A review by serendipitysbooks
Enlightenment by Sarah Perry

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

 Sometimes, a book really hits for you. And sometimes it doesn't. Sadly, that was the case for me with this Booker longlister. In trying to pinpoint why I've come up with a list of possibilities while recognising that the real reason may be elusive and undefinable. Part of the novel revolves around the characters wrestling with their Christian faith, and that is just not something I'm personally interested in, nor something I typically enjoy reading. The novel is divided into three distinct sections, the first in 1997, the last 20 years later . While the dates are explicitly stated, the setting and characters actually seemed timeless, and that left me feeling unmoored. If anything, this felt more like historical fiction set in the Victorian era. One of the relationships at the centre of the novel - that between Thomas and Grace - left me feeling uneasy, even though it was one of friendship with him taking a paternal interest in her. There was a considerable amount of factual information folded into the text, chiefly physics and astronomy. I often claim I enjoy reading fiction that teaches me something but not this time. Possibly, the information was too technical. It certainly took me out of the story and felt a little like reading extracts from a textbook. Magical realism and ghosts can often be hit and miss for me. The latter proved to be the case here. Part of the problem may also have been down to timing. Reading this while watching the Olympics, particularly the trampolining (my daughter used to compete and one of our country's representative was her former clubmate) might not have been my smartest move, and possibly meant I didn't give this book the attention it deserved.

Don't let me put you off. If you love beautifully written stories that explore love, faith and science, if you are frustrated with women being written out of science and history, if you want a book with a queer storyline, if you have an interest in astronomy and the Hale-Bopp comet especially, if you're in the mood for a light mystery and don't mind a little ghostliness  this could well be the book for you.  

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