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arrlaboy's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-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? No
3.0
laurajulie's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
dljmsw's review against another edition
2.0
I absolutely loved this book until the Interlude. It sickened me to read and was gratuitous. It made me really wonder about the author and his motivations. The last quarter of the book seemed to be written by a different author. The "reveal" was anticlimactic and the "twist" in the Coda was completely uninspired. But, I did thoroughly enjoy sections of the book; they were just overshadowed by overly specific and unnecessarily details of child sexual abuse and a sluggish ending.
paulsnelling's review against another edition
3.0
Rather pedestrian, and the interlude gave the game away - or rather gave too heavy hints. There was no way to work out the final answer, so it was something of a surprise to tie up the loose ends. But the characters were not richly drawn and were in places a bit lazy and predictable. It was neither one thing nor the other. Not engaging as a murder mystery and too thin an exploration of a horrible episode in the the existence of the Irish Catholic Church. I expected more from the excellent John Banville.
livres_de_bloss's review against another edition
1.0
I didn’t get on with the pace or writing style of this one. The characters were cardboard and unlikeable. Parts of it were gratuitously vulgar and stomach-churning. I won’t be revisiting this author.
I don’t recommend this one.
I don’t recommend this one.
greybeard49's review against another edition
4.0
Start off with an Agatha Christie-like Christmas backdrop including a slightly decrepit country Manor House, located in a rural area of South West Ireland, populate it with a weird and almost sane bunch of suspect protagonists conversing in the Irish vernacular and you have the ingredients for a Yuletide 'great read'! And Banville produces just that!
The plot is engaging throughout and the dialogue supports it wonderfully. Every character is an eccentric, including the detective, and interact really well. The fact that a very thick thread of 'cliche' runs through every chapter actually aids the storyline. The 'Snow' pervades very page and plays a central role in helping things along.
I have read most of Banville's 'literary' novels and all of the 'Quirke' books. Detective Inspector Strafford is another strong addition to his impressive repertoire.
Really enjoyable.
The plot is engaging throughout and the dialogue supports it wonderfully. Every character is an eccentric, including the detective, and interact really well. The fact that a very thick thread of 'cliche' runs through every chapter actually aids the storyline. The 'Snow' pervades very page and plays a central role in helping things along.
I have read most of Banville's 'literary' novels and all of the 'Quirke' books. Detective Inspector Strafford is another strong addition to his impressive repertoire.
Really enjoyable.
susanbonnieo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
jacki_f's review against another edition
3.0
Beautifully written, this is about the murder of a priest in a grand country manor in 1950s Ireland. It made me think of Peter Temple's books and the subject matter is also similar.