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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Excellent, despite an insufferable protagonist.
The premise sells itself: A nurse is sent to the hill country of Ireland, not to heal, but to witness a miracle—a girl who hasn't eaten in 4 months.
No matter how well (or how poorly) this book was written, I was going to finish simply to have this fascinating mystery solved. That's the power of a good story. What keeps this from being a great story is the snarky, pretentious personality of Lib, our lead character. I'm not sure how many times I wanted to shout, "We get it, you aren't religious." Lib's intellectual background is rooted in science, so she understandably enters the story with her mind made up. But her lack of empathy and intuition (two things you need in spades as a nurse), result in her inability to relate to the town's deeply religious Catholics in a way they can understand.
I found the pace to be great, and finished this book in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. Complaints about the slow pace are common among reviewers. But in my opinion, the rural tempo adds to the gradual build-up of frustration and tension that beautifully peaks in the last 50 pages. Like Lib, my emotions ran from mildly annoyed to deeply troubled, even desperate by the book's conclusion.
Emma Donoghue's writing style is so comfortable. No indulgent or flowery language. Relatable dialogue. The Wonder is the kind of book that's easy to sink into.
My only other complaint is that Lib's brush with romance seemed unnecessary and forced. But it probably would've felt more natural had her character been better developed early on. As it stands, she's simply too cold and callus to make any swooning believable.
Despite my complaints, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My copy came from the library, but I'll be purchasing a copy to add it to my personal collection of favorites.
4.5 stars
The premise sells itself: A nurse is sent to the hill country of Ireland, not to heal, but to witness a miracle—a girl who hasn't eaten in 4 months.
No matter how well (or how poorly) this book was written, I was going to finish simply to have this fascinating mystery solved. That's the power of a good story. What keeps this from being a great story is the snarky, pretentious personality of Lib, our lead character. I'm not sure how many times I wanted to shout, "We get it, you aren't religious." Lib's intellectual background is rooted in science, so she understandably enters the story with her mind made up. But her lack of empathy and intuition (two things you need in spades as a nurse), result in her inability to relate to the town's deeply religious Catholics in a way they can understand.
I found the pace to be great, and finished this book in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. Complaints about the slow pace are common among reviewers. But in my opinion, the rural tempo adds to the gradual build-up of frustration and tension that beautifully peaks in the last 50 pages. Like Lib, my emotions ran from mildly annoyed to deeply troubled, even desperate by the book's conclusion.
Emma Donoghue's writing style is so comfortable. No indulgent or flowery language. Relatable dialogue. The Wonder is the kind of book that's easy to sink into.
My only other complaint is that Lib's brush with romance seemed unnecessary and forced. But it probably would've felt more natural had her character been better developed early on. As it stands, she's simply too cold and callus to make any swooning believable.
Despite my complaints, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My copy came from the library, but I'll be purchasing a copy to add it to my personal collection of favorites.
4.5 stars
A psychological thriller, this book questions the notion of religion. The beliefs that people have and the belief that other people try to put into the minds of the innocent. Religion was meant for the greater good and not as punishment.
Set up in Ireland, the O’Donnell family claims that her daughter Anna has eaten nothing for the past 4 months and in thriving against all odds. People from all part of the world flock to meet this ‘wonder-girl’. Some people also believe that she might be a saint in making! But Anna has a secret- a grave one. A secret which her own mother has decided to ignore. This forces Anna to follow the path shown by religion and God and do penance for her sins.
Lib- a young nurse from England is sent to uncover the secret behind this ‘wonder-girl’. Lib isn’t a follower of Christianity or rather doesn’t believe in God’s miracles. Will she be able to find the truth behind Anna’s mysterious life?
This book also restores my faith in humanity. How a small act of humanity can make a big difference in someone’s life.
The plot has been elaborately described with hints of love and romance. The language is simple with references to Irish terms and proverbs. The plot unfolds slowly and delicately and is extremely thought-provoking. At no point does the reader feels detached from the storyline and it rarely gets boring.
Set up in Ireland, the O’Donnell family claims that her daughter Anna has eaten nothing for the past 4 months and in thriving against all odds. People from all part of the world flock to meet this ‘wonder-girl’. Some people also believe that she might be a saint in making! But Anna has a secret- a grave one. A secret which her own mother has decided to ignore. This forces Anna to follow the path shown by religion and God and do penance for her sins.
Lib- a young nurse from England is sent to uncover the secret behind this ‘wonder-girl’. Lib isn’t a follower of Christianity or rather doesn’t believe in God’s miracles. Will she be able to find the truth behind Anna’s mysterious life?
This book also restores my faith in humanity. How a small act of humanity can make a big difference in someone’s life.
The plot has been elaborately described with hints of love and romance. The language is simple with references to Irish terms and proverbs. The plot unfolds slowly and delicately and is extremely thought-provoking. At no point does the reader feels detached from the storyline and it rarely gets boring.
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Evocative, clear writing, and delightfully informative about 19th century Irish culture. Intriguing storyline - definitely pulls you in.
Eleven-year-old Anna O'Donnell has eaten nothing for four months, yet appears to be thriving. Lib Wright, a nurse trained by Florence Nightingale, is sent to observe her and uncover the truth: is Anna a fraud or a miracle? Although expecting to uncover the hoax immediately and scorning a world of superstition, Lib finds herself warming to Anna and worrying about what is happening to her.
Although a big fan of Emma Donoghue's short stories, The Wonder marks the first of Donoghue's novels that I've thoroughly enjoyed.
The characters are complex, although not always likeable or sympathetic, and how they develop is quite logical. I did find it a little wearying that Lib was the only one close to Anna with the clarity and strength to actually act for her benefit – but as an outsider to the rural Ireland community, she did have the benefit of clear eyes. Additionally, this is offset by her very real character flaws: her priggishness and pride. Donoghue also did quite well in capturing the atmosphere of rural Ireland in the 1920s, still trying to recover from the Great Famine, still bound up in superstition and ruled by the Catholic Church.
The plot is intriguing, though some things struck me as hard to swallow. However, these were really small niggles I had in retrospect, rather than something that detracted from the experience of reading the book.
It was, however, the setting and the atmosphere of The Wonder that I really enjoyed. It was gothic without leaning too hard towards horror, the wet, desolate stretches of rural Ireland are beautifully conjured. The interplay and rivalry between faith, superstition and logic was also particularly fascinating.
The Wonder is a brilliant book.
Although a big fan of Emma Donoghue's short stories, The Wonder marks the first of Donoghue's novels that I've thoroughly enjoyed.
The characters are complex, although not always likeable or sympathetic, and how they develop is quite logical. I did find it a little wearying that Lib was the only one close to Anna with the clarity and strength to actually act for her benefit – but as an outsider to the rural Ireland community, she did have the benefit of clear eyes. Additionally, this is offset by her very real character flaws: her priggishness and pride. Donoghue also did quite well in capturing the atmosphere of rural Ireland in the 1920s, still trying to recover from the Great Famine, still bound up in superstition and ruled by the Catholic Church.
The plot is intriguing, though some things struck me as hard to swallow.
Spoiler
Such as Anna's turn around when Lib pretends God has given her a message allowing Anna to eat and leave her issues behind.It was, however, the setting and the atmosphere of The Wonder that I really enjoyed. It was gothic without leaning too hard towards horror, the wet, desolate stretches of rural Ireland are beautifully conjured. The interplay and rivalry between faith, superstition and logic was also particularly fascinating.
The Wonder is a brilliant book.
I just couldn't pick it up again. I'll just watch the movie
I really liked the sense of time and place, and while it’s a simple story, she adds more complexity as it progresses to Make the whole satisfying
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated