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buttercupita's review against another edition
4.0
Geraldine Brooks is a really good story teller, and I liked the way she structured this novel, with a contemporary frame for smaller historical vignettes. Each of the stories is compelling and memorable as she traces the history of a medieval Hagaddah through its travels (travails?) Brooks creates very sympathetic human characters. My problem is that in each of her novels that I have read, she seems to hurry the conclusion and wraps things up a little too patly (if that's a word....) I ultimately did not buy into the narrator's romance or its ending. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the ride.
tiffinir's review against another edition
4.0
the middle was slow paced and i almost completely lost interest before the connection and interest returned… i loved knowing more than hanna… gave a different sense of power than other books have given me before
abbyprinceatwood's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the adventure of this book about a book. I liked the characters and the history.
kim_j_dare's review against another edition
3.0
When Hanna Heath, noted book conservator, is asked to study the centuries-old Sarajevo Haggadah, the book's history slowly comes to life. I enjoyed much of this story, which flashes between modern-day and the various centuries of the life of the book, but parts of it (especially some of the flashbacks to earlier times) REALLY dragged, and didn't add anything to the narrative. The last 75 or so pages tie things up a little too neatly. But certainly an interesting and informative read based on the real Sarajevo Haggadah.
sevseverance's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the way Brooks uses history to create a potential new account. Details with imagination. Each chapter presents the backstory of the discovery Hanna makes in “present day.” There is a lot of loss and grief, as religion so often creates. I do not know enough about rare or historical texts, but I do not think I would have the patience to be delicate enough.
Reading this during the time of violence in Gaza and finishing during Hanukkah added a different layer for reflection. I appreciated Ozren’s account of how the book symbolizes unity when so many people of different faiths risked their lives to save it. We still have work to do on that front.
“You know I am not a religious man. But Hanna, I have spent many nights, lying awake here in this room, thinking that the haggadah came to Sarajevo for a reason. It was here to test us, to see if there were people who could see that what united us was more than what divided us. That to be a human being matters more than to be a Jew or a Muslim, Catholic or Orthodox." (p.361)
Reading this during the time of violence in Gaza and finishing during Hanukkah added a different layer for reflection. I appreciated Ozren’s account of how the book symbolizes unity when so many people of different faiths risked their lives to save it. We still have work to do on that front.
“You know I am not a religious man. But Hanna, I have spent many nights, lying awake here in this room, thinking that the haggadah came to Sarajevo for a reason. It was here to test us, to see if there were people who could see that what united us was more than what divided us. That to be a human being matters more than to be a Jew or a Muslim, Catholic or Orthodox." (p.361)
eiridium's review against another edition
3.0
An intriguing read. Brooks, embellishes the forensic examination of a physical object (a medieval manuscript) by connecting its features and blemishes to the stories of the people's loves that it has touched. She takes this a step further by elaborating how these stories result in a modern day mystery. The staging of the narrative is superb and a wonderful example of peeling back chronological onion skins in a gradual reveal and then stepping forward to extended but tie up a massive dangling thread.
The settings, atmospheres and characters are clearly related to Brooks real world experiences and this results in an engaging and illuminated read.
The settings, atmospheres and characters are clearly related to Brooks real world experiences and this results in an engaging and illuminated read.
indiarose8's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75