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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
I liked this book quite a lot, and was on my way to giving it a higher rating, until the dog died. And yes, that's a spoiler and I don't care. It's done in the cheapest way possible, to solve a dramatic problem in the book in a way that spares all the human characters, and no one in the book even seems to care that the dog died, even after taking him with them, feeding him, etc. Refrigerator dog. Sloppy plot line.
Otherwise, this book is a slow and rewarding build. Atmospheric to a fault- sometimes reads like a guidebook to Bulgaria- but beautiful and does make you feel "there." I didn't find the initial premise unbelievable- I spent a lot of time traveling alone in my 20s, and strange things happened all the time, both good and bad, and strangers went amazingly out of their way for me more than once. Besides, we learn eventually that Bobby has additional motivations. Stoyan's story is the most powerful part, naturally, and I thought the fragmented way it was presented was masterful.
But the end is a rushed, overly dramatic confrontation- this was the part that struck me as improbable. The villains would probably have had more effective and subtle ways of going about things. And it all feels pretty abrupt. And the dog dies.
Otherwise, this book is a slow and rewarding build. Atmospheric to a fault- sometimes reads like a guidebook to Bulgaria- but beautiful and does make you feel "there." I didn't find the initial premise unbelievable- I spent a lot of time traveling alone in my 20s, and strange things happened all the time, both good and bad, and strangers went amazingly out of their way for me more than once. Besides, we learn eventually that Bobby has additional motivations. Stoyan's story is the most powerful part, naturally, and I thought the fragmented way it was presented was masterful.
But the end is a rushed, overly dramatic confrontation- this was the part that struck me as improbable. The villains would probably have had more effective and subtle ways of going about things. And it all feels pretty abrupt. And the dog dies.
A thoroughly thought provoking and emotional novel! This novel takes place in Bulgaria in 2008 but also alternates to the 20th century. In modern day we follow Alexandra Boyd who has come to Bulgaria to teach English. She chose Bulgaria because this is where her brother who passed away when she was a teenager always wanted to visit. While in the country she helps an elderly couple and accidentally takes one of their bags. It turns out that bag is an urn. With the help of a kind taxi cab driver who turns out to be so much more, Alexandra sets out to return the urn. We learn more about the man in the urn Stoyan Lazarov as the novel flashes back to his time period.
This is a novel that makes you think and reflect. What I really enjoyed was the vivid scenes that the author portrays about Bulgaria. I knew virtually nothing about this country and this novel was very eye-opening. A great historical fiction novel that one needs to take their time with to catch all of the nuances. I am very happy that I won this novel in a Goodreads Giveaway.
This is a novel that makes you think and reflect. What I really enjoyed was the vivid scenes that the author portrays about Bulgaria. I knew virtually nothing about this country and this novel was very eye-opening. A great historical fiction novel that one needs to take their time with to catch all of the nuances. I am very happy that I won this novel in a Goodreads Giveaway.
Read this for book discussion group - it took awhile for the story to get going, and I had a hard time buying into the premise that a young recently graduated woman would continue to pursue the owner of the urn/ashes like Alexandra did. Once the story got rolling, I liked how the paths of the characters fit together - but it took a long time!
The history of Bulgaria, and the descriptions of the country were fascinating - and certainly shed some light on a country I knew little to nothing about. Having Alex take the trip with Neven was a little strange, too. I wondered about their age difference. I wish there had been more resolution about Alexandra's brother Jack, too.
The history of Bulgaria, and the descriptions of the country were fascinating - and certainly shed some light on a country I knew little to nothing about. Having Alex take the trip with Neven was a little strange, too. I wondered about their age difference. I wish there had been more resolution about Alexandra's brother Jack, too.
Interesting story about Cold War Bulgaria in a dual timeline with today.
In The Shadow Land, Elizabeth Kostova packs in decades worth of Bulgarian history, a compelling mystery, interesting characters, and beautiful writing. Through Alexandra and Bobby's journey to reunite the ashes of Stoyan Lazarov with his family, we travel through Bulgaria- both the contemporary Bulgaria of the story and the decades in which Stoyan lived. Along the way, Alexandra and Bobby (and the reader) meet a series of individuals connected with the Lazarovs who help them to piece together who this man was, and why it seems there is particular interest in their quest. Richly detailed and with a great sense of place.
Advance e- galley provided by Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.
Advance e- galley provided by Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Elizabeth Kostova is one of my favorite authors, and I'm glad I finally read this. It does start slowly, almost too slowly, but it builds. The characters are interesting, though their voices are perhaps not as distinct as you'd like for such an overlapping story (but this is not unusual for her). Like everything of hers, it's a story within a story and then some, and by the end I found myself compulsively reading and unable to stop. Really lovely and heart breaking.
I loved the beginning of this book - the opening hooks you and the dual mysteries keep you guessing. The characters are wonderful and the Bulgarian cultural aspects are all I had hoped they would be. Towards, the middle, however, everyone sags and slows. If 100 pages had been cut out from the middle it would have been better and the ending could have been fixed to honor all the characters so easily. It is very frustrating. A good read, I suppose, but so for me it loses its charm along the way. I might still recommend it for the right type of reader.
4.5-As always, I love Elizabeth Kostova's writing. Beautiful and daring. She takes you on an adventure and makes you want to travel, explore, and research. You get a sense of the history, politics, and geography, this beautiful and complicated terrain. Her characters were well developed, and had twists and turns you might not expect, which I enjoy. Though I didn't particularly agree with the very end (last few pages) of the novel, the rest of it was thoroughly enjoyed.
A wonderful story that captures your heart as it unfolds. The shifts between timelines never slow down the story, but masterfully help to draw out the suspense and develop the characters. Unlike many other "mysteries", this novel isn't one that can be "solved" half-way through - the "whys" and "by whoms" all come together in the end, but aren't in any way obvious until that point. Besides, the mystery is secondary to the wonderful and compelling story of the lives of the characters, so that is hardly the point in any case.
After a slow start, I was completely drawn into Alexandra's journey with Bobby and Stoyan. The slow uncovering of pieces of the story, and the extended cast of family and friends met along the way, was wonderful.