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3.12 AVERAGE
3.12 AVERAGE
Good story...a bit drawn out...but a nice change of pace. It is a good read!
intriguin plot but longwinded in parts, multiple narrations, including in shakespearian english, sometimes a tough slog. satisfying ending
Thriller/mystery about a supposed long lost Shakespeare play. Fairly entertaining, but somewhat predictable.
I didn't make it even halfway through this book. Boooorrrrrring. I just could not get into it.
Many thanks to my fellow book-a-holic brother for passing this book along to me. What an enjoyable romp! It was fast-paced and exciting, with interesting settings and captivating characters. I was reminded of several of my favorite guilty pleasures. Think Sherlock Holmes (or maybe a 21st century Sam Spade) meets Jason Bourne with just enough Goldfinch-y-ness that I wondered which book came first. There were many plot twists. Some of them I figured out; most I did not - a good ratio. If you're interested in academia, Shakespeare, Russian mobsters, treasure hunts, dysfunctional families, and a protagonist with more issues than the Pope has memes, you'll enjoy this book.
Though the story was intriguing, I couldn't make myself like any of the characters, and that is what usually makes or breaks a book for me.
This book has a very interesting topic, revolving around a previously unknown aspect of William Shakespeare. It follows three separate threads which are supposed to be brought together, however, after two thirds into the book, the author loses the energy and the threads seem to converge into dullness.
Like a cross between Portnoy's Complaint and DaVinci Code. It starts out verrrrry slow then the last half picks up quite a bit, and the author throws in every twist he can think of. I think I would have liked the book better if I had started with the last 100 pages.
I finished this 400+ novel and I'm still not sure if I like it, even though I gave it four stars. Beautifully written, intricate plot (maybe too intricate), unusual characters. Maybe it was too much of a good thing. When I finished it, I found myself thinking about what happened, and what the characters might be up to now that their roles in the novel are finished. That's always a good sign. But it took a serious commitment to get through it. The sections written in Shakespearean England and spelling were challenging but kind of fun. Glad I read it, but not sure I would pick up another by Michael Gruber.
Picked this book up on the basis of a good review - something like "a Da Vinci Code for Shakespeare lovers." It was not as good as I wanted it to be. The multiple narrative viewpoints were hard to identify with, and none of the protagonists were particularly empathetic. The writing, which I liked at first for its quirkiness, quickly grew old and self-indulgent. It took me so long to read that my other library book is now overdue!