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thefoxyreader's review
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Don’t let the marketing ruin this book for you like it almost did me. Hour of the Witch is NOT a thriller. It has one suspenseful scene and some growing dread throughout, but it overwhelmingly is a historical fiction courtroom drama. Sort of like if John Grisham wrote an episode of Law & Order: Puritan Victims Unit.
SYNOPSIS: Mary’s husband is the woooooorst. He beats her, belittles her, and rapes her. When he sticks a fork in the back of her hand, she’s done. Mary leaves him and pursues divorcing his abusive ass. But she forgot that it’s 1600s Boston, and she quickly learns that folks are beginning to suspect she’s a witch.
You can tell that Chris Bohjalian did a lot of research on the time period and location. I appreciate when an author’s research shows in the writing. For the most part, everything felt authentic to the period, and I love that he presents women in this time period as being smart and having a desire to be independent but not being able to achieve their wants and desires because of the way society was built to benefit white men.
The straight-forward approach was an interesting choice to take, and I appreciate that even though witchcraft isn’t real, the characters still believe in it and fear it. I thought we might get some lite witchcraft or at least some plausibility that it existed, but Bohjalian really sticks to the HISTORICAL part of historical fiction.
Despite the impressive research and interesting premise, <i>Hour of the Witch</i> is not without its flaws. The biggest missed opportunity is in the character of Henry, the dark-headed eff-society-and-all-its-conventions newcomer to town. I wish there had been more of a build to his relationship with Mary. This could have been the ultimate forbidden romance since she’s married and suspected of witchcraft. Their relationship just happens too quickly instead of being dangled like the apple in front of Adam and Eve.
And I get that Bohjalian is sticking to the realism, but I’m single and could have really used a scene where these two characters have an intense makeout on the docks in the dead of night. I get there’s no way they could do that without getting caught, but just give us a tiny bit of spice, please.
Bohjalian also relies too much on repetition to where it becomes borderline parody. If you don’t call a fork “the devil’s tines” after finishing this book, then I don’t believe you actually read it. Same goes for “prithee,” “drink-drunk,” and “white meat for brains.”
Overall, this book isn’t bad by any means, but I think it could have benefited from another editing/rewriting session to increase the tension and make the characters and story more interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
syche's review
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
4.5
I have always enjoyed Chris Bohjalian’s writing but it’s been a while since I’ve read one of his books—this was a nice return to his style. Super engaging, very detailed. I’m going to have to see what else of his I’ve missed over the last few years.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Infertility, and Sexism
Moderate: Colonisation, Grief, Sexual violence, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Incest, and Alcohol
deezy's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
courtsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death and Colonisation
cathuluu's review
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
liblibby's review
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence
christinecc's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall 4 stars for the historical research and engrossing setup, but personally 3 stars for a bit of a paint-by-numbers tale of women getting accused of witchcraft by Puritans in 17th century New England.
The book opens with an intriguing peek at what's to come, namely: our protagonist Mary Deerfield, daughter of an upstanding English merchant family, petitions for divorce from her husband, town miller Thomas Deerfield. We soon find out why, although we wonder how quickly things will escalate (very quickly, as it turns out). In short, Thomas is cruel and violent, and he and Mary have nothing resembling affection for each other. With no direct witnesses to Thomas's shocking abuse, Mary faces an uphill battle in court.
My favorite aspect of Chris BohJalian's "Hour of the Witch" was its portrait of 1662 Puritan New England and the Puritan outlook on justice, marriage, and morality. I loved how people used cunning and just the right mean word to avoid telling the truth, or imply what they mean, or sow seeds of doubt in others. The playacting, the careful choice of how to behave and how to make it seem authentic and morally unimpeachable... it's all fascinating and the perfect setup for a court battle where your peers really are your judges (or magistrates). Bohjalian did a fantastic job depicting this time period and culture that are so specific to 17th century New England. (By comparison, over in France, Louis XIV was in the first few years of his adult reign, and that feels like something from a whole other planet).
What didn't work for me much were the plot and characters (which just goes to show how much work the historical setting does to keep the reader hooked). We spend a lot of time with Mary in her head, but we don't know much about her except that she isn't happy in her marriage, she didn't think Thomas was a great match for her in the first place, and she's fairly compassionate as a person (except when she tries to manage public expectations). She'll befriend a woman suspected of being a witch, but not much, and she's open to herbal medicine and likes to read books. She's not superstitious but is devout. I suppose what feels a bit hollow is that she doesn't seem to have many flaws. and those she does display mostly serve the plot. I was a bit surprised at how optimistic and cavalier she felt about a divorce, considering divorce was theoretically possibly but rarely granted for domestic abuse (or "cruelty").
The same goes for the other characters: the maidservant who pines for Thomas, Mary's daughter-in-law with the handsome husband, Mary's best friend who is barely in the book but comes in handy later, even a potential love interest who shows intense interest in Mary but we never get to see why (and good grief, does that lead to trouble...), none of these characters feel particularly well-rounded or lived-in. It's a shame because the slower parts of the story might have been used to better effect with more character details.
As for the plot, I know (I know) the title of the book is a bit of a giveaway, but I was really hoping the plot wouldn't center on a witchcraft accusation, because we know that never ends well, and we know courts hearing this kind of issue are never reasonable. It's a story with a known destination, and none of the side mysteries are strong enough (or obscure enough) to make up for the underwhelming tension.
All in all, the book makes for a great historical thriller, even if you see the end coming, because there ARE some surprises along the way, and like I said, Bohjalian does a uncanny job of putting us in an unnerving time and place, where everyone is waiting for the next scapegoat to use as a sign of their own piety and status. Not a great place to be a woman, a Quaker, or really anyone subject to intense public scrutiny. One hint of difference and the crowd smells blood.
Thank you to Doubleday and Netgalley for sending me a free eARC in exchange for this honest review.
The book opens with an intriguing peek at what's to come, namely: our protagonist Mary Deerfield, daughter of an upstanding English merchant family, petitions for divorce from her husband, town miller Thomas Deerfield. We soon find out why, although we wonder how quickly things will escalate (very quickly, as it turns out). In short, Thomas is cruel and violent, and he and Mary have nothing resembling affection for each other. With no direct witnesses to Thomas's shocking abuse, Mary faces an uphill battle in court.
My favorite aspect of Chris BohJalian's "Hour of the Witch" was its portrait of 1662 Puritan New England and the Puritan outlook on justice, marriage, and morality. I loved how people used cunning and just the right mean word to avoid telling the truth, or imply what they mean, or sow seeds of doubt in others. The playacting, the careful choice of how to behave and how to make it seem authentic and morally unimpeachable... it's all fascinating and the perfect setup for a court battle where your peers really are your judges (or magistrates). Bohjalian did a fantastic job depicting this time period and culture that are so specific to 17th century New England. (By comparison, over in France, Louis XIV was in the first few years of his adult reign, and that feels like something from a whole other planet).
What didn't work for me much were the plot and characters (which just goes to show how much work the historical setting does to keep the reader hooked). We spend a lot of time with Mary in her head, but we don't know much about her except that she isn't happy in her marriage, she didn't think Thomas was a great match for her in the first place, and she's fairly compassionate as a person (except when she tries to manage public expectations). She'll befriend a woman suspected of being a witch, but not much, and she's open to herbal medicine and likes to read books. She's not superstitious but is devout. I suppose what feels a bit hollow is that she doesn't seem to have many flaws. and those she does display mostly serve the plot. I was a bit surprised at how optimistic and cavalier she felt about a divorce, considering divorce was theoretically possibly but rarely granted for domestic abuse (or "cruelty").
The same goes for the other characters: the maidservant who pines for Thomas, Mary's daughter-in-law with the handsome husband, Mary's best friend who is barely in the book but comes in handy later, even a potential love interest who shows intense interest in Mary but we never get to see why (and good grief, does that lead to trouble...), none of these characters feel particularly well-rounded or lived-in. It's a shame because the slower parts of the story might have been used to better effect with more character details.
As for the plot, I know (I know) the title of the book is a bit of a giveaway, but I was really hoping the plot wouldn't center on a witchcraft accusation, because we know that never ends well, and we know courts hearing this kind of issue are never reasonable. It's a story with a known destination, and none of the side mysteries are strong enough (or obscure enough) to make up for the underwhelming tension.
All in all, the book makes for a great historical thriller, even if you see the end coming, because there ARE some surprises along the way, and like I said, Bohjalian does a uncanny job of putting us in an unnerving time and place, where everyone is waiting for the next scapegoat to use as a sign of their own piety and status. Not a great place to be a woman, a Quaker, or really anyone subject to intense public scrutiny. One hint of difference and the crowd smells blood.
Thank you to Doubleday and Netgalley for sending me a free eARC in exchange for this honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Rape, and Domestic abuse
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