Scan barcode
A review by knkoch
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
This is a long, epic story on the scale of some of the Dickens books I’ve read. I like that you go on quite the journey with the central set of characters, covering the full span of lives and beyond. Marian Graves is at the center, the pilot forcing the rest of the Earth to cycle around her, and she lives through many different lives.
I struggled mightily with settling into this one at the beginning, especially with the scant chapter or two about Marian and Jamie’s parents. Once I got ahold of the characters sticking around, it improved for me. In fact, the whole book felt like a gradual but continuous improvement all the way to the end. I even liked the modern perspective Hadley’s story added. Overall, it was highly worthwhile seeing this to the end.
I struggled mightily with settling into this one at the beginning, especially with the scant chapter or two about Marian and Jamie’s parents. Once I got ahold of the characters sticking around, it improved for me. In fact, the whole book felt like a gradual but continuous improvement all the way to the end. I even liked the modern perspective Hadley’s story added. Overall, it was highly worthwhile seeing this to the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Adult/minor relationship, and Rape
One character is in an abusive marriage, and another witnesses a brutal battle in the Pacific during WWII.