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readacorn's review against another edition
Kurzmeinung / Leseerlebnis
Auf den letzten 10 Seiten des Romans überlegte ich, ob ich 4,5 Sterne vergeben soll und was genau zu 5 Sternen fehlt. Allerdings war das Ende - damit meine ich die letzte Seite - dermaßen offen, dass ich doch nur bei 4 Sternen bleibe. Offene Enden sind manchmal ok, hier hätte ich mir aber die Auflösung gewünscht.
Eine gut geschriebene, interessante Geschichte, die ich gerne in der Länderchallenge "Uganda" zugeordnet hätte, weil ein nicht unerheblicher Teil dort handelt und ich einiges über das Land gelernt habe. Allerdings stammt der Autor aus Kenia und ist Brite.
Im Anhang sind Literaturempfehlungen zu den in dem Roman behandelten historischen Ereignissen, davon werde ich mindestens eines auf die Wunschliste packen, denn ich möchte nun mehr über Uganda erfahren. Ein weiteres Buch über Zufälle vom gleichen Autor befindet sich bereits seit einer Weile auf meinem Kindle.
Auf den letzten 10 Seiten des Romans überlegte ich, ob ich 4,5 Sterne vergeben soll und was genau zu 5 Sternen fehlt. Allerdings war das Ende - damit meine ich die letzte Seite - dermaßen offen, dass ich doch nur bei 4 Sternen bleibe. Offene Enden sind manchmal ok, hier hätte ich mir aber die Auflösung gewünscht.
Eine gut geschriebene, interessante Geschichte, die ich gerne in der Länderchallenge "Uganda" zugeordnet hätte, weil ein nicht unerheblicher Teil dort handelt und ich einiges über das Land gelernt habe. Allerdings stammt der Autor aus Kenia und ist Brite.
Im Anhang sind Literaturempfehlungen zu den in dem Roman behandelten historischen Ereignissen, davon werde ich mindestens eines auf die Wunschliste packen, denn ich möchte nun mehr über Uganda erfahren. Ein weiteres Buch über Zufälle vom gleichen Autor befindet sich bereits seit einer Weile auf meinem Kindle.
datoismyname's review against another edition
4.0
This book was excellent. I really didn’t think I would like it. There were definitely some long winded and entirely unnecessary bits so that’s why it’s not at 5 stars. It is definitely worth the read.
infinitecelia's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
Very uneven writing in what could have been a really outstanding book.
Azalea's life seems ruled by coincidence, and yet... are they? Can the seemingly ordained be explained? That's the position taken by Thomas, whose academic career is founded on disproving the existence of coincidences by mathematics. Several examples from "real life" are used, like how many times you flip a coin and get heads, long digressions into the Big Bang and billiard ball theories, and then there's Azalea's life.
Azalea's life is told in a series of flashbacks, and from her apparent abandonment by her mother to her finding possible fathers to the deaths of her adoptive parents coincidence has ruled things. This leads her to believe that there will be another event that will occur, one that Thomas realizes he cannot live with (even as he disproves or deflates her interpretation of the earlier events). The strongest parts of the book are when we're hearing about her life before they meet and their relationship; the weakest are when the narrator interrupts. The tone of the latter is not as strong as the force of the narrative, perhaps because it's in that "we know... we see..." mode. Pacing is another weakness, with the ending feeling a little rushed.
As for the coincidences? Too many of them are resolved "off stage" without Azalea's awareness. At times the author seems to be trying to prove determinism, while at others it's a definite argument for randomness/free will. This would have been a better book had the author chosen one side.
ARC provided by publisher.
Azalea's life seems ruled by coincidence, and yet... are they? Can the seemingly ordained be explained? That's the position taken by Thomas, whose academic career is founded on disproving the existence of coincidences by mathematics. Several examples from "real life" are used, like how many times you flip a coin and get heads, long digressions into the Big Bang and billiard ball theories, and then there's Azalea's life.
Azalea's life is told in a series of flashbacks, and from her apparent abandonment by her mother to her finding possible fathers to the deaths of her adoptive parents coincidence has ruled things. This leads her to believe that there will be another event that will occur, one that Thomas realizes he cannot live with (even as he disproves or deflates her interpretation of the earlier events). The strongest parts of the book are when we're hearing about her life before they meet and their relationship; the weakest are when the narrator interrupts. The tone of the latter is not as strong as the force of the narrative, perhaps because it's in that "we know... we see..." mode. Pacing is another weakness, with the ending feeling a little rushed.
As for the coincidences? Too many of them are resolved "off stage" without Azalea's awareness. At times the author seems to be trying to prove determinism, while at others it's a definite argument for randomness/free will. This would have been a better book had the author chosen one side.
ARC provided by publisher.
derbit's review against another edition
5.0
Holy sh*t this book is amazing!! A well-written, thought-provoking, and entertaining story. I loved it.
ranchel's review against another edition
4.0
Intriguing, confusing, and beautifully written, J.W. Ironmonger expertly weaves fact and fiction to tell a series of intertwining stories all based around a simple premise: everything that happens, happens for a reason. The characters are neither particularly likeable nor unlikable, but that works within the context of Coincidence and Ironmonger's style of writing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
bookrec's review against another edition
2.0
I simply could not get into this book. All the laws of probability and such had my head spinning with their explanations.
mckenzierichardson's review against another edition
5.0
I received an ARC of this novel.
This was absolutely perfect. I can't even describe what it was exactly that I loved so much about this book, but I was hooked from page one. The descriptions are amazing, the characters are realistic and interesting, and the plot was phenomenal. I loved the changing timeframes and the frame story within a frame story. There was so much going on in this work and I loved every moment of it. By the end, I found myself not even really caring how the story ended, because I was just so engrossed in taking in every word of it. This work is perfection. A definite must-read.
This was absolutely perfect. I can't even describe what it was exactly that I loved so much about this book, but I was hooked from page one. The descriptions are amazing, the characters are realistic and interesting, and the plot was phenomenal. I loved the changing timeframes and the frame story within a frame story. There was so much going on in this work and I loved every moment of it. By the end, I found myself not even really caring how the story ended, because I was just so engrossed in taking in every word of it. This work is perfection. A definite must-read.