps as relationships with historical persons, a vivid and entrancing thing. All of her characters were individuals, all struggling under external limitations in various ways, and all caught up in fighting their boundaries to connect with their own self worth. It was both frighteningly easy, and emotionally painful, to identify with the universality of that struggle. I don't have the words to express my appreciation of this work.
A fabulous book! Not only was the historical content fascinating, the characters were realistic and distinct. Kadish is a skillful writer,evocative and eloquent.
Masterful. One of the most beautiful works of historical fiction I’ve read in a long time.
Loved it! I feel the one, specific member of the target audience for this book!
An intriguing mystery in two timelines with fascinating history and engaging characters. I loved imagining myself discovering such treasures and tracking down the truth. What a fun challenge to uncover. On top of that some good girl power with Ester bucking gender norms of her time and questioning everything
It took me a long time to get into this book, but I did learn a great deal about the Jews of 17th century London.
This was verrrrrry hard to get into and I almost gave up, until I got to Ester's story. I give her story 5 stars and the modern-day story 3 stars, for an average of 4.
Slow Start
I almost abandoned this book during part 2, but I decided to give it until Part 3. For me, the story didn’t become gripping until then but the author’s plodding details make structural sense now that I am done.
I love her answer (this story) to Woolf’s question about Shakespeare’s sister.
I also enjoyed the information about Portuguese Jews in London. Their story is new to me.
I almost abandoned this book during part 2, but I decided to give it until Part 3. For me, the story didn’t become gripping until then but the author’s plodding details make structural sense now that I am done.
I love her answer (this story) to Woolf’s question about Shakespeare’s sister.
I also enjoyed the information about Portuguese Jews in London. Their story is new to me.
Another title in the "finding mysterious documents" genre that I seem to have fallen in love with lately. Stayed up to midnight to finish it; the only thing keeping it from five stars is that there were a few parts that were a little too heavy on philosophy, though I understand why it was included. Fascinating.