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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
I tried pretty hard with this one and kept coming back to look at the reviews, which were overall pretty good, to convince me to persist. I ended up giving up about half way through. I found this book too confusing. I didn't understand the Lilie story line at all and the even the Krysta story line wasn't understandable at times. Reviews keep saying the twist at the end is great, but if you make your book so complex, people aren't going to get to the end for that satisfaction.
DNF
DNF
So I read the first 100 pages of this book...which is the minimum I require of myself before I am allowed to put a book down. I just couldn't get into it.It didn't speak to me or appeal to me in any way.
It is weird, because I don't necessarily think that the book was bad. It was well written, and had an interesting concept. It is the type of book that I generally enjoy. I think it was more that I wasn't in a head space for this particular style of literature at this point. Life stuff and so forth, I wasn't interested in the dark heavy and at times dragging pace of this work. But...I am open to trying it again in future.
It is weird, because I don't necessarily think that the book was bad. It was well written, and had an interesting concept. It is the type of book that I generally enjoy. I think it was more that I wasn't in a head space for this particular style of literature at this point. Life stuff and so forth, I wasn't interested in the dark heavy and at times dragging pace of this work. But...I am open to trying it again in future.
This is an interesting way to tell a story we've all heard before - although not the story you might think. Unfortunately, the narrator, Krysta, is such a brat, I found it nigh impossible to develop any kind of empathy or sympathy for her. The only time I felt any real emotion regarding the character is during the scenes . Otherwise, I found myself caring very little about what happened to her.
Spoiler
immediately following her father's death
(2019 Epic Reads Monthly Challenge #01: Read a book you chose based on first impressions.)
3.5 stars ✨
So I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this book. On one hand, I really enjoyed the mix of the fantasy and real world. On the other, I felt like the pacing was a little slow.
However, it was definitely an interesting read.
So I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this book. On one hand, I really enjoyed the mix of the fantasy and real world. On the other, I felt like the pacing was a little slow.
However, it was definitely an interesting read.
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Stories have a way of distracting us from the realities of life, often the harshest ones. Weaving together two tales in Gretel and the Dark Eliza Granville demonstrates the power that stories wield.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
When a young woman is found in an unfavorable location and in unfortunate circumstances in Vienna in 1899, a respected psychoanalyst, Josef Breuer, takes her into his home. Amid her odd behavior, claims of being a machine with no name or feelings, and the surprising appearance of butterflies in her presence, Josef tries to uncover her identity and what happened to her. Many years later, in Nazi-controlled Germany, a young, stubborn girl named Krysta spends time playing alongside her father, unaware of the horrors of the infirmary where her father works. After his death, Krysta's fate becomes just as horrific as the fairy tales she clings to, making her imagination a safe refuge from the terrors taking place around and to her.
Evocative of the otherworldiness that fairy tales offer, these stories include snippets of storytelling that directly relay portions of fairy tales, as well as narrative descriptions of places, such as towers and fields, and characters, some of whom are described as monsters and witches, to round out the comparison while exploring reality's harsher nature. There are two disparate, yet intricately connected, narratives that are slowly woven together into one larger story, which, while well-crafted and highlighting historical truths, did have a discordant feeling with the rather unconnected timelines and my anticipation for the reveal of how the narrative threads finally come together. In the sheer amount of material, historical and literary, that the stories raise and address, the novel serves as a good discussion piece as there are likely many interpretations that could be gleaned from the text.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
When a young woman is found in an unfavorable location and in unfortunate circumstances in Vienna in 1899, a respected psychoanalyst, Josef Breuer, takes her into his home. Amid her odd behavior, claims of being a machine with no name or feelings, and the surprising appearance of butterflies in her presence, Josef tries to uncover her identity and what happened to her. Many years later, in Nazi-controlled Germany, a young, stubborn girl named Krysta spends time playing alongside her father, unaware of the horrors of the infirmary where her father works. After his death, Krysta's fate becomes just as horrific as the fairy tales she clings to, making her imagination a safe refuge from the terrors taking place around and to her.
Evocative of the otherworldiness that fairy tales offer, these stories include snippets of storytelling that directly relay portions of fairy tales, as well as narrative descriptions of places, such as towers and fields, and characters, some of whom are described as monsters and witches, to round out the comparison while exploring reality's harsher nature. There are two disparate, yet intricately connected, narratives that are slowly woven together into one larger story, which, while well-crafted and highlighting historical truths, did have a discordant feeling with the rather unconnected timelines and my anticipation for the reveal of how the narrative threads finally come together. In the sheer amount of material, historical and literary, that the stories raise and address, the novel serves as a good discussion piece as there are likely many interpretations that could be gleaned from the text.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
I received this free from the publisher via NetGalley
"'I don't want to be beautiful. Now I'm just a machine.' Nobody can hurt a machine"
Brilliant.
Now I am going to have to try and summarise the book. Ok, so it's Vienna, 1899. There is a psychoanalyst by the name Josef Breuer. He has just encountered the strangest case he ever had. A girl, bruised and battered, is found. She claims she is just a machine, with no name and no feelings. She has one sole purpose - to find and kill the monster. Then there is Krysta, born years later in Germany. She is a child who is a real rascal. She really is a handful for anyone who tries to tame her. Krysta's Papa works with the 'animal people' in the infirmary. Krysta has a large imagination and is often lost in the world of stories, such as Hansel and Gretel, the Pied Piper and many more. One day her life is turned upside down and she is thrust into the real world with the 'animal people'. She then realised just how much power her imagination and her stories actually have.
As many others have said when reviewing Gretel and the Dark - it is very hard to review. This is purely due to the fact that I really don't want to give away any of the story. One slip of the tongue (or should I say keyboard) will give away the plot twist at the end that wraps this story up and ties it with a nice little bow. There were many times I was left thinking, Who? Where? When? and more importantly, What? I believed these two stories were completely separate, but the further you are dragged into the story the more you see how much is connected. They are years apart yet there in a familiarity in them. Eliza Granville has elaborately interwoven these two stories very nicely, with subtle hints and clues dropped about here and there, yet you don't understand the significance of these irrelevant conversations and names. I was left guessing what does it all mean? Who are these people? What is there connection? Is there actually a connection? In all honesty I was flabbergasted by the end. It was a very surprising turn of events which had not even crossed my mind. I therefore must congratulate Eliza Granville on such a well written story. I could talk about this for hours, but I have to stop myself of this point, as I am risking giving it all away.
I'll move onto the characters now. Krysta was a favourite. She had an attitude which drove off most people. Her father went through so many women to look after her and she would cause havoc and say some foul words which you wouldn't expect a child to know. She really had a passion for stories and fairytales and it really kept her going in her darkest times, and it kept her strong. I really enjoyed her relationship with Greet and Daniel. Greet was another favourite of mine. She is the one who told Krysta a lot of stories and it is obvious they both cared for each other, even if they gave each other an earful a lot of the time. I enjoyed Krysta's character development throughout the novel. She eventually had to learn to grow up, and I really did enjoy watching it. I disliked Josef Breuer, yet he was an interesting and compelling character. I was a bit uncomfortable with his feelings with 'Lilie', and how he considered getting rid of Benjamin when he realised that she held feelings for Benjamin instead of himself. But nevertheless he was a compelling character. I would give A* to Eliza Granville for her characters, and their stories.
This review may seem like the book is all happy and light. However, it is not a nice book. It is grim and disturbing. That is not saying that it is not a great book. It is. It is a brilliant piece of historical fiction. I have a feeling that those who liked The Book Thief may enjoy this as there is a similar feel to it, yet there is more of a fairy-tale feel to it. If you enjoy historical fiction, then I definitely wouldn't miss out on Gretel and the Dark.
"'I don't want to be beautiful. Now I'm just a machine.' Nobody can hurt a machine"
Brilliant.
Now I am going to have to try and summarise the book. Ok, so it's Vienna, 1899. There is a psychoanalyst by the name Josef Breuer. He has just encountered the strangest case he ever had. A girl, bruised and battered, is found. She claims she is just a machine, with no name and no feelings. She has one sole purpose - to find and kill the monster. Then there is Krysta, born years later in Germany. She is a child who is a real rascal. She really is a handful for anyone who tries to tame her. Krysta's Papa works with the 'animal people' in the infirmary. Krysta has a large imagination and is often lost in the world of stories, such as Hansel and Gretel, the Pied Piper and many more. One day her life is turned upside down and she is thrust into the real world with the 'animal people'. She then realised just how much power her imagination and her stories actually have.
As many others have said when reviewing Gretel and the Dark - it is very hard to review. This is purely due to the fact that I really don't want to give away any of the story. One slip of the tongue (or should I say keyboard) will give away the plot twist at the end that wraps this story up and ties it with a nice little bow. There were many times I was left thinking, Who? Where? When? and more importantly, What? I believed these two stories were completely separate, but the further you are dragged into the story the more you see how much is connected. They are years apart yet there in a familiarity in them. Eliza Granville has elaborately interwoven these two stories very nicely, with subtle hints and clues dropped about here and there, yet you don't understand the significance of these irrelevant conversations and names. I was left guessing what does it all mean? Who are these people? What is there connection? Is there actually a connection? In all honesty I was flabbergasted by the end. It was a very surprising turn of events which had not even crossed my mind. I therefore must congratulate Eliza Granville on such a well written story. I could talk about this for hours, but I have to stop myself of this point, as I am risking giving it all away.
I'll move onto the characters now. Krysta was a favourite. She had an attitude which drove off most people. Her father went through so many women to look after her and she would cause havoc and say some foul words which you wouldn't expect a child to know. She really had a passion for stories and fairytales and it really kept her going in her darkest times, and it kept her strong. I really enjoyed her relationship with Greet and Daniel. Greet was another favourite of mine. She is the one who told Krysta a lot of stories and it is obvious they both cared for each other, even if they gave each other an earful a lot of the time. I enjoyed Krysta's character development throughout the novel. She eventually had to learn to grow up, and I really did enjoy watching it. I disliked Josef Breuer, yet he was an interesting and compelling character. I was a bit uncomfortable with his feelings with 'Lilie', and how he considered getting rid of Benjamin when he realised that she held feelings for Benjamin instead of himself. But nevertheless he was a compelling character. I would give A* to Eliza Granville for her characters, and their stories.
This review may seem like the book is all happy and light. However, it is not a nice book. It is grim and disturbing. That is not saying that it is not a great book. It is. It is a brilliant piece of historical fiction. I have a feeling that those who liked The Book Thief may enjoy this as there is a similar feel to it, yet there is more of a fairy-tale feel to it. If you enjoy historical fiction, then I definitely wouldn't miss out on Gretel and the Dark.
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a bit of a slog to get through. I have read very few books where basically every single character is unlikable and fails to grow or learn or mature.