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A review by kibernick
Private Rites by Julia Armfield
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It took me a long time to get into this. The prologue (and the book cover) tricked me into expecting more horror/supernatural shenanigans than the family drama that’s the real meat of the novel. Once I looked up the King Lear references, the book got more enjoyable.
The writing style is reflective and rich. At times it felt a bit rambly, with jumping across different time periods and reflections on characters, all in the same paragraph. Maybe because I was rushing to read it for my book club.
So, don’t rush this book, but enjoy its lush prose about dysfunctional families.
Speaking of rushing, the ending felt weird. One of the characters even thinks “wrong genre!” as the novel turns into an A24 movie. The horror parts were way too vague throughout the book so I was left puzzled.
The writing style is reflective and rich. At times it felt a bit rambly, with jumping across different time periods and reflections on characters, all in the same paragraph. Maybe because I was rushing to read it for my book club.
So, don’t rush this book, but enjoy its lush prose about dysfunctional families.
Speaking of rushing, the ending felt weird. One of the characters even thinks “wrong genre!” as the novel turns into an A24 movie. The horror parts were way too vague throughout the book so I was left puzzled.