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3.02 AVERAGE
3.02 AVERAGE
Thank you Netgalley, St.Martin’s Press and Tatiana de Rosnay for free e-ARC in return of my honest review.
Lately I struggle with rating system for books. First of all, reading is very personal and what one loves and enjoys might be boring and uninspiring for another. Second, rating is very subjective. A new book by Tatiana de Rosnay
~Flowers of Darkness~ is a clear example of rating gone wrong (my personal opinion).
Yes, the story has flows. Plot line is misleading and confusing. Time frame is hard to understand- it our time or future? Everything is barely explain and when it got explained, it opens up even more questions.
However, it has its charm. If the story telling has some weaknesses, the writing style is flawless. The author’s ability to create a place (in this instance new apartment of the protagonist) as modern as it could be but hollow and empty. Especially, when protagonist strive to create cozy and livable space, she struggle to do so in a new place. I actually think that that apartment was another character in the story which helps the protagonist to evolve.
I did enjoy Flowers of Darkness and urge you not to rely on any ratings and always judge by yourself
Lately I struggle with rating system for books. First of all, reading is very personal and what one loves and enjoys might be boring and uninspiring for another. Second, rating is very subjective. A new book by Tatiana de Rosnay
~Flowers of Darkness~ is a clear example of rating gone wrong (my personal opinion).
Yes, the story has flows. Plot line is misleading and confusing. Time frame is hard to understand- it our time or future? Everything is barely explain and when it got explained, it opens up even more questions.
However, it has its charm. If the story telling has some weaknesses, the writing style is flawless. The author’s ability to create a place (in this instance new apartment of the protagonist) as modern as it could be but hollow and empty. Especially, when protagonist strive to create cozy and livable space, she struggle to do so in a new place. I actually think that that apartment was another character in the story which helps the protagonist to evolve.
I did enjoy Flowers of Darkness and urge you not to rely on any ratings and always judge by yourself
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
A very interesting and subtly ominous literary piece. Also incredibly prescient and timely. I would have liked a little more of something, but not everything. Maybe a little more lean-in to the language, or a little more focus on the nature and merit of art, or a little more focus on the building overseers. There were a lotta great pieces of the narrative that built a cool overall work, but I think I would've liked one topic to sorta spearhead the work.
Really pensive and subtle story, one to keep thinking about.
Really pensive and subtle story, one to keep thinking about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Death, Mental illness
more minor warnings: gaslighting and stalking in the context of voyeurism and conspiracy (also vague paranoia); discussion of climate disasters & mass death events; graphic depiction of suffering through a heat wave (heat sickness?); discussions of hypnosis; I briefly feared a subplot would turn transphobic, but it does not; if you're picking up on the vibes I did, don't be concerned.
Heel erg vaag boek. Toen ik de achterkant las leek het mij een heel leuk boek. Maar ik vond het moeilijk om erin te komen, met hoofdstukken die te gedetailleerd waren of geen toegevoegde waarde hadden. Vanaf bladzijde 100 werd het een beetje interessant, maar de echte interessante dingen kwamen pas tegen het einde van het boek. Persoonlijk zou ik dit boek niet nog een keer lezen.
Parijs, ergens in de toekomst. Na aanslagen door heel Europa wordt jaren daarna de wijk rondom de plek waar de Eiffeltoren stond langzaam weer opgebouwd. Er is onder andere een hypermodern appartementencomplex voor kunstenaars verrezen. Clarissa, een tweetalig auteur met een obsessie voor huizen en een grote liefde voor de auteurs Virginia Woolf en Romain Gary, heeft na een schokkende ontdekking haar echtgenoot verlaten en ze heeft via de organisatie CASA een appartement gekregen in dit gewilde complex. Al snel krijgt ze het gevoel dat ze bespied wordt in huis, ze voelt zich niet meer veilig en dromen lijken over te lopen in de werkelijkheid. Haar dochter is bang dat Clarissa lijdt aan waanideeën, maar samen met haar kleindochter gaat ze op onderzoek uit.
In ‘Bloemen van de duisternis’ schetst de auteur een dystopisch toekomstbeeld en het begin van het boek roept veel vragen op, maar gedurende het verhaal worden langzaam enkele antwoorden gegeven. De kunstmatige intelligentie en virtuele assistenten lijken gemak en veiligheid te brengen, maar is het allemaal wel zo zaligmakend? Clarissa is levensecht neergezet, je gaat met haar meeleven en door soepele schakelingen tussen heden en herinneringen word je meegenomen in haar leven. Wat ze precies te weten is gekomen over haar man lees je in hoofdstukken die ‘Aantekeningenboekje’ genoemd worden.
Grote thema’s worden behandeld in dit boek: aanslagen, klimaatverandering en kunstmatige intelligentie, maar ook de verslavende effecten van sociale media, eenzaamheid, depressie, huwelijksproblemen, familiebanden, verlies en liefde. Het zijn veel thema’s, maar nergens voelt het overdadig, alles is mooi verweven in de verhaallijn. De personages zijn goed uitgewerkt, de spanning wordt gedurende het boek steeds verder opgebouwd en het laat je nadenken over een toekomst die niet eens zo ver weg lijkt. Af en toe lijken de ontwikkelingen en onthullingen wat vergezocht en ik had op sommige vragen nog wel graag een antwoord willen krijgen, maar ik ben vooral verrast door dit boek. Het is een beklemmende, aangrijpende, mooi geschreven (psychologische) roman, een aanrader!
In ‘Bloemen van de duisternis’ schetst de auteur een dystopisch toekomstbeeld en het begin van het boek roept veel vragen op, maar gedurende het verhaal worden langzaam enkele antwoorden gegeven. De kunstmatige intelligentie en virtuele assistenten lijken gemak en veiligheid te brengen, maar is het allemaal wel zo zaligmakend? Clarissa is levensecht neergezet, je gaat met haar meeleven en door soepele schakelingen tussen heden en herinneringen word je meegenomen in haar leven. Wat ze precies te weten is gekomen over haar man lees je in hoofdstukken die ‘Aantekeningenboekje’ genoemd worden.
Grote thema’s worden behandeld in dit boek: aanslagen, klimaatverandering en kunstmatige intelligentie, maar ook de verslavende effecten van sociale media, eenzaamheid, depressie, huwelijksproblemen, familiebanden, verlies en liefde. Het zijn veel thema’s, maar nergens voelt het overdadig, alles is mooi verweven in de verhaallijn. De personages zijn goed uitgewerkt, de spanning wordt gedurende het boek steeds verder opgebouwd en het laat je nadenken over een toekomst die niet eens zo ver weg lijkt. Af en toe lijken de ontwikkelingen en onthullingen wat vergezocht en ik had op sommige vragen nog wel graag een antwoord willen krijgen, maar ik ben vooral verrast door dit boek. Het is een beklemmende, aangrijpende, mooi geschreven (psychologische) roman, een aanrader!
I assumed that this book would be one that I really went deep into and got lost in but I couldn't really get into it at all. I think it was more literary than I expected and that just isn't my speed. The writing was beautiful but just not for me.
This book had lots of potential but it did not deliver in the end.
I think the subject matter was fascinating and the writing was good. The story had suspense and mystery but the ending was rushed and did not answer any of the questions I had. What happened to Clarissa? Did she manage to "get out"? What about her neighbour Jim? It ended so abruptly and left me totally unsatisfied.
Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this book.
I think the subject matter was fascinating and the writing was good. The story had suspense and mystery but the ending was rushed and did not answer any of the questions I had. What happened to Clarissa? Did she manage to "get out"? What about her neighbour Jim? It ended so abruptly and left me totally unsatisfied.
Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this book.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I’ve loved de Rosnay’s other works and I’ve been slowly making my way through her bibliography! This one was so different compared to her usual historical fiction novels as it’s a literary novel with sci fi elements. The premise was to look at the effects of AI and surveillance, set in a futuristic Paris!
This was an interesting plot/idea and I quite enjoyed it for the most part. I loved the character relationships and having an older protagonist! I also enjoyed the past POV through the MCs notebook, which slowly revealed a major conflict/secret. It kept me guessing and it was a nice unexpected twist!
It’s a very detailed, character driven story which is always 50/50 for me. At times I loved it and other times I found it difficult to focus on. For instance, I was pulled in really quickly but then it slumped a bit in the middle before picking back up again for the last 1/3.
It was feeling like a 4 star read until the last 20 pages when the ending felt rushed and there were too many loose ends-I have questions still-so I dropped half a star for those reasons. Flowers of Darkness is in the middle of my rankings so far for de Rosnay’s works; I have 2 of her books ranked below at 3 ⭐️s, Sarah’s Key and The House I Loved are still my top 2 at 5 ⭐️s, and I have 2 more left to read 😁
TW/CW: stillbirth, terrorism attack, cancer, infidelity, suicide, climate disaster, depression
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Suicide
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity
Synopsis: Clarissa is a 60-something year old author living in Paris who has recently left her second husband and is desperate to find an apartment. Several years previously Paris, London and Venice had been the victim of attacks and landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Sistine Chapel and Big Ben no longer exist. Climate change has caused extreme heat waves and the extinction of insects, birds and bees. Clarissa eventually finds a “smart apartment” in a high-rise whose residents are all artists. She moves in immediately but soon starts to regret her impetuous decision when she finds cameras in almost every room, is required to take special vitamins and submit to a medical check each day and a virtual assistant who is annoying and intrusive. She confides her fears to her 14-year-old granddaughter who tries to help Clarissa find some answers.
My thoughts/What I Liked:
• A story where the protagonist is neither a young adult, a 40-55 year old or an octogenarian. It is rare to find a book where the protagonist is a woman in her 60’s.
• The realistic narrative of what climate change has wrought.
• I found the descriptions of the smart apartment very intriguing.
My thoughts/What I Didn’t Like:
• Clarissa signs a legal agreement to rent prior to reading it. A few days later once she is concerned about her privacy and is fearful, she decides to read the contract and the regulations at that point. Really?????
• The recklessness of Clarissa putting her grandchild in danger. If she was that terrified of living in the apartment, she could have moved out immediately into temporary lodging until she could find another apartment.
• So many loose threads were not explained by the end of the book.
I gave this book 3/5 stars. I liked the premise but I think there are just too many problems with the storyline to give it a higher rating.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is now available at North American booksellers.
My thoughts/What I Liked:
• A story where the protagonist is neither a young adult, a 40-55 year old or an octogenarian. It is rare to find a book where the protagonist is a woman in her 60’s.
• The realistic narrative of what climate change has wrought.
• I found the descriptions of the smart apartment very intriguing.
My thoughts/What I Didn’t Like:
• Clarissa signs a legal agreement to rent prior to reading it. A few days later once she is concerned about her privacy and is fearful, she decides to read the contract and the regulations at that point. Really?????
• The recklessness of Clarissa putting her grandchild in danger. If she was that terrified of living in the apartment, she could have moved out immediately into temporary lodging until she could find another apartment.
• So many loose threads were not explained by the end of the book.
I gave this book 3/5 stars. I liked the premise but I think there are just too many problems with the storyline to give it a higher rating.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is now available at North American booksellers.
I started listening to the audiobook and while I have loved de Rosnay's characters in the past, main character Clarissa rubbed me the wrong way from the start. After a few chapters, I decided I didn't want to keep listening and DNF'd.