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thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Anyway, things I liked include:
- Marian, of course, who gets some stellar development over the course of the story
- Jamie, the sweetest animal-loving vegetarian artist who I just wanted to hug
- all of the aviation stuff—learned a lot about planes
- the second half of the book
- older, Hawaii-living Caleb
- that the ending managed to surprise me, and it wasn't the kind of bittersweet/depressing/thought-provoking ending you'd expect from this kind of book. It was still thought-provoking, but in a different way that I liked and found more powerful
Things I didn't like:
- the first half of the book (and basically everything with Barclay McQueen...)
- most of Hadley's story...some of it was interesting but overall I was much more interested in Marian's story and wanted to stay in her storyline
- a lot of the relationships were doomed because of self-sabotage by the characters basically...I can only handle so much self-sabotage
- the length of this book
Basically I think I would've enjoyed this book a lot more if the beginning was pared down a lot, if it was just about Marian with no present-day timeline, and if I had read the physical book. I'm still glad I read it! But it's a hard one to recommend to people because of the length. Lots of people have loved it though, and there are some rave reviews out there. So read it if you want, and then let me know what you thought of it :)
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Rape, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Abortion, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse
shannonsnell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: War, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Death, Toxic relationship, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
erinblue's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Incest
deedireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
TL;DR REVIEW:
I absolutely loved Great Circle. It’s sweeping, it’s emotional, it’s beautifully written. It kept me engaged and made me feel things — and what more can you ask for?
For you if: You like historical fiction that spans a character’s entire lifetime.
FULL REVIEW:
Great Circle officially landed on my TBR because it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. A friend who read through the whole longlist earlier this year told me they thought it might turn out to be my favorite of them all. And I think, perhaps, they might be right! At least so far.
The book has two main characters. First is Marian Graves, born in 1914, who becomes one of the rare woman pilots of her time and eventually (don’t worry, this is not a spoiler) disappears trying to circumnavigate the globe. Marian’s story is probably 75% of the book, if I had to guess. We follow her from childhood and all the way through her life. The other main character is Hadley, a modern-day movie star cast to play Marian in a film, who learns more about her than anyone else.
The book is long, just under 600 pages, but I didn’t mind it. As you read, you really become so immersed in these characters and their lives. Some people at book club said they did sometimes wish it was shorter, but they couldn’t think of anything they’d cut. In fact, some people lamented the fact that there wasn’t even MORE from Hadley. Personally, I thought the balance between Marian and Hadley was just right and pulled the story along nicely.
Random thought: One of my favorite backlist reads this year was The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo, and while they don’t have a TON in common, they gave me similar feelings — a years-long timeframe, lots of pages that I was happy to read, and lots of emotions.
Anywho, if you have the patience for long books and love novels that span a lifetime, this is for you!
Graphic: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Grief, and Misogyny
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, and Sexism
Minor: Drug use and Abortion
aliciamcclintic's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Toxic relationship
solasuaine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and War
readmedo's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Child abuse
Moderate: War and Sexism
Minor: Suicide
ladymirtazapine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
ellipalmer's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, War, Rape, and Child abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism and Death of parent
Minor: Transphobia
emmagrace's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, and Pregnancy
Minor: Abortion, Abandonment, Animal death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, and Suicide