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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
Since comparisons seem to be de rigueur in the reviews, I didn’t enjoy it was much as The Historian, but it was leagues ahead of Swan Thieves.
This book was a history lesson with a dash of mystery and youthful angst thrown in. It’s not the type of novel I usually read, but I enjoy Kostova’s writing, and I learned a thing or two about Bulgaria. It must be terribly confusing in a place where nodding can mean yes or no.
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It took me some time to gather my thoughts about this book. It was excellent! E.K. is a master storyteller. This book starts as a modern mystery that reveals its roots in a communist forced-labor camp. Like her other books, this one switches seamlessly between generations as the past meets in the present. What was most striking about this novel was E.K.’s dedication to Bulgarian history—in particular, to the histories of the men who lost their lives or their minds in work camps. She’s gentle and respectful while simultaneously refusing to shy away from reality. It made the book difficult to read and impossible to put down. I’d recommend it highly (but mind the warnings—there is a lot of difficult and graphic content).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation
This book has been on my shelf for 2 years and I have looked forward to reading it with excitement. I love historical mystery. The premise is so interesting and full of potential. I am highly disappointed in the execution unfortunately. Description overwhelmed the almost 500 pages. The parts that were heart wrenching were ruined by this, for me at least.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Wonderful storytelling, and deep reflection on the suffering and beauty present in life, and revealed by history
Too much wandering around on a wild goose chase without an interesting payoff at the end
Kostova's The Shadow Land follows directionless, mourning Alexandra Boyd to Bulgaria, chosen because her life has been stagnating and it was her brother's favourite country on an old atlas of Eastern Europe used to entertain themselves during their youth. When Jack disappears on a family hike at sixteen, Alexandra's life seems to stop. A decade later, she has gone to school, gotten a degree, and spent her time working as a page in a library. Her first day in Bulgaria, she helps a man get an elderly couple into a cab, and accidentally keeps their bag, which turns out to contain an urn with the ashes of Stoyan Lazarov in it. With the help of her intrepid, English-speaking cab driver Bobby, Alexandra travels around Bulgaria in order to reunite the couple with the urn, only to find that it has put them in peril.
I enjoyed parts of the book a great deal - Kostova clearly loves Bulgaria, and the descriptions are beautiful and often tragic, especially in the parts written from the perspective of Stoyan. The idea of talent frustrated and ultimately smothered by the communist regime is poignant. I did feel like Alexandra spends too much time dwelling on Jack, her lost brother, often to the detriment of the "real" story. While clearly it was being used in order to give her a "reason" to be so dogged about returning the ashes, I feel like the entire book could have done without and been stronger for it. On top of this, some parts felt rather melodramatic, and the whole thing just a bit too "neat", particularly the ending. The development of some of the relationships left something to be desired, and I was particularly frustrated by the author's treatment of Bobby in the end. I would have liked to see Alexandra's story resolve differently as well, but it seemed like she had taken on too many threads and couldn't find a way to provide the satisfying ending that she wanted to without losing something along the way.
I enjoyed parts of the book a great deal - Kostova clearly loves Bulgaria, and the descriptions are beautiful and often tragic, especially in the parts written from the perspective of Stoyan. The idea of talent frustrated and ultimately smothered by the communist regime is poignant. I did feel like Alexandra spends too much time dwelling on Jack, her lost brother, often to the detriment of the "real" story. While clearly it was being used in order to give her a "reason" to be so dogged about returning the ashes, I feel like the entire book could have done without and been stronger for it. On top of this, some parts felt rather melodramatic, and the whole thing just a bit too "neat", particularly the ending. The development of some of the relationships left something to be desired, and I was particularly frustrated by the author's treatment of Bobby in the end. I would have liked to see Alexandra's story resolve differently as well, but it seemed like she had taken on too many threads and couldn't find a way to provide the satisfying ending that she wanted to without losing something along the way.
Better than The Swan Thieves, probably not as good as I remember The Historian being.
A really interesting glimpse of modern day Bulgaria, as well as darker moments from its past. Kostova should get a kick back from Bulgaria’s tourism ministry because...I kind of want to go to Bulgaria now?!