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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A little more straightforward and didactic than other Smith novels, but still with its moments of glory.
challenging
informative
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
Hmm. Very dickensian, and he's featured! I don't find myself caring for any of the characters. Last chapter references to sexual acts was confusing as an ending.
Oh and the time jumps were very confusing.
Oh and the time jumps were very confusing.
screw it, 5 ⭐️ i’m as shocked as everyone else is. i really didn’t think i would finish this but like so many times when im in a reading slump, if i finally find a book that makes me excited , i will cling to it.
the writing style (like all of smiths books except for one book we shall not name) was superb. it was humorous and yet refreshingly honest. each character had their own unique style of speaking. one thing about mama smith—she can write characters that behave like real humans. by the time i got to the end, i was tearing up. she will take you on several journeys in only a couple hundred pages and have your heart and mind at the end.
i liked the commentary on fraud. everyone--to a certain extent--is a fraud. by complying with society's expectations regarding race, gender, sex, etc--we are in essence frauds. by lying to ourselves--denying our desires, our identity-we are frauds. at least that's what i understood from it. i liked how each character was struggling with their own identities and their place in the world.
another interesting thing. for the first third of the book, it was mostly focused on mrs touchet's POV and her relations with william. but as she gained more independence and began questioning things, the POV shifted to bogle's POV. it was like she gained the freedom and confidence to not adhere to william's expectations (who kind of represented the typical white male of that time period). very interesting.
the one thing i was not a fan of was the timeline. even though she did write what time period it was, it was too much jumping around. we could’ve done without.
i was actually surprised that this book was based on real life people. i should’ve gotten more suspicious when charles dickens made an appearance
the writing style (like all of smiths books except for one book we shall not name) was superb. it was humorous and yet refreshingly honest. each character had their own unique style of speaking. one thing about mama smith—she can write characters that behave like real humans. by the time i got to the end, i was tearing up. she will take you on several journeys in only a couple hundred pages and have your heart and mind at the end.
i liked the commentary on fraud. everyone--to a certain extent--is a fraud. by complying with society's expectations regarding race, gender, sex, etc--we are in essence frauds. by lying to ourselves--denying our desires, our identity-we are frauds. at least that's what i understood from it. i liked how each character was struggling with their own identities and their place in the world.
another interesting thing. for the first third of the book, it was mostly focused on mrs touchet's POV and her relations with william. but as she gained more independence and began questioning things, the POV shifted to bogle's POV. it was like she gained the freedom and confidence to not adhere to william's expectations (who kind of represented the typical white male of that time period). very interesting.
the one thing i was not a fan of was the timeline. even though she did write what time period it was, it was too much jumping around. we could’ve done without.
i was actually surprised that this book was based on real life people. i should’ve gotten more suspicious when charles dickens made an appearance
Couldn't get into it, storyline was hard to follow/developed too slow for me.
I love ZS but for some reason just couldn't get into this one
3.5-4
Fascinating part fact/part fiction story focusing on the lives of Eliza Touchet, housekeeper and sometime lover of author William Ainsworth, and Andrew Bogle, ex-slave from Jamaica who is star witness in the Tichbourne trial that captivated nineteenth century England.
It's written in short chapters (good) but hops back and forth from one decade to another (bit confusing). I had to make a list of the characters as I went along – it was the only way I could keep track of who was who and what was going on.
Fascinating part fact/part fiction story focusing on the lives of Eliza Touchet, housekeeper and sometime lover of author William Ainsworth, and Andrew Bogle, ex-slave from Jamaica who is star witness in the Tichbourne trial that captivated nineteenth century England.
It's written in short chapters (good) but hops back and forth from one decade to another (bit confusing). I had to make a list of the characters as I went along – it was the only way I could keep track of who was who and what was going on.
adventurous
challenging
funny
fast-paced
Poeh ik moest wel echt even in die Engelse geschiedenis komen, en alle namen, maar duidelijk zoveel plezier geschreven dat ik toch werd meegesleept. Wat een heerlijk karakter die Mrs Touchet, met al haar idealen en mankementen, in ieder geval vol humor. Ik had geen zin om alle namen en gebeurtenissen op te zoeken, maar denk wel dat het een leukere leeservaring is als je daar iets meer van zou weten…
challenging