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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
Slow-going at first, but I got increasingly invested in the characters, both storylines, as well as the whole thematic of history. There are some beautiful passages and moments in here, raw and uplifting in turn. Ultimately, though, not the most spectacular conclusion, and I frequently felt like there were plot elements that didn't cohere well.
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Slow start turned captivating
I very much enjoyed this book. It took some time to get into it, but once the story got going I could barely put it down. Often when a historical fiction novel toggles between two (or more) periods in time, one storyline feels less developed or believable, more forced. O didn't experience that with this boo. I was enthralled by all of the main characters' stories-Ester, Helen,and Aaron. I'm so glad I stuck it out and finished this book.
I very much enjoyed this book. It took some time to get into it, but once the story got going I could barely put it down. Often when a historical fiction novel toggles between two (or more) periods in time, one storyline feels less developed or believable, more forced. O didn't experience that with this boo. I was enthralled by all of the main characters' stories-Ester, Helen,and Aaron. I'm so glad I stuck it out and finished this book.
This book was a journey through time and its history. It was intriguing and wrought with challenges of religion, gender and intelligence. While it took me awhile to commit to finishing this book I am happy I made it to the end as it’s ending spoke of perseverance, voice and life.
I really enjoyed this book overall! The plot was rich and all of the plot twists in part five made me gasp. However, it did not receive a full 5 stars for several reasons:
• It was too long. I normally don’t have an issue with long books, but there were several sections of this book that seemed irrelevant and could have been taken out. This includes the Helen-Dror, Aaron-Marisa, and Aaron-Bridgette romances. I also thought the Mary-Thomas romance was given too much time. Obviously Esther needed to meet “Thomas Farrow” but I did not care about his relationship with Mary.
• It drove me nuts that two of the Jewish surnames were Levy and HaLevy. I kept waiting for the plot twist where we’d learn that they were related but it never happened. There are plenty of Jewish surnames to choose from, so being redundant seemed weird to me.
• Helen and Aaron are historians, yet they didn’t draw the connection that Aaron was SCRIBING for Helen in the same way that Esther was SCRIBING for Rabbi HaCoen Mendes ?!?!?!?!?!
Despite it faults, the depiction of Esther as a learned Jew and a woman in the late 1600s was beautiful. I cherish my own Jewish education and at times I felt a kindred spirit with her. The Weight of Ink is heavy, but it’s worth carrying.
• It was too long. I normally don’t have an issue with long books, but there were several sections of this book that seemed irrelevant and could have been taken out. This includes the Helen-Dror, Aaron-Marisa, and Aaron-Bridgette romances. I also thought the Mary-Thomas romance was given too much time. Obviously Esther needed to meet “Thomas Farrow” but I did not care about his relationship with Mary.
• It drove me nuts that two of the Jewish surnames were Levy and HaLevy. I kept waiting for the plot twist where we’d learn that they were related but it never happened. There are plenty of Jewish surnames to choose from, so being redundant seemed weird to me.
• Helen and Aaron are historians, yet they didn’t draw the connection that Aaron was SCRIBING for Helen in the same way that Esther was SCRIBING for Rabbi HaCoen Mendes ?!?!?!?!?!
Despite it faults, the depiction of Esther as a learned Jew and a woman in the late 1600s was beautiful. I cherish my own Jewish education and at times I felt a kindred spirit with her. The Weight of Ink is heavy, but it’s worth carrying.
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
It was a slow read for me. Not because it's narrated slow, but because I listened to it slow. Not because of the flipping back and forth between then and now, but because of the picture it painted. Beautiful, if sometimes harrowing, pictures of then and now. Violence and sexism through the ages, softened with humanity, love, and understanding. Eventual understanding.
I just do not have the words to describe the magnificence that is this book... Rachel Kadish has penned a literary masterpiece, truly. The story is intense, layered, nuanced, intriguing, expertly told. It's a puzzle waiting to be solved, unable to be put down, that completely draws you in. The story is beautifully written and the emotion conveyed with every word is palpable. Fully developed characters, progression you can see, growth, learning, theology, philosophy, history, mystery, suspense. A true novel for book lovers and all those enamored with the history of the written word. I understand the comparison's to [b:People of the Book|1379961|People of the Book|Geraldine Brooks|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442955497s/1379961.jpg|3020568] by Geraldine Brooks (which I also loved) - there are similarities but this fabulous novel is amazing all on its own.
This was a 4.5 read for me. The story goes between 21st century and 17th century London, and two women, Ester Velasquez, a Portuguese Jewish woman from Amsterdam, and Helen Watt, a modern academic with an interest in Jewish history. Helen is contacted when a stash of 400 year old documents are discovered during renovations of a London residence. She has an American graduate student, Aaron Levy join her as an assistant.
There were several aspects of this novel that interested me. The history of Sephardim fascinates me, and when I was in Amsterdam I visited the Portuguese Synagogue. There is a lot of background history to this story that is not gone into in detail, including the expulsion of the Jewish population from Portugal, the establishment of the Sephardic synagogue in London, and the Portuguese Jewish community in Amsterdam. At the heart of this novel is a story of women who work in anonymity, and whose roles are sometimes uncovered by chance. I would add that as much as that is a common story in past history, it continues to this day. The power dynamics in the world of academia are still dominated by males, and there are still numerous stories of female students and academics whose work is claimed by others. Academic competitiveness is a theme in this novel.
My reason for 4.5 rather than 5 is that I prefer historical fiction that centers on actual historical figures. However, this story is rich, and the historical context is accurate I would recommend this novel to those interested in books on the lives of women, Jewish history, and specifically stories of the Sephardic communities in Europe.
There were several aspects of this novel that interested me. The history of Sephardim fascinates me, and when I was in Amsterdam I visited the Portuguese Synagogue. There is a lot of background history to this story that is not gone into in detail, including the expulsion of the Jewish population from Portugal, the establishment of the Sephardic synagogue in London, and the Portuguese Jewish community in Amsterdam. At the heart of this novel is a story of women who work in anonymity, and whose roles are sometimes uncovered by chance. I would add that as much as that is a common story in past history, it continues to this day. The power dynamics in the world of academia are still dominated by males, and there are still numerous stories of female students and academics whose work is claimed by others. Academic competitiveness is a theme in this novel.
My reason for 4.5 rather than 5 is that I prefer historical fiction that centers on actual historical figures. However, this story is rich, and the historical context is accurate I would recommend this novel to those interested in books on the lives of women, Jewish history, and specifically stories of the Sephardic communities in Europe.