Reviews

Vipers' Tangle by François Mauriac, Robert Coles, Warre B. Wells

graceashbrook's review

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

bludgeoned_by_hail's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

(Read in Hungarian)

I am biased because these types of doomed redemption narratives are some of my favourite types of story, but I still think this one is especially well executed and written.

The narrator is so (self-admittedly) bitter and unlikable in the begginning that I would've never imagined feeling such pity and sympathy for him by the end. Many grand themes are tackled, such as vicious cycles and self-fulfilling prophecies, greed, faith, and the cyclic and learnt nature of them all. I found the criticism to organized religion (Catholicism specifically) as often hypocritical and self-serving, without writing off faith as a whole as such, especially poignant. 

Excellent character piece, with a clear and concise writing style that makes it easy and quick to read.

(Ps thanks mom for the rec it's her fave book oat)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child death, Classism, and Religious bigotry

Minor: War and Antisemitism

anais_fournier's review

4.0

This is supposed to be what inspired Gilead by Marilyn Robinson and it definitely shows. I actually liked The Viper’s Tangle a lot, maybe even more than Gilead. What can I say, I’m a sucker for unlikeable narrators.

jankaluj's review

dark reflective medium-paced

4.5

to read this after the death of ivan ilyich wasn't the smartest decision on my behalf 

rovve's review

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

catherineofalx's review

4.0

the thing with deeply moving narratives about repentance is that they really are wretched to start

conordugan's review

5.0

This novel seems to be the working out of Francis Thompson's famous poem, "The Hound of Heaven." It is a story of grace and how it works on us to the very end. It is a story of how the most visibly religious are often those with the least faith. Beautifully told. No wonder this won the Nobel Prize.