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lanternheart's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.75
A deep element of tension underlies Sandra Newman's The Heavens, and it is difficult to say whether it is held more often in the hands of time or love. The premise relies on the central character, Kate, moving between an alternate version of our present and the past, where she dreams herself — in a way that seems all too real — a woman in Shakespeare's England, (the true historical figure) Emilia Lanier . The more Kate dreams, the more it effects her alternate world, turning it, piece by seemingly unconnected piece, into the flawed glass we see ourselves in today, our own world with all its troubles .
The beauty of the book lies in Kate's point of view, and in her travels through the past: her increasing awareness of the past as more rich than the present, and her growing conviction in the importance of the sad, curious playwright who(in her home timeline) seems to have never done anything, and died younger than we'd ever recognize . She feels "the fearful knowledge that she had to save the world," and in so doing, save this old love — but in doing so, her world in the present turns so much that her present-day lover, Ben, flees.
It's a lyrical premise, and a poetic one to watch un-spiral: my problems with the book lie far more in its structural choices than the premise itself. It's relatively late in The Heavens that we learn that Kateis not alone, she's one of many unwitting time travelers, effected by catastrophic experiments with time in a distant apocalyptic future . I didn't wholly dislike this, but I did find myself enjoying The Heavens more when it leaned into the ambiguity of Kate's ability: the premise was the most interesting to me when it was not explained, when it was something ineffable and unable to be grasped.
I found myself disappointed that Kate's ability was explained away, let alone so late, and instead relished it more when it was more indescribable, like the abilities of Virginia Woolf's Orlando.
Furthermore, Kate's narration is perhaps the most sympathetic of the novel, while Ben's is very much tinged in the attitudes of a man of his time (the early 2000s). He's not always a likeable narrator, but narrators needn't be — all the same, I did enjoy Kate's sections more. It's a beautiful thing when Kate tries to find her world, especially as persecuted as her dreams cause her to feel in the present: the Lady Cassandra, given a dream in which she may speak.
The beauty of the book lies in Kate's point of view, and in her travels through the past: her increasing awareness of the past as more rich than the present, and her growing conviction in the importance of the sad, curious playwright who
It's a lyrical premise, and a poetic one to watch un-spiral: my problems with the book lie far more in its structural choices than the premise itself. It's relatively late in The Heavens that we learn that Kate
I found myself disappointed that Kate's ability was explained away, let alone so late, and instead relished it more when it was more indescribable, like the abilities of Virginia Woolf's Orlando.
Furthermore, Kate's narration is perhaps the most sympathetic of the novel, while Ben's is very much tinged in the attitudes of a man of his time (the early 2000s). He's not always a likeable narrator, but narrators needn't be — all the same, I did enjoy Kate's sections more. It's a beautiful thing when Kate tries to find her world, especially as persecuted as her dreams cause her to feel in the present: the Lady Cassandra, given a dream in which she may speak.
hanboban's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
lyshbish's review against another edition
2.0
It was fine... I love the idea of time travel and the romantic language of the book was entrancing. However, as the book went on the premise became less exciting for me and a little goofy. Not a bad read by any stretch, but I probably won't pick it up again.
snoakes7001's review against another edition
5.0
The Heavens is a multi-layered love story that spans centuries.
It opens with Ben and Kate meeting at a party and falling for each other. Their world is an improved version of ours - climate change is a thing of the past and the Americans have elected the leader of the Green Party President. But when Kate sleeps, she dreams that she is someone else, dreaming. And when she falls in love, the dreams become more intense until she wakes in the dream as Emilia, the mistress of a nobleman in plague-ravaged Elizabethan London. Emilia has her own visions of a city burning and Kate is increasingly convinced that she has been sent back to fix things, to stop a cataclysmic event that will destroy the world. However, every time she wakes, Kate's world is a little bit worse.
Is Kate really changing the future every time she dreams? Does every tiny action Emilia makes in the past have a butterfly effect on Kate's future? Or has Kate stumbled on a door into the multiverse, visiting many alternate realities, but never finding her way back home? Or, as her friends suspect, is she delusional, losing her grip on reality?
It's very cleverly written, but also totally immersive. The utopian world Kate and Ben meet in is never fully described - in fact you only realise how different it is to our own reality when Kate wakes from subsequent dreams filled with horror at what has been lost. Kate and Ben are complex characters, made more complex by the subtle changes in their personalities in each iteration of Kate's waking world. The whole thing is testament to Sandra Newman's incredible imagination.
It opens with Ben and Kate meeting at a party and falling for each other. Their world is an improved version of ours - climate change is a thing of the past and the Americans have elected the leader of the Green Party President. But when Kate sleeps, she dreams that she is someone else, dreaming. And when she falls in love, the dreams become more intense until she wakes in the dream as Emilia, the mistress of a nobleman in plague-ravaged Elizabethan London. Emilia has her own visions of a city burning and Kate is increasingly convinced that she has been sent back to fix things, to stop a cataclysmic event that will destroy the world. However, every time she wakes, Kate's world is a little bit worse.
Is Kate really changing the future every time she dreams? Does every tiny action Emilia makes in the past have a butterfly effect on Kate's future? Or has Kate stumbled on a door into the multiverse, visiting many alternate realities, but never finding her way back home? Or, as her friends suspect, is she delusional, losing her grip on reality?
It's very cleverly written, but also totally immersive. The utopian world Kate and Ben meet in is never fully described - in fact you only realise how different it is to our own reality when Kate wakes from subsequent dreams filled with horror at what has been lost. Kate and Ben are complex characters, made more complex by the subtle changes in their personalities in each iteration of Kate's waking world. The whole thing is testament to Sandra Newman's incredible imagination.
bookish_arcadia's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
issybartlett_'s review against another edition
3.0
I really loved the way that Newman wrote this book, her prose is unlike most books I read. The book is complex and eerie, and the way it switches tones throughout definitely keeps you intrigued. The reason for the lower review is because I think the idea of the book could have been executed in a simpler manner that would have made reading it a lot easier. It is a beautiful book though slightly confusing, though I suppose whenever you tread into the area of parallel universes you'll be entering some confusing territory.
jillysmith's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Heavens is not a love story, as it purports to be on the bank cover. It is a story about grief, grief about the big and small ends of the world. Set against the backdrop of apocalypses, the two timelines reflect on loss in lots of different ways.
The book is quite 'literary' with Spartan paragraphs that simply describe how characters are without showing you, and none of the characters are very likeable. They also continuously reveal themselves to be pretty horrible people as they lose parts of themselves.
The book is quite 'literary' with Spartan paragraphs that simply describe how characters are without showing you, and none of the characters are very likeable. They also continuously reveal themselves to be pretty horrible people as they lose parts of themselves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Miscarriage
kdhanda's review against another edition
5.0
This book really moved me. Loved the possibility of someone being able to change the world by going in the past, hoping for the better but struggling against the worst. Just to be in Kate’s shoes, to have the power to change the past, for better or bit worse, is inexplicably described. Can one really alter the future of the world or is this a scientific impossibility. A must read for readers who enjoy time travel and it’s ramifications
gelisvb's review against another edition
4.0
I really don't get the low rating that this book has, it's one of the best things I read this year and a book I would recommend for sure. It's very original and unpredictable and I loved reading it.
nixiethepixie's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
i loved that dreams were reality with real life implications. some lovely reflective passages on the nature of life, love and memory, but ultimately this book didn't do much for me. great premise - with time travel and it's implications on relationships and time, but i found the stakes didn't feel particularly high throughout. moving through different timelines - i struggled with the world building and was often confused. i enjoyed the present timeline much more than the others. i found the sparse mentions of race kind of off-putting, and the significant events (ie 9/11) it built upon felt a bit obvious. a constant around mental health, and believing women, but then the ending felt really unsatisfying? is magic only allowed in psychosis?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death