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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
I love a good legal drama like the other guy; the courtroom arguments, the evidence, the testimonies are all pretty intriguing. Still, somehow this book managed to be somewhat repetitive and boring. A cross examination that might work on screen doesn’t necessarily work in a book when you have to slog through pages and pages of the same thing.
I loved the psychological aspect and seeing events unfold from Sophie’s perspective. Kate was a great narrator too, but the flashbacks to Holly in 1993 felt excessive. At nearly 400 pages this book was just simply too long for me. I felt like a lot of tension was lost because of the over-explaining nature of the writing.
I loved the psychological aspect and seeing events unfold from Sophie’s perspective. Kate was a great narrator too, but the flashbacks to Holly in 1993 felt excessive. At nearly 400 pages this book was just simply too long for me. I felt like a lot of tension was lost because of the over-explaining nature of the writing.
Without a doubt, one of my favorite reads of 2017. I found myself recommending it to someone when I was only halfway through. I knew (and was right) that it would be a 5 star read.
Anatomy of a Scandal is an intense book that grips you from the very beginning and doesn't let go. There were a few particularly powerful moments when I had to close the book and just absorb what I read, but all that did was compel me to read more. This is a wonderfully and brilliantly written novel.
Anatomy of a Scandal reads like something straight of a newspaper. It's relevancy is astounding and perhaps even slightly scary. This is a gripping and realistic look at the line between consensual sex and rape. It's also a heartbreaking look at how these truths define our lives.
Absolutely recommended. I will certainly be looking forward to reading more from Sarah Vaughan in the future.
* This book was received from Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *
Anatomy of a Scandal is an intense book that grips you from the very beginning and doesn't let go. There were a few particularly powerful moments when I had to close the book and just absorb what I read, but all that did was compel me to read more. This is a wonderfully and brilliantly written novel.
Anatomy of a Scandal reads like something straight of a newspaper. It's relevancy is astounding and perhaps even slightly scary. This is a gripping and realistic look at the line between consensual sex and rape. It's also a heartbreaking look at how these truths define our lives.
Absolutely recommended. I will certainly be looking forward to reading more from Sarah Vaughan in the future.
* This book was received from Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
In the last few years, women have gained courage in voicing the truth about abuses committed against them, including sexual assault. This wasn't really the case in the 1990s, when identifying sexual assault or sexual harassment for what it was still put women at risk (their careers, relationships and friendships, and reputations were all potentially on the line if they disclosed).
This book focuses on two Oxford students in the 1990s. Sophie is a mediocre student from a well-heeled background, and Holly is from a working-class background of the type that meant she fought to get to Oxford, despite her brilliance. However, Holly gets raped and leaves Oxford at the end of first year to start her third-level education again at another, more 'normal' university, where she will not be at the mercy of entitled public schoolboys who assume that they are owed sex, to the point that they rape and drug women at will, knowing there will likely be no consequences.
Fast forward 20 years, and Holly's rapist is now a popular, high-profile politician. Holly has reinvented herself into a high-powered barrister. Sophie is, unbeknownst to herself, married to Holly's rapist politician.
I thought this was a really excellent depiction of a class-ridden, misogynistic culture, where damaged rich boys who were torn from their mothers at a young age to be brought up by educators who don't love them now rule the roost. Though often psychologically damaged in areas of intimacy, they've also been trained to believe they are destined for a life in which they can have pretty much anything they want and indulge themselves as they please without consequences.
Their more extreme exploits are laughed off, not as delinquency (as would be the case if they were from a different class), but as harmless youthful frolicking prior to taking over the responsibilities of the ruling class. And after all, look at how disciplined they are at rugby/rowing/cricket anyway - they can't be all that bad. These are the individuals in college societies where part of the initiation ritual is to burn a £50 note in front of a homeless person (yes, this does happen).
Of course, rape and sexual assault are not exclusive to one particular social class, but the nature of the misogyny is different, depending on class. Somebody who is a good sportsman or politican, or otherwise famous, with tendencies toward forcing themselves on women, is also more likely to get away with their crimes. The same applied for a long time to well-known TV personalities or well-known authors, and in certain cases still applies. Holly, in her new incarnation, is determined to play a part in reversing this state of affairs in her role as a prosecuting barrister.
I have seen the series based on this book, and it's good. However, the book is a little more convincing in some respects. It addresses the nuances of an area that all too often gets swept under the carpet. This book is a really good portrayal of how the dynamics of class and sexual assault interact in what remains, in many ways, a rigidly hierarchical society (the U.K.).
This book focuses on two Oxford students in the 1990s. Sophie is a mediocre student from a well-heeled background, and Holly is from a working-class background of the type that meant she fought to get to Oxford, despite her brilliance. However, Holly gets raped and leaves Oxford at the end of first year to start her third-level education again at another, more 'normal' university, where she will not be at the mercy of entitled public schoolboys who assume that they are owed sex, to the point that they rape and drug women at will, knowing there will likely be no consequences.
Fast forward 20 years, and Holly's rapist is now a popular, high-profile politician. Holly has reinvented herself into a high-powered barrister. Sophie is, unbeknownst to herself, married to Holly's rapist politician.
I thought this was a really excellent depiction of a class-ridden, misogynistic culture, where damaged rich boys who were torn from their mothers at a young age to be brought up by educators who don't love them now rule the roost. Though often psychologically damaged in areas of intimacy, they've also been trained to believe they are destined for a life in which they can have pretty much anything they want and indulge themselves as they please without consequences.
Their more extreme exploits are laughed off, not as delinquency (as would be the case if they were from a different class), but as harmless youthful frolicking prior to taking over the responsibilities of the ruling class. And after all, look at how disciplined they are at rugby/rowing/cricket anyway - they can't be all that bad. These are the individuals in college societies where part of the initiation ritual is to burn a £50 note in front of a homeless person (yes, this does happen).
Of course, rape and sexual assault are not exclusive to one particular social class, but the nature of the misogyny is different, depending on class. Somebody who is a good sportsman or politican, or otherwise famous, with tendencies toward forcing themselves on women, is also more likely to get away with their crimes. The same applied for a long time to well-known TV personalities or well-known authors, and in certain cases still applies. Holly, in her new incarnation, is determined to play a part in reversing this state of affairs in her role as a prosecuting barrister.
I have seen the series based on this book, and it's good. However, the book is a little more convincing in some respects. It addresses the nuances of an area that all too often gets swept under the carpet. This book is a really good portrayal of how the dynamics of class and sexual assault interact in what remains, in many ways, a rigidly hierarchical society (the U.K.).
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5*
I guessed the twist very early on but the book was still enjoyable. I’ve never read a book with Oxford or parliamentary ties which made it interesting, but I don’t feel I came away from it enlightened in any way.
I guessed the twist very early on but the book was still enjoyable. I’ve never read a book with Oxford or parliamentary ties which made it interesting, but I don’t feel I came away from it enlightened in any way.
the descriptions of asexuality and androgyny did not rub me in the right way at all
2.5 stars
2.5 stars