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justinkhchen's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars
An unexpectedly chatty slow-burn, I went into The Lamplighters expecting a claustrophobic, moody story centering around isolation and dread, leading to the disappearance of 3 lighthouse keepers from their station. While the novel IS partially that, one can argue its main narrative intent lands solidly in the domestic thriller genre. Told through multiple perspectives (the 3 men and their wives) and in 2 timelines (pre-disppearance and 20 years later), the novel slowly unravels the tangled relationships between its 6 main characters.
The horror/supernatural element is definitely present and effective, however, it is used metaphorically to represent manifestation of a character's fraught psyche — readers expecting an actual haunted location with a deep lore will undoubtedly be let down by this execution. With the plot revolving heavily around the typical infidelity and familial drama, I can't deny feeling The Lamplighters greatly under-utilizes its unique setting, and not being provocative enough with its interpretation of the real life source material.
Despite The Lamplighters being not at all the ghostly tale I wanted, and remains slightly unsatisfactory even judging by what it ends up being (the final reveal lacks conviction), I was still hooked throughout, thanks to the strong character building, unique framework (the bookend is quite effective), and the excellently produced audiobook (The Lamplighters is very monologue driven and stream-of-consciousness heavy, which would've been quite dull have I read it physically — the narrators' performance definitely brought it to life). I can see some readers (those who enjoy domestic thrillers, but want a change of setting) will like this quite a bit!
An unexpectedly chatty slow-burn, I went into The Lamplighters expecting a claustrophobic, moody story centering around isolation and dread, leading to the disappearance of 3 lighthouse keepers from their station. While the novel IS partially that, one can argue its main narrative intent lands solidly in the domestic thriller genre. Told through multiple perspectives (the 3 men and their wives) and in 2 timelines (pre-disppearance and 20 years later), the novel slowly unravels the tangled relationships between its 6 main characters.
The horror/supernatural element is definitely present and effective, however, it is used metaphorically to represent manifestation of a character's fraught psyche — readers expecting an actual haunted location with a deep lore will undoubtedly be let down by this execution. With the plot revolving heavily around the typical infidelity and familial drama, I can't deny feeling The Lamplighters greatly under-utilizes its unique setting, and not being provocative enough with its interpretation of the real life source material.
Despite The Lamplighters being not at all the ghostly tale I wanted, and remains slightly unsatisfactory even judging by what it ends up being (the final reveal lacks conviction), I was still hooked throughout, thanks to the strong character building, unique framework (the bookend is quite effective), and the excellently produced audiobook (The Lamplighters is very monologue driven and stream-of-consciousness heavy, which would've been quite dull have I read it physically — the narrators' performance definitely brought it to life). I can see some readers (those who enjoy domestic thrillers, but want a change of setting) will like this quite a bit!
luckythirteenx's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
tesst's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
3.25
charliescorer_6's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jess_id's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lucybf6fa's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sian_mcbride's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
3.25
stephend's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
electrosailor's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25