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catbrigand's review against another edition
2.0
It could have been interesting. It should have, in fact, with the wealth of possibilities. However, the author clearly thinks incredibly highly of his own writing. The death knell (ahem) for me disliking the book was that after identifying a murderer, there were still about 75 pages left, filled with--you guessed it--75 pages of explanations for WHY the murderer did it, when either it could have been incorporated better into the story or summarized in a page or two.
utahmomreads's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this intelligent literary mystery. The characterizations of the poets are delightful and the commentary on Dante's Inferno actually inspired me to read it at the same time. It is well written and the plot is interesting.
twnclldmalice's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
mellomorissa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jess_mango's review against another edition
3.0
This well-researched historical mystery was interesting in parts but was a bit too slow-paced overall. The writer did a great job evoking the feeling of late 19th century New England through his use of language.
themadhouse1996's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
casspro's review against another edition
1.0
The book started off with a bang and slowly fizzled out. The details were too dry, too historical--and yes, I realize it's a historical read of sorts. And I'm all for historical fiction, but I need the fiction to balance out the historical, otherwise it feels like I'm reading a dusty tome in the scary university library basement. I starting skimming around page 80, searching for the more gruesome details regarding Dante's Inferno. Once you find them (about 150 pages in), the read picks up dramatically. It's hard not to compare it to DaVinci Code or Angels and Demons--a highly intelligent man who's good at one very specific subject happens to solve a crime that revolves around his very area of expertise. In this case, the Robert Langdon is the Fireside Poets and Co. If you've got the patience to slug through the highs and lows in the canticles, then it might be worth the long read. But if you're like me and want a little more action and lot less exposition, then I'd pass this one by the wayside.
anovelobsession's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the writing in this book. It was almost like you are reading a classic novel. Very interesting characters, based on Longfellow and other great writers of his time.
mr_rogers_el_camino's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
2.75
I'm not gonna lie, when I started this book it felt like I was back in high school because reading it felt like homework. The authors use of old English dialogue and overwrought sentence structure made me feel like I was back in English 101 struggling through Dickens again. That being said once I got caught up in the story and my poor old brain adapted to the syntax it wasn't that bad. The murder mystery was well thought out and the kills all appropriately grusome, but where the book really excelled was in its supporting characters and rich descriptions of the time period. This included a horrifically detailed account of some of the battles in the Civil War and the devastating effects this had on the soldiers once they returned home and tried to reintegrate into civilian life.