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cheryl1213 's review for:
The Historian
by Elizabeth Kostova
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Had it been 100pp shorter, it might be 3 (2.5...rounding down on that other site that cruelly forces such choices).
I think what bothered me more than anything else was that there were several narrators but the voice seemed to remain the same throughout (OK, one from the medieval period did stand out). There are a LOT of characters...with many "bit players" popping up multiple times. I often struggle w names and this is compounded when I even had to doubl e check who was narrating several times. I suppose a 16yo teen who is quite sheltered in a social sense might sound a bit like her dad (that's me trying to defend the book), but she shouldn't sound like a professor who would have to be in his 40s or 50s....esp when there is an element of a first romance (albeit minor).
No idea how accurate the history is...that element did feel impressive (esp re the life of Dracula as a historical figure). But it wasn't enough to keep me engaged.
I put this aside multiple times to get a change of pace but still struggled to finish it.
Felt accomplished on thr last page (best part? The last period!). Def none of the "I'll miss these people/places/stories) that marks a truly positive reading experience for me.
I think what bothered me more than anything else was that there were several narrators but the voice seemed to remain the same throughout (OK, one from the medieval period did stand out). There are a LOT of characters...with many "bit players" popping up multiple times. I often struggle w names and this is compounded when I even had to doubl e check who was narrating several times. I suppose a 16yo teen who is quite sheltered in a social sense might sound a bit like her dad (that's me trying to defend the book), but she shouldn't sound like a professor who would have to be in his 40s or 50s....esp when there is an element of a first romance (albeit minor).
No idea how accurate the history is...that element did feel impressive (esp re the life of Dracula as a historical figure). But it wasn't enough to keep me engaged.
I put this aside multiple times to get a change of pace but still struggled to finish it.
Felt accomplished on thr last page (best part? The last period!). Def none of the "I'll miss these people/places/stories) that marks a truly positive reading experience for me.