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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In this debut historical novel, a Parisian bookbinder is given a commission his long-time patron to bind a manuscript, but he had to promise not to read the manuscript. Soon after agreeing to his patron’s demands, she is found dead. When no one from her family demands the return of the manuscript, the bookbinder assumes ownership of the manuscript. When he begins reading the manuscript, he finds notes from his patron that the book must be read in a particular sequence that is not traditional. Today’s reader is also given that option.
Regardless of what sequence you read the book, it is truly remarkable. It is creative and complex, the characters are remarkable, but even more stunning is that the author was able to write such a multi-faceted book that truly can be read either in sequence (cover to cover) or using the Baroness sequence where the reader starts on page 150 and then jumps around throughout the book without losing track of where he is and without diluting the story itself.
If you love historical novels with time-travel elements as well as romantic elements, and you’re looking for a book to become truly engrossed in, then this is the book for you and it deserves a place at the top of your to-be-read list.
My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Edelweiss for an eARC.
Regardless of what sequence you read the book, it is truly remarkable. It is creative and complex, the characters are remarkable, but even more stunning is that the author was able to write such a multi-faceted book that truly can be read either in sequence (cover to cover) or using the Baroness sequence where the reader starts on page 150 and then jumps around throughout the book without losing track of where he is and without diluting the story itself.
If you love historical novels with time-travel elements as well as romantic elements, and you’re looking for a book to become truly engrossed in, then this is the book for you and it deserves a place at the top of your to-be-read list.
My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Edelweiss for an eARC.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
It’s hard to put into words how incredible I thought this book was. I agree with all the reviews and praise noted on the covers and the first pages. Especially this one by Charles Yu: “It’s a Möbius strip, a puzzle for the eye and the mind, a dream with architecture. Moving and inspiring and haunting.” YES to all of the above.
I read in the order of the special “Baroness sequence” (noted at end of preface) and loved it. Unless you really have trouble with books that skip between different points of view and timelines, I’d highly recommend this sequence. When else do we get the opportunity to experience a story in this way, following the recommendation scrawled by a mysterious Baroness who has delivered this set of manuscripts to be bound?
This is definitely one best enjoyed physically rather than digitally if you go with this special sequence. I marked with a tab each time there was a new jump, which helped me navigate if I accidentally forgot to bookmark the page I left off at. The tabs also helped me refer back to things I had already read which was definitely helpful with all of the jumping around.
I’m glad I familiarized myself with Charles Baudelaire and read a few poems from The Flowers of Evil towards the start of my read of Crossings. It definitely enhanced the experience. I’m by no means well-versed in Baudelaire, but having a bit of context was wonderful because he is quite an important figure in this book. If you can get a copy of The Flowers of Evil, great! Especially the New Directions edition that features a selection of what the editors believe to be the best translation of each poem, featuring 30 or so different translators. Or, you can look up his poetry online. I loved reading his 3 versions of prefaces which really gave me a sense of his personality, as well as The Albatross which was a big part of Crossings.
I was so mesmerized by Crossings… I want more people to read and talk about this book!!!
I read in the order of the special “Baroness sequence” (noted at end of preface) and loved it. Unless you really have trouble with books that skip between different points of view and timelines, I’d highly recommend this sequence. When else do we get the opportunity to experience a story in this way, following the recommendation scrawled by a mysterious Baroness who has delivered this set of manuscripts to be bound?
This is definitely one best enjoyed physically rather than digitally if you go with this special sequence. I marked with a tab each time there was a new jump, which helped me navigate if I accidentally forgot to bookmark the page I left off at. The tabs also helped me refer back to things I had already read which was definitely helpful with all of the jumping around.
I’m glad I familiarized myself with Charles Baudelaire and read a few poems from The Flowers of Evil towards the start of my read of Crossings. It definitely enhanced the experience. I’m by no means well-versed in Baudelaire, but having a bit of context was wonderful because he is quite an important figure in this book. If you can get a copy of The Flowers of Evil, great! Especially the New Directions edition that features a selection of what the editors believe to be the best translation of each poem, featuring 30 or so different translators. Or, you can look up his poetry online. I loved reading his 3 versions of prefaces which really gave me a sense of his personality, as well as The Albatross which was a big part of Crossings.
I was so mesmerized by Crossings… I want more people to read and talk about this book!!!
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I chose the Baroness method to read this novel & I thought it was so fun!! I had a hard time following the characters but I thought the idea was very original. I liked the storyline & plot a lot. I did not read this the conventional way but am curious how the story would change if read that way.
Crossings is an intriguing novel that is part historical fiction, part magical realism, and part speculative fiction. The premise is that highly-trained shamans can switch bodies and souls with other people during a trance-like state; however, cultural rules mandate that they must switch back. The story follows a pair of lovers who fail to switch back, traveling through time in a succession of abducted bodies. The result is the unraveling of their own souls and ultimately the culture they came from. The premise is ingenious and the pace rapid, but the plot was hard to follow.
This is an interesting book for many reasons. One is that it provides the option of what order you want to read the chapters in. The term "crossings" refers to souls changing bodies, which is the the theme of the book as the main characters cross bodies several times in order to chase immortality. I read the book by the consecutive chapter numbers, and really loved the first half of the book which takes place in Paris. The second half of the book takes place in New Orleans and deals with slavery, and that's where I started to lose interest. I felt like I was reading an Anne Rice novel at that point. Still in all it was one of the more interesting books I have read just for the uniqueness of options for reading the story and the writing skill.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
3.5 ⭐️I had no idea what to expect going into this book but I ultimately found it to be an interesting and enjoyable read. There were certain times the pacing felt off and I wished it would move faster but the intertwined, elaborate storylines kept me interested enough to keep reading.
The storylines were varied and spanned many time periods and landscapes which kept the story feeling fresh, although this was sometimes hampered by the characters rehashing the same feelings and thoughts over and over.
The biggest factor for whether this was a 4 star read or a 3 was the ending. While then ending did satisfy some of my curiosities it certainly didn’t wrap up everything. There were many unanswered questions by the end of the book and I felt as though the major conflict that exists throughout the novel is never resolved. I found myself feeling only semi-satisfied by the ending which is why I decided on 3.5 stars.
In summary I would recommend this book for its unique and interesting plot. It was also fun to read a book with out of order chapters, jumping around so you lose track of how far along the story is.
The storylines were varied and spanned many time periods and landscapes which kept the story feeling fresh, although this was sometimes hampered by the characters rehashing the same feelings and thoughts over and over.
The biggest factor for whether this was a 4 star read or a 3 was the ending. While then ending did satisfy some of my curiosities it certainly didn’t wrap up everything. There were many unanswered questions by the end of the book and I felt as though the major conflict that exists throughout the novel is never resolved. I found myself feeling only semi-satisfied by the ending which is why I decided on 3.5 stars.
In summary I would recommend this book for its unique and interesting plot. It was also fun to read a book with out of order chapters, jumping around so you lose track of how far along the story is.