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3.14 AVERAGE
3.14 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you loved The Thirteenth Tale, as I did, Bellman and Black will feel like it wasn't even written by the same author. I stayed with it through to the end and half way through the book I was confused I would be kicking myself for this book selection. So I gave it a fair shot, and way more of my time than it deserved. What is the point of the story? Nothing happens. A lot of people die, but the author doesn't make you care about them. My only ending thought was Poor Dora.
I've been waiting for another book by this author for years and now I'm very disappointed. I almost quit reading after only a few chapters, but kept thinking it must get better. Unfortunately not so much. I saw a glimmer of the author's wonderful writing in the middle of the book, but it was overshadowed and pulled back under by the darkness of the book.
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
dark
slow-paced
I picked this book up because I had also read The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield and loved it. I really wanted to like this book too, but I just couldn't really get into it. I moved quickly through the book waiting for something to happen or for the action to pick up, but it never really got there for me. I also found the ending very abrupt. I don't mind at all for a book to leave questions unanswered. In fact, some of my favorite authors are notorious for leaving their reader with a good cliffhanger and no follow up book with any sort of resolution, however this ending just didn't do anything for me. It's hard to comment further without spoilers, but I just thought the action that moved the book forward never really made much sense. This didn't really read like a suspenseful or mysterious plot as I thought it would. It just seemed like one man's sad story of misfortune with a strange character who is never really fleshed out wedged in the middle of everything.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
There are glimmers of a brilliant story here, but this book was overlong and dull for long stretches because there's not enough plot for a full length novel. More complete review to come.
This is another one of those books I wanted to like more than I actually did. Like most readers, I was mesmerized by Setterfield's previous work, "The Thirteenth Tale." Though "Bellman & Black is a thoroughly readable book, it never really pulled me in, never mesmerized me, never made me care about Will Bellman or his clockwork life, about the tragedy that surround him, or the mysterious business partner who plagues him.
The problem with a character like Bellman, who is at all times a step removed from his own story, is that caring about such a character (and subsequently their story) is difficult. I always felt like I was watching the narrative unfold from behind a foggy pane of glass: I could see enough that was happening and understand enough to get the story, but I never connected with the story.
And while Setterfield's narrative was enough to make me keep turning the pages, it was nowhere near enough for me to be impressed.
The problem with a character like Bellman, who is at all times a step removed from his own story, is that caring about such a character (and subsequently their story) is difficult. I always felt like I was watching the narrative unfold from behind a foggy pane of glass: I could see enough that was happening and understand enough to get the story, but I never connected with the story.
And while Setterfield's narrative was enough to make me keep turning the pages, it was nowhere near enough for me to be impressed.
I enjoyed this book, although after reading the entire thing it isn't as good as The Thirteenth Tale. Until about half way through I couldn't put it down but somewhere in the last quarter it fell flat where it could have taken on a more macabre, gothic feel. I guess I had higher hopes because The Thirteenth Tale was great, Setterfield could have done better with the ending on this one.