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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, Medical content, Pregnancy
Minor: Racial slurs, Suicide attempt
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
I’m sure this will be no surprise to anyone who knows what a brilliant writer Sarah Waters is, but I loved this historic story of interlinking people during such an incredibly interesting time.
We start the book in 1947, as four very different people – Kay, Viv, Helen, and Duncan – as they deal with life in post-war Britain. What makes this story unique is we then move backwards in time for part two, back to 1944 when the country was in the miserable throes of bombings and rationing, and in part three, further back again to 1941. This means we know, in some ways, how the characters end up. We then slowly unpick how they came to be in that situation and why. It makes the reader feel like you really get to know them, and it adds extra depth to the story as well as plenty of moments when I went ‘Ahhh THAT’S why that character was behaving like that’ or ‘That’s how that situation came to be…’
I always enjoy stories with seemingly unconnected characters, who we then discover are linked in more ways than we thought, and adding the extra plot device of starting at the end and working backwards made this book a memorable read. Often I am drawn to books with a strong sense of mystery but this book does not have it or need to rely on this – the characters and their interlinking lives are enough to draw me in completely and keep me there, though the start did feel a bit slow at times. Regardless, The Night Watch is beautifully written (I’d expect no less from Sarah Waters) and evokes a strong sense of time and place, which is so important in historical fiction. Highly recommended.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The rating is more of a 2.5/2.75 for me.
This book sucked the life out of me. I realized about halfway through that I didn't like the book. I decided that this just isn't my kind of book and I was going to quit reading, but I picked it up with the intention of reading different genres & getting out of my comfort zone, so I decided to stick it out. I will admit, it did get better; I got used to the language and the writing style, and the stories of each character got more interesting the more I read on. But on that note... it took way too long for me to get to that point. Also, the ending was underwhelming - why wasn't there more on 1941?! I was actually looking forward to reading that year and finally getting the back story I desperately wanted on Kay and Duncan, and got the bare minimum. Since the book was written backwards, I guess I assumed that 1941 would carry a lot of detail to tie into 1944 and 1947, but it was VERY short and almost felt like the author gave up. Idk, it was frustrating to read and I was originally going to give it 2 stars, but gave it 3 because it did get ~slightly~ better in the second half.
This book sucked the life out of me. I realized about halfway through that I didn't like the book. I decided that this just isn't my kind of book and I was going to quit reading, but I picked it up with the intention of reading different genres & getting out of my comfort zone, so I decided to stick it out. I will admit, it did get better; I got used to the language and the writing style, and the stories of each character got more interesting the more I read on. But on that note... it took way too long for me to get to that point. Also, the ending was underwhelming - why wasn't there more on 1941?! I was actually looking forward to reading that year and finally getting the back story I desperately wanted on Kay and Duncan, and got the bare minimum. Since the book was written backwards, I guess I assumed that 1941 would carry a lot of detail to tie into 1944 and 1947, but it was VERY short and almost felt like the author gave up. Idk, it was frustrating to read and I was originally going to give it 2 stars, but gave it 3 because it did get ~slightly~ better in the second half.
Again, another interesting read. I particularly enjoyed the layout of this novel. The story is based during world war 2, following different characters in London whose lives are all intertwined through one way or another.
I loved the structure of the novel as it occurs in reverse order. You are introduced to the characters near the end of the war and see their different situations. Then in the middle of the war shows character development, you begin to understand and bond with the characters more. You explore their different situations and plot twists. At the end of the novel you find out what happened to each of the characters which leads to their situation at the beginning of the novel.
The story delves through different concepts and themes. Homosexuality, war, love, crime, and others. A well thought-out piece of work :)
I loved the structure of the novel as it occurs in reverse order. You are introduced to the characters near the end of the war and see their different situations. Then in the middle of the war shows character development, you begin to understand and bond with the characters more. You explore their different situations and plot twists. At the end of the novel you find out what happened to each of the characters which leads to their situation at the beginning of the novel.
The story delves through different concepts and themes. Homosexuality, war, love, crime, and others. A well thought-out piece of work :)
I love Sarah Waters' writing, but this one isn't really grabbing me. I don't care enough about the characters to follow through.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
After a slow start this book really captures you. The intensity of the story multiples with every page and when you reach the end you are a bit lost. Like you’ve been falling asleep on a bus ride and just woke up somewhere only half familiar. That is exactly what I want from a book. But! Because of the slow start I have to take away one star.