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3.14 AVERAGE
3.14 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm quite conflicted about this one. On the one hand, I quite literally read it in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. On the other hand, I went in expecting something I didn't get, so I felt nothing really happened up to the middle of it. It's definitely my least favourite of hers, but I don't know for sure if this is so because I started reading it with the wrong expectations or if it just went over my head. Still, her books always deliver at some degree, and this wasn't the exception.
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2024 review
I liked it less the second time, though it's still very Gothic. I think as I age I find it more depressing that someone would be so insistent on avoiding pain to the detriment of his own life and relationships. It was very sad.
2016 review
I tried my hardest not to compare this book to The Thirteenth Tale, which I adore, and think I did pretty well at that. You would do well to do the same so as to give this book a fair shot.
This is an eerie little story where you're never sure who's a ghost and who's real (and whether ghosts are real is a whole other conversation). There are a lot of deaths and the characters are a bit hard to keep track of. The slow undoing of Bellman is fascinating to read and adds to the whole eerie atmosphere. This is a book to drink tea and read on foggy days in a silent house where the slightest noise will make you jump.
Really liked it and I'd like to read it again, to get more familiar with the story. Like Setterfield's other book, she's a master of creepy without being a straight horror novel, as well as mystery. Worth a read.
I liked it less the second time, though it's still very Gothic. I think as I age I find it more depressing that someone would be so insistent on avoiding pain to the detriment of his own life and relationships. It was very sad.
2016 review
I tried my hardest not to compare this book to The Thirteenth Tale, which I adore, and think I did pretty well at that. You would do well to do the same so as to give this book a fair shot.
This is an eerie little story where you're never sure who's a ghost and who's real (and whether ghosts are real is a whole other conversation). There are a lot of deaths and the characters are a bit hard to keep track of. The slow undoing of Bellman is fascinating to read and adds to the whole eerie atmosphere. This is a book to drink tea and read on foggy days in a silent house where the slightest noise will make you jump.
Really liked it and I'd like to read it again, to get more familiar with the story. Like Setterfield's other book, she's a master of creepy without being a straight horror novel, as well as mystery. Worth a read.
At 20%, I just was not into this book.
This was a strange book. It was a disappointment because I was expecting a thriller along the lines of The Thirteenth Tale. So I kept waiting for the big twist. And it didn't come. Instead, this was a story about the life of a man and his response at different points in his life to the deaths of his loved ones. It was a reminder to be grateful for what you have before it's too late.
The book's blurb and description does it a disservice.
It was a little long and repetitive, and overly detailed. But also a lovely picture of every scene.
The book's blurb and description does it a disservice.
It was a little long and repetitive, and overly detailed. But also a lovely picture of every scene.
I really enjoyed it!
I'll be writing my review soon
I'll be writing my review soon
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes