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alessia_prete's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
bluemaiden's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape and Incest
martydah's review against another edition
4.0
This book is less about the main character, Martha Peake, that it is about what time and human imagination do to alter a person's legacy. Ambrose Tree tries to piece together Martha's life from his uncle William's tainted (or so Ambrose believes) memories and the few fragments of Martha's letters in his uncle possession. Is Martha really a hero of the Revolutionary War and her father a drunken monster. Is Uncle William complicit in a plot to reduce her crippled and deformed father into a scientific freak exhibit in Lord Drogo collection? Does Lord Drogo still roam his vast mansion, his heavy footfalls plainly audible in the halls, yet their existence denied by William and his servant Percy?
As Uncle William slowly recounts the tragic story of Harry Peake, and his daughter Martha. Ambrose imagines that he is shading the true for his own purposes. Ambrose put these memories down on paper, adding his own interpretations of how Martha's childhood and eventual flight to the colonies of America unfolded. Harry's drunkenness and poor judgement causes both his wife's death and his own crippling spinal injuries. Of all his children, only Martha remains with him. To make money, he markets himself as a poet and freak, lampooning the English aristocracy. Sadly, his tenuous sobriety does not last. Drunk again, he becomes violent toward Martha, who flees to the comparative safety of Drogo Hall.
This is not the end of Harry's abuse. Martha, after another horrific attack, is forced to flee to America to live with her aunt Maddy Rind. Pregnant and with few other options, she marries a cousin and, as tensions between England and the colonies, fires the shot that will make her a martyr to the Revolution. Through all the plot's twists, she maintains her unique strength and spirit, which makes her eventual end all the more tragic.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, there really isn't as much about Revolutionary era America as there might have been. I would have liked to have more of Martha's 'real' life in the colonies and her involvement in the war. Most of the book is taken up with her early history, then getting her to America. Harry Peake's eventual end is somewhat satisfying. The author portrays him in a much more sympathetic light than he really deserves. In sum, this was a very good novel. The amount of historical detail McGrath puts into the narrative is fascinating, which was the main reason I kept going with this book even though the plot was frustrating at times.
As Uncle William slowly recounts the tragic story of Harry Peake, and his daughter Martha. Ambrose imagines that he is shading the true for his own purposes. Ambrose put these memories down on paper, adding his own interpretations of how Martha's childhood and eventual flight to the colonies of America unfolded. Harry's drunkenness and poor judgement causes both his wife's death and his own crippling spinal injuries. Of all his children, only Martha remains with him. To make money, he markets himself as a poet and freak, lampooning the English aristocracy. Sadly, his tenuous sobriety does not last. Drunk again, he becomes violent toward Martha, who flees to the comparative safety of Drogo Hall.
This is not the end of Harry's abuse. Martha, after another horrific attack, is forced to flee to America to live with her aunt Maddy Rind. Pregnant and with few other options, she marries a cousin and, as tensions between England and the colonies, fires the shot that will make her a martyr to the Revolution. Through all the plot's twists, she maintains her unique strength and spirit, which makes her eventual end all the more tragic.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, there really isn't as much about Revolutionary era America as there might have been. I would have liked to have more of Martha's 'real' life in the colonies and her involvement in the war. Most of the book is taken up with her early history, then getting her to America. Harry Peake's eventual end is somewhat satisfying. The author portrays him in a much more sympathetic light than he really deserves. In sum, this was a very good novel. The amount of historical detail McGrath puts into the narrative is fascinating, which was the main reason I kept going with this book even though the plot was frustrating at times.
prof_shoff's review against another edition
2.0
There was a story hidden among all that verbiage but it wasn't a very interesting one.
giugiufio's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
slammy90's review against another edition
4.0
Alcuni scrittori hanno il dono.
Potrebbero scrivere di come preparare i pop corn o di come abbiano deciso di tenere la bicicletta in garage piuttosto che in strada.. Insomma, qualsiasi argomento, storia, idiozia.. Loro saprebbero renderla magica e ci farebbero perdere nelle loro parole.
Credo che sia proprio il caso di Patrick McGrath, che non finisce mai di sorprendermi e di appassionarmi!
In particolare, pochi come lui riescono a caratterizzare i personaggi in modo così incisivo e farli 'vivere'.. Ogni singolo personaggio si distingue dagli altri e le loro voci emergono chiare.. Alla fine del libro anche io, come il narratore della storia, riuscivo a immaginarmi perfettamente Martha e Harry!
Altra cosa in cui eccelle: raccontare le storie da punti di vista mai banali e scontati: in questo caso è William che non ha vissuto in prima persona la storia di Martha e suo padre ma anzi, è una storia che un personaggio 'secondario' gli racconta.. Più e più volte lui afferma che "Riesco quasi a immaginarmi la scena", "Mi sembra di essere lì", "Probabilmente andò così".. Insomma, pur essendo un narratore in un certo senso inaffidabile, o comunque non a conoscenza della storia al cento per cento, mi ha conquistato e mi ha fatto accantonare i dubbi che avevo in proposito.
Davvero molto belle poi le descrizioni, sempre vivide e accurate, e il gusto un po' del macabro e del grottesco da cui McGrath non sembra voler (o poter) separarsene :)
PS: Pur avendo molto apprezzato questo libro e riconoscendogli tutti i meriti, non è all'altezza di "Follia" IL capolavoro assoluto. Se non avete letto niente di suo, perdetevi in questo romanzo meraviglioso che pur lasciandovi un po' di amaro in bocca perché non troverete niente di simili, vi darà modo di apprezzare tutto ciò che ha scritto, promesso :)
Potrebbero scrivere di come preparare i pop corn o di come abbiano deciso di tenere la bicicletta in garage piuttosto che in strada.. Insomma, qualsiasi argomento, storia, idiozia.. Loro saprebbero renderla magica e ci farebbero perdere nelle loro parole.
Credo che sia proprio il caso di Patrick McGrath, che non finisce mai di sorprendermi e di appassionarmi!
In particolare, pochi come lui riescono a caratterizzare i personaggi in modo così incisivo e farli 'vivere'.. Ogni singolo personaggio si distingue dagli altri e le loro voci emergono chiare.. Alla fine del libro anche io, come il narratore della storia, riuscivo a immaginarmi perfettamente Martha e Harry!
Altra cosa in cui eccelle: raccontare le storie da punti di vista mai banali e scontati: in questo caso è William che non ha vissuto in prima persona la storia di Martha e suo padre ma anzi, è una storia che un personaggio 'secondario' gli racconta.. Più e più volte lui afferma che "Riesco quasi a immaginarmi la scena", "Mi sembra di essere lì", "Probabilmente andò così".. Insomma, pur essendo un narratore in un certo senso inaffidabile, o comunque non a conoscenza della storia al cento per cento, mi ha conquistato e mi ha fatto accantonare i dubbi che avevo in proposito.
Davvero molto belle poi le descrizioni, sempre vivide e accurate, e il gusto un po' del macabro e del grottesco da cui McGrath non sembra voler (o poter) separarsene :)
PS: Pur avendo molto apprezzato questo libro e riconoscendogli tutti i meriti, non è all'altezza di "Follia" IL capolavoro assoluto. Se non avete letto niente di suo, perdetevi in questo romanzo meraviglioso che pur lasciandovi un po' di amaro in bocca perché non troverete niente di simili, vi darà modo di apprezzare tutto ciò che ha scritto, promesso :)
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