Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
It’s a shame to give such a low rating to a book with so much clear potential and passion behind it. However I feel like it warrants it because the author nests narratives in a way that is unnecessary and confusing, bogs down the plot with needless exposition and drags things out for far too long. As a result the plot which is actually solid at the core becomes almost lost in minutiae.
A great narrative that seamlessly weaves together the story across multiple generations.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Had high hopes for this book but it was a slog to get through in the end. Unfortunately for a book called The Historian, I found all of the historical sections very dry and ended up skim reading a lot of them. The different perspectives and time periods also weren't balanced well... The narrator's story really fizzled out towards the end and the ending felt rushed, which isn't great after 700 pages!
It's a shame as there were some really promising eerie parts towards the end..."Perhaps we will disguise you as a holy relic" - so creepy! What does it mean? I love it! and the way that the death of Rossi was written about was very emotional. Just a shame I didn't really care about the characters!
It's a shame as there were some really promising eerie parts towards the end...
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Miscarriage, Violence, Murder
So boring I couldn't even bring myself to finish it.
A slow paced Gothic mystery, often compared with Dan Brown, but better written. That was the image I had of this book before I read it. But the comparison with Dan Brown might lead people to think it's more action filled than it is, so I would like to join in with a lot of other GR-reviews her, and really underline that this is a very slow paced book indeed. There are some spine-chilling moments, especially when you get the sense that the vampires will see you, and find you, no matter what. They might even be able to read your mind. These moments are exciting because they are so few and far between. When they finally appear, they have all the more impact.
But most of the time this is a slow burning plot with lots of travelling (around Europe, mostly). It also contains a lot of primary source investigation: it describes a lot of old books, letters, documents etc. and the characters discuss them at length. Kostova describes different locations very well, and the book does give you a wonderful sense of place. There is a lot of travelling to libraries and churches, looking for clues that points the characters in the direction of their next destination. There is also a lot of descriptions of local cuisine. A good, hearty meal is very important for vampire hunters.
As I read, I contemplated giving this book four stars, but by the time I reached the end, I landed on three. Mainly because the book has some structural weaknesses and because it was a bit too slow paced - even for me. When reaching the half-way point, I got less and less involved in the story, and I didn't really care that much about the characters. And by the end, I thought things were wrapped up to quickly compared to the enormous amount of pages it took the story to build up and develop. The whole thing was a bit underwhelming.
The structure of the different timelines also bothered me. The main character is a seventeen year old girl. Her story, set in the 1970's, is prevalent in the first 200 pages of the story, and runs parallel with another timeline, set in the 1950's. This one is first told first orally, and then through letters. There's also a third timeline, set in the 1930's, but it's not a very long one. After a while, the 1950's timeline takes over, and the main character, who where just barely given a personality and a plotline of her own, becomes mostly an observer for the remainder of the book. She remains uninteresting throughout. None of the main characters are very interesting, though.
So for the majority of the book, a page long chapter from the 1970's timeline is inserted here and there, surrounded by the considerably more lengthy and detailed 1950's timeline. Either the two should have been more equal, or the 1970's timeline should have been removed from the part of the book where it had next to nothing to contribute with. The 1950's timeline is often told through unrealistically long letters, where the language is no different from the rest of the narration. At first, the main character sits down to read each of these letters, but after a while, they are simply inserted without introduction, and takes over the whole plot.
The plot is not difficult to follow, but it seems messy, or just badly put together. And then there are some other small annoyances, like allies/helpers popping up here and there very conveniently and without good reason. There is a certain atmosphere in the book that will stay with me for a while. It has something to it. But it is very far from perfect.
But most of the time this is a slow burning plot with lots of travelling (around Europe, mostly). It also contains a lot of primary source investigation: it describes a lot of old books, letters, documents etc. and the characters discuss them at length. Kostova describes different locations very well, and the book does give you a wonderful sense of place. There is a lot of travelling to libraries and churches, looking for clues that points the characters in the direction of their next destination. There is also a lot of descriptions of local cuisine. A good, hearty meal is very important for vampire hunters.
As I read, I contemplated giving this book four stars, but by the time I reached the end, I landed on three. Mainly because the book has some structural weaknesses and because it was a bit too slow paced - even for me. When reaching the half-way point, I got less and less involved in the story, and I didn't really care that much about the characters. And by the end, I thought things were wrapped up to quickly compared to the enormous amount of pages it took the story to build up and develop. The whole thing was a bit underwhelming.
The structure of the different timelines also bothered me. The main character is a seventeen year old girl. Her story, set in the 1970's, is prevalent in the first 200 pages of the story, and runs parallel with another timeline, set in the 1950's. This one is first told first orally, and then through letters. There's also a third timeline, set in the 1930's, but it's not a very long one. After a while, the 1950's timeline takes over, and the main character, who where just barely given a personality and a plotline of her own, becomes mostly an observer for the remainder of the book. She remains uninteresting throughout. None of the main characters are very interesting, though.
So for the majority of the book, a page long chapter from the 1970's timeline is inserted here and there, surrounded by the considerably more lengthy and detailed 1950's timeline. Either the two should have been more equal, or the 1970's timeline should have been removed from the part of the book where it had next to nothing to contribute with. The 1950's timeline is often told through unrealistically long letters, where the language is no different from the rest of the narration. At first, the main character sits down to read each of these letters, but after a while, they are simply inserted without introduction, and takes over the whole plot.
The plot is not difficult to follow, but it seems messy, or just badly put together. And then there are some other small annoyances, like allies/helpers popping up here and there very conveniently and without good reason. There is a certain atmosphere in the book that will stay with me for a while. It has something to it. But it is very far from perfect.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
This book was so good!!! It was so suspenseful and took me on so many twists and turns. The ending was crazy i wasn’t expecting it and yet i was pleased that there was an actual conclusion and i wasn’t left with what ifs.
It was very personal because it was written as a story of letters and stories so i too felt transported to different incredible locations alongside the characters. t was also rich in history which was a nice touch and was surprisingly captivating for me as i am not one to enjoy history.
It was very personal because it was written as a story of letters and stories so i too felt transported to different incredible locations alongside the characters. t was also rich in history which was a nice touch and was surprisingly captivating for me as i am not one to enjoy history.
Quite good. Slightly predictable, but still most definitely worth the read. Made me want to be a historian!