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emmamoffitt 's review for:
The Wonder
by Emma Donoghue
Overall a pretty good read, although my interest flagged a bit towards the end.
I think this book works well as dark, atmospheric historical fiction. Emma Donoghue has done an amazing job of conjuring up a tiny 18th century Irish village, seeped in superstition and still suffering the trauma of the recently ended potato famine. Donoghue creates powerful dramatic tension making use of the way a modern reader will understand Anna’s fasting, compared to the characters’ limited insight based on the science of the time. It also raises questions about faith and religious institutions which are just as relent to the modern world.
It works a bit less well as a mystery. It moves slowly and the big secrets are not that hard to guess. Towards the end I felt I already knew what was going to happen and I got a bit bored waiting for it to play out.
So if you are looking for an exciting mystery full of twists and turns, this is probably not the book for you. But I would definitely recommend this to lovers of historical fiction and general fiction.
I think this book works well as dark, atmospheric historical fiction. Emma Donoghue has done an amazing job of conjuring up a tiny 18th century Irish village, seeped in superstition and still suffering the trauma of the recently ended potato famine. Donoghue creates powerful dramatic tension making use of the way a modern reader will understand Anna’s fasting, compared to the characters’ limited insight based on the science of the time. It also raises questions about faith and religious institutions which are just as relent to the modern world.
It works a bit less well as a mystery. It moves slowly and the big secrets are not that hard to guess. Towards the end I felt I already knew what was going to happen and I got a bit bored waiting for it to play out.
So if you are looking for an exciting mystery full of twists and turns, this is probably not the book for you. But I would definitely recommend this to lovers of historical fiction and general fiction.