Reviews - Light Perpetual | The StoryGraph

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378 reviews for:

Light Perpetual

Francis Spufford

3.63 AVERAGE

leekaufman's review against another edition

4.5

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Content Warnings

merixcil's review against another edition

4.0

I'm not gonna lie - I don't quite see the significance of grouping the characters around the fact that they died in a bomb blast. I don't know whether there's any truth to the story or if these characters are entirely fictional but given that not dying in the Second World War doesn't really impact any of them beyond the fact that they lived it seems a strange starting point. Then again, maybe this is just the way the marketing for the book leans really hard into that framing device talking

That being said! This is a well told, engaging mish mash of stories from people growing up and growing old through the 20th century and into the 21st. The author is trying just a little too hard at points to make you love the language but it is very beautifully written so it's hard to begrudge him that. Everyone's story is told with such care for how they view the world that it's impossible not to feel moments of sympathy with everyone but with enough distance that I never felt like the author was preaching to me about how I should feel watching their lives unfold. Overall, it's a very human book that I think you'd be hard pressed not to find something to like about, existential crisis's and all.

bergenslabben's review against another edition

2.0

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

kathrynemw's review against another edition

2.75

reflective 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

This book has a beautiful first chapter that uses lovely poetic language to explain an explosion and it’s impact on the people. However, from there it grew ever more boring and I just couldn’t deal with the level of detail about really irrelevant minutiae.

cassreading's review against another edition

3.0

slow-paced

Too many points of view too many years apart and some moments that scream "I am a Literary Man writing a Literary Book." I notoriously LOVE a slow-paced monstrosity, but there's so much detail and focus on the mundane that doesn't seem to justify itself very well. Also after reading What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat, it was hard not to notice how he handles obesity in the book, which is pretty badly. I was tempted to give it two stars, but the writing was technically quite good, and the characters could be really compelling. It was occasionally sort of brilliant, but overall disappointing.

annarella's review against another edition

5.0

Amazing and brilliant story based on a great what-if.
I loved the style of writing and I think that author is a great storyteller. He delivers great characters and a fascinating story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine