Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
This book was so incredibly sad but necessary. There was so many things about Bulgaria that I did not know about and I’m glad that this beautifully written masterpiece made its way towards me.
It wasn’t easy being a musician in Communist Bulgaria. This was a fabulous book of chance meetings and survival.
I know you shouldn't compare an author's previous works to their latest release, but I really, really love The Historian, and can't help but feel slightly let down by this book.
I'll post my actual review closer to the due date, but here's how I felt in one word: meh.
I'll post my actual review closer to the due date, but here's how I felt in one word: meh.
This book took me forever to get through, but I was so glad I did. It’s a very slow start, a slow middle, and a heart-wrenching ending that ties everything perfectly together. I was gasping in shock and crying over some of the things that come to be toward the end. Reminds me of a lot of Russian authors that get caught up in seemingly meaningless details, which I personally don’t mind. I enjoy the prose. A lot of people seem to not like like the change in tense between chapters, but I didn’t mind it. I’m eager to pick up some of the other titles by this author.
This took me way too long to read and I think my enjoyment of it suffered as a result. She spins a good yarn and there are moments when her writing is really beautiful, rich with place. It filled in some of my knowledge of Bulgaria's history, but not enough and I kept having to Google. Not as good as The Historian, IMO, but I'm still glad to have read it.
I wish I had enjoyed this more. The plot was so extreme as to challenge belief and logic, and the primary female character got on my nerves. I don't require every character to be likeable in order for me to enjoy a book, but she was outside the limits of my tolerance.
I have an interest in Eastern Europe and specifically the SSRs during the post-war period. If it hadn't been for that element of the plot, I may have given up without finishing.
I have an interest in Eastern Europe and specifically the SSRs during the post-war period. If it hadn't been for that element of the plot, I may have given up without finishing.
I received an ARC free for review
3.75 stars but rounding up to 4. I haven't read Kostova's other books, so I can't speak at all to how this one compares. This one has a very slow build, with many different characters and their stories layering on top of each other and creating the nail-biting (albeit a little obvious) reveal near the end.
I became attached to a few of the characters, which is what I'm always looking for in a new book, but I also found myself drawn much more to some than others, which made this story's structure difficult to get through at times. I would be invested in one story line and get annoyed when I was pulled out of it to visit the past or future.
I also feel like a book with such a slow build had an overly vague and quickly dissolved ending, which is frustrating after reading a book this long. I'm not asking for a pretty bow and all of the ends taken care of, but I wanted either more or less from the end of this novel--if we don't get the last couple of chapters, I think it would have worked better for me, but since we did I would've liked them to be a little more fleshed out.
The relationships between the two characters we follow through the majority of the story was really strong although in the beginning it irked me that one of them mentioned repeatedly (it felt like at least once a page but I'm sure it was less) that they were afraid the other character was going to try and hit on them. Other relationships, while they had some emotional impact, weren't explored in the present well enough for me to feel the emotional resonance, which is the main thing I'm missing from this novel--slow and meandering pace aside.
Overall I enjoyed it, and would recommend it to those interested in the area or author, or even history buffs in general since it seems to be extremely well researched, but I can't see myself rereading it. It is worth sticking with through the beginning just to get to the characters who pick up halfway through, though.
3.75 stars but rounding up to 4. I haven't read Kostova's other books, so I can't speak at all to how this one compares. This one has a very slow build, with many different characters and their stories layering on top of each other and creating the nail-biting (albeit a little obvious) reveal near the end.
I became attached to a few of the characters, which is what I'm always looking for in a new book, but I also found myself drawn much more to some than others, which made this story's structure difficult to get through at times. I would be invested in one story line and get annoyed when I was pulled out of it to visit the past or future.
I also feel like a book with such a slow build had an overly vague and quickly dissolved ending, which is frustrating after reading a book this long. I'm not asking for a pretty bow and all of the ends taken care of, but I wanted either more or less from the end of this novel--if we don't get the last couple of chapters, I think it would have worked better for me, but since we did I would've liked them to be a little more fleshed out.
The relationships between the two characters we follow through the majority of the story was really strong although in the beginning it irked me that one of them mentioned repeatedly (it felt like at least once a page but I'm sure it was less) that they were afraid the other character was going to try and hit on them. Other relationships, while they had some emotional impact, weren't explored in the present well enough for me to feel the emotional resonance, which is the main thing I'm missing from this novel--slow and meandering pace aside.
Overall I enjoyed it, and would recommend it to those interested in the area or author, or even history buffs in general since it seems to be extremely well researched, but I can't see myself rereading it. It is worth sticking with through the beginning just to get to the characters who pick up halfway through, though.
If you have even the slightest interest in Bulgaria and Balkan culture, this book is a masterpiece. Thrilling story based in a rich historical and cultural context. Highly entertaining and beautiful.
This is the kind of book that would have been a lot more punchy with 100 less pages. The beginning drags on a bit, to the point that everything is confusing. However, the deeper story, one of communist labour camps in Bulgaria, is fascinating and the last half of the book is engaging. Unfortunately, the main character falls a bit flat and the ending doesn't wrap everything up enough for the amount of build up. A bit disappointing, but slightly redeemed by the look into a different culture and history.
I listened to the audiobook and was blown away by the readers’ performances.
The story was really good and I enjoyed the descriptions and details the author provided. It was, overall, a very well written book. There were a few things that I would have liked resolved, and some things seemed entirely too coincidental, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The story was really good and I enjoyed the descriptions and details the author provided. It was, overall, a very well written book. There were a few things that I would have liked resolved, and some things seemed entirely too coincidental, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.