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whimsicalish's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
While this does feel similar to Rebecca, I appreciate the differences in setting, story, and characters.
The writing is easy to read, although the author reuses phrases multiple times. I should have counted how many times I read the line "she bit her lip until she tasted blood." Do you know how hard you'd have to bite to split your lip open? This is repeated a handful of times.
You can spot exactly what was going to happen to the letters.
Why on Earth would you try to "hide" your notes that describe in great detail how you don't trust your husband in the house you share? Was any reader shocked to learn he found them? It's painstakingly obvious.
You completely lose the tension when you read chapters from Jon's perspective.
I don't know why authors do this to their stories. When you build a tense situation where the reader isn't sure someone will survive and then have that character's POV with a time stamp, well now the reader KNOWS they survive. You completely lose out on the worry and stress.
The writing was average and took away the tension. I didn't care much for any of the characters. The only thing that really stuck out was the setting.
The writing is easy to read, although the author reuses phrases multiple times. I should have counted how many times I read the line "she bit her lip until she tasted blood." Do you know how hard you'd have to bite to split your lip open? This is repeated a handful of times.
You can spot exactly what was going to happen to the letters.
You completely lose the tension when you read chapters from Jon's perspective.
The writing was average and took away the tension. I didn't care much for any of the characters. The only thing that really stuck out was the setting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Death and Sexual assault
Minor: Incest, Miscarriage, and Alcoholism
ladyb00k's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Vomit, Blood, Homophobia, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Incest, Infertility, and Miscarriage
secre's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The Glass Woman is a slow, atmospheric novel set in Iceland in 1686. Rosa is a smart young woman, she can read and write, she knows her own mind, and she is in love. But when Jon Eiriksson arrives in the village, looking for a wife, Rosa has a choice. She can follow her heart, and know her ill mother will likely die of starvation and disease. Or she can take the rich fisherman, farmer and merchant up on his offer of marriage, saving her mother in the process. Only Jon's first wife died under mysterious circumstances and none of the village seem all too willing to accept a newcomer into their fold.
This is undeniably well written, but it is very, very slow. It takes a long time to build up and when it finally does it didn't really seem worth the wait. I did very much enjoy the atmospheric nature of the book; it really dives into the bleak and unforgiving landscape of Iceland in the seventeenth century, however it took me an absolute age to get through it as it just didn't seem to be going anywhere fast. The mystery of what happened to Jon's first wife is overly drawn out in drabs and the conclusion was disappointing for the wait.
I did enjoy the characters here as well though. Lea captures the status of he women of the time well, as Rosa plays the part of the meek and submissive house wife. The relationship between Rosa and Jon is built up well, fraught with tension and anxiety as there is so much about her husband that she just doesn't know. I liked the eclectic cast of characters surrounding Rosa and felt they were very well drawn.
So if you're into slow, atmospheric and haunting books, this one might be right up your street. For me it was a little too slow, didn't seem to really go anywhere and kept circling around what was ultimately an uninspiring mystery. However, the author captures the time and place exceptionally well.
This is undeniably well written, but it is very, very slow. It takes a long time to build up and when it finally does it didn't really seem worth the wait. I did very much enjoy the atmospheric nature of the book; it really dives into the bleak and unforgiving landscape of Iceland in the seventeenth century, however it took me an absolute age to get through it as it just didn't seem to be going anywhere fast. The mystery of what happened to Jon's first wife is overly drawn out in drabs and the conclusion was disappointing for the wait.
I did enjoy the characters here as well though. Lea captures the status of he women of the time well, as Rosa plays the part of the meek and submissive house wife. The relationship between Rosa and Jon is built up well, fraught with tension and anxiety as there is so much about her husband that she just doesn't know. I liked the eclectic cast of characters surrounding Rosa and felt they were very well drawn.
So if you're into slow, atmospheric and haunting books, this one might be right up your street. For me it was a little too slow, didn't seem to really go anywhere and kept circling around what was ultimately an uninspiring mystery. However, the author captures the time and place exceptionally well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
magicant's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I have to say, this book was a ride to put it simply. The hook at the beginning of the book really brings you in, but gives you no way of seeing what you were getting yourself into. This is a harrowing tale, a story of fighting for yourself in a world completely against you in every way. It has happy moments, but most of the time, you can never tell if there is more bad around the corner.
Rosa is a woman of knowledge, she knows how to read and write which is, of course, rather uncommon in the 1600s that this book takes place in. Iceland in this period is going through a change from their native religious teachings to that of Christianity, which is a big backdrop in this story and has quite a lot of the effect on the story. She is the daughter of a Bishop and after refusing marriage initially, she was to stay with the church and she had chosen to do so. However, when her father passed away, her and her mother were left with no way to really provide for themselves.
So when Jon comes to the village looking for a wife, despite her better judgement regarding the wicked rumours that she has heard, she accepts his request of taking her on as his wife in exchange for Rosa's sick mother to be fed and cared for. Little did she know that Jon has much to hide, not just in regards to his first wife's death, but also in regards to himself as a mysterious and distant man.
This book is a true thriller book, you can feel the unease that Rosa goes through trying to come to terms with the man that she married, and also her feelings about the people that she had to leave behind in her home village. I had absolutely no idea that the book was going to go where it did, and I am so happy to have stuck until the end even with the content warnings being as big as they were.
The glass woman was an ornament given to her by Jon, and it travels through the story being a grounding mechanism for Rosa. It also starts to reflect the hardships and changes that Rosa went through, making a very beautiful plot piece in this grand puzzle. I am glad that I read this book, as sad as it was at times, it was a ride I would love to go on again.
Rosa is a woman of knowledge, she knows how to read and write which is, of course, rather uncommon in the 1600s that this book takes place in. Iceland in this period is going through a change from their native religious teachings to that of Christianity, which is a big backdrop in this story and has quite a lot of the effect on the story. She is the daughter of a Bishop and after refusing marriage initially, she was to stay with the church and she had chosen to do so. However, when her father passed away, her and her mother were left with no way to really provide for themselves.
So when Jon comes to the village looking for a wife, despite her better judgement regarding the wicked rumours that she has heard, she accepts his request of taking her on as his wife in exchange for Rosa's sick mother to be fed and cared for. Little did she know that Jon has much to hide, not just in regards to his first wife's death, but also in regards to himself as a mysterious and distant man.
This book is a true thriller book, you can feel the unease that Rosa goes through trying to come to terms with the man that she married, and also her feelings about the people that she had to leave behind in her home village. I had absolutely no idea that the book was going to go where it did, and I am so happy to have stuck until the end even with the content warnings being as big as they were.
The glass woman was an ornament given to her by Jon, and it travels through the story being a grounding mechanism for Rosa. It also starts to reflect the hardships and changes that Rosa went through, making a very beautiful plot piece in this grand puzzle. I am glad that I read this book, as sad as it was at times, it was a ride I would love to go on again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Incest, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicide
spiderwitch's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Pregnancy, Death, Incest, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Misogyny, and Confinement
Moderate: Xenophobia, Miscarriage, and Vomit
Minor: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Cancer
holly_ey's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage
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