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kirstym25's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Homophobia
friendly_neighborhood_grandma's review against another edition
4.5
This is a love letter to humanity. This story goes through time and the simplest life and i loved the writing so much. Simple yet philosophical and profound. The characters are fully fleshed out and their losses are felt like your own.
I had to relisten to the first 20% but im glad i did that in order to understand whom was who.
I recommend this book to lovers of astronomy, friendly ghosts and life long stories.
I had to relisten to the first 20% but im glad i did that in order to understand whom was who.
I recommend this book to lovers of astronomy, friendly ghosts and life long stories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Homophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, and Vomit
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
3.75
Sometimes, a book really hits for you. And sometimes it doesn't. Sadly, that was the case for me with this Booker longlister. In trying to pinpoint why I've come up with a list of possibilities while recognising that the real reason may be elusive and undefinable. Part of the novel revolves around the characters wrestling with their Christian faith, and that is just not something I'm personally interested in, nor something I typically enjoy reading. The novel is divided into three distinct sections, the first in 1997, the last 20 years later . While the dates are explicitly stated, the setting and characters actually seemed timeless, and that left me feeling unmoored. If anything, this felt more like historical fiction set in the Victorian era. One of the relationships at the centre of the novel - that between Thomas and Grace - left me feeling uneasy, even though it was one of friendship with him taking a paternal interest in her. There was a considerable amount of factual information folded into the text, chiefly physics and astronomy. I often claim I enjoy reading fiction that teaches me something but not this time. Possibly, the information was too technical. It certainly took me out of the story and felt a little like reading extracts from a textbook. Magical realism and ghosts can often be hit and miss for me. The latter proved to be the case here. Part of the problem may also have been down to timing. Reading this while watching the Olympics, particularly the trampolining (my daughter used to compete and one of our country's representative was her former clubmate) might not have been my smartest move, and possibly meant I didn't give this book the attention it deserved.
Don't let me put you off. If you love beautifully written stories that explore love, faith and science, if you are frustrated with women being written out of science and history, if you want a book with a queer storyline, if you have an interest in astronomy and the Hale-Bopp comet especially, if you're in the mood for a light mystery and don't mind a little ghostliness this could well be the book for you.
Don't let me put you off. If you love beautifully written stories that explore love, faith and science, if you are frustrated with women being written out of science and history, if you want a book with a queer storyline, if you have an interest in astronomy and the Hale-Bopp comet especially, if you're in the mood for a light mystery and don't mind a little ghostliness this could well be the book for you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
julziez's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Suicide, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
rebeccaehq's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
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