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xcharlottekingx's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.0
samhart8's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kittoji's review against another edition
i wanted to like this so bad because i love saltburn and i can see this was heavy-handed inspiration for it, but the writing was not engaging to me at all and i struggled through two thirds before giving up. i simply didn’t care about any of them.
seybolda's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
jashegerova's review against another edition
5.0
Frustrating and captivating, while at the same time being weirdly much sadder than expected. Big sebastian fans in this house.
cecilia_'s review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
lakiesha's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Truly an extraordinary book, a new favourite for me.
The storytelling is wonderfully melancholy and detailed in such a way that one can see everything like a movie playing before one´s eyes. While the beginning scenes, after the main introduction, reminded me (to name a very modern reference) of Saltburn as did the eccentricities of the main family, the Flytes, the book later takes on a much more serious tone and grapples with themes of Religion, interpersonal relationships, war and transcience of all things.
To me, not being British myself, this was very British in the best possible ways, from the scenery to the characters and conversations.
What is interesting about this book, is that, though I liked the main character, Charles, I was more interested in the family in the beginning, which likely comes from the fascination which Charles himself has with them. After a while, as he becomes disillusioned about them, so does the reader and while the fascination fades a bit, sympathy increases (at least for me). Also, Charles at times, especially in the third part of the book seems a little crude and cold at times, which may also be a reason why I became more interested in the other characters´s viewpoints, which remain however mostly hidden.
The only thing I did not really like about the book is that we lost touch with Sebastian as the family loses touch with him. However, I see how it contributed to the story.
The storytelling is wonderfully melancholy and detailed in such a way that one can see everything like a movie playing before one´s eyes. While the beginning scenes, after the main introduction, reminded me (to name a very modern reference) of Saltburn as did the eccentricities of the main family, the Flytes, the book later takes on a much more serious tone and grapples with themes of Religion, interpersonal relationships, war and transcience of all things.
To me, not being British myself, this was very British in the best possible ways, from the scenery to the characters and conversations.
What is interesting about this book, is that, though I liked the main character, Charles, I was more interested in the family in the beginning, which likely comes from the fascination which Charles himself has with them. After a while, as he becomes disillusioned about them, so does the reader and while the fascination fades a bit, sympathy increases (at least for me). Also, Charles at times, especially in the third part of the book seems a little crude and cold at times, which may also be a reason why I became more interested in the other characters´s viewpoints, which remain however mostly hidden.
The only thing I did not really like about the book is that we lost touch with Sebastian as the family loses touch with him. However, I see how it contributed to the story.
ambeie's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-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
4.0
leonardcohenfan69's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
aelumen's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.25