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chris_the_bibliophile 's review for:
The Book of Air and Shadows
by Michael Gruber
The idea behind this book was good. It was also interesting because part of it is written in first present tense, looking back on the events that lead up to the narrator (Jake) writing down what has happened. It also switches over to another character (Albert) who eventually crosses paths with Jake. This part is written not from Jake's POV but third person limited to Albert. The narrative is also interrupted by letters from 16th C. that, eventually, involve Shakespeare.
This being said the beginning is dreadfully slow. The epistolary portion painfully details the family history of the letters' author, the characters of Jake and Albert are not terribly well developed. I normally devour books, read 300 pages in a day, but this book took me a couple days because I wasn't into it. There was too many shifts, even when Jake and Albert meet the POV jump from Jake's first person to Albert's focused third did really offer any new insights that made that jump worthwhile.
The idea of discovering a new Shakespeare play and the basic plot line I think is good, it just wasn't executed well enough.
This being said the beginning is dreadfully slow. The epistolary portion painfully details the family history of the letters' author, the characters of Jake and Albert are not terribly well developed. I normally devour books, read 300 pages in a day, but this book took me a couple days because I wasn't into it. There was too many shifts, even when Jake and Albert meet the POV jump from Jake's first person to Albert's focused third did really offer any new insights that made that jump worthwhile.
The idea of discovering a new Shakespeare play and the basic plot line I think is good, it just wasn't executed well enough.