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yahaanaa's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
teetate's review against another edition
5.0
Some writers weave magic with words. Some are able to breathe into being, between the black and white lines of their novels, manifestations of wonder. And when this magical birth is done by hands debuting in publishing, the feat itself because something that verges on the miraculous.
Benjamin Wood has accomplished such a task with his novel The Bellwether Revivals.
With a voice akin to the vibrant shades in a van Gogh masterpiece, Wood’s characters become wholly realized, their conflicts and behaviors fully exhibited on each page.
The Bellwether Revivals concerns Oscar Lowe, a nursing home care worker who befriends the Bellwethers, a wealthy family in Cambridge. Oscar falls for Iris Bellwether and becomes mates with her brother Eden. Cambridge itself is drawn in such a way that it becomes as essential to the novel as the love affair and necessity that lyrics and music play in the plot. But it is the mystery – beginning with Eden Bellwether “still breathing, but faintly,” and the assorted assembly of other bodies that inform the reader that this will not be a simple story. True, it reads very much like a love letter to Cambridge as well as a romance, but there is danger, there is madness and the question of the limits of faith.
Eden Bellwether could be many things: scrupulous villain, genius, we aren’t sure and that question is left unanswered in the story. But Woods orchestrates the characters and his mysteries with depth, with heart, that makes uncertainty altogether unimportant.
As readers, we are asked to draw our own conclusions, to vilify or immortalize the characters according to our own opinions. It’s a risky, perhaps presumptuous device to use, but it is one that Wood executes beautifully. With The Bellwether Revivals, Woods has reminded readers why they fell in love with such literary class as Brideshead Revisited and the type of story telling that rustles them into the discomfiture and brilliance of worlds not visited, where assumption and belief, faith or logic, are vital questions that they must answer for themselves.
You will conclude your reading of this novel feeling satisfied, feeling shocked, feeling anxious for what next world Wood will ask us to visit.
Highly recommended.
Benjamin Wood has accomplished such a task with his novel The Bellwether Revivals.
With a voice akin to the vibrant shades in a van Gogh masterpiece, Wood’s characters become wholly realized, their conflicts and behaviors fully exhibited on each page.
The Bellwether Revivals concerns Oscar Lowe, a nursing home care worker who befriends the Bellwethers, a wealthy family in Cambridge. Oscar falls for Iris Bellwether and becomes mates with her brother Eden. Cambridge itself is drawn in such a way that it becomes as essential to the novel as the love affair and necessity that lyrics and music play in the plot. But it is the mystery – beginning with Eden Bellwether “still breathing, but faintly,” and the assorted assembly of other bodies that inform the reader that this will not be a simple story. True, it reads very much like a love letter to Cambridge as well as a romance, but there is danger, there is madness and the question of the limits of faith.
Eden Bellwether could be many things: scrupulous villain, genius, we aren’t sure and that question is left unanswered in the story. But Woods orchestrates the characters and his mysteries with depth, with heart, that makes uncertainty altogether unimportant.
As readers, we are asked to draw our own conclusions, to vilify or immortalize the characters according to our own opinions. It’s a risky, perhaps presumptuous device to use, but it is one that Wood executes beautifully. With The Bellwether Revivals, Woods has reminded readers why they fell in love with such literary class as Brideshead Revisited and the type of story telling that rustles them into the discomfiture and brilliance of worlds not visited, where assumption and belief, faith or logic, are vital questions that they must answer for themselves.
You will conclude your reading of this novel feeling satisfied, feeling shocked, feeling anxious for what next world Wood will ask us to visit.
Highly recommended.
morethanmylupus's review against another edition
1.0
The little summary for this book says it's part [b:Brideshead Revisited|30933|Brideshead Revisited|Evelyn Waugh|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344269151s/30933.jpg|2952196] and part [b:The Secret History|29044|The Secret History|Donna Tartt|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327733397s/29044.jpg|221359]. If I hadn't read either book, particularly The Secret History, I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more. As it stands, all I could think about as I read it was what a blatant ripoff of The Secret History it was. It wasn't even a good ripoff - I maybe could have handled it if it was a better version. In reality, it couldn't live up to even the shadow of The Secret History. It didn't feel unique and that ruined the mystery. The ending was terrible. Most of the characters weren't sufficiently developed to be interesting. Mostly I was just bored. Skip this one and read The Secret History instead - that one is actually worth the read.
anneklein's review against another edition
3.0
This was entertaining, but not outstanding. The concept was brilliant and the setting richly built, and I thought a good balance between poetic, descriptive language and accessible prose was achieved successfully. However, as others have pointed out, what weakened the book were the characters. They felt like archetypal ghosts. Sometimes there would be certain moments or scenes where one would glimpse a bit of true personality, but most of the time it was a sketch of what these characters could be. I, as a reader, had to imagine and supply way too much detail for it to feel like these characters were well built from the start.
In addition, the pace didn’t quite pick up until the end, and by then it was too late and all the plot got crammed into very few pages. It’s a book that could have done with the shedding of at least a hundred pages.
If you’re intrigued by the concept, I would give it a try, but if you’re a character-driven reader I suggest you do not pick up The Bellwether Revivals.
In addition, the pace didn’t quite pick up until the end, and by then it was too late and all the plot got crammed into very few pages. It’s a book that could have done with the shedding of at least a hundred pages.
If you’re intrigued by the concept, I would give it a try, but if you’re a character-driven reader I suggest you do not pick up The Bellwether Revivals.
sopeyaso's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I finished the second half of the book in one day after reading the first half in irregular increments in the days prior. It was initially a slow read, but eventually I got hooked. What drew me to this book in the first place was the promise that it would be like The Secret History, and I feel like Benjamin Wood definitely drew inspiration from Donna Tartt. The great thing about that is it sets and reverts expectations. The Bellwether Revivals is still pretty much its own story!
I gave this a 5 on Goodreads but a 4.5 here for a little more accuracy, since I found the twist (if one could even call it that) weak. I also think there was more room to explore the chemistry between Oscar and Iris; Oscar’s feelings for her, the infatuation and disappointment and grief, just don’t feel earned.
Overall, I’m glad to say it’s the book that got me out of a long, depressing reading slump!
Overall, I’m glad to say it’s the book that got me out of a long, depressing reading slump!
shadowbunny101's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Honestly? I had a really hard time getting emotionally invested in this book/in the characters. I don’t know how to explain this without spoiling things so im going to use the spoiler function.
Iris’ death? Not expected but also not surprising? A bit underwhelming actually. I think that stems from the fact that she was a difficult character to fall in love with (believe this was intentional). She felt superficial and manipulative and was all around dull. Oscar saw a pretty face and fell for it. I think one general issue I had was that the characters were meant to be unlikeable and truly were. Not in the sense that they were bad people but that they were all pretty dull. While the writing was good I couldn’t connect to any of them. This can partially be attributed to the fact that very little of the book is dedicated to yin jane and Marcus. They are truly side-main characters if that makes sense.
I know this has been compared to the secret history and I can definitely see why but I didn’t feel the same emotions when reading this. When Henry died in the secret history I actually cried. God knows why I cried over the death of a fictional narcissist but I did. Iris? Not a tear shed. There was no emotional attachment to this book from my end and I don’t know if that’s a reflection of my mood or if that’s an issue with this book. Read it yourself and find out.
My favorite character was crest hands down. I would read any of his novels in a heart beat and I think the author did a really good job developing him (the boat. The BOAT!!!). Otherwise, while this was a solid overall read. I don’t feel anything in particular now that I’ve finished it and that’s somewhat disappointing.
Anyway. Thank you if you got this far into my nonsensical ramblings.
Iris’ death? Not expected but also not surprising? A bit underwhelming actually. I think that stems from the fact that she was a difficult character to fall in love with (believe this was intentional). She felt superficial and manipulative and was all around dull. Oscar saw a pretty face and fell for it. I think one general issue I had was that the characters were meant to be unlikeable and truly were. Not in the sense that they were bad people but that they were all pretty dull. While the writing was good I couldn’t connect to any of them. This can partially be attributed to the fact that very little of the book is dedicated to yin jane and Marcus. They are truly side-main characters if that makes sense.
I know this has been compared to the secret history and I can definitely see why but I didn’t feel the same emotions when reading this. When Henry died in the secret history I actually cried. God knows why I cried over the death of a fictional narcissist but I did. Iris? Not a tear shed. There was no emotional attachment to this book from my end and I don’t know if that’s a reflection of my mood or if that’s an issue with this book. Read it yourself and find out.
My favorite character was crest hands down. I would read any of his novels in a heart beat and I think the author did a really good job developing him (the boat. The BOAT!!!). Otherwise, while this was a solid overall read. I don’t feel anything in particular now that I’ve finished it and that’s somewhat disappointing.
Anyway. Thank you if you got this far into my nonsensical ramblings.
witchmojo's review against another edition
1.0
I should have quit this book; life's too short, but I have never felt comfortable leaving a book unfinished. I ended up skim reading just to get to the end. One of the most boring, predictable and pretentious books I have ever read. I didn't care about any of the characters and would have been quite happy for them all to be dead by the end. Almost every page was crowded with words that said either very little or nothing at all. I can't even say I learned anything about music or mental health. Not can I say I feel accomplished for finishing it, just tired and wearily grateful that it is over.
abetterjulie's review against another edition
3.0
Without the Prelude, I wouldn't have finished this novel, which would have been a shame because the end was the best part. I think this is an homage to the Agatha Christie tone and mood. The characters are vague and the setting is the most prominent of all of the characters. The love is ardent, but infuriatingly rational. The main character is passionately passionless. Everything is urgently bland, but it works. There were some lovely phrases, and it was the most melancholy Spring I've read in awhile, almost Gorey-ish in my imagination. I hated Eden, and that shows that the author chose to make the other characters less evocative. It wasn't the book I would have written, but it was the book I read and kept reading to the satisfying end.
alicihonest's review against another edition
3.0
I chose to read this because I love the 'dark secrets of rich private school kids' genre, and was delighted to find that their dark secrets were hypnotism related, one of my other Favourite Things. But oh, this book was a struggle. It's hard to put my finger on it exactly, but I think my problem with The Belwether Revivals was in the 'show, don't tell' philosophy of storytelling. Benjamin Wood tried to tell one thing, but what he was showing was something else entirely, and thus I realised I was rooting for the character I wasn't supposed to and absolutely sick of the character who was meant to be the protagonist. Oscar is boring, selfish, and arrogant. We're supposed to think the last two adjectives apply to Eden, but I don't think they do in as harmful of a way. I thought this book was going to be a lot smarter than it was. I though there would be a twist that would justify why Oscar was so unlikeble, only concerned with hooking up with Iris and not with the fact that Eden needed help. He didn't need to be poked with a stick, he didn't need to be treated like he was a jerk, he needed help. Oscar was so inexplicably preoccupied with himself and his own frame of experience. He tried to make it seem like Eden was arrogant because he made himself at home in his own home? He tried to make it seem like Eden was arrogant because he talked about what he was passionate about to his friends even though they didn't share the passion? That's how friendships work. You are supposed to like hearing what your friends are passionate about, what is important to them. This book was supposed to be sinister, but it wasn't, because Eden was only ever trying to help people. Though misguided means, sure, but help them. Oscar was just tying to do whatever he had to to keep Iris interested in him. And thus the ending made no sense, and thus although this book had engaging prose and pacing, the story was a disappointment and Eden deserved better.
caitlinxmartin's review against another edition
5.0
I've had the great pleasure of reading some wonderful debut novels this year. I got two of them around the same time and they came out within a month of each other. One was The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont, the other was The Bellwether Revivals by Benjamin Wood. Both are school stories, although the school setting is different. In Dermont's book it's American prep school in the 1980's - in Wood's it is Cambridge and its environs. Both are about a young man's journey through the worlds of privilege and elite and the way their encounters change who they are and, ultimately, help them grow up.
I was immediately attracted to The Bellwether Revivals because it was described as similar to The Secret History by Donna Tartt and Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. Since those are both favorites of mine, reading this was a no-brainer, although my expectations weren't terribly high. Most books compared to these two don't stand a snowball's chance in hell - it's sort of unfair to put those labels on a book.
I loved The Bellwether Revivals. It does, indeed, contain elements that make it similar to either book, but its voice is its own and it's a wonderful voice. Where The Secret History is all religious ecstasy disguised under a great deal of chilliness, The Bellwether Revivals is more about belief in and about others. Eden Bellwether, like Henry Winter before him, is a narcissist. His world is Edencentric - even in the healing games he plays it's really all about his own glory. I know some people found him ambiguous, found the suspense in the novel to be whether or not Eden could heal, but for me it was about what would happen when he was inevitably exposed for who he was. How far off the rails could things go?
Juxtaposing the Bellwethers is Oscar, a working class man who is taken up by and falls in love with Iris, Eden's sister. The tension in the novel between the worlds the characters inhabit, particularly given the strangeness of Oscar's Cambridge friends, holds the story together. Oscar's sheer likeability and strong sense of self carry the tale along through all its improbabilities.
This is the kind of book that makes it difficult to find something to read after it. It's difficult to measure up. Did I mention that I loved this book? Another favorite for this year and a wonderful debut of an author I look forward to reading in the future. Highly recommended.
I was immediately attracted to The Bellwether Revivals because it was described as similar to The Secret History by Donna Tartt and Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. Since those are both favorites of mine, reading this was a no-brainer, although my expectations weren't terribly high. Most books compared to these two don't stand a snowball's chance in hell - it's sort of unfair to put those labels on a book.
I loved The Bellwether Revivals. It does, indeed, contain elements that make it similar to either book, but its voice is its own and it's a wonderful voice. Where The Secret History is all religious ecstasy disguised under a great deal of chilliness, The Bellwether Revivals is more about belief in and about others. Eden Bellwether, like Henry Winter before him, is a narcissist. His world is Edencentric - even in the healing games he plays it's really all about his own glory. I know some people found him ambiguous, found the suspense in the novel to be whether or not Eden could heal, but for me it was about what would happen when he was inevitably exposed for who he was. How far off the rails could things go?
Juxtaposing the Bellwethers is Oscar, a working class man who is taken up by and falls in love with Iris, Eden's sister. The tension in the novel between the worlds the characters inhabit, particularly given the strangeness of Oscar's Cambridge friends, holds the story together. Oscar's sheer likeability and strong sense of self carry the tale along through all its improbabilities.
This is the kind of book that makes it difficult to find something to read after it. It's difficult to measure up. Did I mention that I loved this book? Another favorite for this year and a wonderful debut of an author I look forward to reading in the future. Highly recommended.