Reviews

Λατρεία by Hannah Kent

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misty_kb's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

lambsears's review against another edition

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3.0

I wanted to love this one more than I did, because the writing is so very good and because it examines some of the history of the area where I live.

Kent is a hugely talented writer and her research was fascinating. Her descriptive writing is exceptional and utterly evocative. The section of the novel devoted to the voyage are gruelling and absolutely struck a chord for me as my pregnant great-great grandmother travelled to Adelaide from Ireland at about the same time in history. But by the time I was nearing the end of the first part I could already feel myself becoming a little jaded, so I welcomed the plot twist that occurs onboard the ship anticipating something more.

The second half promised more, but really I felt it didn't deliver. Once again the writing was outstanding, but I found it all a bit repetitive, and the romance aspect to be very adolescent - which I guess it was, but it didn't grow or mature over the years.

I've heard Kent say that she wanted to portray a grand love - but I'm just not sure she did that convincingly.

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bathscurse's review against another edition

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3.0

starts as a good book about nature, the spiritual wants of a community vs the physical reality of the body and growing up as a girl in the early 19th century. unfortunately the major shift in regards to the protagonist in the second half the book made reading this a slog for me. also i dont think im really a fan of soulmate narratives idk at least not how this book presents it, feels possessive in a way that i dont enjoy.