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drsldn's review against another edition
2.0
didn't really enjoy this very much, although I was expecting to. I'm not terribly good at absorbing character names (unless the author does a "George R. Martin" and somehow encapsulates the essence of the character in a few well-chosen sentences, so that might have been what made it difficult at first. But I think it was also that my sense of humour just doesn't respond to the almost snarky, self-satisfied clever tone used. Not a bad book, just not one that I responded to in a positive way.
andgineer's review
3.0
Книга понравилась существенно меньше, чем Пелагия и черный монах. Много очень уж тривиальных и многословных рассуждений.
liketheday's review
3.0
I read Akunin's Death of Achilles last summer and just loved it, so when I saw this book sitting on the mysteries shelf I had to grab it. The plot is fairly interesting: a bishop's great-aunt raises specially-bred white bulldogs for whom she essentially lives her life. Two of the three dogs are poisoned, sending this woman into a fit, and the bishop is contacted to find out who the dog-poisoning scoundrel is. Meanwhile, the bishop finds himself under attack by an inspector from St. Petersburg, who is trying to unseat the bishop by drawing criticism to his lack of conversions. A few murders by decapitation occur that are blamed on the pagans of the area who should obviously have been converted to Catholicism by the bishop, and he sets off to find out what the heck is going on. The first mystery is solved rather quickly, but the second goes through a few twists and turns before finally culminating in a pretty darn cool ending. I liked the beginning and the end of this book, but the middle left something to be desired, so if you read this book, muddle your way through the boring parts and just enjoy the awesome melodrama.
_rusalka's review against another edition
3.0
I seem to entice traps when I pick up a book. I think I am reading a book that is a murder mystery, or a historical fiction, or some dabbling in magic realism.
And then all of a sudden, I am transported back to a lecture theatre where some guy is lecturing us on some obscure theory.
With powerpoints, but he doesn't know how to use PowerPoint. So he has copied his entire lecture text on to one slide in PowerPoint. But as the text box is too large, he can't use the slideshow function (actually, I doubt he fucking knows what that is anyway), and so scrolls down the screen of his text box of black 12 point text on the grey background screen of the program for a 60 mins of my life I will never get back.
Right, so now we have established I am still traumatised from an anthropology course I took (and quickly dropped after 3 weeks of this not getting better) 15 years ago, we can appreciate I dislike when I think of and re-live this when I read.
It's a murder mystery with nuns in 18th C Russia. Stop lecturing me on moral philosophy!! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE FUN?!?!
When the book was just murder and mystery, it was fun. When it felt like the School of Philosophy had commandeered my lounge room for their weekly meetings (which is a joke, my School of Philosophy doesn't believe in meetings. Ever.) not so much.
And then all of a sudden, I am transported back to a lecture theatre where some guy is lecturing us on some obscure theory.
With powerpoints, but he doesn't know how to use PowerPoint. So he has copied his entire lecture text on to one slide in PowerPoint. But as the text box is too large, he can't use the slideshow function (actually, I doubt he fucking knows what that is anyway), and so scrolls down the screen of his text box of black 12 point text on the grey background screen of the program for a 60 mins of my life I will never get back.
Right, so now we have established I am still traumatised from an anthropology course I took (and quickly dropped after 3 weeks of this not getting better) 15 years ago, we can appreciate I dislike when I think of and re-live this when I read.
It's a murder mystery with nuns in 18th C Russia. Stop lecturing me on moral philosophy!! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE FUN?!?!
When the book was just murder and mystery, it was fun. When it felt like the School of Philosophy had commandeered my lounge room for their weekly meetings (which is a joke, my School of Philosophy doesn't believe in meetings. Ever.) not so much.
lswilliams3007's review
4.0
A new character for Akunin. Sister Pelaggia is very different from Fandorin, but this story is well written, and the mystery holds your interest.
eososray's review
3.0
This book just screamed Russian. From the writing to the story to the characters. It fairly immerses you in the culture and attitudes of the time and the country.
I was expecting a light, funny and easy read. It was not quite so light and easy as I had thought it would be.
Well done characters and an intriguing setting made this a good book but the over convoluted ending was a bit of a disappointing ending.
I was expecting a light, funny and easy read. It was not quite so light and easy as I had thought it would be.
Well done characters and an intriguing setting made this a good book but the over convoluted ending was a bit of a disappointing ending.
sarapalooza's review
4.0
Pelagia and the White Bulldog / Пелагия и белый бульдог
Boris Akunin / Борис Акунин
I enjoyed this read so much! Akunin’s storytelling is that perfect combination of entertainment and art. His writing is clever, but never so clever that it loses its playfulness. The plot is rich and the characters memorable. How can you not root for a detective nun? Pelagia uses her intelligence and insight to solve crimes and is lovable and humble all the while. Definitely interested in reading the next installment in her adventures.
Boris Akunin / Борис Акунин
I enjoyed this read so much! Akunin’s storytelling is that perfect combination of entertainment and art. His writing is clever, but never so clever that it loses its playfulness. The plot is rich and the characters memorable. How can you not root for a detective nun? Pelagia uses her intelligence and insight to solve crimes and is lovable and humble all the while. Definitely interested in reading the next installment in her adventures.
jessalynn_librarian's review
4.0
A mystery for people who like classic Russian lit, or who just like the novelty of having an Orthodox nun and bishop solve crimes. Sister Pelagia is a great character - people don't give her a second glance in her habit, but she's got sharp wits and a good sense of self-preservation, wielding off would-be attackers with her knitting needles. But she's no Miss Marple in a habit - she's also young and impulsive. The plot starts slowly, with plenty of time spent setting the scene of the country province, the local government and society, issues of corruption and church politics. I got distracted by trying to keep all the characters straight - the Russian naming system makes it twice as hard, to me. The plot thickens about halfway through, and the end features more action and a dramatic courtroom accusation. Things are just wrapping up when a monk makes a dramatic entrance - not to further thicken the plot of this story, but to provide a hook for the next volume in the series. Which I just might have to read.
lberestecki's review
4.0
Clever and well written, but keeping track of the characters can be a little confusing at first (even for someone who reads a lot of Russian lit!). Ends on a cliffhanger - now I'll have to read the second book!
arthurbdd's review
3.0
Either this is a clunky translation or the original prose isn't up to much; either way, I wasn't feeling this one. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2008/02/14/reading-canary-the-curious-incident-of-the-nun-in-nineteenth-century-russia/