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3.16 AVERAGE
3.16 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The narrator has an amazing perception of the natural world and describes the abundant life and physical drama of the arctic with a crystal clear beauty. A lot of the power of the book comes a juxtaposition of 21st century sensibilities with 19th century brutality towards wild animals. I found it more jarring, horrifying and thought provoking than most books featuring crimes against humans. The whole thing is wrapped up in a satisfying deft sea voyage tale that reminded me of To the Ends of the Earth. The publishers should have packaged this in (sustainably sourced) oilskin with a rime of salt and ice burn.
This book was interesting, intriguing, and well written, but I didn't really like it. The disturbing violence towards animals peppered throughout, while feeling realistic and adding to the mood of the story, really put me off and just made me angry. (I think I actually yelled out loud a few times in frustration!) Little glimmers of humanity punctured through to keep me reading, and the odd history of the main character kept me wondering what was really going on, but overall this was a kind of depressing book about a voyage into the arctic.
There were elements of the book that I enjoyed but they had no connection to the book title or the story.
excellent prose at times but too slow moving, plot-wise
This book intrigued me a while ago and it's taken some time for me to get round to reading it. Although the characters are interesting and mysterious, and it is well written, I've just finished reading a passage where a group of seals are massacred, in great detail and I will not be reading any more.
slow-paced
In 1845, Eliot Saxby is a naturalist who has been booked passage upon a ship sailing to the Arctic in order to settle a bet. The bet is whether or not the Great Auk is still alive. Eliot is excited by the prospect that he may be able to see and study these wonderful birds that everyone thought to be extinct. There are two other passengers on the ship, Edward and his cousin Clara. Eliot notices that Edward is quite a character, who is a little off at times and has an interesting relationship with his Clara. When Eliot finally catches a glimpse of Clara, he thinks of her as a woman who haunts his past. The rough crew and the troubled captain of the Arctic ship, Amethyst add an element of danger that the passengers can not escape.
Written with a haunting passion, The Collector of Lost Things is a poignant novel for today. Set at the time when humans began to destroy the Arctic, our destruction continues today. Many of the hunting and killing scenes were written so vividly, that I had to put the book down for a minute. Eliot's character reacted to these scenes appropriately, and I think my emotions would be similar. An air of mystery was added with Eliot's reaction to Clara and it was interesting to learn of his past. I was glad to join Eliot on his journey to find the Great Auk, and I appreciated this story being told.
This book was received for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Written with a haunting passion, The Collector of Lost Things is a poignant novel for today. Set at the time when humans began to destroy the Arctic, our destruction continues today. Many of the hunting and killing scenes were written so vividly, that I had to put the book down for a minute. Eliot's character reacted to these scenes appropriately, and I think my emotions would be similar. An air of mystery was added with Eliot's reaction to Clara and it was interesting to learn of his past. I was glad to join Eliot on his journey to find the Great Auk, and I appreciated this story being told.
This book was received for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated