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3.02 AVERAGE
3.02 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flowers of Darkness by Tatiana de Rosnay is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late December.
In semi-modern, brooding, evocative Gothic prose, the lead character, Clarissa, is portrayed as a social strata climber who lives in The Tower, a living complex built and set to its tenant’s exact wishes. Similarly, she wants the very best for herself, remains self-assured, aligning closely to her favorite literary greats, even having a close ally in her robot assistant/therapist, Mrs Dalloway. However, Mrs Dalloway seems to go on the fritz and engage with others, despite strict instructions to speak only to Clarissa, which puts Clarissa on hyperalert, dwelling on memories of people that may or may not exist, and as if everything was falling apart. Oddly enough, this premise reminds me strongly of a Canadian horror film I watched recently, also called The Tower.
In semi-modern, brooding, evocative Gothic prose, the lead character, Clarissa, is portrayed as a social strata climber who lives in The Tower, a living complex built and set to its tenant’s exact wishes. Similarly, she wants the very best for herself, remains self-assured, aligning closely to her favorite literary greats, even having a close ally in her robot assistant/therapist, Mrs Dalloway. However, Mrs Dalloway seems to go on the fritz and engage with others, despite strict instructions to speak only to Clarissa, which puts Clarissa on hyperalert, dwelling on memories of people that may or may not exist, and as if everything was falling apart. Oddly enough, this premise reminds me strongly of a Canadian horror film I watched recently, also called The Tower.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
There was a brief moment near the end where I was really into it. But this wasn’t a storyline I could get into. I can’t blame audio because I enjoyed their voice acting.
This was a weird book but I liked it.
October 2021
Audible Owned
Driving for FFE
October 2021
Audible Owned
Driving for FFE
I was intrigued at the first part of the book. Clarissa has just left her second husband and happy to be approved to live in a building with other artist in Paris. She's residing in a building with a state-of-the art robot in her living space communicating every need she has and watching every move. After awhile, her paranoia sets in and she's frustrated with the lack of privacy.
The second half was okay - just not as interesting - as it was more of the same without enough suspense to keep me from drifting. However, it makes you think about how much we rely on robots which can have an affect on holding back our creative minds.
The second half was okay - just not as interesting - as it was more of the same without enough suspense to keep me from drifting. However, it makes you think about how much we rely on robots which can have an affect on holding back our creative minds.
Very engaging, just too many threads that never felt like they came fully together
Flowers of Darkness is the story of Clarissa, an elderly bilingual (English and French) writer who ives in Paris of the future. After Clarissa finds out that her husband has had an extramarital affair, she moves out and applies to live at C.A.S.A (An apartment complex for artists). At first Clarissa is delighted that she has been accepted to live here. She even has a personal assistant in the form of artificial intelligence who she names Mrs. Dalloway, after a book by one of her favorite author's Virginia Wolff. Clarissa finds out very quickly, however that things are very strange at C.A.S.A, for example, she can't shake the feeling that she is being watched. In addition to her current situation, Clarissa can not seem to forget a past tragedy. Is it time to move on or revisit her past?
I really wanted to like this book, and there were parts of it that really stick with me. I did feel however, that the end was rather disjointed. I really wanted to know if Clarissa was correct about C.A.S.A or if she was just imagining everything that went on. I felt like I was left hanging, and I missed an entire chapter at the end. On a positive note, the writing was beautiful and I felt very connected to Clarissa.
I really wanted to like this book, and there were parts of it that really stick with me. I did feel however, that the end was rather disjointed. I really wanted to know if Clarissa was correct about C.A.S.A or if she was just imagining everything that went on. I felt like I was left hanging, and I missed an entire chapter at the end. On a positive note, the writing was beautiful and I felt very connected to Clarissa.
I don't know what to think of this one. I know it'll be in my head for a long, long time, and I know it kept me turning pages - even if I was scared a bit. (I loved that I could read a chapter and listen to the next chapter...)
Le personnage principale est assez antipathique mais l’idée que potentiellement sa famille (sauf le futur ex mari) aurait pu mener l’enquête avec elle donnait assez envie de continuer à avancer. Mais d’un coup, la fin : une déception.