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A review by linazelonka
Die Tochter des Uhrmachers by Charlotte Breuer, Kate Morton, Norbert Möllemann
4.0
In 1862, young artist Edward invites his friends to spend a few weeks in Birchwood Manor, a lovely old house in the English countryside. What starts as a beautiful summer ends with a tragic event that changes everything – and the truth about what really happened will remain a secret for more than 150 years ...
"The Clockmaker's Daughter" is a mesmerizing, complex and tragic story, told from various points of view and in different timelines, a bit like a puzzle whose pieces come together very slowly, one by one. After finishing the book I felt like I had just finished watching an intense movie, and my thoughts are still back in Birchwood Manor with Lucy, Lily, Ada, Juliet and so many other characters.
Speaking of characters: One has to admire Kate Morton for constructing so many characters, so many fates, and so many worlds, all in one book. First I was a bit irritated, wondering how many storylines the author was intending to introduce us to in this book, but to be honest it never felt like it was getting out of control, and in the end things were weaved together quite skillfully. I suggest you read this book during a period where you know you have enough time to get fully immersed into the story, so as not lose the thread so easily.
I could've cared more for the central couple of the story, Edward and Lily – but somehow both characters didn't move me so deeply. Especially Edward felt like a romanticized, blurred version of the stereotypical good-looking hero. I was far more touched by Tip, Juliet, Lucy, Ada and Leonard's story.
Clearly an immense amount of research has gone into historical details about artists and science, though I'm not gonna lie – while these parts made for a realistic, authentic story, they didn't interest me as much as the characters and the plot.
This was a complex read, something between historical fiction and magic realism, full of life and pain, and I truly enjoyed it. I read the German translation and I think the English original might have had an even deeper effect on me, however the German translation felt absolutely smooth and authentic.
"The Clockmaker's Daughter" is a mesmerizing, complex and tragic story, told from various points of view and in different timelines, a bit like a puzzle whose pieces come together very slowly, one by one. After finishing the book I felt like I had just finished watching an intense movie, and my thoughts are still back in Birchwood Manor with Lucy, Lily, Ada, Juliet and so many other characters.
Speaking of characters: One has to admire Kate Morton for constructing so many characters, so many fates, and so many worlds, all in one book. First I was a bit irritated, wondering how many storylines the author was intending to introduce us to in this book, but to be honest it never felt like it was getting out of control, and in the end things were weaved together quite skillfully. I suggest you read this book during a period where you know you have enough time to get fully immersed into the story, so as not lose the thread so easily.
I could've cared more for the central couple of the story, Edward and Lily – but somehow both characters didn't move me so deeply. Especially Edward felt like a romanticized, blurred version of the stereotypical good-looking hero. I was far more touched by Tip, Juliet, Lucy, Ada and Leonard's story.
Clearly an immense amount of research has gone into historical details about artists and science, though I'm not gonna lie – while these parts made for a realistic, authentic story, they didn't interest me as much as the characters and the plot.
This was a complex read, something between historical fiction and magic realism, full of life and pain, and I truly enjoyed it. I read the German translation and I think the English original might have had an even deeper effect on me, however the German translation felt absolutely smooth and authentic.