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pixie_d's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. This is one I found one the "new book" shelf at the library. With a name that sounds like a mash up between Hermione Granger and Jane Eyre, and the possibility that it could have been awful, I was astounded by how good this turned out to be. Wide-ranging, engaging themes, and delightfully drawn characters. The tone and approach in this book was very much like Thomas Pynchon's Mason & Dixon, only easier to follow. At first I even wondered if it was Pynchon writing under a pseudonym. I look at the author photo, where she looks like an actress, by which I mean more than half starved, and I wondered about her. Where did all this erudition and mature talent in telling her story come from? Brava.
nouvellevogue's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sarahrosebooks's review against another edition
DNF at page 53 of 440
This book was just not for me. I get that the author is trying to be clever and different from the usual historical fiction, but I felt like the plot didn't have enough to keep me reading for more than 400 pages, and the anachronistic references to things like spam, wagon wheels and Jonathan Ross in a seventeenth century setting only served to jar me out of the narrative and make me care even less.
This book is dull, and I cannot face finishing it.
This book was just not for me. I get that the author is trying to be clever and different from the usual historical fiction, but I felt like the plot didn't have enough to keep me reading for more than 400 pages, and the anachronistic references to things like spam, wagon wheels and Jonathan Ross in a seventeenth century setting only served to jar me out of the narrative and make me care even less.
This book is dull, and I cannot face finishing it.
hrhaphrodite1's review
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
What I Was Looking For: A deep dive into the aristocracy of England at the brink of the English Civil War; their petty enjoyments, a desire for beauty and fame, and a journey through the quack treatments available in the 1620s. Some light fantasy, humour and women-centric themes.
What I Got: This novel is overwhelmingly... strange. I can say with all honesty that I've never read anything quite like it before. It trapezes somewhere between detailed historical fiction (littered with sources and evidence, which was an enjoyable addition), and an absurdist pastiche of a relatively unexplored part of English history, somewhat akin to 'The Favourite', complete with many (many, many) pop culture references.
I don't want to say I didn't enjoy it - because there were periods when I couldn't put it down. But when I did put it down, I didn't think about it. So much of this story is vignettes of the two main characters that seemingly don't add anything to the plot. But the strangeness and absurdity of the time period is truly the clincher; it's sometimes enjoyable trying to figure out what parts Eyre has made up and what is historical fact. Cameos of Naomi Campbell are interwoven with a voyage down the Thames on the first successful submarine.
On the whole, a bold piece of somewhat historical fiction with unique elements of popular culture, which produces something totally 'new'. If you enjoyed forays into the past along the lines of Yorgos Lanthimos's 'The Favourite', or Sofia Copalla's 'Marie Antoinette' - then maybe try giving this a go. Be prepared for absurdism.
What I Got: This novel is overwhelmingly... strange. I can say with all honesty that I've never read anything quite like it before. It trapezes somewhere between detailed historical fiction (littered with sources and evidence, which was an enjoyable addition), and an absurdist pastiche of a relatively unexplored part of English history, somewhat akin to 'The Favourite', complete with many (many, many) pop culture references.
I don't want to say I didn't enjoy it - because there were periods when I couldn't put it down. But when I did put it down, I didn't think about it. So much of this story is vignettes of the two main characters that seemingly don't add anything to the plot. But the strangeness and absurdity of the time period is truly the clincher; it's sometimes enjoyable trying to figure out what parts Eyre has made up and what is historical fact. Cameos of Naomi Campbell are interwoven with a voyage down the Thames on the first successful submarine.
On the whole, a bold piece of somewhat historical fiction with unique elements of popular culture, which produces something totally 'new'. If you enjoyed forays into the past along the lines of Yorgos Lanthimos's 'The Favourite', or Sofia Copalla's 'Marie Antoinette' - then maybe try giving this a go. Be prepared for absurdism.
sanmeow's review
2.0
i actually don't have much to say about this. the premise is really intriguing but i didn't like the execution. everything felt extremely chaotic, nonsensical, and disorganized. that might be the point, but i really don't care since it ultimately made me enjoy the book less. a big fan of the author's style though and i'd read something else by her.
elisabethbeck's review
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
A brilliant idea but not brilliantly executed
pelicaaan's review against another edition
2.0
A historical novel set in 17th century England, about real historical figures, shot through with deliberate anachronisms. In the end I liked this more than not, but there are large swathes of this book in which NOTHING IS HAPPENING except for the postmodern pyrotechnics. It would have helped a lot if the author had paid more attention to the plot and pacing, and less to self-conscious bending of the time-space continuum.
indiasbooks's review
Really couldn't get into this - perhaps just not the book I was looking for at this point. Might give it another go in a few months.
katyla's review
1.0
I have given up on this I have to admit. It is different in the way it is written, kind of a historical non-fiction, with alternative realities intertwined - for eg the author makes an appearance in the story... Not for me, but well written.
jordanisreading's review
3.0
Think Kim Kardashian in a 1600's setting with a time-travelling husband. This book was a bit nuts, but generally enjoyable.
The story mostly follows Venetia, who is devastated by her fading beauty and will do anything to keep the face she is famed for. Despite the love of her husband, she is unfulfilled in life unless she is certain of her beauty - an interesting reflection on modern beauty standards, where women are constantly reminded that their worth is largely based on their appearance by advertisers, social media and the press.
The writing of the book was at times a little difficult to follow, but generally it was a good read and I particularly enjoyed the pop culture references throughout - particularly as they fitted so well into the 17th century setting!
The story mostly follows Venetia, who is devastated by her fading beauty and will do anything to keep the face she is famed for. Despite the love of her husband, she is unfulfilled in life unless she is certain of her beauty - an interesting reflection on modern beauty standards, where women are constantly reminded that their worth is largely based on their appearance by advertisers, social media and the press.
The writing of the book was at times a little difficult to follow, but generally it was a good read and I particularly enjoyed the pop culture references throughout - particularly as they fitted so well into the 17th century setting!