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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I don't have a lot to say about this book. It's well-written--the plot is interesting and engaging, and the characters are fully formed and memorable. Its setting (1940s Hungary) feels unique, but the events and feelings still relatable. The Translator's Introduction preceding the novel sets the book out as life-changing, stating, "It is a novel to which one can and should return. Claire Messud has written of The Door that it forced her to think differently about life. Abigail has that power too, for readers of every age." (x-xi). I wouldn't go that far, but it is a good book that, I imagine, should appeal to both a YA and general audience.
As mentioned above, Szabo does an excellent job of creating characters. I particularly liked Susanna, the deaconess, who seems to represent the moral conundrum of the time/place--the desire to be kind to others, at conflict with a belief in following orders. Konig, a teacher, resented for his bumbling trust and seeming cowardliness, is also great. The scene where he captures Gina at the train station--and Szabo's description of the embarrassment of being foiled by a lesser person--is a highlight: "Perhaps it did make a difference: it was far less shameful to be taken down by some world-famous hunter than by some insignificant nobody. . . . Why did it have to be Konig?" (102). Finally, although not a single character, the Matula students, with their initial collective cruelty to Gina, made for enjoyable scenes. I particularly liked how they burn the cookies given to them by Gina; it read as a comically sinister display of disdain.
The plot felt a little predictable. As soon as Szabo introduces the mystery of the Arkod Dissident (and Abigail), I felt certain it was Konig; like a bizarro Snape, you just know there's more to that character. And the pacing of the book is strange--its climax unfolds over the last 15 pages. Still, it somehow didn't feel rushed. Abigail ends on a question: "How can I ever make up for the fact that I never realized Mr. Konig was Abigail all along?" (333). It's a simultaneously revealing and reflective ending that looks to both the past and the future; I liked that a lot.
As mentioned above, Szabo does an excellent job of creating characters. I particularly liked Susanna, the deaconess, who seems to represent the moral conundrum of the time/place--the desire to be kind to others, at conflict with a belief in following orders. Konig, a teacher, resented for his bumbling trust and seeming cowardliness, is also great. The scene where he captures Gina at the train station--and Szabo's description of the embarrassment of being foiled by a lesser person--is a highlight: "Perhaps it did make a difference: it was far less shameful to be taken down by some world-famous hunter than by some insignificant nobody. . . . Why did it have to be Konig?" (102). Finally, although not a single character, the Matula students, with their initial collective cruelty to Gina, made for enjoyable scenes. I particularly liked how they burn the cookies given to them by Gina; it read as a comically sinister display of disdain.
The plot felt a little predictable. As soon as Szabo introduces the mystery of the Arkod Dissident (and Abigail), I felt certain it was Konig; like a bizarro Snape, you just know there's more to that character. And the pacing of the book is strange--its climax unfolds over the last 15 pages. Still, it somehow didn't feel rushed. Abigail ends on a question: "How can I ever make up for the fact that I never realized Mr. Konig was Abigail all along?" (333). It's a simultaneously revealing and reflective ending that looks to both the past and the future; I liked that a lot.