Scan barcode
mxshining's review against another edition
3.0
I was disappointed in this book. I was expecting a lot more and I thought there was a lot of repetition in the book and it was also quite slow. The part of the book I liked best was the epilogue, because that was really interesting. That part should have been elaborated on. (I think, however, that I would have been less disappointed if the end of the story had not been described on the back of the book. That's kind of stupid...)
bookshopmermaid's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
seahorsesister's review against another edition
4.0
Gilbert had written a perfect, old fashioned novel, newly fashioned with her braid of island history and island present--until about page 200. Carefully crafted characters, subtle and loveably strange turned ordinary and it became a race to a predictable finish. I would trade the neat bows she added to the end for the knots and tangle she launched and seemed to steer with carefully crafted lines, thrown abandon in the beginning.
filiparferreira's review against another edition
3.0
Não é a tradicional história romântica que nos tentam vender na capa. Esta é uma história dura e o título em inglês dá-lhe mais crédito (stern men). Já tinha lido boas críticas e fiquei surpreendida com o livro quando chegou à biblioteca, porque realmente a capa e o texto promocional levam-nos ao engano. É um livro estranho, tanto pelo que promete e depois pouco cumpre, mas sobretudo porque parece mesmo ser um livro que escapou um bocadinho ao controlo da escritora (é uma das suas primeiras obras). Há muitas partes da narrativa que podiam ser mais exploradas e outras que merecem imensa atenção, não sendo centrais para a história. De uma forma geral, gostei de ler. É uma história sobre a dureza da vida no mar, contada de forma original, mesmo se não muito bem conseguida.
kmcneil's review against another edition
2.0
I treated myself to a book from the book store and I had such high hopes that this would, finally, be the really good book I was looking for. It's OK, but not great and I find myself disappointed that I can't seem to find a good novel to curl up with at night. I'll finish it, but I'm exasperated.
ohkay28's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
mfumarolo's review against another edition
3.0
More thoughts to come, but for now I'll just say that I did enjoy this story and style of prose, but wasn't a particular fan of the pacing. Most of the novel felt like backstory and though the pace of the plot did pick up in the second half, the conclusion felt comparatively rushed, lacking the careful attention to detail that the first 2/3rds received. I'm glad I got this from the library and found it to be a fine one-time read.