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emmadkreads's review
2.0
I chose this book because I really liked Girl With a Pearl Earring. Unfortunately, I didn't have the same connection with Falling Angels. It was difficult from the beginning-- the first few chapters were narrated by 5 year olds that sounded more like they were 70... The content was interesting--set in the first years of the 20th century and focusing on Women's Suffrage.
cpalma1's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jujujuris's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favorite because I felt that switching perspectives and skipping across time so often made it feel a little disjointed but there’s a charm to it I can’t quite articulate.
Ravel’s Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte, M.19 Port de Bras 1 on the piano, reimagined for ballet by Holdsworth
Ravel’s Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte, M.19 Port de Bras 1 on the piano, reimagined for ballet by Holdsworth
deadbeatmother's review
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
aliciagriggs's review
5.0
This book hooked me from the start, which surprised me as I wasn't sure what to expect from it. I started reading it on a whim, proceeded with caution, and found I kept turning the pages, getting more and more immersed. I read it in a day, so easy was it to read, with its small chapters and captivating content.
This book takes us through a number of shifting perspectives from the middle-class to gravediggers, adults to children. I felt humbled by it, as it covered difficult topics such as death, and morality, showing us numerous sides to the same story and making me think about my own thoughts on the subjects.
Sensitive subjects are covered with delicate mastery and, where many authors rely on shocking readers through gruesome details and triggering content, Chevalier skillfully hints at the subject or puts faith in the readers' imaginations. In other words, I didn't feel I was missing out on descriptions or detail, and instead could read the book without discomfort.
I found it really interesting to think of how far English society has come in the last 100 years or so (not that long ago when you think of it!). How different things were; how suffocated women were! The aspect of mourning was also interesting too. I'd recently read a book called "Bellman and Black" by Diane Setterfield, which is about Victorian mourning and grief, and how it was a thriving industry in those times. This book also comments on that, and how, for some, grieving was a way of life; a hobby to feel superior to those who didn't mourn as well as they did.
"Falling Angels" also showed the work of suffragettes and I found myself feeling quite emotional, thinking of what women had to do so that women like me could vote, have a voice, have education, have freedom. As I say, it humbled me.
Reading about the women's rights march made me think of the times I had marched in London for animal rights and veganism; a cause ridiculed by many, and who many find stupid and even disgusting (strange, when it is about compassion and is against cruelty...) So I found it evocative in terms of the swell of pride one feels when marching for something good and right.
The title of the book gives pause for thought too. On the surface, the book focuses a lot on a cemetery, where angel headstones are all over the place, a symbol of God's messengers and perhaps hope to those who have lost a loved one to think that a guide will be at hand to help the departed into heaven. But falling angels could also be in regards to those who died for the suffragette cause, or who fought for their voice to be heard in a sea of condemnation and ridicule.
Overall, this is a spectacular book that covers a huge array of topics, from friendships, to death, to mourning, to women's rights. It looks at humanity over a broad spectrum of people and makes us, as readers, question our opinions and judgements of others. I started the book being unsure if I would like it but left it feeling slightly, but pleasantly, dazed. Highly recommend.
This book takes us through a number of shifting perspectives from the middle-class to gravediggers, adults to children. I felt humbled by it, as it covered difficult topics such as death, and morality, showing us numerous sides to the same story and making me think about my own thoughts on the subjects.
Sensitive subjects are covered with delicate mastery and, where many authors rely on shocking readers through gruesome details and triggering content, Chevalier skillfully hints at the subject or puts faith in the readers' imaginations. In other words, I didn't feel I was missing out on descriptions or detail, and instead could read the book without discomfort.
I found it really interesting to think of how far English society has come in the last 100 years or so (not that long ago when you think of it!). How different things were; how suffocated women were! The aspect of mourning was also interesting too. I'd recently read a book called "Bellman and Black" by Diane Setterfield, which is about Victorian mourning and grief, and how it was a thriving industry in those times. This book also comments on that, and how, for some, grieving was a way of life; a hobby to feel superior to those who didn't mourn as well as they did.
"Falling Angels" also showed the work of suffragettes and I found myself feeling quite emotional, thinking of what women had to do so that women like me could vote, have a voice, have education, have freedom. As I say, it humbled me.
Reading about the women's rights march made me think of the times I had marched in London for animal rights and veganism; a cause ridiculed by many, and who many find stupid and even disgusting (strange, when it is about compassion and is against cruelty...) So I found it evocative in terms of the swell of pride one feels when marching for something good and right.
The title of the book gives pause for thought too. On the surface, the book focuses a lot on a cemetery, where angel headstones are all over the place, a symbol of God's messengers and perhaps hope to those who have lost a loved one to think that a guide will be at hand to help the departed into heaven. But falling angels could also be in regards to those who died for the suffragette cause, or who fought for their voice to be heard in a sea of condemnation and ridicule.
Overall, this is a spectacular book that covers a huge array of topics, from friendships, to death, to mourning, to women's rights. It looks at humanity over a broad spectrum of people and makes us, as readers, question our opinions and judgements of others. I started the book being unsure if I would like it but left it feeling slightly, but pleasantly, dazed. Highly recommend.
ilovestory's review against another edition
I felt it was slow to get started but I did get to know the characters and feel for them, and even started liking Kitty Coleman, though was annoyed at how she ignored her daughter. The audiobook was well done. It was an interesting insight into the world of women fighting for their right to vote, and what life was like in the 1900s Victorian England.
jmclincoln's review
5.0
I read this novel the year it was released and it is still, these many years later, in my top ten.
mikimeiko's review against another edition
3.0
The first time I read this book, I loved it.
The second time I was slightly disappointed.
The third time (this one, though is the first time I read it in english) I feel something in between.
I like the way the story is narrated, through fragments of many different POV, and I like the way Tracy Chevalier wrote these POV, giving a believable voice to each one of them. It's the story that is not as compelling as it could have been.
The ending is really beautiful though, in a sad, non cheesy way.
The second time I was slightly disappointed.
The third time (this one, though is the first time I read it in english) I feel something in between.
I like the way the story is narrated, through fragments of many different POV, and I like the way Tracy Chevalier wrote these POV, giving a believable voice to each one of them. It's the story that is not as compelling as it could have been.
The ending is really beautiful though, in a sad, non cheesy way.