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sasha_in_a_box's review against another edition
3.0
The voices of the poets were very believable, and I was touched by the account of post-traumatic stress disorder in Civil War soldiers. It was a pretty good murder mystery, but the pace was too sluggish for me. I understand that Pearl was trying to recreate the style of the 19th century poets and writers, but it wast really my cup of tea. So I say this is a solid novel, but not spectacular.
tmleblanc's review against another edition
3.0
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
I know that I saw The Dante Club several years ago in paperback form at Barnes and Noble. The idea of several great authors gathering together to solve a crime intrigued me, but I didn’t pick up the book for whatever reason. So I was delighted to come across the audiobook at Half Price Books and took advantage of a longish road trip to listen to it.
Upon finishing The Dante Club, I can’t help but wonder if it wouldn’t have been better to read the physical copy of this novel instead of listening to it. By the end of the story, I was confused and lost, not quite sure what was going on and who was responsible for committing the murders in Boston. Most of the characters in the story were male and the audiobook narrator was also male who made little distinction between all the male voices. His voice nearly lulled me to sleep on a couple of occasions so I had to take breaks and listen to some upbeat music instead.
It’s also possible that I don’t know enough about Dante’s Inferno to appreciate the depth of this novel and the symbolism and how it connects to the post-Civil War sentiments of the time period in which the story is set. Although I do feel that Pearl did a good job of explaining the key passages and how they were represented in each murder.
In the end, I believe the narrator and his lack of vocal distinction for the numerous male characters in this novel failed me as a reader and lead to a lackluster sentiment towards the story and this intriguing mystery told in relation to Inferno.
I know that I saw The Dante Club several years ago in paperback form at Barnes and Noble. The idea of several great authors gathering together to solve a crime intrigued me, but I didn’t pick up the book for whatever reason. So I was delighted to come across the audiobook at Half Price Books and took advantage of a longish road trip to listen to it.
Upon finishing The Dante Club, I can’t help but wonder if it wouldn’t have been better to read the physical copy of this novel instead of listening to it. By the end of the story, I was confused and lost, not quite sure what was going on and who was responsible for committing the murders in Boston. Most of the characters in the story were male and the audiobook narrator was also male who made little distinction between all the male voices. His voice nearly lulled me to sleep on a couple of occasions so I had to take breaks and listen to some upbeat music instead.
It’s also possible that I don’t know enough about Dante’s Inferno to appreciate the depth of this novel and the symbolism and how it connects to the post-Civil War sentiments of the time period in which the story is set. Although I do feel that Pearl did a good job of explaining the key passages and how they were represented in each murder.
In the end, I believe the narrator and his lack of vocal distinction for the numerous male characters in this novel failed me as a reader and lead to a lackluster sentiment towards the story and this intriguing mystery told in relation to Inferno.
janellephant's review against another edition
3.0
Not a great novel (it feels fanfiction-esque), but a lot of fun if you're familiar with Dante's Inferno and the Fireside Poets.
qkjgrubb's review against another edition
3.0
I LOVE the premise! I liked the language and verbosity. Not crazy about the lack of clues that would point to the killer. Not crazy about superfluous information about our group of crime-fighting poets. Not crazy about the occasional confusing narration -- like the author was writing so fast he omitted sentences. This might prompt me to read more historical fiction mysteries-- I want more Lowell!
emilyneedssleeo's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
katekarelina's review against another edition
4.0
I've always been too squeamish to read Dante...this book is a mystery based on scenes from the Inferno. Not the best writing (Dan Brown-ish...) , but a good way to learn a little about Dante.
westminstergirlreads's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the way the author puts historical figures-Oliver Wendell Holmes,Longfellow-into a literary mystery.
danchibnall's review against another edition
3.0
This book started off a bit slow, but it came roaring back. I really enjoyed the characters and felt Pearl did a good job of making them seem slightly pompous and ego-centric at times. I don't read mysteries very often and it's usually because I find them too formulaic, but this one was very good because there was literature, philosophy, history, and friendship involved.
A fun read for those of you looking for a different kind of mystery.
A fun read for those of you looking for a different kind of mystery.
kipahni's review against another edition
3.0
I have a fondness reading books about books. it's like an inside joke that when one book quotes or makes reference of another book, you are part of the inner cool crowed as opposed to those poor uneducated phebians.
That's why I think I enjoyed this book so much not because the story itself though good, was well written- too many characters refered to only by their last names. No I enjoyed it because it talked about another book. One that I have yet to read but have really enjoyed reading other books about it.
That's why I think I enjoyed this book so much not because the story itself though good, was well written- too many characters refered to only by their last names. No I enjoyed it because it talked about another book. One that I have yet to read but have really enjoyed reading other books about it.