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selmasara's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
emberrolf's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
hackjuber's review against another edition
3.0
This book is very similar in structure to [b:Cloud Atlas|49628|Cloud Atlas|David Mitchell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563042852l/49628._SX50_.jpg|1871423], which I read only a month ago so its ideas were still floating through my head. The Everlasting contains four short stories, each split up into two parts. Beyond the thematic connective tissue that links the stories, they all take place in Rome, and all contain references to a holy fish hook. The stories are separated by hundreds of years which gives some variety between them.
The book contains a lot of religious material, particularly in the fourth and final story which follows Prisca, a twelve year old girl who begins to have faith in Jesus in the year 165. This character seems to be a fictionalized version of Saint Prisca, a christian martyr tortured and executed under the Roman Emperor Claudius.
Although I enjoyed the book as a whole, some sections were painfully dull. The story I was most intrigued by initially (the tale of a Medici woman in 1559) was by far the worst of the four. It was very difficult to follow and lacked a strong ending like the other three. In this way, it suffers from the same issue as Cloud Atlas. When presented with a story with multiple wildly different perspectives, the reader will always appreciate certain ones more than others. The weaker sections will drag as the reader waits to engage with the story they like the most. This is especially apparent in this book and in Cloud Atlas because the overarching plot of the whole book hinges on understanding each individual sub-story.
However, I found a lot of unique touches to this book. There is a character who interjects in first person throughout all four stories. They appear to be omniscient and immortal, referencing things that happen in the far future in the sections that take place in the distant past. This character, turns out to be Satan, offering his take on the events of the book as they unfold. It does a good job of breaking up sections that otherwise would've been long, introspective moments for the characters. What this section lacks in deep commentary on what it actually means to be a martyr (which you might find in [b:Silence|25663949|Silence|Shūsaku Endō|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440680779l/25663949._SX50_.jpg|1796157]) it makes up for in a unique perspective of a twelve year old girl who might not think as deeply.
Also, the final story in the book hits very hard, right up until the final pages. Roman soldiers and priests, the clear antagonists of the story, are seen with sensitivity through the eyes of a young girl, and it makes their actions all the more painful.
If you enjoyed Cloud Atlas for its linking of narratives across time, you might enjoy this one.
P.S. Whoever did the cover art for this book needs to be congratulated. It caught my eye instantly on a shelf at Barnes and Noble and after finishing the book it has a clear relation with the story within.
The book contains a lot of religious material, particularly in the fourth and final story which follows Prisca, a twelve year old girl who begins to have faith in Jesus in the year 165. This character seems to be a fictionalized version of Saint Prisca, a christian martyr tortured and executed under the Roman Emperor Claudius.
Although I enjoyed the book as a whole, some sections were painfully dull. The story I was most intrigued by initially (the tale of a Medici woman in 1559) was by far the worst of the four. It was very difficult to follow and lacked a strong ending like the other three. In this way, it suffers from the same issue as Cloud Atlas. When presented with a story with multiple wildly different perspectives, the reader will always appreciate certain ones more than others. The weaker sections will drag as the reader waits to engage with the story they like the most. This is especially apparent in this book and in Cloud Atlas because the overarching plot of the whole book hinges on understanding each individual sub-story.
However, I found a lot of unique touches to this book. There is a character who interjects in first person throughout all four stories. They appear to be omniscient and immortal, referencing things that happen in the far future in the sections that take place in the distant past. This character, turns out to be Satan, offering his take on the events of the book as they unfold. It does a good job of breaking up sections that otherwise would've been long, introspective moments for the characters. What this section lacks in deep commentary on what it actually means to be a martyr (which you might find in [b:Silence|25663949|Silence|Shūsaku Endō|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440680779l/25663949._SX50_.jpg|1796157]) it makes up for in a unique perspective of a twelve year old girl who might not think as deeply.
Also, the final story in the book hits very hard, right up until the final pages. Roman soldiers and priests, the clear antagonists of the story, are seen with sensitivity through the eyes of a young girl, and it makes their actions all the more painful.
If you enjoyed Cloud Atlas for its linking of narratives across time, you might enjoy this one.
P.S. Whoever did the cover art for this book needs to be congratulated. It caught my eye instantly on a shelf at Barnes and Noble and after finishing the book it has a clear relation with the story within.
indyreadrosa's review against another edition
5.0
Well written. Has one of my favorite tropes...an outside voice who comments on the narrators running thoughts as the story goes along. I need to think a little bit more about how all the different characters are related to each other. But I liked each one separately so even though I was rushed reading it I never wanted to put it down.
cheryl1213's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting take on the persistent trend of novels with multiple narratives. I was invested enough in each to keep going, but also not sure any storyline would have warranted a full novel...or, to spin it differently bc it really isnt a bad thing, needed a full novel. I was most invested in the modern storyline and could have done without much of the monk's tale.
A solid four stars. Which is stronger than average but not love it territory for me. Felt a bit more experimental than it really was. I was definitely waiting on...and enjoyed...the connecting thread.
Thank you to Harper for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
A solid four stars. Which is stronger than average but not love it territory for me. Felt a bit more experimental than it really was. I was definitely waiting on...and enjoyed...the connecting thread.
Thank you to Harper for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
zeereads's review against another edition
my first ever dnf solely because the writing was soooo dense and i found myself constantly rereading sentences just to make sense of what was going on. maybe one day ill pick up the audiobook and see if that i like that better, but for right now it's too big brain for me to finish
librarianna81's review against another edition
3.0
Some absolutely gorgeous writing, but...meh. Didn't see the connection between the three protagonists and while they were mostly memorable characters, they didn't mean much to me. Seeing Rome through the ages was sort of fun, but with no connection to the city, it felt faint and removed.
libbykerns's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this was slow, pretty dense, and i wish the interconnected stories were a bit more tightly woven. the last line of the book tilted the whole thing positive, though—it ended, in my opinion, well.
sapereaude's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
davidgross13's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
I picked this book up because I was taught by Smith’s parents at Millsaps college and was interested in her writing. It’s dense. But there are some wonderful, thought provoking moments throughout. I enjoyed the book, but it is hard to get in to! I definitely thought it would be a DNF in the first 20 ish pages. I grew to love the interjections from Lucifer. Also learned a lot about Roman history. Due to the prose I rate it lower but I recommend it if you can push through the density!