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coffeenbooks74's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Less mystery, more character study of three college students who were familiar with a student who was murdered on campus. The story follows each of them just prior to the murder, after the murder, and then continues to follow them into their 30s. The murder itself is almost like the hub of a wheel, the basis by which they navigate their lives. If you're looking for a mystery tied up with a bow at the end, this isn't it.
fairybookmother's review against another edition
3.0
The writing was good, but the narrative was just ?? ? ? ??? ????? The only comparison it has to The Secret History is that it's a campus novel with a murder. Nothing else about it is as resonating.
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The copy on the back of Bradstreet Gate compares the novel to Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. That’s really what drew me in to choose the book in the first place, and I felt surprised that I hadn’t heard about the book until I saw it as an option on Blogging for Books. The only comparisons I found to The Secret History were the simple fact that this novel revolves around a group of students attending Harvard (and what comes after) and that there is a death/murder of a student. Other than that, the comparison ceases to be relevant.
Bradstreet Gate is a character novel, and there is no blatant revelation over who killed Julie Patel. It could have been Storrow, it could have been Alice, and it could have been Charlie, but nothing is ever made quite clear and I found that entirely frustrating. Halfway through I thought it might have been Alice because of her stilted relationship to everyone else on campus, but as the novel progressed and Charlie became more and more successful with weird little hints and recollections of “what he did,” I have to wonder if Charlie was the one who did it. He was the little brother, the one his father “[looked] for ways to be rid of him.” Charlie had a strained relationship with his father, and his father always referred to his youngest son as “the judge.” Charlie’s the one who shows an interest in Georgia, who has a relationship with Storrow the professor, and he shows a passing interest in Julie Patel and later finds out she has a boyfriend. In his frustration over Storrow’s relationship with Georgia, Charlie could have very easily staged Julia’s murder to destroy Storrow, which did happen. On the other hand, Storrow had a military history and had the working knowledge to execute a flawless murder.
The writing was clean, but I found everything structural in the novel to be lacking clarity and cohesion. The characters lacked depth and resonance (as in I didn’t really feel anything at all towards any of them), the plot and pacing seemed jumpy, like one moment it was one day and years had passed in the next paragraph. I felt like I had to read the last several pages just to make sense of what happened and to see if I’d missed some important, revelatory detail. I didn’t. It just sort of ends, falls off, and nothing’s really resolved.
However, after reading the essay in the back of the book, I found there is some connection thematically to some of the content of the novel. Kirman writes that she had a charged friendship with a professor of hers as a student with whom she had a relationship ten years later, and it got me thinking of this novel in the sense that she is trying to come to terms with that relationship and the attraction students have to their instructors. At the beginning of the essay, she writes, “Why did people speak of falling in love? Why was the experience of romantic enchantment described as a fall?” In that context, and if that context was advertised with the book in the first place, I might have gone into reading the book differently. The essay in the back of was my favorite part about the book, and I’ll be thinking about some of the ideas she presented for quite a while.
“What George Eliot understood so well about young women – and intellectualism and naïveté and practical life and corporeal desire – can be revealed, also, by experience. Reality inevitably assaults our fantasies and brings the objects of our infatuation down to earth, whether we wish it to or not.”
“Possibly he was after the same idea that I’ve introduced here: the fall from grace accomplished by Eve, thanks to her wish to taste of wisdom reserved for God alone. Such a wish may not drive everyone who falls, head over heals, but I suspect it is present whenever some co-ed finds her pulse quickening as her dark, magnetic professor looks her way, and she begins to dream only about him, and to ignore the boys who sit beside her in the dining hall or stalk the showers of her dorm. Rules may discourage her from doing more than dreaming – they might try to rescue her from her own desires – but now and then she’s bound to fall. That’s just part of the story of being young, human, and hungry: tempted to seek knowledge beyond what is permitted, in the highest places and forms, and in the lowest, too.”
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Book provided by Blogging for Books for an honest review.
------
The copy on the back of Bradstreet Gate compares the novel to Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. That’s really what drew me in to choose the book in the first place, and I felt surprised that I hadn’t heard about the book until I saw it as an option on Blogging for Books. The only comparisons I found to The Secret History were the simple fact that this novel revolves around a group of students attending Harvard (and what comes after) and that there is a death/murder of a student. Other than that, the comparison ceases to be relevant.
Bradstreet Gate is a character novel, and there is no blatant revelation over who killed Julie Patel. It could have been Storrow, it could have been Alice, and it could have been Charlie, but nothing is ever made quite clear and I found that entirely frustrating. Halfway through I thought it might have been Alice because of her stilted relationship to everyone else on campus, but as the novel progressed and Charlie became more and more successful with weird little hints and recollections of “what he did,” I have to wonder if Charlie was the one who did it. He was the little brother, the one his father “[looked] for ways to be rid of him.” Charlie had a strained relationship with his father, and his father always referred to his youngest son as “the judge.” Charlie’s the one who shows an interest in Georgia, who has a relationship with Storrow the professor, and he shows a passing interest in Julie Patel and later finds out she has a boyfriend. In his frustration over Storrow’s relationship with Georgia, Charlie could have very easily staged Julia’s murder to destroy Storrow, which did happen. On the other hand, Storrow had a military history and had the working knowledge to execute a flawless murder.
The writing was clean, but I found everything structural in the novel to be lacking clarity and cohesion. The characters lacked depth and resonance (as in I didn’t really feel anything at all towards any of them), the plot and pacing seemed jumpy, like one moment it was one day and years had passed in the next paragraph. I felt like I had to read the last several pages just to make sense of what happened and to see if I’d missed some important, revelatory detail. I didn’t. It just sort of ends, falls off, and nothing’s really resolved.
However, after reading the essay in the back of the book, I found there is some connection thematically to some of the content of the novel. Kirman writes that she had a charged friendship with a professor of hers as a student with whom she had a relationship ten years later, and it got me thinking of this novel in the sense that she is trying to come to terms with that relationship and the attraction students have to their instructors. At the beginning of the essay, she writes, “Why did people speak of falling in love? Why was the experience of romantic enchantment described as a fall?” In that context, and if that context was advertised with the book in the first place, I might have gone into reading the book differently. The essay in the back of was my favorite part about the book, and I’ll be thinking about some of the ideas she presented for quite a while.
“What George Eliot understood so well about young women – and intellectualism and naïveté and practical life and corporeal desire – can be revealed, also, by experience. Reality inevitably assaults our fantasies and brings the objects of our infatuation down to earth, whether we wish it to or not.”
“Possibly he was after the same idea that I’ve introduced here: the fall from grace accomplished by Eve, thanks to her wish to taste of wisdom reserved for God alone. Such a wish may not drive everyone who falls, head over heals, but I suspect it is present whenever some co-ed finds her pulse quickening as her dark, magnetic professor looks her way, and she begins to dream only about him, and to ignore the boys who sit beside her in the dining hall or stalk the showers of her dorm. Rules may discourage her from doing more than dreaming – they might try to rescue her from her own desires – but now and then she’s bound to fall. That’s just part of the story of being young, human, and hungry: tempted to seek knowledge beyond what is permitted, in the highest places and forms, and in the lowest, too.”
------
Book provided by Blogging for Books for an honest review.
leighnonymous's review
1.0
1 1/2 stars
This may be the most boring book I've ever read. I've been trying to put my finger on exactly why this novel just didn't capture my interest and I can't come up with an answer. I've parsed out character development (all interesting enough, all complete, all relate-able); plot (an unsolved murder of a young woman, unknown motive, questionable character actions); and story arc (characters grow and change, each of their individual stories gets closure). Which leaves (I guess?) the writing…it's just not interesting; it's clinical and passionless. I thought Charlie's character, at least, deserved more life written into him, but I doubt that could carry the book as a whole.
I ended up not caring about the murder, the characters, or their lives after graduation. I can't even believe I finished.
This may be the most boring book I've ever read. I've been trying to put my finger on exactly why this novel just didn't capture my interest and I can't come up with an answer. I've parsed out character development (all interesting enough, all complete, all relate-able); plot (an unsolved murder of a young woman, unknown motive, questionable character actions); and story arc (characters grow and change, each of their individual stories gets closure). Which leaves (I guess?) the writing…it's just not interesting; it's clinical and passionless. I thought Charlie's character, at least, deserved more life written into him, but I doubt that could carry the book as a whole.
I ended up not caring about the murder, the characters, or their lives after graduation. I can't even believe I finished.
anntea's review
Kept finding myself skimming over the writing instead of actually enjoying it. I didn't like most of the characters. Which isn't bad as long as the story and characters themselves are still entertaining, but for me they weren't and both fell flat. Tbh it's just not my kind of story. It happens.
fictionophile's review
2.0
The novel’s title, “Bradstreet Gate,” refers to a Harvard Yard gate that commemorates the Puritan poet Anne Bradstreet and the 25th anniversary of women living in the Yard.
In 1997 Julie Patel, a Harvard student, is murdered. "Bradstreet Gate" is about how this murder affects the lives of three of her fellow students and one of the Harvard professors.
Georgia Calvin is the blonde and beautiful daughter of a renowned photographer. Everyone lusts after her. Professor Storrow, Charlie, and even Alice.
Alice Kovac - Statuesque and striking looking but socially inept, Alice is the daughter of Serbian immigrants and Georgia's best friend.
Charlie Flournoy - The youngest son of two boys, he is fond of poetry and things academic which is directly at odds with his father and elder brother who have more 'manly' pursuits. When he arrives at Harvard, Charlie tries to emulate Storrow in manner and attitude. Besotted with Georgia, he settles for being just her friend...
Professor Rufus Storrow comes across as a bit of a 'prig'. A fastidious dresser, he is a result of his military West Point education. His reputation is his highest priority, Highly admired by the faculty and students, he entertains some of his favored students at dinner parties in his home.
When he begins an affair with the lovely Georgia, he insists that their relationship remain a secret so as not to jeopardize his career and cause a scandal at the prestigious university.
When Julia Patel is murdered, the murder seemed to have less impact on the three main characters than it should have. There seemed to be a disconnect. Also, we as readers don't ever get to know Julie, so as a result we care less about what happened to her...
For a brief period at the beginning of the book we meet Georgia on the tenth anniversary of Julie's murder. The grown-up Georgia was a much more interesting character than her younger university student self. Now she has a young baby and a husband who is dying of cancer. When she is interviewed by a university journalist about the anniversary of Julie's death, it seems like a huge imposition on her time and her psyche.
The main characters in this novel are all carrying heavy baggage of one sort or another. They make the most unlikely friends. Although we get to know each of them, we don't REALLY know them. It is a superficial acquaintance.
Many other readers have compared this novel to Donna Tartt's "The Secret History". I cannot compare them because I haven't read "The Secret History", but I must say that I hope Tartt's novel has a more satisfying ending than this one. Many genres lend themselves to an open-ending, but a novel touted as a murder mystery should at least allude to 'whodunit'. Sadly, the murderer in this story was never divulged which left me feeling puzzled and manipulated. Don't misunderstand me, this novel is quite well-written - but however elegant the prose, the story must have some sort of cohesion for me to enjoy it. "Bradstreet Gate" did not - which made it quite a disappointing read for me.
Readers who are looking for a college story and a character study will be pleased by this novel, all others should probably pick up another book.
Thanks to Crown Publishing who provided me with a free digital copy of this novel at my request via NetGalley.
In 1997 Julie Patel, a Harvard student, is murdered. "Bradstreet Gate" is about how this murder affects the lives of three of her fellow students and one of the Harvard professors.
Georgia Calvin is the blonde and beautiful daughter of a renowned photographer. Everyone lusts after her. Professor Storrow, Charlie, and even Alice.
Alice Kovac - Statuesque and striking looking but socially inept, Alice is the daughter of Serbian immigrants and Georgia's best friend.
Charlie Flournoy - The youngest son of two boys, he is fond of poetry and things academic which is directly at odds with his father and elder brother who have more 'manly' pursuits. When he arrives at Harvard, Charlie tries to emulate Storrow in manner and attitude. Besotted with Georgia, he settles for being just her friend...
Professor Rufus Storrow comes across as a bit of a 'prig'. A fastidious dresser, he is a result of his military West Point education. His reputation is his highest priority, Highly admired by the faculty and students, he entertains some of his favored students at dinner parties in his home.
When he begins an affair with the lovely Georgia, he insists that their relationship remain a secret so as not to jeopardize his career and cause a scandal at the prestigious university.
When Julia Patel is murdered, the murder seemed to have less impact on the three main characters than it should have. There seemed to be a disconnect. Also, we as readers don't ever get to know Julie, so as a result we care less about what happened to her...
For a brief period at the beginning of the book we meet Georgia on the tenth anniversary of Julie's murder. The grown-up Georgia was a much more interesting character than her younger university student self. Now she has a young baby and a husband who is dying of cancer. When she is interviewed by a university journalist about the anniversary of Julie's death, it seems like a huge imposition on her time and her psyche.
The main characters in this novel are all carrying heavy baggage of one sort or another. They make the most unlikely friends. Although we get to know each of them, we don't REALLY know them. It is a superficial acquaintance.
Many other readers have compared this novel to Donna Tartt's "The Secret History". I cannot compare them because I haven't read "The Secret History", but I must say that I hope Tartt's novel has a more satisfying ending than this one. Many genres lend themselves to an open-ending, but a novel touted as a murder mystery should at least allude to 'whodunit'. Sadly, the murderer in this story was never divulged which left me feeling puzzled and manipulated. Don't misunderstand me, this novel is quite well-written - but however elegant the prose, the story must have some sort of cohesion for me to enjoy it. "Bradstreet Gate" did not - which made it quite a disappointing read for me.
Readers who are looking for a college story and a character study will be pleased by this novel, all others should probably pick up another book.
Thanks to Crown Publishing who provided me with a free digital copy of this novel at my request via NetGalley.
baileymichelle's review
4.0
This wasn't as murder-focused as I had expected it to be, but still a really interesting character study and a gripping read once you get into it.
bookreadergal's review
2.0
This book started out interesting, but quickly went downhill. The characters and relationships b/w them were very poorly developed. The story was all over the place and very poorly executed. The author did a terrible job of connecting everyone and everything together and it just wasn't a cohesive story. The campus murder was practically glossed over. I'll be staying away from her future novels.
moreadsbooks's review against another edition
2.0
I probably should have gone with my gut when, about halfway through, I felt my attention waning & I had to stop myself from putting Ex Machina on again (because good grief that's the best movie I've seen in a long time). I just had no interest in these people. Why was Georgia attracted to Storrow? Why was anyone? Charlie supposedly thought he was so cool that he started wearing gingham shirts & copying his mannerisms & turns of phrase, but all I ever got off of the professor was out-of-touch, physically intimidating racist - with red hair of course - his red hair was mentioned ad nauseam & was basically his only feature besides the ability to say really patronizing, colonialist stuff to his class about Indians. It was unclear to me why any of the characters were friends or the reasoning behind any of their actions. Charlie wanting to be with Georgia, Alice's motivation for the newspaper article she wrote - things happened, characters felt a certain way, but I got no clear reasons why for any of it. It's possible that the reader learns who the killer was, but since I skimmed the last thirty pages of this just so I could get be done with it, I couldn't tell you with any certainty if that happens or not.