Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by thecar
The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzi Lee
5.0
Full Review To Come -- Some Thoughts for Now
I really enjoyed this book. Some have said it is the weakest of the series, but what the book sometimes lacks in pacing or, truth be told -- plot -- it makes up for in characterisation that I really enjoyed. It was amazing to read what is essentially dialogue I have with myself every day on the page. Adrian was relatable, and though sometimes I find it annoying to have a character think the way he does as it can be draining to read, the way Lee balances this with humour and characters we are already familiar with makes this far easier to read than some other books with anxious main characters. Overall I felt it was a well-rounded final book to a series that I have read more for fun, rather than artistic prose or some hidden deep meaning.
Ok Why Has Nobody Said This???
Look, I really enjoyed this book. But something about the ending is really getting to me and I haven't seen anyone else mention it at all. The final few lines (no spoilers here, they are mostly inconsequential) seem a little familiar...
This is actually (basically) the exact words used in Rilke's 1905 poem 'Go to the Limits of your Longing' which contains the lines:
I'm not here to shame the author for taking inspiration from this poem, it's one I only recognised as those lines have helped me immensely with my own anxiety. But I expected at least a mention in the author's notes, but there was nothing. Not the least to mention it was written in 1905, long after the Montagues' time. Simply something I noticed that struck me as an interesting choice, that nobody else seemed to be talking about.
I really enjoyed this book. Some have said it is the weakest of the series, but what the book sometimes lacks in pacing or, truth be told -- plot -- it makes up for in characterisation that I really enjoyed. It was amazing to read what is essentially dialogue I have with myself every day on the page. Adrian was relatable, and though sometimes I find it annoying to have a character think the way he does as it can be draining to read, the way Lee balances this with humour and characters we are already familiar with makes this far easier to read than some other books with anxious main characters. Overall I felt it was a well-rounded final book to a series that I have read more for fun, rather than artistic prose or some hidden deep meaning.
Ok Why Has Nobody Said This???
Look, I really enjoyed this book. But something about the ending is really getting to me and I haven't seen anyone else mention it at all. The final few lines (no spoilers here, they are mostly inconsequential) seem a little familiar...
"I will let it all happen to me, beauty and terror and love and hate and ugliness and anger and fear. I know that no feeling is final, and that fear only wins when I stop fighting."
This is actually (basically) the exact words used in Rilke's 1905 poem 'Go to the Limits of your Longing' which contains the lines:
"Let everything happen to you / beauty and terror / just keep going / no feeling is final."
I'm not here to shame the author for taking inspiration from this poem, it's one I only recognised as those lines have helped me immensely with my own anxiety. But I expected at least a mention in the author's notes, but there was nothing. Not the least to mention it was written in 1905, long after the Montagues' time. Simply something I noticed that struck me as an interesting choice, that nobody else seemed to be talking about.