Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle

1 review

chrisljm's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

L'Engle had a good start of introducing themes that leave much to think about: faith, life and death, philosophy, plus I really enjoyed the ambiance of the setting. However, I felt that the storytelling was subpar and what could have been a touching coming-of-age story dealing with death was entirely bogged down by the three love interests plot (a love square???). Leo is the type of guy who becomes your friend in the hopes that one day more will happen and gets upset when you don't return his feelings. Zachary has all the makings of a manipulative and abusive partner. All the scenes with Zachary were just too much and left me not caring for this story at all. In fact, I'd go as far to say that there was no point in Zachary being in this book. He did nothing but manipulate Vicky, give her a stupid nickname, and scare women. Vicky also could've easily been made at least 17 years old, but I guess this was acceptable during the 80s or whatever. 

The last thing I'll mention is that the ending felt so inconclusive. The climax of the story happens only a few pages before the book ends, which leaves no room for a resolution.
Also, the grandfather doesn't even die, which is what the entire book has been building towards. In fact, it felt like the climax had been building towards that as well, which is also why the ending felt so abrupt.
 
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