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A review by mbkarapcik
Ghosts of Harvard by Francesca Serritella
3.0
While the writing in this novel is beautiful and highly descriptive, sometimes there's just too much of it. It slows down the plot. However, you can tell how much the author enjoyed her time at Harvard by the lovingly rendered descriptions in the book.
The story does capture your interest and every so often takes hold of you with surprise, but the plot is very convoluted with too many pans on the fire. Some things just don't dovetail as much as they could. Some stories seem too quickly wrapped up and others disappear.
All that being said, much research went into this book, and the writing is strong and eloquent. This is her first long-form novel, despite her entertaining and soulful essays she shares in books with her mom, so I think she will go forward with more stronger books in the future. The plot is very original and refreshing from most fare out there--mental illness, history, paranormal situations, other subjects I cannot mention. Most books don't cover the diverse material you'll find in this novel.
The story does capture your interest and every so often takes hold of you with surprise, but the plot is very convoluted with too many pans on the fire. Some things just don't dovetail as much as they could. Some stories seem too quickly wrapped up and others disappear.
All that being said, much research went into this book, and the writing is strong and eloquent. This is her first long-form novel, despite her entertaining and soulful essays she shares in books with her mom, so I think she will go forward with more stronger books in the future. The plot is very original and refreshing from most fare out there--mental illness, history, paranormal situations, other subjects I cannot mention. Most books don't cover the diverse material you'll find in this novel.