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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Antisemitism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Discover the locations in the novel here
The House of Whispers is the book you need to read thanks to the talents of Anna Mazzola. She’s written some great books so far and this is simply wonderfully crafted, wonderfully described and heartbreakingly told.
The world is ablaze as Fascism starts to rear its ugly head. In Italy, people think Mussolini knows how to deal with Hitler. People who are not considered to be true Italians are cast out of society. Eva in the novel is not ‘pure’ Italian and so worries for her future.
It was scary to see how gradually things worsened and how the rot got to every bit of soceity because people just let it. What’s that saying that ‘ Evil succeeds when good men do nothing.” This could have been the strapline for the book. Sadly, it could also be said of much of present day society. This book might be set in 1940s Italy but it sadly is relevant today too.
The setting of a city transforming into a prison was a scary one to read. Brilliantly evoked and described though. The writing as ever is exquisite.
Eva is the main character who marries a widower and goes to live with him and his daughter. She met when she went to teach his daughter piano. Whilst in the house, she sees and hears things that seem strange to her. A vase smashes for no reason…and that’s just the start. As the world implodes outside, the house seems to reflect that with the strange goings on within. I thought this was nicely done and the atmosphere built up slowly and carefully.
I wanted to know more about the House of Whispers. The story was nicely tied up with a few threads of doubt hanging, but I wanted to know more. There’s some history to what the house was like and what might have been at play but I was hungry to know more spooky history. It didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the novel though as the story was wonderfully crafted to showcase the characters, their fate and the country at war. How if we ignore hate and injustice, it can come back to haunt in more ways than one.
The House of Whispers – even the title made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes