Reviews

The Crimson Portrait by Jody Shields

eroar001's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

sapphosacademy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

hollydeal's review against another edition

3.0

Really more 3 1/2 stars. The description of the book is hugely misleading, but I'm glad it was. I never would have picked it up if the description had been accurate. I tend to be very squeamish about medical stuff, and that's a huge part of the book. I was really surprised that I found the graphic descriptions of injuries and medical procedures to be more interesting than gross.

Overall, I can't say it was a fun read. It was a fairly dark book, as you'd expect from a story set almost entirely in a WWI hospital for treatment of facial disfigurement. But it was a good read. My one real complaint is that the character of Catherine was really...confusing. Her actions did not always make sense, even given her mental state. I did really enjoy the Anna storyline, and I would love to have known more about Dr. McCleary. He was fascinating.

A retelling of the story from Julian's perspective would be an interesting read.