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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
It felt a little too Witches of Eastwick for me. A little too predictable, so I struggled to suspend disbelief as I was anticipating too much. In the 1991 setting, very few other characters were fleshed out, which was disappointing. They just interacted with Connie and disappeared again.
And yet, I'm still giving it 3 stars, as it was a fun read.
And yet, I'm still giving it 3 stars, as it was a fun read.
Man oh man...
Much like several of the books I've finished lately, this novel was one that I enjoyed while reading it. (Note: I don't read to critique -- I read for pleasure. Once I've finished a book, then I go back and try to figure out what it was that I liked or didn't like.)
Anyway. So I enjoyed this book while I was reading it. It's interesting, it held my attention... but really, if you're looking for a strong book with interesting characters, this is not the book for you.
Howe's strong point is her descriptions. I love her descriptions and use of the English language.
However, even with that going for her, I still have to rate The Physick Book of Deliverance Dance quite low compared to my normal ratings (or maybe I'm just rating more harshly as I get older)... the protagonist, Connie, is a PhD student, studying colonial history. And yet, somehow, the author had to spell out for us that it took Connie a few moments to realize that "receipt" is an old way of spelling "recipe"? And that "bottel" is the phonetic spelling of "bottle"? Um... don't you think that someone getting a PhD in colonial history should realize this sort of thing as fast as someone getting a PhD in math can add 2+2?
Hell, I knew both of those things, and I've only taken one history course in my entire academic career, and that was in undergrad.
Also, the events in this book could've easily taken place over the course of several weeks -- possibly a month -- yet the dates of the chapters drag them out for months (from late April to fall solstice). And is Arlo a time-traveling dog? What? Why was this never explained? Why was it just let hanging for us to wonder about?
The ending (i.e., last few pages) was less than strong and didn't really satisfy... The climax was really not as exciting as I had hoped (and honestly, seemed like something more befitting of Harry Potter than a historical novel intended for an adult audience). Howe was inconsistent with the phonetic spelling of the Boston/New England accent (which honestly, I think she could've left off entirely as it was distracting for me). There was not a whole lot of connection made to the mother-daughter pairs throughout the centuries, and how can Connie completely forget that her full name was Constance?!
Okay, that's enough railing about this book for now.
I am not going to say "go out and buy it!!!" or anything like that, but despite giving it 2 stars, if you're not super finicky and want a book that reads quickly and is fairly entertaining, I'd give it a shot. But it is most definitely not on par with Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian or Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale (both of which I read and adored, the former a bit more than the latter) -- and it is compared to both of those in the cover flap.
Much like several of the books I've finished lately, this novel was one that I enjoyed while reading it. (Note: I don't read to critique -- I read for pleasure. Once I've finished a book, then I go back and try to figure out what it was that I liked or didn't like.)
Anyway. So I enjoyed this book while I was reading it. It's interesting, it held my attention... but really, if you're looking for a strong book with interesting characters, this is not the book for you.
Howe's strong point is her descriptions. I love her descriptions and use of the English language.
However, even with that going for her, I still have to rate The Physick Book of Deliverance Dance quite low compared to my normal ratings (or maybe I'm just rating more harshly as I get older)... the protagonist, Connie, is a PhD student, studying colonial history. And yet, somehow, the author had to spell out for us that it took Connie a few moments to realize that "receipt" is an old way of spelling "recipe"? And that "bottel" is the phonetic spelling of "bottle"? Um... don't you think that someone getting a PhD in colonial history should realize this sort of thing as fast as someone getting a PhD in math can add 2+2?
Hell, I knew both of those things, and I've only taken one history course in my entire academic career, and that was in undergrad.
Also, the events in this book could've easily taken place over the course of several weeks -- possibly a month -- yet the dates of the chapters drag them out for months (from late April to fall solstice). And is Arlo a time-traveling dog? What? Why was this never explained? Why was it just let hanging for us to wonder about?
The ending (i.e., last few pages) was less than strong and didn't really satisfy... The climax was really not as exciting as I had hoped (and honestly, seemed like something more befitting of Harry Potter than a historical novel intended for an adult audience). Howe was inconsistent with the phonetic spelling of the Boston/New England accent (which honestly, I think she could've left off entirely as it was distracting for me). There was not a whole lot of connection made to the mother-daughter pairs throughout the centuries, and how can Connie completely forget that her full name was Constance?!
Okay, that's enough railing about this book for now.
I am not going to say "go out and buy it!!!" or anything like that, but despite giving it 2 stars, if you're not super finicky and want a book that reads quickly and is fairly entertaining, I'd give it a shot. But it is most definitely not on par with Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian or Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale (both of which I read and adored, the former a bit more than the latter) -- and it is compared to both of those in the cover flap.
Interesting premise but didn't work out as well as I'd hoped.
Connie is getting started on her dissertation in early colonial American history when she gets a call from her mom to go deal with her grandmother's home in Marblehead. Connie discovers an ancient and hidden home, and inside, she finds every historian's dream --clues of an undiscovered major primary source! Through the book, she (of course) meets a man, searches (and finds) this undiscovered book, and even more, her powerful family history.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Excellent read! Chilling descriptions of accused witches interlaced with modern-day discoveries about the efficacy of herbal cures. Very interesting, although I did get a little lost in the chapters involving Connie's graduate school drudgery. Too close to reality for comfort, I suppose!
I had such high hopes for this book and i was upset when it disappointed me and then continued to do so throughout. This story moves SO SLOW. It wasn’t until page 250 or so that I was really hooked. I continued reading because many people have enjoyed this book and I wanted to see what it is that they liked. The ending picked up however there’s still so much I didn’t like about this book.
DNF at 100 pages.
Apparently, Katherine Howe took a course at the Anne Rice School of Too Much Description. Not a fan of books that go on and on for pages about how an old cabin looks or how ugly an old vegetable is. All you have to say is “It was an old cabin. Musty, dusty. Icky to live in. 1/10 would not live in again.” (Not really, but you get my point.) This could’ve been so interesting and so suspenseful! I did enjoy the flashbacks to the past between chapters. I also thought that the constant references to the Salem Witch Trials were interesting and historically accurate. If only that could’ve saved it. Recommended for fans of Anne Rice and other such crappy authors.
Apparently, Katherine Howe took a course at the Anne Rice School of Too Much Description. Not a fan of books that go on and on for pages about how an old cabin looks or how ugly an old vegetable is. All you have to say is “It was an old cabin. Musty, dusty. Icky to live in. 1/10 would not live in again.” (Not really, but you get my point.) This could’ve been so interesting and so suspenseful! I did enjoy the flashbacks to the past between chapters. I also thought that the constant references to the Salem Witch Trials were interesting and historically accurate. If only that could’ve saved it. Recommended for fans of Anne Rice and other such crappy authors.