Scan barcode
malinowy's review
2.0
The premise of this book is amazing, a young man solving a possible family mystery in order to receive a hefty inheritance. Sadly the novel does not deliver. The mystery goes on and on with seemingly too lucky coincidences, the young man, Tristan, finding items supporting his theories. At the same time there is another plot, taking place around WWI, of a doomed love affair. This subplot does not provide much more than an additional sloppily executed story. What bothers me the most is that the author gets stuck on details and things that do not particularly bring anything to the story, describing messy rooms and cities, and going to excruciating detail about mountaineering. I'm not saying the Mount Everest pieces at the end aren't interesting and make you realize how insane trying to get to the summit was, but they're also parts that drag on and only make a circle with the rest of the story instead of adding something new to it. I'm not even mad with the ending, the sheer vagueness of it, I'm mad that the story had tons of potential and the author lost most of it.
mackenzievirginia's review
3.0
I am quite conflicted about this book. Perhaps I shall have more to say later after I have had some time to absorb things.
sp3cia1j's review
1.0
Oh man. It is with extreme guilt that I must admit I could not bring myself to finish this book. I feel so bad about this because I did win this from Goodreads. However, the fact that I just could not get into this book and had no desire to read it should serve as a warning to others. As I gather from other reviewers, I'm not alone in this. Sorry, Goodreads. Or maybe, not sorry.
bmyurs's review
4.0
The ending seemed unfinished and not satisfying to the rest of the book. Otherwise I thought it really well written. The character development was really well done.
wynne_ronareads's review against another edition
3.0
This was an impulse purchase that I happily devoured. Justin Go's debut novel is ambitious (to say the least) and well researched. The portions about the first World War and England as the two lovers experience it are rich with tangible, realistic details.
The modern day Tristan is the character that lacks the most dynamic development. His love for a young French woman he meets on his travels seems a forced parallel to the potential relatives he's chasing, but because these sections are much more brief than the historical flashbacks, I was able to overlook this.
I read this before "Wild," but it definitely stoked the itch within me to travel abroad alone with only a little bit of money and a lot of gumption. I'll get back to you on where that takes me.
If you've read any of these reviews, no doubt you've seen people bemoan the ending. I can't say I'm any different. If you're looking for a story where the questions and the plot line are drawn up in traditional or even direct ways, this is not the novel. I would've liked more definitive answers from the author, and while I felt as though I had them as I finished, the more time spent away from the story made me question whether there had been a resolution at all. I found I enjoyed the story and Go's superb writing enough that the ending didn't matter. But unfortunately, both the modern day and past stories are all tumbling towards one resolution, and while I didn't need Tristan to have the answers or the "desired" outcome (might depend on who you are as a reader) I think some deeper insight/answers into who the two lovers were and where they ended up would've been pertinent.
I feel sort of bad saying that, since one of my favorite pieces I've ever written centers around a young man who's given a sum of money from a source that is never revealed. In every workshop I've presented this story, there is inevitably the reader (okay, several readers) who want desperately to know where the money came from. I always tell them the truth: I don't know. I have never made that decision because it's not the point of the story. It's what the character DOES with the money and how it changes their life that's at the core. (As I'm typing this I'm realizing the obvious parallels between my story and Go's. Never saw that before...) I also enjoy the discussions where readers theorize where the money might have come from, since every reader brings their own stuff to a story.
I didn't just recall all t his to pump myself up, I told it because as I finished "Steady ROTH" I thought of how it felt to have people always go, BUT HELLO? When it wasn't the point. Part of me always thought of these readers as "lazy" (Literary God forgive me) because it was the readers who never asked or openly wondered where the money came from who gave me the deepest, most thoughtful literary critiques.
However, I suppose all the questions in my story were answered. Or rather, I raised bigger ones, more directly related to the lead character that were answered, negating in most people's minds the need to know where the money's origin.
Go never really does this, which is why I feel he's garnered such criticism, and why I'm inclined to feel he could've given us a little more.
The story begins when Tristan is contacted by English financial officers who believe he may be the last living relative of Ashley Wallsingham, and therefore the recipient of his enormous trust fund. He must find proof of this relation however in order to receive the money, and almost a hundred years of professional searching has turned out nothing. The entire novel is Tristan's search around the world, the historical flashbacks working to provide us with the background necessary to lead up to modern day. The leading question in both parallel stories is what happened to these lovers and is Tristan related? Most of the answers are left to be inferred, despite the questions being the sole "motivator," "moving forward-er" of the story.
BUT--did I enjoy Go's novel? Yes. Will I read his next one? Yes. If he leaves me to infer a second time will I read his third? Eh, get back to me.
The modern day Tristan is the character that lacks the most dynamic development. His love for a young French woman he meets on his travels seems a forced parallel to the potential relatives he's chasing, but because these sections are much more brief than the historical flashbacks, I was able to overlook this.
I read this before "Wild," but it definitely stoked the itch within me to travel abroad alone with only a little bit of money and a lot of gumption. I'll get back to you on where that takes me.
If you've read any of these reviews, no doubt you've seen people bemoan the ending. I can't say I'm any different. If you're looking for a story where the questions and the plot line are drawn up in traditional or even direct ways, this is not the novel. I would've liked more definitive answers from the author, and while I felt as though I had them as I finished, the more time spent away from the story made me question whether there had been a resolution at all. I found I enjoyed the story and Go's superb writing enough that the ending didn't matter. But unfortunately, both the modern day and past stories are all tumbling towards one resolution, and while I didn't need Tristan to have the answers or the "desired" outcome (might depend on who you are as a reader) I think some deeper insight/answers into who the two lovers were and where they ended up would've been pertinent.
I feel sort of bad saying that, since one of my favorite pieces I've ever written centers around a young man who's given a sum of money from a source that is never revealed. In every workshop I've presented this story, there is inevitably the reader (okay, several readers) who want desperately to know where the money came from. I always tell them the truth: I don't know. I have never made that decision because it's not the point of the story. It's what the character DOES with the money and how it changes their life that's at the core. (As I'm typing this I'm realizing the obvious parallels between my story and Go's. Never saw that before...) I also enjoy the discussions where readers theorize where the money might have come from, since every reader brings their own stuff to a story.
I didn't just recall all t his to pump myself up, I told it because as I finished "Steady ROTH" I thought of how it felt to have people always go, BUT HELLO? When it wasn't the point. Part of me always thought of these readers as "lazy" (Literary God forgive me) because it was the readers who never asked or openly wondered where the money came from who gave me the deepest, most thoughtful literary critiques.
However, I suppose all the questions in my story were answered. Or rather, I raised bigger ones, more directly related to the lead character that were answered, negating in most people's minds the need to know where the money's origin.
Go never really does this, which is why I feel he's garnered such criticism, and why I'm inclined to feel he could've given us a little more.
The story begins when Tristan is contacted by English financial officers who believe he may be the last living relative of Ashley Wallsingham, and therefore the recipient of his enormous trust fund. He must find proof of this relation however in order to receive the money, and almost a hundred years of professional searching has turned out nothing. The entire novel is Tristan's search around the world, the historical flashbacks working to provide us with the background necessary to lead up to modern day. The leading question in both parallel stories is what happened to these lovers and is Tristan related? Most of the answers are left to be inferred, despite the questions being the sole "motivator," "moving forward-er" of the story.
BUT--did I enjoy Go's novel? Yes. Will I read his next one? Yes. If he leaves me to infer a second time will I read his third? Eh, get back to me.
jadorelire's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the tension created by the running clock, and the back and forth between present day and the early 20th century. I loved the insights into what it might have been like in the muddy trenches of France in WWI. I was frustrated by Imogene's stubbornness and didn't like the ending. But overall it was worth reading.
vanaeveryoung's review
4.0
I won a copy of this book from the FirstReads program.
Even though the cover is marked as an Advance Reader's Edition, with a release date of 5/6/14 printed on it, I did not actually receive my copy until June 4.
Even though the cover is marked as an Advance Reader's Edition, with a release date of 5/6/14 printed on it, I did not actually receive my copy until June 4.
taphophile's review
3.0
I enjoyed the journey more than the destination but any quest which involves archives, libraries and the value of historical records gets my vote.