Reviews

The Ecliptic by Benjamin Wood

helgamir's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring mysterious reflective slow-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

4.75

charlottej's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

nle2004's review against another edition

5.0

A novel is based on exploration of creative process, of artistic vulnerability and determination. It is wonderfully crafted, a bit slow and basic in the beginning, it gets more and more gripping and thought provoking.
For me this book was a delightful experience, that induced me to learn more about British postwar art.

robforteath's review against another edition

4.0

This is a very compelling story that keeps you interested the entire way. I don't really want to say anything about the plot, because the reader isn't supposed to know what is coming. There is very little in the way of foreshadowing. The author doesn't unfairly hide anything, but I don't think we're meant to see the changes of direction.

The main character (Elspeth / "Knell") is the focus of the story. Her struggles with her art, her relationships with people, her psychological difficulties -- there is enough here to fill the nearly 500 pages without any dull sections.

abookolive's review against another edition

5.0

Holy hell.

radioactve_piano's review against another edition

5.0

Once again, I fell in love with Wood's way with words. There's always a danger in being too verbose, and Wood masterfully skirts that, staying on the proper side of that border so as to create a damn well-written novel, full of substance through and through.

A bit predictable in places, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment. Solid story, solid characters, and a solid book all around.

liisae's review against another edition

3.5

I really liked the story, but I could have used more detail at the end. 

aksel_dadswell's review against another edition

3.0

What an incredibly frustrating book. The protagonist is a pain in the arse, as are most of the characters. The parts of the story that delve into the artistic process are immersive and well-written and just fascinating, however. It's just the parts around all that - the stale plot contrivances (The framing device was unnecessary and had a tacked-on quality that was dismissed/accepted too quickly at the end; the meat of the book was far more engaging) and the dull characters and the protagonist's increasingly frustrating proclivity for self-sabotage and cliche. Having said that, I thought the way Wood conveyed the all-consuming nature of art to be both accurate and engaging, even if Knell's actions within this became tiresome. The prose is great and the story flows well, but the ending is an enormous let-down.

savidgereads's review against another edition

3.0

I wanted to give this book 3.5 (not that three stars is bad) because it's a book I loved the ideas of, the prose of and the themes of. For me the last section felt slightly like a trick too far which whilst I could see why it's doing what it does also made me feel somewhat cheated for the time I had invested. That said the writing is excellent as I said I liked much about this book and liked it a lot.

melodine's review against another edition

3.0

I really enjoyed the writing style and am half in love with the beautiful imagery but I only gave it a 3 because I am really not a fan of books with so many revelations at the end.

I think I am just getting cynical in my old age; the book is better than my personal rating.