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bookph1le's review against another edition
5.0
Chris Bohjalian is one of those authors whose books can be very hit or miss for me. Looking back at my Goodreads history, I can see this is the fourth of his books I've given five stars, but I've also given one star to one of his books, and three to another. My conclusion is that his works are either really on for me, or they don't cut it. This book was one of his pitch-perfect works.
Bohjalian has always written very compellingly about misogyny, and this book is no exception. From the internalized misogyny of characters like Goody Howland to the outright misogyny of characters like Adams, this book is full of characters who express their disdain for women in a myriad of ways. Sometimes they're not even aware of their own low regard for women, such as with Catherine. At others, they're fully aware of it and not at all afraid of showing it. What this book does so well is show how impossible it is for women to navigate such a world. You either become complicit in propping it up--like Goody Howland or Catherine--or your risk becoming a victim of it because you defy it, even if you do so in subtle ways, like Constance. But no matter what you do, when you're a woman living in a misogynistic world, you always lose. I think this is why the book created such a sense of urgency in me, why I felt so strongly about what was happening in it. 21st century American can be surprisingly and disappointingly like 17th century America, as #MeToo has proved many, many times over.
That central, extremely important theme of this book might have been enough to carry the novel in and of itself, but the book paints so vivid a picture of 17th century life I found it impossible not to be immersed. I could almost smell, feel, and touch Boston as Bohjalian described it. If someone had told me I'd find a 17th century courtroom drama riveting, I'm not sure I would have believed them, and yet that is precisely what Bohjalian described. I could feel my anxiety rising with every scene.
The third and other most crucial thing Bohjalian does in his best works is create characters so compelling you actually worry about them as if they're real people. I felt that way about Mary, who I found so complex and so authentic I wished I could warn her to watch her step. Mary isn't a saint by any means, and she's sometimes oblivious to the machinations of others because she's a little too convinced of her own cleverness--and that is, in large part, why I liked her as much as I did. She's a woman who sees the world in a way that seems clear to her, but the problem is that the others surrounding her see it through their own lens.
I won't give away the ending other than to say it was unexpected and immensely satisfying to me.
Bohjalian has always written very compellingly about misogyny, and this book is no exception. From the internalized misogyny of characters like Goody Howland to the outright misogyny of characters like Adams, this book is full of characters who express their disdain for women in a myriad of ways. Sometimes they're not even aware of their own low regard for women, such as with Catherine. At others, they're fully aware of it and not at all afraid of showing it. What this book does so well is show how impossible it is for women to navigate such a world. You either become complicit in propping it up--like Goody Howland or Catherine--or your risk becoming a victim of it because you defy it, even if you do so in subtle ways, like Constance. But no matter what you do, when you're a woman living in a misogynistic world, you always lose. I think this is why the book created such a sense of urgency in me, why I felt so strongly about what was happening in it. 21st century American can be surprisingly and disappointingly like 17th century America, as #MeToo has proved many, many times over.
That central, extremely important theme of this book might have been enough to carry the novel in and of itself, but the book paints so vivid a picture of 17th century life I found it impossible not to be immersed. I could almost smell, feel, and touch Boston as Bohjalian described it. If someone had told me I'd find a 17th century courtroom drama riveting, I'm not sure I would have believed them, and yet that is precisely what Bohjalian described. I could feel my anxiety rising with every scene.
The third and other most crucial thing Bohjalian does in his best works is create characters so compelling you actually worry about them as if they're real people. I felt that way about Mary, who I found so complex and so authentic I wished I could warn her to watch her step. Mary isn't a saint by any means, and she's sometimes oblivious to the machinations of others because she's a little too convinced of her own cleverness--and that is, in large part, why I liked her as much as I did. She's a woman who sees the world in a way that seems clear to her, but the problem is that the others surrounding her see it through their own lens.
I won't give away the ending other than to say it was unexpected and immensely satisfying to me.
ravensandlace's review against another edition
4.5
Title: Hour of the Witch
Author: Chris Bohjalian
Genre: Historical Thriller
Format: hardback library book
Series: NA
Star Rating: 4.5 stars
tw: abusive relationship, child death, sickness, animal death, use of word Indian, corporal punishment, death, blood, misogyny (a lot of it), vomit, assault, infidelity, use of word savage, poisoning
A special thank you goes to Doubleday and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book. Please know that this does not influence my rating or thoughts on the book itself.
I’m just going to come right out and say it. This was a fantastic book! I was hooked from the first couple of pages. Everything about this book was so good from the main character, to the plot, to the dialogue, which honestly was my favorite part of the book. I found I took my time with this book because I was so enthralled with the book and had no idea where it was going to go. I would say I wanted to live in this book but I was not made for living in 1600s America. I would have not survived at all.
One of my favorite things about this book was the dialogue, as I mentioned above. It truly felt like I was reading a diary from the 1600s and surprisingly, I was able to understand everything. I was worried when I first read the dialogue that I wasn’t going to be able to understand anyone. But that wasn’t a problem at all. Even when Mary was thinking or describing things, she still kept in the dialogue of her time. It shows me that the author spent time researching to make sure things were as historically accurate as possible.
Mary was a fantastic main character. I was rooting for her through it all. Even when she made poor decisions for herself, I found myself still cheering her on and forgiving her for what she did. It pains me so much to read about what she was going through. The society she lived in truly was made to constantly oppress women and it made me sick. She was just a poor woman trying to escape an abusive husband. I was so awed by her courage, to try and fight the system. Mary will be up there as one of my favorite historical fiction main characters.
Overall, this was a fantastic book. I never knew where the book was going to go. Every single page stressed me out. There was always an underlying tension and dread that permeated through the book and I was living for it. But there was also a feeling of hope, a small glimmer of hope for Mary. I wished for her happy ending so badly. As you can tell, I highly recommend this book!
popgoesbitty's review against another edition
2.0
CWs: graphic physical and verbal abuse, rape
2.5 stars rounded down to 2. What promised to be an exciting piece of feminist historical fiction in the Salem Witch Trials era proved to be an oddly anticlimactic, ridiculously predictable courtroom style drama.
The story had an upsetting amount of physical abuse and rape that felt indulgent and did little to develop the characters or the plot. It just felt gross. Not to mention the cisgender white male author attempted to win feminist brownie points by ending the book with the line, "the Devil can only be a man." *eyeroll*
The 1 additional star it got was due to the intriguing first act of the book. It got me interested but then QUICKLY let me down. The protagonist deserved better.
2.5 stars rounded down to 2. What promised to be an exciting piece of feminist historical fiction in the Salem Witch Trials era proved to be an oddly anticlimactic, ridiculously predictable courtroom style drama.
The story had an upsetting amount of physical abuse and rape that felt indulgent and did little to develop the characters or the plot. It just felt gross. Not to mention the cisgender white male author attempted to win feminist brownie points by ending the book with the line, "the Devil can only be a man." *eyeroll*
The 1 additional star it got was due to the intriguing first act of the book. It got me interested but then QUICKLY let me down. The protagonist deserved better.
imonyourside's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this historical fiction and realized there was only so much the author could do to ensure the accuracy of puritanical New England. I was pleasantly surprised throughout the novel, however, and especially happy with how it ended.
amattin's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Rape
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
Though things aren't perfect for women now, they are much better than they were in colonial America. Hour of the Witch tells the story of 24 year old Mary, a Puritanical woman living in Boston. She is in an abusive marriage to a much older man and is troubled by her inability to conceive a child and her desire to escape her marriage. She seeks a divorce and things don't go quite as she'd hoped. She comes under suspicion for being a witch.
This was gripping historical fiction that tells of the peril women were in if they dared to try to be independent. This is about the 5th book that I've read by Bohjalian and he has a special knack for depicting families in crisis. Mary was in a difficult situation and while she made some good choices, she also made some that ended up working against her case. She did find some allies through her plight and it was good to see others willing to help her.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
This was gripping historical fiction that tells of the peril women were in if they dared to try to be independent. This is about the 5th book that I've read by Bohjalian and he has a special knack for depicting families in crisis. Mary was in a difficult situation and while she made some good choices, she also made some that ended up working against her case. She did find some allies through her plight and it was good to see others willing to help her.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
jansbookcorner's review against another edition
5.0
Chris Bohjalian did it again - another well written great book! Found myself talking about this book to my husband constantly while reading. Historical fiction at its best.
kodzukein's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
victoriafrost1991's review against another edition
3.0
So far, the novel is a fascinating read. I enjoy looking at the themes of witches (or potential witches), being a good Christian in a very religious world and being seen at odd ends with most of the community. Yet, I find that the novel was too long a read and could have been shorter as well as to the point.