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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Funny and also dark, this book is about growing up a misfit in a family that doesn’t understand you. Janet is a character I will never forget. She turns to literature, language, animals and her crazy aunt trying to find comfort in a confusing world. A short novel first published in 1991 that was re-issued in 2022 with a glorious introduction written by Maggie OFarrell, who says she was became friends with someone based on the fact they had read this book. The prose is mesmerizing and the story set in the Scottish countryside the time between the world wars is haunting.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars. One of the most atmospheric books I’ve read. Was missing something plot-wise for me but I still recommend it! Loved the writing.
dark
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is like if I Capture The Castle had a weird goth cousin and I loved it.
It's like Shirley Jackson wrote I Capture the Castle. I adre this book.
I owened this book for ages and never picked it up, which is a shame as this Scottish Gothic coming of age autobiographical novel is quite rewarding. It begins with the death of the main protagonist, yet does not proceed in the classical case of a whodunnit. We see our misfit female protagonist grow, fail, learn to find her chosen family (animals and nature) while trying to navigate puberty, her dysfunctional family, her fellow and not so smart and intellectual boarding school students. J. loves literature and she crafts her own narrative, fuelled by the books she has read and the things she has learned. The ending might be frustrating and shocking to some, but it is actually quite smart. 5 stars