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rebecca1's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Found this a slog in parts, and better in others. No string sense of character from the protagonist. Some impenetrable language - I googled a lot atfirst and then gave up a bit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Torture, Physical abuse, and Violence
writtenontheflyleaves's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Manningtree Witches by A.K. Blakemore πΉ
ππππβ¨
π§ββοΈ The plot: Manningtree, Kent, 1644. War and famine breed poverty and superstition across England. When the Witchfinder, Matthew Hopkins, comes to town, telling tales of women who can be in two places at once and bargain with the Devil for misfortune to befall their neighbours, Rebecca West finds herself suspected. What must she do to survive?
When I think of witch trials, I think of Salem, Massachusetts and pilgrims in tall hats. But like many terrible things from history, they were a British export. This novel brings to life the witch hunting hysteria that took place in England 50 years before the trials in Salem, vividly conjuring the material and religious conditions that led to this brutality.
It's rare to read a book about historical injustices against women and not feel the contemporary gaze intruding on the narrative. But here, you quickly become entrenched in the fearful logic of this community - in fact, you feel its pull all the stronger for your awareness that it's wrong. Living through war and famine, it makes a tragic kind of sense that, if there is a providential God who rewards the righteous, then poverty and misfortune look like evidence of sin. The fortunate clutch their fortunes all the tighter; the most vulnerable, usually women, are mistrusted, blamed, killed. It's what makes Hopkins such a successful villain, because you see how he gains power while remaining as flawed and fragile as everyone else.
Belief and self-deception are big themes and for the most part I thought they were brilliantly executed, but there were a couple of moments where it seemed like you were meant to question if witchcraft had been real the whole time which was a bit jarring to me. The use of decorous language also went OTT at times - mostly it helped to make it feel vividly like the past, but sometimes it was like being beaten over the head with a thesaurus.
πββ¬ Read it if you like vivid prose, social commentary, twisted villains and protagonists with great character development.
π« Avoid if you hate over-descriptive language or if you want a really plot-driven read.
ππππβ¨
π§ββοΈ The plot: Manningtree, Kent, 1644. War and famine breed poverty and superstition across England. When the Witchfinder, Matthew Hopkins, comes to town, telling tales of women who can be in two places at once and bargain with the Devil for misfortune to befall their neighbours, Rebecca West finds herself suspected. What must she do to survive?
When I think of witch trials, I think of Salem, Massachusetts and pilgrims in tall hats. But like many terrible things from history, they were a British export. This novel brings to life the witch hunting hysteria that took place in England 50 years before the trials in Salem, vividly conjuring the material and religious conditions that led to this brutality.
It's rare to read a book about historical injustices against women and not feel the contemporary gaze intruding on the narrative. But here, you quickly become entrenched in the fearful logic of this community - in fact, you feel its pull all the stronger for your awareness that it's wrong. Living through war and famine, it makes a tragic kind of sense that, if there is a providential God who rewards the righteous, then poverty and misfortune look like evidence of sin. The fortunate clutch their fortunes all the tighter; the most vulnerable, usually women, are mistrusted, blamed, killed. It's what makes Hopkins such a successful villain, because you see how he gains power while remaining as flawed and fragile as everyone else.
Belief and self-deception are big themes and for the most part I thought they were brilliantly executed, but there were a couple of moments where it seemed like you were meant to question if witchcraft had been real the whole time which was a bit jarring to me. The use of decorous language also went OTT at times - mostly it helped to make it feel vividly like the past, but sometimes it was like being beaten over the head with a thesaurus.
πββ¬ Read it if you like vivid prose, social commentary, twisted villains and protagonists with great character development.
π« Avoid if you hate over-descriptive language or if you want a really plot-driven read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Excrement, Blood, Religious bigotry, Torture, Animal death, Classism, Death, Confinement, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Violence
rynicolereads's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The Manningtree Witches is dark, atmospheric, and beautifully written. Blakemoreβs prose transports you to the 1640s English witch trials as if youβre really there. Although it was slow to start, the quality of the writing hooked me and by the end I loved it, though I did initially wish for there to be a bit more magic. However, upon learning that this was based on truth, I had even greater appreciation of the story. I love a fictional retelling of historical events!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Child death
evangelinereading's review
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Physical abuse
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Blood
closelywatchedfilms's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Minor: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Rape, Slavery, and Trafficking
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