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documentno_is's Reviews (1.28k)
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The plot to this book didn't much pull me in but I'm nothing if not a completionist and felt compelled to read this in my quest to read everything written by Mhairi Mcfarlane. I'm not entirely convinced this book was really a "love with celebrity" trope in its entirety and I could see Mcfarlane attempt to push this novel to something beyond this. I've read multiple novels this year with the plot of a celebrity memoirist helping a celebrity put their life to page and I have to acknowledge this wasn't the best of even those. Still, Mcfarlane's voice is something I really appreciate in the romantic fiction world and I'll continue to enjoy reading her novels for that alone.
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
An interesting and poetic look into the court life in Kyoto during the Heinen period. Sei is not an altogether likeable character, but she is often sympathetic and has a strong voice. I liked most her musings on love and nature (the seasons) but really hated her opinions of the poor masses, it was very similar to Marie Antoinette. I was fascinated by the role of poetry during this time and how it was used as communication and social currency as well as literature.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
An overall shallow analysis of an inherently compelling life story. I was really invested in her life but I’m not sure she learned that much or took enough away from it to warrant praise as a memoir.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m a little anxious about how much I related to this character, the over analysis of every action and thought. The tie in with the church was fantastic and this cast of characters was interesting and empathetic. I do also love how the author chose to resolve some of the central conflicts while leaving the more realistic ones (relating largely to her family) open ended.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Easy to see how this set the stage for Dracula, Stoker clearly drew a lot of inspiration here. Thematically I’m more interested in Carmilla, and it doesn’t disappoint . The actual writing isn’t particularly compelling but the ideas are great.
Lesbian vampires ! I too would succumb ! Carmilla </3
Going back and reading Kinsella after years of overlooking her as a contemporary romance writer- I do think she has a unique and interesting voice in this genre.
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
A very reflective and hopeful rumination on the the cruelty or benevolence of God. I found this to be quite reflective of a lot of thoughts I've been having given the difficulty of the world and found it helpful to sit with this text in response. Having just read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek this was structurally more like poetry but still held Dillard's usual word choice style. All in all an incredibly easy and quick read, but I don't think I gained as much from it as the other Dillard I read recently.
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really enjoyed the intention and style of this novel but felt it was a little lacking in regards to execution. The surrealism felt almost implanted upon an already tangible story and ended up breaking up the story in the end in a way that I didn't appreciate.
This is specifically in regards to the birds aspect- I felt very satisfied by the way that non-lineal story telling aided the conclusion with Furufue and the monotony and lack of accomplishment inherent in office work. Them becoming the animals felt unnecessary to the purpose and ethos of the original theme.
I enjoyed the style, barren and non-linear at times with a great emphasis on surrounding objects and observational anecdotes. This one overall just felt a little lackluster to me.
I enjoyed the style, barren and non-linear at times with a great emphasis on surrounding objects and observational anecdotes. This one overall just felt a little lackluster to me.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Better than the set up would have you believe, there was a realism to this book I wasn’t expecting.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Reading this novel I realized how long it had been since I read just a straightforward mystery- and I'm glad I picked one up. It's hard not to become jaded by the true crime wave of media which is in exact opposition to this novel which not only provides a page turning situation with interesting characters but also race and class commentary is interwoven throughout. This novel was executed perfectly, Blanche was a lovable heroine and her knowledge of her surroundings was equal parts believable and nuanced. It was remarkable how uninterested she was in the affairs of those around her while being simultaneously propelled by her curiosity. This novel packs a punch and is much larger than the hokey marketing of its time cracks it up to be.