Reviews

Fludd by Hilary Mantel

nichecase's review against another edition

4.0

a fantasia on a eucharistic theme: the disjoints between appearance (nature, as some translations would put it) and essence. this simple theme spirals toward a magical realist novel set in the midst of the vatican ii reforms (which attempted to alter the appearance of the church while preserving its essence) into a world where holy men have no faith and rarely wear their true faces. a highly philosophical investigation into the way these two elements can disconnect and interconnect through the lens of catholicism and character study
the only reason this isn't a 5* review is because there was a chunk in the middle which really dragged; the rest of it, however, was an absolute pageturner, as much as it doesn't sound like one.

dzonka's review against another edition

dark funny hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

halldanalouise's review against another edition

challenging funny mysterious 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? No

5.0

jess_hodgkinson's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

mathieudmrs's review against another edition

slow-paced

3.25

kieranlit's review against another edition

4.0

I suspect this book is incomprehensible without a background in literary alchemy. With it, though, it's quite delightful. 

martha_anne_h's review against another edition

dark funny hopeful reflective

4.25

m1nature's review against another edition

dark hopeful informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

meyshka's review against another edition

funny lighthearted mysterious sad slow-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

3.0

kmjkaren's review against another edition

funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.0