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book_busy's review against another edition
4.0
3.75/5
Surprisingly dynamic and kooky for its time. Although the overly exotic and stereotyped character of the Arab was dishearteningly clique and villainised, much like dracula, this bizarre character and its magic added a lot of excitement to the novel. Sydney Atherton was by far my favourite character as he was so annoying it became endearing. The beetle in itself was well-used but seemed to disappear completely for several chapters and I thought Lessingham's backstory could have potentially been revealed in a better-integrated way than a huge spool of dialogue. I enjoyed this but it felt at time like it dragged due to all the multiple perspectives sometimes rehashing the same details or the 'comedic' tone of the dialogue delaying plot progression slightly in favour of being wink wink amusing. Still, I much prefer it to Turn of the Screw of Castle of Otranto so that must mean something. The fact I didn't fly through it shows it wasn't amazing though.... it felt a bit aimless towards the end and the conclusion was far from what I'd call satisfying.
Surprisingly dynamic and kooky for its time. Although the overly exotic and stereotyped character of the Arab was dishearteningly clique and villainised, much like dracula, this bizarre character and its magic added a lot of excitement to the novel. Sydney Atherton was by far my favourite character as he was so annoying it became endearing. The beetle in itself was well-used but seemed to disappear completely for several chapters and I thought Lessingham's backstory could have potentially been revealed in a better-integrated way than a huge spool of dialogue. I enjoyed this but it felt at time like it dragged due to all the multiple perspectives sometimes rehashing the same details or the 'comedic' tone of the dialogue delaying plot progression slightly in favour of being wink wink amusing. Still, I much prefer it to Turn of the Screw of Castle of Otranto so that must mean something. The fact I didn't fly through it shows it wasn't amazing though.... it felt a bit aimless towards the end and the conclusion was far from what I'd call satisfying.
arash's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
all_piss_and_vinegar's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
A weird, unusual book with lovely writing - but for those who like their books to end with everything tied up in a neat little bow
arunendro's review against another edition
3.5
quite entertaining, shockingly. i really enjoyed the last section. felt like it might have been one inspiration for the atmosphere/style of lockwood and co. (a good thing!).
alrauna's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
grayjay's review against another edition
4.0
This Victoria gothic was a contemporary of Dracula, and it's just as spooky and enjoyable. Perhaps the reason it didn't make as sure a place for itself as Dracula is it's revealing of Victorian fears of the Oriental.
cozmicdotcom's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
ashpeltack's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Problematic colonial context. But for some reason, it still slaps.
sparks_fitz's review against another edition
Tedious and racist but has some interesting ideas. I liked the first part best but the rest is just boring and drawn out for no good reason. The ending sucks too lmao. don't read this