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emmonsannae's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Another brilliant E.K. novel! Starting with things I didn't love: There is a much older uncle/much younger niece adulterous relationship (they are related by the niece's marriage, not by blood, in the 1870's—still a significant yuck for me), and there was a lot of descriptions of breasts (the narrator is male and that’s part of his character, I guess, but I just found it unnecessary). Now, things I loved: The story is excellent! It's long and I couldn't put it down. I kept trying to guess at the ending, but I never did successfully. EK's descriptions of art are exquisite. The story tells itself so well; the characters are superb. I loved that the novel read like a meditation on "artistic" obsession and the casualties it leaves in its wake. It calls into question the popular idea that one has to be tortured to make good art (and whether good art is worth damaging others—does its beauty/impact over time justify the harm it caused?). E.K. does not provide answers, but she vividly portrays and explores each question. I do think the things I didn’t love about this book do play an important role in contributing to these questions, and I feel like that’s the best thing you can say about the parts of a book you don’t like. It's a great novel for sure!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Incest, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Minor: Rape
lizzieinmt's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book started out beautiful and slowly gripped my heart until it broke. Stunning sense of place and deeply sad depictions of unhealthy relationships but all through this book is a thread of hope and appreciation of art and artists.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, and Death
Minor: Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
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