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deedireads's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- 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
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Grief, and Misogyny
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, and Sexism
Minor: Drug use and Abortion
fluoresensitive's review against another edition
Shipstead wants me to believe there's some grand romance between a grown ass man and a 15 year old girl, someone needs to break her knee caps
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Addiction
jaclyndina's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- 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
In addition to the story, it was a pleasure to read the writing itself.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
marnie17's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, and War
solasuaine's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and War
ladymirtazapine's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
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
leekaufman's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, and Sexual violence
booking_along's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
i was born to be a wanderer.
it’s a great epic story mostly about the life of a woman that didn’t just fit her time but also gender stereotypes, that wanted to be who she was but accepted that it would be easy for others.
i think this book would have been enough telling marians story without adding the drama of the actress into the story.
marians story is unique and strong and loud.
there wasn’t a need to add more or another loud voice into the mix.
it didn’t necessarily delude marians story but i also don’t think it added anything.
and since i already complaining: i think this book focused a little too much on sex in some scenes. and i didn’t see the need for that at all?
i just don’t think all the mentions of sex was necessary especially the brutal scenes.
i get that sex apparently sells and it’s part of life but i don’t think it’s necessary to always describe it in every book. maybe just my opinion, but sometimes it’s not necessary to have all the details.
beside those things the book was great!
i loved the passion and need the book really managed to show, the necessity that marian felt to fly, to go, to keep in the air and moving.
but at the same time, that she clearly loved her bother and caleb and didn’t ever really to manage to actually leave them behind.
i loved the ending of the book,
i really enjoyed how it all connected together, from marians parents to her last flight.
it’s a really great book and a wonderful story.
“circles are wonderful because they are endless. anything endless is wondrous. but endlessness is torture, too. i knew they horizon could never be caught but still chased it. what i have done is foolish; i had no choice but to do it.”
“life gives you lemons, you cave off their skins and garnish your martinis”
“….i didnt deserve to be there. and maybe i didn’t, but you can’t measure fairness in a lab. you can’t know if you deserve something. probably you don’t.”
“i own him my life, lloyd had said many times.
your life can’t be a debt, she’d countered once, or then it’s not really yours, and nothing has been saved.”
“everyone knows men don’t get old, at least not in a way that matters”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, War, Abortion, Incest, and Sexual content
lbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, War, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Adult/minor relationship
oliviaja's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and War