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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
I wish this was written entirely from Stanislav's perspective. His was a much better story (and character) than Alexandra's. This was also much too long, with lots of wild goose chasing that could have been cut from the middle. And the ending was...strange and implausible.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Nowhere near as good as The Historian, light years better than The Swan Thieves.
ahhhh i seriously loved this book i got so attached to someone I don’t know who is real and I can’t believe that one singular persons story could be so heart wrenching. The way that I now want to go to bulgaria is beyond me FHSJSJEJDB IT WAS SO SAD BUT SO BEAUTIFUL
This was a perfect book choice for a weeklong, lazy vacation in Maine. Kostova's writing forces you to slow down, both in her style of writing and in the construction of the book. The main action of the book takes place over several days but is maybe half of the actual novel. The rest is made up of various accounts of historical moments in personal and Bulgarian history that are having a residual impact on the 'present day' action. The conspiracy at the end seemed a bit sudden, as did the wrap up of the plot, but the movement through Bulgaria, both in time and geography, is worth it.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
NEW ELIZABETH KOSTOVA DOES NOT DISAPPOINT! I devoured The Historian and The Swan Thieves when they were published, but we've been waiting almost seven years for a new novel. The Shadow Land was wonderful. Meticulously researched and shockingly prescient, the story of Alexandra Boyd will linger in my thoughts for a long, long while.
I found myself pretty immediately engrossed in this book - spanning two different eras - the communist era in Bulgaria in the 1940s and 1950s and the modern era. While initially it was the modern day characters (Alexandra, Neven, Bobby) that I was most interested in, on reflection, that part of the story is the most implausible as the book continues - the idea that a tourist and a taxi driver would go through such tribulations to return an urn. But in the end, it was the story of the unimaginable suffering of a musician under a cruel regime that kept me engaged in the book.
Not as good as Kostova's book "the historian" but would definitely recommend.
Not as good as Kostova's book "the historian" but would definitely recommend.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
DNF at 52%
I wanted to love this so much. The Historian was one of my favorite reads in 2021. Unfortunately, this was just unbelievably boring. I found myself dozing off within 5 minutes of listening to the audiobook. I don't even think physically reading this one would make it easier.
I might try to come back to it again but for now I have no interest in continuing.
I wanted to love this so much. The Historian was one of my favorite reads in 2021. Unfortunately, this was just unbelievably boring. I found myself dozing off within 5 minutes of listening to the audiobook. I don't even think physically reading this one would make it easier.
I might try to come back to it again but for now I have no interest in continuing.
The book starts with us meeting American Alexandra who is about to start a new job at a university in Sofia and Bobby the taxi driver. On Alexandra's first day in the country, she helps an elderly couple load their bags into a taxi and accidentally keeps a bag containing the ashes of Stoyan Lazarov. She discovers the bag while Bobby is driving her to her hostel, and the two of them soon embark on a quest to return the ashes, traveling all over the country to do so. Soon after the story starts switching between the present - Alexandra & Bobby trying to find the Lazarov family - and the past - Stoyan's life and his troubles with the government.
I didn't know much about Bulgaria going into this book, so I enjoyed all the historical and geographical details that were included. Showing that Bulgaria's troubled past was still influencing the present is a key part of the story and was very well done. The ending was good, and I cried when. It has a very slow-paced plot and could have been 100 or so pages shorter, but I enjoyed it overall.
I didn't know much about Bulgaria going into this book, so I enjoyed all the historical and geographical details that were included. Showing that Bulgaria's troubled past was still influencing the present is a key part of the story and was very well done. The ending was good, and I cried when