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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
From what I could tell from the first 70 or so pages of this book, it was 90% clunky exposition. It also contained the worst fictional depiction of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire I have ever read. I know I'm kind of a stickler on historical accuracy, but since the fire scene was maybe 5 pages you'd think the author could have done a bit more fact checking. Life is too short for books this mediocre.
I was excited to read this, drawn to the magical realism that Alice Hoffman is so wonderful at creating but also the mystery set within this. The fusing of fiction with history only adds to the sense of enchantment you get from reading about the ‘living wonders’. Her descriptions brilliantly invoke the New York of that day and the sense of change that was happening at that time. The scene at the factory fire in 1911 is particularly well drawn if horrifying in its portrayal. Girls as young as twelve are seen throwing themselves out of windows rather than burning to death in rooms that have been locked by greedy factory owners adding fuel to the workers right’s movement. As well, we hear about the great fire at Dreamland that happened in the same year, the animals screaming in their exhibits as the fire rages around them is enough to send your own heart racing.
It is only in the love story between Coralie and Eddie that I felt the novel was let down slightly. Occasionally it fell into cliché and was underdeveloped which seemed odd as this for me felt as though it was the overriding story and what everything else led to. However, despite this I was totally engrossed in both the characters stories and was willing them to find each other and rescue one another from their unfulfilled and often horrifying lives.
It is only in the love story between Coralie and Eddie that I felt the novel was let down slightly. Occasionally it fell into cliché and was underdeveloped which seemed odd as this for me felt as though it was the overriding story and what everything else led to. However, despite this I was totally engrossed in both the characters stories and was willing them to find each other and rescue one another from their unfulfilled and often horrifying lives.
If you haven't read The Dovekeepers, read that instead.
From start to finish, I treasured every word and every moment. Even the terrible ones. This is a story of immense beauty among hardship and mistreatment, a celebration of the “freaks” of society who are more human than the normal people. The factory tragedies retold here in fiction are haunting and quite accurate from all I’ve read. Hoffman’s attention to detail in capturing the terror of those fires made it palpable for me in a way it never has been before. I saw that there were some negative reviews, but I entirely disagree. I think nearly all the characters were shown to have layers and complexity, and I appreciated the way she wrote these young characters who struggled between the expectations their families had for them and the lives they imagined for themselves. Also, if you’re someone who loves animals, so much of the book is captivating in how it deals with the bonds between animals and their keepers. Not all of this book is pleasant to read, and yet, I think each choice in its telling was just right. I did almost nothing else today so I could finish before I went to sleep. No notes.
A good storyteller weaves a tale of darkness and dejection amidst the bright lights and spectacular weirdness of Coney Island at the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries. I was intrigued by the setting —the wildness and undeveloped areas of New York City prior to World War 1. A book that is surely captivating
Somewhat slow going, but the end really picked up and I particularly liked what Hoffman did with class/workers/years that changed the world. And Mitts survived :)
I had meant to just read for a bit then go on with my day but then I couldn't put this book down until I finished it. Absolutely mesmerizing. I loved the sense of time and place she created with all the historical details and the way she weaves the story together.
I liked the book but just was not drawn into the story to make it a "can't put it down" type of book.
I've been a fan of Alice Hoffman's novels since I read Turtle Moon many years ago. I love books about strong and magical women and Hoffman never disappoints. I enjoyed the interweaving of the history of New York through this story about love and the range of human experience. And of course a mermaid!
to me this book is one of a kind. excellent writing, i was totally immersed in coralies story. i found it in a hidden nook in a bookshop, it immediatley spoke to me and i didnt put it down. absolutely beautiful