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A review by moonbeammckenna
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I believe I just found my new favorite book. Every once in a while I remember why I'm addicted to reading and it's because I'll finish a novel and have to set it down and deal with the place it has set in my heart, and the hole there, now that it's over. And then I'll read another 100 terrible books looking for that feeling again -- and I finALLY found it lol.
I loved everything about the book -- the research alone that had to have gone into writing it is inspiring and dizzying. I love how it brought me to places that aren't often settings for books (or maybe I'm just uncultured lol) like Istanbul and Hungary and Bulgaria and I ADORED how I could look up online the buildings and monasteries they visited and see it for myself.
The characters had a lot of depth and personality -- it felt like they were all real and independent of the author, if that makes sense. It was confusing at times having the bulk of the story be a letter from her father about the past, with other's letters and stories in THAT letter. Though it wasn't too bad, and I actually enjoyed having to keep my brain on for the whole book.
The plot frickin slapped; THAT'S how you write a vampire story. The way Kostova masterfully revealed details and wove romance and dread in there was fantastic. I'll admit it did slow down a little too much at times, and I often had to backtrack several chapters (and sometimes like half the book) to piece together what was actually happening and to be able to follow along with it. In the books defense though, that may just be my lizard brain trying to comprehend things.
All in all -- absolutely lovely. This book is the reason I'm not going to reach my reading goal this year and I'm not even mad.
I loved everything about the book -- the research alone that had to have gone into writing it is inspiring and dizzying. I love how it brought me to places that aren't often settings for books (or maybe I'm just uncultured lol) like Istanbul and Hungary and Bulgaria and I ADORED how I could look up online the buildings and monasteries they visited and see it for myself.
The characters had a lot of depth and personality -- it felt like they were all real and independent of the author, if that makes sense. It was confusing at times having the bulk of the story be a letter from her father about the past, with other's letters and stories in THAT letter. Though it wasn't too bad, and I actually enjoyed having to keep my brain on for the whole book.
The plot frickin slapped; THAT'S how you write a vampire story. The way Kostova masterfully revealed details and wove romance and dread in there was fantastic. I'll admit it did slow down a little too much at times, and I often had to backtrack several chapters (and sometimes like half the book) to piece together what was actually happening and to be able to follow along with it. In the books defense though, that may just be my lizard brain trying to comprehend things.
All in all -- absolutely lovely. This book is the reason I'm not going to reach my reading goal this year and I'm not even mad.