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hb_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
I really, really enjoyed this. I started this series by reading #8, The Beautiful Mystery, and then came back to the first. I really liked #8, and I was pleasantly surprised by how different Still Life was, and how much I enjoyed it regardless. Penny's language, imagery, and character development are all really spot on for me -- I loved how the story wrapped up and the beautiful way everything and every person is described. I loved getting to know all the characters from Three Pines -- even the goofy and somewhat stereotypical behaviors of the gay characters felt fleshed out and natural. I really felt invested in all the characters and their relationships, and I liked seeing the beginnings of Jean Guy and Gamache's relationship. Could not stand Nichol, which I know was the point, and I really hope she doesn't pop up again attempting to be a team player -- though it might be interesting to see her as a "villain" as I know from The Beautiful Mystery that Gamache is not well liked/being somewhat sabotaged as the series progresses. I'm excited to read the next one to see more of the characters from Three Pines, as well as seeing how the series develops and becomes more serious in the later books!
junojunejunie's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
morrauror's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
vritter's review against another edition
4.0
I wanted to love this. At times, I did love it. I think I determined the audiobook narrator was the downfall. At times, it was hard to keep track of the characters and it seemed to jump from place and time. I believe this may have been better noted in the written text but didn’t convey the changes on audio.
Overall, well written story with a beautiful use of poetry and quotes.
Overall, well written story with a beautiful use of poetry and quotes.
kaidoi93's review against another edition
5.0
Really enjoyed this! Will be reading more in this series!
theyunacorn's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lovelyday2day's review against another edition
3.0
Had been too long since I read a mystery. This was a nice escape.
krisglomb's review
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really loved the writing in this mystery, so much so that I wished I had read a physical copy rather than listened on audio so I could re-read and savor some of my favorite lines.
This was an excellent slice of life mystery novel. We look at a potential duo of murders that uncovers the social and interpersonal dynamics of a small Canadian town. Many of the themes tackled in this book (contemporary politics vs traditional values, the way one person can be experienced very differently by many people and have it be the truth, what it means to be a good person and if that can change) are all very much themes found in lots of contemporary fiction, but its wrapped up in a well thought out puzzle and with really interesting characters. There are light, laugh out loud moments, there are cringey moments, moments where I felt disgust, and moments that made me reflect on myself and the way I move through the world.
I had a few quibbles with some of the switching between characters and places (sometimes I felt lost with where I was and with whom) but it could have been the large cast trying to be expressed by a single audio book narrator.
While the story wrapped up well in the end, I also felt like I may have missed a few pieces along the way. Overall, I’ll definitely be continuing the series.
Quotes
“My mother used to say some people are in two places at once whereas I, on the other hand, was nowhere.”
“It would be hard to find a human being less effective than Hadley.”
“Gamache sat back and did what he did best: watched.”
“It was one of life’s mysteries that this woman who she held absolutely no respect for could lay her flat.”
“At first she thought it was the voice of God. But then Clara couldn’t imagine God’s first words to her being anything other than ‘What the hell were you thinking?!’”
“I really am a kind, warm hearted person-now out of my way motherfucker-no, wait, let me try again.”
“Life is change. If you aren’t growing and evolving you’re standing still, and the rest of the world is surging ahead. Most of these people are very immature. They lead ‘still’ lives waiting.”