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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
I’m a bit of a sucker for a fairy-tale as some of you will know so when I saw this book in the Oxfam bookshop in Tottenham Court Road (fantastic bookshop by the way) I couldn’t resist buying it. What I wasn’t expecting was a story that profoundly moved me bringing me close to tears on more than one occasion. There are two story-lines for the reader to follow in this novel, the first is set in 1899 where psycho-analyst Josef Breuer comes across the strangest case of his life. A young woman is found in the streets by one of his house-keepers naked and half-starved with a shaved head and tattoos on one of her arms, appearing dreadfully confused. Josef takes her into his house, calling her Lilie and after some time and on further examination she claims that she is in fact a machine with only one purpose, to rid the world of a certain “evil.” Josef is fascinated and intrigued by her and despite the protests of his maid Gudrun who views Lilie with suspicion (and perhaps jealousy?) he continues to keep her in his house to study her more closely. The longer she stays the more mesmerised he becomes by her strange beauty. However, danger is afoot as a relationship develops between her and one of his staff while tension, trouble and anti-semitism mounts in the city.
The second thread in the story is set years later and involves a young girl called Krysta who is incredibly spoiled and selfish and leads the poor house-keeper in charge of her care a merry dance attempting to keep her under control. Her father works locally as a doctor in a place Krysta knows as “a zoo for the animal people,” and with her mother being dead, Krysta is left in the care of a maid called Greet who fills her head with grim and quite frightening fairy-tales that seem to be the only way of ensuring her good behaviour. One day, Krysta happens to meet a young boy about her own age who is a member of her fathers “zoo,” and he is desperately hungry. Krysta cruelly mocks him as he searches the earth for worms to eat but when a disastrous event occurs in Krysta’s life she soon understands what it’s like to be on the other side of the fence.
I’m so glad I picked this book up, Eliza Granville has a way of writing that is dark and emotive which makes it incredibly compelling to read. With a beautiful prologue that draws the reader in from the very first page the writing is top-class and cannot be faulted. I also loved the emotions that I felt towards the different and very well drawn characters. Krysta is easily one of the nastiest young girls I have ever met in literature and I was surprised by how much hatred her actions aroused in me. Karma is not so good to her unfortunately and by the end of the novel she redeems herself slightly with the struggles she goes through later. The fairy-tales that Greet told to her young charge were wonderful and really brought a new level to the story, they were almost my favourite part to be honest and I almost felt like Krysta, rubbing her hands in glee as a new story was about to be told. And the ending! I can’t talk about it for fear of spoilers but believe me the two strands are brought together in such an insightful and thrilling way. Overall, it was very hard for me to put this book down, it was a fantastic introduction for me to this author’s work and an emotional and exciting journey. Basically, I’m really excited to see what she does next!
For my full review please see my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
The second thread in the story is set years later and involves a young girl called Krysta who is incredibly spoiled and selfish and leads the poor house-keeper in charge of her care a merry dance attempting to keep her under control. Her father works locally as a doctor in a place Krysta knows as “a zoo for the animal people,” and with her mother being dead, Krysta is left in the care of a maid called Greet who fills her head with grim and quite frightening fairy-tales that seem to be the only way of ensuring her good behaviour. One day, Krysta happens to meet a young boy about her own age who is a member of her fathers “zoo,” and he is desperately hungry. Krysta cruelly mocks him as he searches the earth for worms to eat but when a disastrous event occurs in Krysta’s life she soon understands what it’s like to be on the other side of the fence.
I’m so glad I picked this book up, Eliza Granville has a way of writing that is dark and emotive which makes it incredibly compelling to read. With a beautiful prologue that draws the reader in from the very first page the writing is top-class and cannot be faulted. I also loved the emotions that I felt towards the different and very well drawn characters. Krysta is easily one of the nastiest young girls I have ever met in literature and I was surprised by how much hatred her actions aroused in me. Karma is not so good to her unfortunately and by the end of the novel she redeems herself slightly with the struggles she goes through later. The fairy-tales that Greet told to her young charge were wonderful and really brought a new level to the story, they were almost my favourite part to be honest and I almost felt like Krysta, rubbing her hands in glee as a new story was about to be told. And the ending! I can’t talk about it for fear of spoilers but believe me the two strands are brought together in such an insightful and thrilling way. Overall, it was very hard for me to put this book down, it was a fantastic introduction for me to this author’s work and an emotional and exciting journey. Basically, I’m really excited to see what she does next!
For my full review please see my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
I was forcing myself to read up until around the 310-page, which is obviously not the recipe for a well-written and a possible favourite book. The thing that ruined the whole experience for me was the fact that the synopsis on the inside of the hardcover basically gives up the twist. What's worse is that you keep waiting for that revelation, but it doesn't happen until after you're over 300 pages in, way before which most people DNF the book. I would've been among those people had I not wanted to see what the author was trying to do with the ending.
Another bummer is that even if the synopsis hadn't spoiled the story, you could see the twist yourself from the little hints throughout the book. So, the point is that even if the twist was kinda decent, it just too far into the story and not worth that much wait. The reason I read it was because I thought it was gonna have some solid connection to the classic Hansel and Gretel story, other than just mentions of it. German language was also spoken by characters and left untranslated which really made the story uninteresting at times. I found Krysta's character quite interesting but all of a sudden she just becomes a completely different person towards the end, that was the polar opposite of how she used to be at the start of the book. Could not care one bit about any other character in the entire book, did want some of them dead though.
Overall, this book definitely leaves some stuff to the reader's imagination which is good, but I would've loved a well-crafted story with brilliant character building, so that I had something to care about and stay connected to the story instead of pushing myself to get through it.
*2.75
Another bummer is that even if the synopsis hadn't spoiled the story, you could see the twist yourself from the little hints throughout the book. So, the point is that even if the twist was kinda decent, it just too far into the story and not worth that much wait. The reason I read it was because I thought it was gonna have some solid connection to the classic Hansel and Gretel story, other than just mentions of it. German language was also spoken by characters and left untranslated which really made the story uninteresting at times. I found Krysta's character quite interesting but all of a sudden she just becomes a completely different person towards the end, that was the polar opposite of how she used to be at the start of the book. Could not care one bit about any other character in the entire book, did want some of them dead though.
Overall, this book definitely leaves some stuff to the reader's imagination which is good, but I would've loved a well-crafted story with brilliant character building, so that I had something to care about and stay connected to the story instead of pushing myself to get through it.
*2.75
wow, wow. this is a rich, fantastic, dark story that weaves together many kinds of fairy tales with the horrors of real life during wwii. there's a twist that is at once surprising and makes so much sense, because hints are definitely placed --don't try to guess at it while you're reading though, just enjoy the story! the only reason this isn't getting 5 stars is because i feel like the very end much too mundane and trite compared to how amazing the rest of the book was. , it just felt like, i don't know, a very plain store-bought dessert after a lavish five-course homemade meal of dishes you could only dream of.
ANYWAY, that's only like the last 3% of the book, so really, this was amazing and you should read it.
warnings: besides concentration camp abuses (which aren't too graphic on-page, but there is violence and people dying obviously), there are implications of child molestation (Krysta is visibly groomed by an "Uncle," but the worse parts are only implied afterwards/by her disassociation using particular stories)
Spoiler
(the rabbits!! that's when i started to know)Spoiler
for sure, Krysta deserves a happy ending after all she's been through, but to end with oh, of course she married Daniel, of course this is years later after they've grown old together and here's a scene with their grandchildrenANYWAY, that's only like the last 3% of the book, so really, this was amazing and you should read it.
warnings: besides concentration camp abuses (which aren't too graphic on-page, but there is violence and people dying obviously), there are implications of child molestation (Krysta is visibly groomed by an "Uncle," but the worse parts are only implied afterwards/by her disassociation using particular stories)
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I'd rate this 4.5 stars if I could, but I'll round down for consistency's sake. I loved this book. It was dark, disturbing, and gorgeous. It's not a retelling of Hansel and Gretel, or any specific fairytale, but fairytales make up the heart and soul of the story. There are no Disney fairy tales here - the stories this book draws on are the old, stern, often terrifying stories that teach us what waits outside and underneath.
I thought there'd be more of a twist at the end, but this isn't a book that relies on twists or surprises. Instead, it's more of a small moment of epiphany that caps an already beautiful novel. But it's an unsettling beauty - I literally had nightmares during the two nights it took me to read this. As Greet's stories infected Krysta's perception of the world, this book has infected me, if only for a short time.
I thought there'd be more of a twist at the end, but this isn't a book that relies on twists or surprises. Instead, it's more of a small moment of epiphany that caps an already beautiful novel. But it's an unsettling beauty - I literally had nightmares during the two nights it took me to read this. As Greet's stories infected Krysta's perception of the world, this book has infected me, if only for a short time.
I thought this book was pretty much okay, a 3 star book until I got to the ending. The ending bumped it up. This is one of those books that are worth reading until the last page. So, so good. There is some gruesomeness in the book (But it takes place in WWII so I think that's to be expected), and some of it is hard to read, but overall it is one that will keep you thinking and you'll blink at the end and wonder what you had just read. I definitely recommend this book. 4.5 out of 5 stars. Brilliant.
Okay, I admit, I was fooled by the two stories, but was slightly disappointed to learn that Krysta was telling the story of Josef and Lilie and Benjamin. I knew they were linked, and was invested in Lilie as a potential murder of the "monster" in Austria (who I realized pretty quickly was Hitler, tbh). I wanted more more more of that storyline, but to learn Krysta was telling that story, pulling those strings to keep Daniel alive.... I don't know. I feel a little cheated.
However, I'm not quite sure there was another way to resolve that storyline.
Daniel's trick on that horrible Nazi doctor ("I'm a child-killer") was my favorite twist. Clever, clever Daniel.
However, I'm not quite sure there was another way to resolve that storyline.
Daniel's trick on that horrible Nazi doctor ("I'm a child-killer") was my favorite twist. Clever, clever Daniel.
I could really not finish this book. Maybe I'll try again but for now I'm just not liking it.
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.
More reviews available at my blog, Beauty and the Bookworm.
This book had a lot of things that I absolutely love: fairy tales, historical fiction, a psychological element. At times, it was absolutely enchanting. But despite the book's very good reviews, I didn't really like it overall. There were a few reasons for this. First, until the very end of the book, you're left wondering what the heck is going on. The two alternating storylines are obviously connected, but I was left wondering if one of the stories was a dream, a delusion, or if Granville was actually going with the idea of someone time-traveling in order to try to kill Hitler. Second, I'm not sure how, but Granville actually managed to make a main character who is a Holocaust survivor utterly unlikeable.
Okay, that was kind of a lie. I know exactly how Granville managed to make her Holocaust-survivor main character unlikeable. Mainly, she made Krysta a complete brat, so much that I wanted to slap her and lock her in a cupboard just as much as most of the characters that surrounded her did. We weren't supposed to like Johanna, but man, I sympathized with Johanna and her desire to put Krysta in her place way more than I sympathized with Krysta herself. Her constant streams of "Won't," "Want," "Don't want to," and so on were absolutely unbearable at more than one point. Granville tried to turn her obstinacy into a positive trait later in the narrative, successfully, but even that wasn't enough to wash away the dislike of Krysta that had built up over the first three-quarters of the book.
The other characters I liked. Lilie's character was weird but cool, Josef's character was creepy but realistic and added an interesting psychological element to the story, Benjamin was easily the most empathy-worthy character of the lot, and Gudrun and Greet both had the "gruff housekeeper who means well" dynamic to them. I found that I enjoyed the Vienna storyline much more than the Ravensbruck storyline, which is kind of problematic given the structure of the two and how they fit together. Whenever Krysta appeared on the page, I wanted her off it as soon as possible, and considering she was our main point-of-view character...that's an issue. I know Krysta was young--exactly how young I don't remember, if it was ever mentioned, though it is mentioned that she's older than one would think--and had somewhat-recently lost her mother, but let me tell you: in all my years of dealing with precocious children and entitled students, I have never met a child as insufferable as Krysta is.
The inclusion of all the different fairy tales and how they fit together and morphed from telling to telling was interesting, but trying to figure out how they fit into the different timelines and storylines was disorientating and didn't allow me to get a good feel for the story as a whole. It was just a weird feeling, and in the end I wasn't sure where I was left standing with this one. Normally I would read a fairy tale-inspired book more than once, but this one? Not so much.
2.5 stars out of 5.
This book had a lot of things that I absolutely love: fairy tales, historical fiction, a psychological element. At times, it was absolutely enchanting. But despite the book's very good reviews, I didn't really like it overall. There were a few reasons for this. First, until the very end of the book, you're left wondering what the heck is going on. The two alternating storylines are obviously connected, but I was left wondering if one of the stories was a dream, a delusion, or if Granville was actually going with the idea of someone time-traveling in order to try to kill Hitler. Second, I'm not sure how, but Granville actually managed to make a main character who is a Holocaust survivor utterly unlikeable.
Okay, that was kind of a lie. I know exactly how Granville managed to make her Holocaust-survivor main character unlikeable. Mainly, she made Krysta a complete brat, so much that I wanted to slap her and lock her in a cupboard just as much as most of the characters that surrounded her did. We weren't supposed to like Johanna, but man, I sympathized with Johanna and her desire to put Krysta in her place way more than I sympathized with Krysta herself. Her constant streams of "Won't," "Want," "Don't want to," and so on were absolutely unbearable at more than one point. Granville tried to turn her obstinacy into a positive trait later in the narrative, successfully, but even that wasn't enough to wash away the dislike of Krysta that had built up over the first three-quarters of the book.
The other characters I liked. Lilie's character was weird but cool, Josef's character was creepy but realistic and added an interesting psychological element to the story, Benjamin was easily the most empathy-worthy character of the lot, and Gudrun and Greet both had the "gruff housekeeper who means well" dynamic to them. I found that I enjoyed the Vienna storyline much more than the Ravensbruck storyline, which is kind of problematic given the structure of the two and how they fit together. Whenever Krysta appeared on the page, I wanted her off it as soon as possible, and considering she was our main point-of-view character...that's an issue. I know Krysta was young--exactly how young I don't remember, if it was ever mentioned, though it is mentioned that she's older than one would think--and had somewhat-recently lost her mother, but let me tell you: in all my years of dealing with precocious children and entitled students, I have never met a child as insufferable as Krysta is.
The inclusion of all the different fairy tales and how they fit together and morphed from telling to telling was interesting, but trying to figure out how they fit into the different timelines and storylines was disorientating and didn't allow me to get a good feel for the story as a whole. It was just a weird feeling, and in the end I wasn't sure where I was left standing with this one. Normally I would read a fairy tale-inspired book more than once, but this one? Not so much.
2.5 stars out of 5.