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A review by narcissia
The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell
3.0
The Vespertine is a somewhat scandalous little Victorian story filled with beautifully haunting language. The reader is thrust into the story near the end, right after a major conflict takes place, and experiences the events leading up to Amelia's current situation through a series of lengthy flashbacks.
In the early parts of the book, Amelia comes off as something of a hussy, by Victorian standards. The first line of the book informs the reader that Amelia has been ruined. The first flashback begins with Amelia ogling dock workers or some such. It caused me to wonder if Amelia is the sort of girl who puts herself in bad situations regularly or if she is perhaps without common sense. Amelia is nothing of the sort, though. She's just a normal girl who is trapped in a repressive and restrictive time period as far as a young lady's behavior and propriety are concerned. By the time Amelia had met her cousin Zora and they had their first conversation, I had fallen in love with both of them.
The plot has some great elements to it. Amelia has a vision which comes true, and then everyone starts wanting her to look into their futures, but the things that she sees aren't always good. Amelia is also enraptured with Nathaniel, who is not the sort of well-born boy that her brother is hoping she'll snag while in Balitmore, but who also seems to have mysterious abilities. The parts of the story regarding the visions are intriguing and satisfying. But I want more regarding the relationship between Amelia and Nathaniel. They share a unique connection that I wish had been further explored in the novel.
Overall, I enjoyed reading The Vespertine. I reveled in the language and the haunting descriptions. I did want a bit more from the story but what is there is enough to make it fun, though not a favorite. If you're looking for a historical fiction with a little bit of fantasy thrown in, this would be a good choice.
In the early parts of the book, Amelia comes off as something of a hussy, by Victorian standards. The first line of the book informs the reader that Amelia has been ruined. The first flashback begins with Amelia ogling dock workers or some such. It caused me to wonder if Amelia is the sort of girl who puts herself in bad situations regularly or if she is perhaps without common sense. Amelia is nothing of the sort, though. She's just a normal girl who is trapped in a repressive and restrictive time period as far as a young lady's behavior and propriety are concerned. By the time Amelia had met her cousin Zora and they had their first conversation, I had fallen in love with both of them.
The plot has some great elements to it. Amelia has a vision which comes true, and then everyone starts wanting her to look into their futures, but the things that she sees aren't always good. Amelia is also enraptured with Nathaniel, who is not the sort of well-born boy that her brother is hoping she'll snag while in Balitmore, but who also seems to have mysterious abilities. The parts of the story regarding the visions are intriguing and satisfying. But I want more regarding the relationship between Amelia and Nathaniel. They share a unique connection that I wish had been further explored in the novel.
Overall, I enjoyed reading The Vespertine. I reveled in the language and the haunting descriptions. I did want a bit more from the story but what is there is enough to make it fun, though not a favorite. If you're looking for a historical fiction with a little bit of fantasy thrown in, this would be a good choice.