Take a photo of a barcode or cover
2.67 AVERAGE
2.67 AVERAGE
Dopo un'accurata riflessione, posso sentenziare una triste verità: questo è forse il libro più brutto che abbia mai letto.
La trama è quanto meno demenziale (un trapianto di cuore apre le porte ad esperienze pseudo-ultrasensoriali mettendo a contatto il donatore, morto, con Lucy, la donna con il cuore di Will. Ci si aggiunga un po' di esoterismo, che non guasta mai, e una spruzzata di thriller alla Codice da Vinci, il tutto condito da un romanticismo non-sense). Poi, per aggiungere fuoco alla brace, è anche scritto male.
Ma che volete, capita anche di leggere questo, quando si mette una bella etichetta ad un libro spacciandolo per quello che non è (in questo caso, credevo che stessi comprando un giallo)
La trama è quanto meno demenziale (un trapianto di cuore apre le porte ad esperienze pseudo-ultrasensoriali mettendo a contatto il donatore, morto, con Lucy, la donna con il cuore di Will. Ci si aggiunga un po' di esoterismo, che non guasta mai, e una spruzzata di thriller alla Codice da Vinci, il tutto condito da un romanticismo non-sense). Poi, per aggiungere fuoco alla brace, è anche scritto male.
Ma che volete, capita anche di leggere questo, quando si mette una bella etichetta ad un libro spacciandolo per quello che non è (in questo caso, credevo che stessi comprando un giallo)
Take a liberal conspiracy around the Left Behind nuts with ridiculous plot point and confusing characters and an attempt to explain the One World Religion idea would make this book.
I really wanted to like this book. As a rule, I'm fond of anything that has to do with conspiracy theories, history, grails, Shakespeare, and labyrinths. I tried really hard to like it. I gave it every benefit of the doubt, but... I just couldn't like it. The characters were very shallow. None of them had any personality, other than being "very good people." Even their flaws were written off as aspects of their goodness, like saying "I pay too much attention to detail" when asked to talk about your weaknesses at a job interview. The love story plotline was a little bit creepy, what with the heart thing, and cellular memory. The bad guys were not very scary. Who kidnaps someone then just gives her back? My biggest gripe, however, is that half the story was composed of characters sitting around *talking* about stuff, much of which didn't make sense (unless you read and studied and pondered the supplemental materials provided with the book - and who did that? I'm considering putting the puzzle together, but I'm sure not reading the gobbledygook on the back). When the book finished, I wasn't altogether sure what had happened, what mystery had been solved, and what conspiracy uncovered. It gets two stars instead of one, though, because there WAS conspiracy theories, history, grails, Shakespeare and labyrinths. So at least there's that...
There's a point in The Great Muppet Caper where Lady Holiday goes on and on about her brother Nicky and his rapacious background. Miss Piggy questions here, "Why are you telling me all this?" To which Lady Holiday responds with something like, "It's plot exposition, it must go somewhere." And you're probably wondering why I'm starting a review of The Rose Labyrinth this way...
Hardie is like Lady Holiday. She explains and gives historical background and then explains some more. And I kept thinking that it must go somewhere. Unfortunately, it doesn't. The Muppets succeed where Hardie doesn't by actually using that exposition to set up a story. Hardie's Labyrinth trudges along between mystery, Da Vinci-codish examination of the Elizabethan era, and romance, but ultimately, nothing comes together in any exciting way.
The concept of the book with its cards and puzzle are much more interesting than the plotline itself. In the end though, this Elizabethan mystery about trying to bring on the Rapture falls very flat.
Hardie is like Lady Holiday. She explains and gives historical background and then explains some more. And I kept thinking that it must go somewhere. Unfortunately, it doesn't. The Muppets succeed where Hardie doesn't by actually using that exposition to set up a story. Hardie's Labyrinth trudges along between mystery, Da Vinci-codish examination of the Elizabethan era, and romance, but ultimately, nothing comes together in any exciting way.
The concept of the book with its cards and puzzle are much more interesting than the plotline itself. In the end though, this Elizabethan mystery about trying to bring on the Rapture falls very flat.
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Story line would be more enjoyable if it wouldn’t be so overwritten , too much dry historical facts described in great detail. All main characters suddenly acquire an in depth knowledge of very specific history details, time line keeps slipping so you can’t really figure how long time it takes from the start of the story till the end, and another annoying thing - author keeps interwining sentences in french, Latin and even italian without adding translation even as a footnote, so I had to keep going to google translate. Overall book cover more enticing than the actual story.
I really wanted to like this book. I admit that I was drawn in by the pretty cover. But I got about halfway through and just decided to give up. It was fairly interesting but the pace was incredibly slow and there was nothing about it that just grabbed me or that made me think, "I must find out what happens here!" So, I stopped reading it. I hate when I have to do that, but it had become a waste of my time. So sad.
Moving on...
Moving on...
Bought this on a whim at Murder by the Book, and it seemed pretty interesting in a da Vinci Code kind of way. After reading some of the reviews I am a little leery of it though.
I didn't help that before the book even starts the author invites you to go to the end of the novel to try and solve all the clues yourself, and then tells you that even that characters don't figure it out. I like closure, and she just basically told me there won't be any...
*** Update 11.24.09 About 100 pages in and its not looking to good. The author has killed out the most interesting character. Now she is focusing on the 2 main characters who I am finding to be pretty boring and weak. Not to mention the plot is progressing so slowly. 100 pages out of almost 400 and still only 1 clue has been given out. Not to sure if I will be able to finish this, but I am going to try.
***Update 12.3.09 Finished the book solely out of determination and not for any love of the book, interest in the characters, or suspense of the plot. I finished it just so that I could honestly say that I wished I hadn't.
All in all, one word to describe this book is dissapointing.
The author was correct is the beginning with she mentions that the characters don't in fact figure out all there is to the clues, so of course you don't either. The climax wasn't really a climax at all as 1 minute suspense is building, then the next a new chapter has begun and all of the action was skipped over, only to be revisited in a narration style by the other characters instead of getting to experience it with Lucy.
Why oh why did I pay the list price for this book?! Off to the used book store with this one!
I didn't help that before the book even starts the author invites you to go to the end of the novel to try and solve all the clues yourself, and then tells you that even that characters don't figure it out. I like closure, and she just basically told me there won't be any...
*** Update 11.24.09 About 100 pages in and its not looking to good. The author has killed out the most interesting character. Now she is focusing on the 2 main characters who I am finding to be pretty boring and weak. Not to mention the plot is progressing so slowly. 100 pages out of almost 400 and still only 1 clue has been given out. Not to sure if I will be able to finish this, but I am going to try.
***Update 12.3.09 Finished the book solely out of determination and not for any love of the book, interest in the characters, or suspense of the plot. I finished it just so that I could honestly say that I wished I hadn't.
All in all, one word to describe this book is dissapointing.
The author was correct is the beginning with she mentions that the characters don't in fact figure out all there is to the clues, so of course you don't either. The climax wasn't really a climax at all as 1 minute suspense is building, then the next a new chapter has begun and all of the action was skipped over, only to be revisited in a narration style by the other characters instead of getting to experience it with Lucy.
Why oh why did I pay the list price for this book?! Off to the used book store with this one!
This is firmly hogging the heels of the Da Vinci Code using some information about Dee and labyrinths and ancient mysteries and heart transplants.
Yeah, heart transplants and cellular memory feature, which is a different spin on the story.
I found it readable but nothing spectacular.
Yeah, heart transplants and cellular memory feature, which is a different spin on the story.
I found it readable but nothing spectacular.
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:
No
I didn't like the writing style. It was very flowery and didn't really go anywhere.