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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Monty, Percy and Felicity my beloveds
it was pretty good. the characters were not really compelling within the book despite actually being good characters. i just don't really like lee's description-heavy writing style, though if you like massive amounts of description this book is for YOU. it's just not my thing.
also mega props for including abuse, racial inequality, queer rep, strong (but realistic) women, and epilepsy, all in 1700s historical fiction novel. most people would shy away from every single one of these subjects as if they just didn't exist back then. but they did. and i'm really glad lee wrote it.
also mega props for including abuse, racial inequality, queer rep, strong (but realistic) women, and epilepsy, all in 1700s historical fiction novel. most people would shy away from every single one of these subjects as if they just didn't exist back then. but they did. and i'm really glad lee wrote it.
3,5 stjärnor? eller kanske 4 ändå? Jag vet inte riktigt. Jag tyckte hur som helst mycket om den här boken. Plotten var inte nödvändigtvis jättespännande men karaktärerna var verkligen så fina. Jag älskade den stora mångfalden och hur flera viktiga ämnen behandlades utan att det kändes krystat. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue utgjorde väldigt rolig läsning och den fick mig att skratta högt flera gånger. Jag kan för övrigt starkt rekommendera att lyssna på den som ljudbok då jag älskade inläsaren. Kul bok! Kan verkligen rekommendera.
Såg precis att det kommer en uppföljare fast ur Felicitys perspektiv. Så pepp!!
Såg precis att det kommer en uppföljare fast ur Felicitys perspektiv. Så pepp!!
A very cute book! Looking forward to reading the sequel
3.5 stars, rounded down
I love pirates. And as someone who loves pirates, I would have to say that my most major complaint with this book is that there are not enough pirates in it.
There are many anachronisms, but as they suit the style of the story, I didn't really mind them much. The only time I was ever really taken out of the story was when the social commentary became very pointed and obvious. It's not that I don't appreciate a good acknowledgment of racism and the patriarchy, but I do think that the author could have done this in perhaps a more subtle manner than simply a character saying "you were able to do xyz because you're a white man and I'm not".
I love pirates. And as someone who loves pirates, I would have to say that my most major complaint with this book is that there are not enough pirates in it.
There are many anachronisms, but as they suit the style of the story, I didn't really mind them much. The only time I was ever really taken out of the story was when the social commentary became very pointed and obvious. It's not that I don't appreciate a good acknowledgment of racism and the patriarchy, but I do think that the author could have done this in perhaps a more subtle manner than simply a character saying "you were able to do xyz because you're a white man and I'm not".
I think after over a year, I've safely declared a dnf on this book. I might enjoy it at a different point in my life, but I just couldn't get into it.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
(Reread x5) finally experienced my fav European tour book while on a European tour of my own
~*~
I’m back—for the fifth time—reading about my favourite lovesick bisexual doubling as a semi-alcoholic teenage lord. I present to you Henry “Monty” Montague:
I’ve re-read The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue almost every single summer since I first bought it. Come on, how could I not fall in love with a 19th century Grand Tour of Europe narrated by a self destructive eighteen year old?
Alas, herein lay my demise: said protagonist is secretly in love with his best friend—Percy—who also happens to be his year-long travelling companion. (Friends to lovers… aka the best romance trope ever. No I don’t take criticism).
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~
Monty is a young lord living in the 1800’s, one that’s got a passion for spending his youth waking in the arms of women or men, gambling, and drinking his responsibilities away. He’s heading off on a grand tour of Europe with his sister, Felicity, and the best friend he’s pretty sure he wants to kiss—Percy. It’ll be their last hurrah before the three have to part ways for schooling and adult life, except when their tour begins, Monty’s reckless behaviour gets them into a bigger scramble than they bargained for. One that leaves them the subject of a continent-wide manhunt...
────── {⋆★⋆} ──────
Essentially, this is everything I could ask for in a book. Monty’s constant internal breakdowns over his inflating crush made my heart swell. Percy was an absolute angel (extra points for playing the fiddle), and Felicity took strong women to a whole new level.
Historical novels are commonly focused on rich white men, so I was delighted to find the opposite here. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue shines light on to the many discriminations of the time. 1. Our main character is as I mentioned, bisexual. 2. His sister, Felicity, is an aspiring doctor, despite the prejudice during the time that suggested women were near-useless. 3. His best friend, Percy, is black and epileptic. We are shown the racial segregation rampant during the 1800’s, along with the beliefs that epilepsy meant one was possesed. The commentary towards all three characters and their divergence from “normality” was so inspiring, especially because this is such an otherwise comical and romantic story. The balancing of impact and entertainment was spot on!
The romance, of course, was also perfect. Percy makes such a great friend and love interest. The amount of times I had to pause because I couldn’t process how cute he and Monty were stacks up to far more than I’d like to admit. For those who’ve read the book: I’m having MERCY engraved on my tombstone.
Everything about this book, I adore. Laughs, smiles (and tears) escape me every time I read it, mostly courtesy of our unapologetic main character, Monty. It’s a beautiful, romantic, hilarious romp that takes on the beauty of boundless friendship and love.
Mackenzi Lee holds a BA in history, meaning she knows what she’s writing about. Everything was so greatly atmospheric; as the cast travelled through old Europe, I felt as if I was doing the same. Descriptions were perfectly handled; the writing was magnificent. Do yourself a favour: read this book. The swooning and constant cracking-of-smiles will be well worth it, I swear.
~*~
I’m back—for the fifth time—reading about my favourite lovesick bisexual doubling as a semi-alcoholic teenage lord. I present to you Henry “Monty” Montague:
“If my father is so keen on telling everyone what a rake I am, I’m happy to live up to my reputation. Wouldn’t want to disappoint him.”
I’ve re-read The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue almost every single summer since I first bought it. Come on, how could I not fall in love with a 19th century Grand Tour of Europe narrated by a self destructive eighteen year old?
Alas, herein lay my demise: said protagonist is secretly in love with his best friend—Percy—who also happens to be his year-long travelling companion. (Friends to lovers… aka the best romance trope ever. No I don’t take criticism).
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~
Monty is a young lord living in the 1800’s, one that’s got a passion for spending his youth waking in the arms of women or men, gambling, and drinking his responsibilities away. He’s heading off on a grand tour of Europe with his sister, Felicity, and the best friend he’s pretty sure he wants to kiss—Percy. It’ll be their last hurrah before the three have to part ways for schooling and adult life, except when their tour begins, Monty’s reckless behaviour gets them into a bigger scramble than they bargained for. One that leaves them the subject of a continent-wide manhunt...
────── {⋆★⋆} ──────
“We're not courting trouble," I say. "Flirting with it, at most.”
Essentially, this is everything I could ask for in a book. Monty’s constant internal breakdowns over his inflating crush made my heart swell. Percy was an absolute angel (extra points for playing the fiddle), and Felicity took strong women to a whole new level.
Historical novels are commonly focused on rich white men, so I was delighted to find the opposite here. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue shines light on to the many discriminations of the time. 1. Our main character is as I mentioned, bisexual. 2. His sister, Felicity, is an aspiring doctor, despite the prejudice during the time that suggested women were near-useless. 3. His best friend, Percy, is black and epileptic. We are shown the racial segregation rampant during the 1800’s, along with the beliefs that epilepsy meant one was possesed. The commentary towards all three characters and their divergence from “normality” was so inspiring, especially because this is such an otherwise comical and romantic story. The balancing of impact and entertainment was spot on!
The romance, of course, was also perfect. Percy makes such a great friend and love interest. The amount of times I had to pause because I couldn’t process how cute he and Monty were stacks up to far more than I’d like to admit. For those who’ve read the book: I’m having MERCY engraved on my tombstone.
“Love may be a grand thing, but goddamn if it doesn't take up more than its fair share of space inside a man.”
Everything about this book, I adore. Laughs, smiles (and tears) escape me every time I read it, mostly courtesy of our unapologetic main character, Monty. It’s a beautiful, romantic, hilarious romp that takes on the beauty of boundless friendship and love.
Mackenzi Lee holds a BA in history, meaning she knows what she’s writing about. Everything was so greatly atmospheric; as the cast travelled through old Europe, I felt as if I was doing the same. Descriptions were perfectly handled; the writing was magnificent. Do yourself a favour: read this book. The swooning and constant cracking-of-smiles will be well worth it, I swear.
“A small shift in the gravity between us and suddenly all my stars are out of alignment, planets knocked front their orbits, and I’m left stumbling, without map or heading, through the bewildering territory of being in love with your best friend.”