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A review by binnearl
The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The premise was promising. It's a quick read. Burton has a very easy-to-read style. But it was a relatively shallow book.
Vogue hypes this up as "The Secret History meets The Price of Salt", which is purely on a superficial level. The main issue was the characters. The story hinges on the obsessive chemistry between Laura and Virginia. The problem is Virginia isn't very charismatic or mysterious (enough to be alluring). 'She's no Henry a la The Secret History' or 'Carol from the Price of Salt". I didn't buy why people were drawn to her, why Laura was drawn to her. The characters were surprisingly one-dimensional. I was waiting for a real twist to happen but the book plays out how you expect.
I think the book had a lot of potential. I was very interested in a Byronic figure lionized after his death. The themes of romanticizing the past and this obsession to maintain traditions. I was disappointed that those themes weren't explored in-depth.
Vogue hypes this up as "The Secret History meets The Price of Salt", which is purely on a superficial level. The main issue was the characters. The story hinges on the obsessive chemistry between Laura and Virginia. The problem is Virginia isn't very charismatic or mysterious (enough to be alluring). 'She's no Henry a la The Secret History' or 'Carol from the Price of Salt". I didn't buy why people were drawn to her, why Laura was drawn to her. The characters were surprisingly one-dimensional. I was waiting for a real twist to happen but the book plays out how you expect.
I think the book had a lot of potential. I was very interested in a Byronic figure lionized after his death. The themes of romanticizing the past and this obsession to maintain traditions. I was disappointed that those themes weren't explored in-depth.