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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
mysterious
slow-paced
I almost considered giving it 4 stars just for Marian because I love her to death but it was too slow. So slow.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I absolutely adored this book! It had adventure, mystery, romance, villains, heroes, and still managed to be progressive for its time! I can state with certainty it has gained a place in my top 5 favorite books of all! It is a long read but it is well worth every word!
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
An overblown gothic mystery. The multiple POVs are unique and brilliantly written and Collins knows how to crank up the tension. A lot of interesting social commentary too. The last epoch was a little erratically paced but overall a great read.
Definitely one of the better books I have read in quite some time. It reminded me in some ways of "Rebecca", which I really like. The characters were easy to relate to, the plot grabbed me from the start, and all the loose ends were tied up nicely by the finish. Highly recommend.
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I found this book to be a bit of a let down. I mean, it was partially my fault (for some reason I was convinced it was going to be a ghost story??), but it just went on and on and on.
The plot itself was ok in some parts but so, so convoluted in others. The overall plot and idea of the plot was good - it was interesting and there were definitely some twists that I did not see coming. However, this was definitely a book that did not need to be 700+ pages long. There was just a lot of back and forth and a lot of long descriptions and conversations. I understand that it was a book of the time (and since it was originally written as a serial, you'd want to add those long descriptions to make sure it lasts as long as possible), but it just wasn't for me. The edition I read had lots of endnotes that compared Collins' original manuscript, the version that was published as a serial and the published version. Sometimes it was interesting but there were a lot of endnotes devoted to adjusting dates, because somewhere in the publication process, Collins moved the dates the book took place around by two weeks. There were some good endnotes that gave context to elements of the book though, so those were nice.
Anyway, still a 3* read because there were some elements that I didn't see coming, but it was just a lot to read.
The plot itself was ok in some parts but so, so convoluted in others. The overall plot and idea of the plot was good - it was interesting and there were definitely some twists that I did not see coming. However, this was definitely a book that did not need to be 700+ pages long. There was just a lot of back and forth and a lot of long descriptions and conversations. I understand that it was a book of the time (and since it was originally written as a serial, you'd want to add those long descriptions to make sure it lasts as long as possible), but it just wasn't for me. The edition I read had lots of endnotes that compared Collins' original manuscript, the version that was published as a serial and the published version. Sometimes it was interesting but there were a lot of endnotes devoted to adjusting dates, because somewhere in the publication process, Collins moved the dates the book took place around by two weeks. There were some good endnotes that gave context to elements of the book though, so those were nice.
Anyway, still a 3* read because there were some elements that I didn't see coming, but it was just a lot to read.
Told through a number of first person narratives this is an amazing book
I like the way the author applies detail upon detail to set the scene or describe a character. This means the book comes to life for the reader.
The mystery going through the book has many twists and turns, The writing is easy and the pace of the narrative is good keeping my attention throughout.
Although the tale is less than funny there are some humorous scenes that lighten the mood. - The schoolroom scene is one of these that i really enjoyed
I like the way the author applies detail upon detail to set the scene or describe a character. This means the book comes to life for the reader.
The mystery going through the book has many twists and turns, The writing is easy and the pace of the narrative is good keeping my attention throughout.
Although the tale is less than funny there are some humorous scenes that lighten the mood. - The schoolroom scene is one of these that i really enjoyed
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes