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kimprior's review against another edition
informative
reflective
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
5.0
jessicavampires's review against another edition
3.0
This is the second book I have read by Rose Tremain. The descriptions of life during the reign of Charles II are beautiful and gripping. I wanted to love this book but I just didn’t find myself caring enough about the characters to get truly invested, and although individual elements of the plot were engaging I was left unsatisfied by the overall arc of the plot.
emilyjia5080's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
iceberg0's review against another edition
3.0
Really interesting look at the Restoration period with some compelling characters. Ending was too easy.
alisonjfields's review against another edition
3.0
So I saw movie version of this book about a zillion years ago in a tiny arthouse theater in a second tier southern city and I was unsurprisingly the only person in the audience At the time, I did not know it had been a nove, but the movie was a mess in that wonderfully awful way that terrible attempts at prestige films can be.*
For better of worse, the novel (which is reasonably straightforward and competently written) could not possibly compete with the campy highs of the film it inspired. As a novel, it moves at a bit of a plod, which is surprising given that it manages to hit upon both the plague and the fire of London. Still, it subverts the reformed rake trope (in itself a device of any good Restoration comedy) cleverly and makes for a reasonably entertaining read.
*Maybe the world didn't need to see a bewigged and beribboned Robert Downey Jr flouncing around Sam Neill's Blackadder-ish Charles II, or for that matter a Puritan David Thewlis or Meg Ryan hilariously miscast as a schizophrenic 17th Century Irish woman. But I am telling you, people, it is/was a highly entertaining piece of luxuriously corseted crap.
For better of worse, the novel (which is reasonably straightforward and competently written) could not possibly compete with the campy highs of the film it inspired. As a novel, it moves at a bit of a plod, which is surprising given that it manages to hit upon both the plague and the fire of London. Still, it subverts the reformed rake trope (in itself a device of any good Restoration comedy) cleverly and makes for a reasonably entertaining read.
*Maybe the world didn't need to see a bewigged and beribboned Robert Downey Jr flouncing around Sam Neill's Blackadder-ish Charles II, or for that matter a Puritan David Thewlis or Meg Ryan hilariously miscast as a schizophrenic 17th Century Irish woman. But I am telling you, people, it is/was a highly entertaining piece of luxuriously corseted crap.
elinroberts's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ilovehenrywinter's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
Bought this mainly for the pretty cover and first page. I have a love hate relationship with this book, though more love given that I bought the second book straight after finishing it. This was 400 pages. It felt like 1000. I think I just spent a long time getting into the flow of the language (not used to how it was written, as it was written as more of a classic and in a very different time period) and getting into the flow of the story. Other than that, I really enjoyed it. I think Merivel was a wonderfully written character who was flawed but at the same time I didn't hate him (surprising given some of the things he did). There were lots of times when I also marvelled at the authors writing, which I found very beautiful and sad and thought provoking.
hardcoverhearts's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5