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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy this at the start, as I’ve low patience for the ‘I don’t belong here, how do I change myself to fit in’ narrative. However, The Cloisters won me over. As a main character, Ann *is* annoying in many ways, but she’s written convincingly enough that it’s frustrating but understandable.
Having been to the Met Cloisters, it was fun being able to visualise so much of the setting. I felt it really echoed and amplified the story: separate from the world, somewhat isolated, small enough to become claustrophobic over time.
I also really enjoyed the amount of history in the book, although I can see this isn’t to everyone’s taste. As someone with a passing interest in Tarot, and a deep love of the Renaissance and Roman history, this was both interesting and informative. Possibly a little heavy on the ‘academia’ side for some, but I think this can be blamed more on marketing than the book itself.
Overall, this wasn’t a novel that reinvents the wheel (I’ve seen comparisons to The Secret History; it also reminded me of Kate Weinberg’s The Truants) but it was an enjoyable and easy read.
Having been to the Met Cloisters, it was fun being able to visualise so much of the setting. I felt it really echoed and amplified the story: separate from the world, somewhat isolated, small enough to become claustrophobic over time.
I also really enjoyed the amount of history in the book, although I can see this isn’t to everyone’s taste. As someone with a passing interest in Tarot, and a deep love of the Renaissance and Roman history, this was both interesting and informative. Possibly a little heavy on the ‘academia’ side for some, but I think this can be blamed more on marketing than the book itself.
Overall, this wasn’t a novel that reinvents the wheel (I’ve seen comparisons to The Secret History; it also reminded me of Kate Weinberg’s The Truants) but it was an enjoyable and easy read.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
If I’d known such a thing existed, or had grown into my love of art earlier, I might have been an art historian. So this book about the academic inner workings of The Met’s Cloisters grabbed me from the start. Throw in some romantic intrigue, complex female friendship, and a smattering of the occult and you’ve got a cocktail I’ll really enjoy. I did, however, enjoy the journey more than the destination. I didn’t feel like all the dramatic reveals at the end were necessary, though the protagonist’s arc was very satisfying. I could have done without the mystery and just enjoyed the dark academia.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
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:
Complicated
This was a little tough for me to rate. I think it's slightly better than 3 stars, but not quite 3.5, so let's say 3.25.
This was a simple story, easy to follow, with well developed characters. I think my biggest criticism is that I wish it had leaned more into the mysticism/suspense elements. I wasn't really surprised by some of the reveals or twists, which was a little bit of a let down.
I think I enjoyed this mostly for the fact that as an artist/art educator, I'm familiar with The Cloisters. It really is other-worldly, and I could see how it inspired this novel. The early chapters spend a lot of time describing the space, which I liked, but I could see how if someone hadn't been there, those sections may have been a little boring.
Overall, this was a good read, but I wasn't feeling pulled back to finish it, which is why, for a relatively short novel (under 300 pages), it took me a while to finish.
This was a simple story, easy to follow, with well developed characters. I think my biggest criticism is that I wish it had leaned more into the mysticism/suspense elements. I wasn't really surprised by some of the reveals or twists, which was a little bit of a let down.
I think I enjoyed this mostly for the fact that as an artist/art educator, I'm familiar with The Cloisters. It really is other-worldly, and I could see how it inspired this novel. The early chapters spend a lot of time describing the space, which I liked, but I could see how if someone hadn't been there, those sections may have been a little boring.
Overall, this was a good read, but I wasn't feeling pulled back to finish it, which is why, for a relatively short novel (under 300 pages), it took me a while to finish.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ugh, this book was horrible. The writing sucked, I couldn't get behind any of the characters, and the sexual overtones between every single character were ridiculous and nauseating. I was hoping for magic and spookiness, but after checking some reviews, I realized I was in for 8.5 hours of the same self-involved drivel, and the plot would somehow get even worse than I expected. So disappointing.
mysterious
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
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book took so long to murder that when it finally murdered, I didn’t care about any of the characters anymore and had already figured out who the murderer was. And I NEVER guess the murderer early.