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bessmonet's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Child death, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Violence
readingbetweenthemoors's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Domestic abuse
claudiamacpherson's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Did I buy this (partly) because it’s just an absolutely beautiful cover? Yes. But I love historical fiction and this was beautifully, heartbreakingly good. Maggie O’Farrell’s writing style was wonderfully descriptive and felt almost dreamy. I often don’t like when stories jump around in time, but it didn’t bother me in this book. I especially loved the chapter tracing the plague from a monkey in the Middle East to Italy and finally to England. I love when books deal with big or important historical events by breaking them down to the tiniest actions, and this was an amazing example. I found it fascinating that O’Farrell managed to write the entire book (or almost the entire book? I don’t remember exactly) without ever mentioning the name William Shakespeare. It was such a good way to keep the reader’s attention on his role as a father rather than a literary icon.
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the vibe—although this is historical fiction so you really should know the ending already): Sad, but also a little bittersweet. I love the idea of tragedy and loss being turned into something beautiful, as so many artists have done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Grief, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity and Suicidal thoughts
kizzy's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Blood and Suicidal thoughts
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