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roshnimc's Reviews (123)
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
A short book but powerfully emotive.
adventurous
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
A case of old French aristocracy clashing with new American money. The novel exposes hypocrisy and parental control.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Good plot - I was not able to guess the murderer. It's just that there were so many subplots so the pace was jerky and as a result, I wasn't able to read the book in one sitting, which I usually like to do for murder mysteries.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After a long time, I encountered a book so rich in reflection and psychological analysis. This is my first Ishiguro book and based on this, I bought several of his other books.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
It started off very well describing the servants' situation at the Longbourn estate and, wherever possible, followed the Pride and Prejudice novel. I especially liked the tie-in with the ladies of Longbourn being said to have got their shoe ribbons by proxy in P&P and the description of what that actually meant here - that Sally had to walk through rain and mud to get them. Then, the story degenerates into a Hollywood movie. The story should have gone on giving a realistic picture of the servants' lives rather than forcing a somewhat bizarre happy ending. The character of many of the central figures of P&P are necessarily changed. I understand the empathy for Mrs Bennet but here Mr Bennet and even Lizzie and Mr Darcy are not shown in a good light. I would have liked to add this book to my re-read pile based on the first half but the second part messed it up.
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Tom Shippey described how Tolkien had an anxiety-induced dream and immediately committed this story to paper the next day. It makes me very sad to know that he felt at that time that he had not accomplished much in his life. He describes himself well in the story but in the outlook of others, he is truly mistaken. Perhaps it was more his own perception driven by his perfectionism. This is the time I truly hope that humans have souls that can look on after death and that he has peace seeing how his son carried on his legacy.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It is clear why King is a masterful writer. This is my first Stephen King book and it was interesting to me that the book is not initially as fast-paced as I expected it to be. The psychological trauma of the wife as a young child was very poignantly described and the father's interaction with his child while kite-flying was touching. The second half really pumps the gas on the horror that unfolds. The pace is breakneck and I felt on the edge of my seat, often clutching my hair most of the time. The last few pages are devastating; really hard to read and to be honest, I skimmed through them just to get closure. It is not my cup of tea to be so discomfited and since that was the aim of King, he succeeded brilliantly.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It starts well enough describing the life of a lonely, neglected child. Though it may not appear sympathetic to her because the narrator seems to characterise the neglect as understandable on the part of the parents because of the bad behavior of the child, it's clear that Burnett means for us to think more deeply on the matter. The central effect of nature and living, growing things and the comfort that can be derived from flowers and grass and freshly dug soil is beautifully described. The ending was disappointing because it was very simplistic - the reunion of the ailing boy with his neglectful father, who is excused so easily. However, a lot of children's books do skip over attributing any blame to the parents even when they are clearly at fault so maybe this was the attempt by Burnett to have a reasonably satisfactory ending.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story itself was gripping. It started off well, lagged in the middle, and then picked up to a climactic end. The writing style is very descriptive without being too flowery or preachy. To me, the overblown description of the passion and obsession of the main character made the story drag. Character insights, even of the minor characters, was well done. This is a gothic-style thriller/romance similar to Rebecca, written to make you keep guessing the outcome until the last page. In my estimation, not a book to re-read.