Take a photo of a barcode or cover
mschlat 's review for:
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street
by Natasha Pulley
When I described this book to my wife, she said it sounded like [a:Neil Stephenson|1976950|Neil Stephenson|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] on Quaaludes. You have an interesting setting (Victorian era London with glimpses of Japan), intriguing protagonists (a highly proficient telegraphist with synesthesia, a Oxford student who is trying to prove the existence of the ether, and the eponymous watchmaker who appears far too talented), and some compelling plot turns (including a bombing and a staging of a comic opera).
But that's all the Stephenson stuff. The Quaalude portion of the book is the pacing (incredibly slow at times) and the tone. In many ways, this feels like a cosy --- nothing is ever too dire, and everything gets wrapped up nearly perfectly. Moreover, first you think you're reading a slice of life work, then you're reading a crime novel, and then you're reading a romance --- I found the change in focus coupled with the lack of urgency confusing. It did not help that every three pages or so, I found myself struggling with a lack of clarity in the prose. ("Who's talking right now? What does that antecedent refer to?") A lot of nice ingredients, but the mixing and the cooking lacked appeal for me.
But that's all the Stephenson stuff. The Quaalude portion of the book is the pacing (incredibly slow at times) and the tone. In many ways, this feels like a cosy --- nothing is ever too dire, and everything gets wrapped up nearly perfectly. Moreover, first you think you're reading a slice of life work, then you're reading a crime novel, and then you're reading a romance --- I found the change in focus coupled with the lack of urgency confusing. It did not help that every three pages or so, I found myself struggling with a lack of clarity in the prose. ("Who's talking right now? What does that antecedent refer to?") A lot of nice ingredients, but the mixing and the cooking lacked appeal for me.