Reviews

Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris

jessshire_cat's review against another edition

4.0

Imagine reading a book about red paint drying, but at the end, you discover that it wasn't red paint, it was blue paint. That's what this book was like. It was the most boring book I've ever red (the only point of comparison that comes to mind is Macbeth from high school English days, and I think Macbeth was more interesting), but the twist at the end was exceptionally well executed and I did not see it coming at all.

It would be interesting to read the book again now that I know it's about blue paint not red paint, but who wants to read a book about paint drying twice?

Update: I quickly read it again from blue paint's pov. Probably the cleverest thriller I've read (I was fully convinced it was red paint!) I still think the overall story line is boring though.

gretatimaite's review against another edition

A "what the heck I just read?" book. In a good way.

applegnreads's review against another edition

3.0

I don't know whether I was merely distracted or if she made this book a touch more confusing than it needed to be. Sigh.

nickeal1's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

nickeal1's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

casspro's review against another edition

4.0

Joanne Harris is one of my absolute favorite authors. Her writings are rich and substantial, delicious if I'm fabulous enough to use that word to describe something other than cake. But one of Harris' trademarks is writing about a fiercly independent woman (usually a single mother) who comes to a small town or village (usually in France) and stirs up trouble because she's different. She falls in love with a man (usually of the rugged gypsy variety) and together than change the opinions of the town. Gentlemen and Players is an outlier in her typical cannon of novels. Set in England (not France!), it centers around the trials and scandals of the private school system. The chapters switch perspective, beginning with the elderly and slowly irrelevant, yet lovable Latin school Master and a lower-class-turned-bougeoisis former pupil of sorts who returns to the school for....revenge? attention? It's yet to be determined in this point of the novel, but it's definitely foundation shattering for the stodgy and all-appearances St. Oswald's.

It's refreshing to know that Harris isn't a one-trick pony. But even if she was, I'd buy into that trick over and over again. It's just that good.

florapatricia's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

A slow build of a story, but very much worth the climax

sarah_adriana's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

gwenllian_x's review

adventurous inspiring mysterious

• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

lameycollins's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0