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A review by gracescanlon
While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I went in with high hopes. While Beauty Slept is right up my alley — fairytale retelling, political intrigue, mysterious acts that may(?) be magic, narrated by an outsider who’s not as outside the center as believed? Sign me up!
Pros:
1. Prose — Blackwell has a talent for writing in a more old-fashioned, formal style. Its appropriateness was perfect, given her take on this ancient tale. Many of her sentences were quite pretty, as well.
2. Descriptions — In addition to her lovely sentences, Blackwell’s descriptions are vivid — enchanting and horrifying as appropriate, but always effective and enriching.
3. Complexity in romantic relationship dynamics — I felt that the romantic relationships and romantic dynamics between characters, from a married Marcus and still-single Elise, to the king and queen, to Elise and Dorian, to Mayren and the coachman whose name at present escapes me, were realistic and accurate in their complexities. Elise and Dorian have both loved and lost — but they still like and later love each other. Elise breaks Marcus’ heart, but upon meeting him years later, the two can be civil and know they’ll always care for one another, despite everything that happened.They even make up entirely! Brava for that, Ms. Blackwell!
Cons:
1. Uneven pacing and author investment — This book started so strong. I cared about the characters I met, and I was intrigued by the questions the opening raised. But once Rose was born, the story dragged. The dramatic change in pace bored me so badly, I either read at most three pages at a time before I couldn’t stand it and/or didn’t care enough to continue, or I’d plow through twenty or thirty pages, because surely something would happen soon. Eventually, though, I’d realize nothing was going to occur despite the number of pages I’d just read. After these marathon (they felt like marathons) sessions, I’d put the book down without picking it back up again until weeks later.
2. Foreshadow much? — I understand that Elise is recounting this story decades after its events, but true or not I felt that asides along the lines of, “if I’d only known…” or, “things were good, but not for long; dark days loomed ahead,” appeared at least every other page or so. I wanted to bang my head against a wall every time these sentiments appeared. First, this method of foreshadowing is the most elementary, so to have it recurring every few pages screamed “inexperienced and clumsy” author - at best.
If used sparingly and selectively, this type of foreshadowing can effectively build suspense. But the author’s overuse of it, especially in overtly happy scenes, only dampened any and all joy for the reader. The inevitable, plentiful ominous proclamations dampened, dulled, and darkened every happy passage. Applying obvious foreshadowing to every single happy moment prevents those moments from uplifting the reader enough that when things do take a turn for the worse, they affect her in any significant way.
3. Knowing one’s audience — while the intimate scenes weren’t explicit, I couldn’t help but remember the premise of the tale: Elise, recounting this story to her 14-year-old great-granddaughter. I wouldn’t want to hear about sexual encounters in any capacity from anyone I’m related to, let alone as a 14-year-old girl. Elise definitely needed to be reminded of who her audience was and what would be appropriate to share.
I ended up skimming the last 130+ pages of this book, just to say I’d finished it. While Beauty Slept had so much potential, and realized very little of it.
Overall, ehhh.
Pros:
1. Prose — Blackwell has a talent for writing in a more old-fashioned, formal style. Its appropriateness was perfect, given her take on this ancient tale. Many of her sentences were quite pretty, as well.
2. Descriptions — In addition to her lovely sentences, Blackwell’s descriptions are vivid — enchanting and horrifying as appropriate, but always effective and enriching.
3. Complexity in romantic relationship dynamics — I felt that the romantic relationships and romantic dynamics between characters, from a married Marcus and still-single Elise, to the king and queen, to Elise and Dorian, to Mayren and the coachman whose name at present escapes me, were realistic and accurate in their complexities. Elise and Dorian have both loved and lost — but they still like and later love each other. Elise breaks Marcus’ heart, but upon meeting him years later, the two can be civil and know they’ll always care for one another, despite everything that happened.
Cons:
1. Uneven pacing and author investment — This book started so strong. I cared about the characters I met, and I was intrigued by the questions the opening raised. But once Rose was born, the story dragged. The dramatic change in pace bored me so badly, I either read at most three pages at a time before I couldn’t stand it and/or didn’t care enough to continue, or I’d plow through twenty or thirty pages, because surely something would happen soon. Eventually, though, I’d realize nothing was going to occur despite the number of pages I’d just read. After these marathon (they felt like marathons) sessions, I’d put the book down without picking it back up again until weeks later.
2. Foreshadow much? — I understand that Elise is recounting this story decades after its events, but true or not I felt that asides along the lines of, “if I’d only known…” or, “things were good, but not for long; dark days loomed ahead,” appeared at least every other page or so. I wanted to bang my head against a wall every time these sentiments appeared. First, this method of foreshadowing is the most elementary, so to have it recurring every few pages screamed “inexperienced and clumsy” author - at best.
If used sparingly and selectively, this type of foreshadowing can effectively build suspense. But the author’s overuse of it, especially in overtly happy scenes, only dampened any and all joy for the reader. The inevitable, plentiful ominous proclamations dampened, dulled, and darkened every happy passage. Applying obvious foreshadowing to every single happy moment prevents those moments from uplifting the reader enough that when things do take a turn for the worse, they affect her in any significant way.
3. Knowing one’s audience — while the intimate scenes weren’t explicit, I couldn’t help but remember the premise of the tale: Elise, recounting this story to her 14-year-old great-granddaughter. I wouldn’t want to hear about sexual encounters in any capacity from anyone I’m related to, let alone as a 14-year-old girl. Elise definitely needed to be reminded of who her audience was and what would be appropriate to share.
I ended up skimming the last 130+ pages of this book, just to say I’d finished it. While Beauty Slept had so much potential, and realized very little of it.
Overall, ehhh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Infertility, Murder, Toxic friendship, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Blood, Death of parent, Medical content, Violence, War, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, and Self harm