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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
Such an interesting read. It did take me a bit to read - definitely not a fast read. The story highlights the lives of two women - one in 1650s and the other in 2000s, both in London. You will learn much about how the plague affected London, the inquisition that took the lives of many Jews, document restoration and more.
Ester lives in 1600s London and loves to learn, read and especially loves to debate in philosophy, but these are not things that women are allowed to do.
Helen lives in 2000s London and knows her time is limited, but she has found a kindred spirit in the writings from Ester that have been uncovered during a renovation.
If you are daunted by the size of the book or the slower reading required, I encouraged you not to give up. The story is amazing.
Ester lives in 1600s London and loves to learn, read and especially loves to debate in philosophy, but these are not things that women are allowed to do.
Helen lives in 2000s London and knows her time is limited, but she has found a kindred spirit in the writings from Ester that have been uncovered during a renovation.
If you are daunted by the size of the book or the slower reading required, I encouraged you not to give up. The story is amazing.
highly recommend. Women's literature; literature; Judaism; history; oppression because of religion, sex, and societal norms.
Overall I liked this book. But I think there were some parts, like the Eastons' marital issues, and the whole Mary/Thomas/Bescos thread, that seemed unnecessary (or went on longer than necessary) and just weighed down the central story. And the final revelation about Ester's ancestry seemed... well, she is an interesting enough character by herself, just let her be that.
I liked the premise of two strong female academics set in different times and how the author tied their stories together. I learned some interesting things about London in the 1600s and other historical events. Lots of discussion of philosophy and religion, too. There may have been too many character backstories, though, because it could be challenging to keep them straight at times. My one complaint ... the author really could have removed about 200 pages from this book and still had a great story.
i had super high hope for this; alas, i was disappointed. i found there to be lots to like about this novel. great writing, very interesting story, loads of thought-provoking themes including history, theology, philosophy, and the place of women in each. but every time the story was on a roll the author seemed to think her readers needed a break from the meaty stuff and she needed to offer them fluff. the historical novel would tragically devolve into a rather embarrassing romance complete with a distant and stoic hero and a heroine with heaving bosoms. WHY? i kept saying to myself, "come on!"
may i suggest a much better book on some of the same themes? by all means, check out People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.
may i suggest a much better book on some of the same themes? by all means, check out People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.
Interessant verhaal, maar op sommige punten helaas veel te gedetailleerd en langdradig
I LOVED this book - best book I've read this year, possibly in the past two years.