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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
reflective
slow-paced
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A man goes almost daily to look at Vermeer's painting, and the woman in the painting observes him back while telling us the story of how it was painted. The whole thing is quite surreal as parallels are drawn and redrawn between the woman and the man living hundreds of years later, but in another way it was two interwoven stories. I wasn't really sure how I felt about the ending but I enjoyed the book in the main and it was very cleverly done. I'm sure I missed some things and I'd like to read it again to hopefully pick up new themes.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for kindly providing me with an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for kindly providing me with an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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
I love alternating POVs in books. They’re not for everyone but for me they’re the best. In The Woman in Blue we alternate from the present day where our unnamed MMC visits the Rijksmuseum every day to stare at Vermeers painting of The Woman in Blue Reading a Letter. Unbeknownst to him he is being observed BY The Woman in Blue. We follow their internal dialogues as they both reflect on each other and their pasts. With The Woman we see how the painting came be and with the man he reflects on love.
The Woman in Blue is the first book I’ve read by Bruton, and his writing is beautiful. This is a slow novella. Not one to be rushed or inhaled in a fever, but read with purpose and your own contemplation. While there were aspects I liked about the book, it isn’t my usual wheelhouse for fiction and it wasn’t my favourite book, but by no means does that mean I wouldn’t recommend it. For the right person or mood it would be perfect.
The Woman in Blue is the first book I’ve read by Bruton, and his writing is beautiful. This is a slow novella. Not one to be rushed or inhaled in a fever, but read with purpose and your own contemplation. While there were aspects I liked about the book, it isn’t my usual wheelhouse for fiction and it wasn’t my favourite book, but by no means does that mean I wouldn’t recommend it. For the right person or mood it would be perfect.
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No