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A review by bookstolivewith
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
4.0
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I think my experience here may be a case of too much hype, but not enough payoff. While I liked Kristen Hannah’s The Nightingale, I wasn’t ever moved to tears or particularly shocked as the story unfolded, especially given the many other WWII historical fiction books I’ve also encountered. I appreciated Hannah’s simple storytelling but found the plot pretty average and wasn’t particularly invested in the characters, despite the heighten circumstances and how much care Hannah puts into all of them and their connections to each other.
Now, all of this to say, I definitely (if metaphorically) held this book at arm’s length — I don’t like to read about sad or stressful things (even though I do it because I know it’s important to understand those stories) and Nazis/the Holocaust pretty much tops that list, so my lack of investment could definitely have been my own fault and not a lack of Hannah’s ability.
I was particularly disturbed by (spoiler alert!) Vianne’s continued silence about her treatment and abuse during the war, even with her husband who I know has traumas of his own but still — I realize it was a different time, but I found her silence on and acceptance (don’t know if that’s exactly the right word but that’s what I’ve got for now) of what had happened to her, a bit uncomfortable to read. I’m not really sure what I would have wanted to read instead, but something about it still doesn’t sit right with me.
I think my experience here may be a case of too much hype, but not enough payoff. While I liked Kristen Hannah’s The Nightingale, I wasn’t ever moved to tears or particularly shocked as the story unfolded, especially given the many other WWII historical fiction books I’ve also encountered. I appreciated Hannah’s simple storytelling but found the plot pretty average and wasn’t particularly invested in the characters, despite the heighten circumstances and how much care Hannah puts into all of them and their connections to each other.
Now, all of this to say, I definitely (if metaphorically) held this book at arm’s length — I don’t like to read about sad or stressful things (even though I do it because I know it’s important to understand those stories) and Nazis/the Holocaust pretty much tops that list, so my lack of investment could definitely have been my own fault and not a lack of Hannah’s ability.
I was particularly disturbed by (spoiler alert!) Vianne’s continued silence about her treatment and abuse during the war, even with her husband who I know has traumas of his own but still — I realize it was a different time, but I found her silence on and acceptance (don’t know if that’s exactly the right word but that’s what I’ve got for now) of what had happened to her, a bit uncomfortable to read. I’m not really sure what I would have wanted to read instead, but something about it still doesn’t sit right with me.