**spoiler alert** To be frank, the concept of the story is interesting & really very creepy. A man who lives inside the walls of an Opera Theatre & es**spoiler alert** To be frank, the concept of the story is interesting & really very creepy. A man who lives inside the walls of an Opera Theatre & essentially bullies the owners into funding his life & escapades all while terrorizing the performers. Then, you learn about the reasons for which this phantom man has chosen to live inside the walls of the theatre & the story becomes even more weird & terrifying.
I had only known about "The Phantom of the Opera" thanks to modern remakes which I can't say I ever watched, though their soundtracks (particularly the 2004 version) are something I have always appreciated. You might imagine my surprise when reading this original piece & Leroux describing the Phantom as a man whose physique is severely decaying due to illness & quite possibly his surroundings.
His features hold no apparent beauty, he is entirely disfigured & has advanced jaundice. To add to this Erik, or the Phantom is a psychopath. Without revealing too much of the plot, the reader has a chance to learn more about the Phantom thanks to a person from his past who has made his way to the Opera Theatre. Through this person's explanations, we learn that Erik has a hearty history of murder & torture which he has brought with him to the walls in which he now resides.
I've read reviews where people express a great lack of enthusiasm for the torture room that Erik has built inside the walls. However, if you think about it, that room is a terrifying contraption; people are literally left to overheat & die as their skin peels off their own bones. As well, people are driven to hang themselves once driven to madness. I wouldn't say that Leroux gave the torture room any less than a great deal of thought.
My main reason for not absolutely loving this story was the two main (minus the Phantom) characters. Christine is so annoying I had a hard time feeling bad for her & admit that at one point I even wished she would just stay with Erik so we didn't have to keep reading about this back/forth scenario between her & Raoul. She is definitely a reflection of her time as her personality is never explored & instead, we're meant to adore her because she grew up with a musical father & has a wonderful singing voice.
However, Christine is a weak character. She is so deliberate in her desire to believe in the concept of an Angel of Music that she ignores all the hard evidence around her for months. She then disappears & no one seems to really care, which leads me to ponder her impact on the group. How does someone from a select group of people who all know each other very well, disappear & the only person to kind of notice is a man she knew when she was a child?
On that note, Raoul is not my most favoured character of all time. His tunnel vision when it comes to Christine & the love he thinks they might share prevents him from having any rational thought or ever fully listening to her when she's retelling her experiences with the Phantom. When Christine tries to give subtle hints to Raoul that the masked ball is not a safe space & that she cannot express a return of his feelings he becomes irate & calls her profanities. It's hard to appreciate a character who is so disconnected from reality.
Overall, this is not a horrible story. There are many aspects that reveal the time in which the story was written & the audience with which it might resonate. However, it's a short story & there are many aspects to appreciate (mainly the horror). I truly enjoyed this book....more
I would say that this was a good book, it achieved what it set out to do & for that, I can appreciate it. The relationship between the father & his soI would say that this was a good book, it achieved what it set out to do & for that, I can appreciate it. The relationship between the father & his son was portrayed in a way that nestled perfectly into the story; allowing the pace of the narrative to move smoothly, nothing felt stuck.
My only real complaint is a personal one & truly has nothing to do with Wagamese's writing or the book itself. I found it frustrating reading about Franklin's reactions toward his father. His inability to let his father speak (his final words) without having a snarky remark in response or without being able to sit & listen to what was being said, peeved me.
I understand that he wasn't raised to explore empathy within himself & I suppose that understanding some of the aspects of being human proved to be more difficult for him to work through. However, given that we knew his father was on his last leg, it felt frustrating reading about a person who couldn't allow another human being to simply express the things that were hurting them all throughout their life. Due to this fact, the book became a little hard for me to get through because I kept thinking of how much Franklin was missing by not trying to understand how hard it must have been for his father (absent as he was throughout his life) to sit with him & tell him about his mistakes & how he knows there's no opportunity to turn back time or to make things better.
Again, this is entirely on me & in no way reflects the writing. For another person this aspect might have felt authentic & appropriate but, because I'm not the same person (in reactions or thoughts) as Franklin, I was annoyed.
Overall, I would recommend this book. The flow is seamless & the story is important. Regardless of my feelings towards Franklin's approach with his father & his last moments alive; the story is important to tell because it's an experience many people face....more
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on grief, fertility, pregnancy, poverty, terminal illness, the death of a child, insinuations of incest, child endangerment, & others.
It is difficult to know where to start. Around the bend, I go as though my mind is afraid to relinquish the scenery of the sea, the Australian sun, the rat-infested attic, & the mysterious games in mazes & fairytales; all of it has left me eager to remain. There is no one reason why I seek out Morton’s books. I suppose that I have found myself eager to meet the world of a story where every character is so much themselves that they might be myself; a reflection of the world in which I live. I know for certain that I have to hold myself to attention when it is time to read one of her books. They are a journey that is crafted for a reader who is ready for an odyssey.
Out of the many characters we meet within this novel, I would be hard-pressed to distinguish my favourite. Who made the greatest impact on the narrative? On whose shoulders does the reader lay their head for comfort & insight? As the first chapter begins, I found myself eager to see Cassandra find herself again. I worried that Nell was gone too soon, that her secrets were to be permanently absorbed through the hospital tiles, never to be known. I wanted to learn more about Hugh; a man intent on providing sanctuary to every living being, no matter how sudden or strange their appearance. I wanted to meet them all, I wanted to hear them share & watch them evolve.
What I appreciate innately about Morton’s books is her ability to engage so wholeheartedly with her characters. Every single person, ranging from the primary voice of Cassandra to the tertiary rambling of the motel clerk, Samantha, was worthwhile. Every moment spent reading a sequence of conversation, a particle of dialogue or an inner thought, felt important. This is an important accomplishment. I feel we have grown too comfortable with needing things to be worth something. I have found that the attention span of many has begun to wane & in the process, we have forgotten that returning something to the stranger’s face that we see in the shops & on the street is valuable to our entity.
Within these shared words we learn about ourselves. We are reminded of who we are. I will not speak for everyone, for certainly, some people feel as Christian does; it is easier to forget. For some of us, this was a transformation outside of our control & for others, an intentional bleaching of the mind. Yet, even with that being true, the small moments that take place in between the grand portraitures of our life, mean something in the long run. Every stroke of the waves against the sand, every ray of sun or a shiny moonbeam is important. Morton reminds the reader, without appearing pedantic, that these small moments make up the entirety of the whole; our entire lives.
Within these moments we find the heart of every character. It is so wonderful to see characters of every age, work their way through a world filled to the brim with sea creatures & tsunami waves; failing & succeeding in their own ways. If a reader longs to meet themselves within the pages of a book they would be among good company in Morton’s stories. I truly appreciate that Cassandra was a person with history, gritty & sad, yet her heart held the memory of times that strengthened her bones & allowed her to journey across the ocean in search of the answer to a mystery that someone she loved had been living with alone.
Such as in life, we need the participation & presence of other people. Sometimes this comes in the form of a sticker on public transport or in the nod of a cashier, maybe even in the grin that is shared amongst strangers in the briefest of coincidental moments. Every part of this story built itself around a situation that was both unfathomable & earnest. That being said, the mystery was not complicated to guess. I do not read Morton’s books to necessarily be duped & shocked. I read her books because she is a storyteller with a gift for bewildering the mind into forgetting that the images it sees are words on a page.
I found it a bit annoying that both Cassandra & Nell announced their guesses the entire time. I understand that Nell actually grew up believing that Rose was her mother, however, I felt a bit apprehensive about the casualty in her reveal to complete strangers that she was certain of something that could not easily be proven. In that same breath, it was bizarre to me that Cassandra was roaming around town stating something she posited as a hypothesis, was indeed the truth.
Every time Cassandra told someone that Rose & Nathaniel were her great-grandparents—Nell’s parents—I grew annoyed. She hadn’t concluded the mystery & yet she was sure of something that she could not prove. Again, I appreciate that she was eager to solve a family mystery. Regardless, I wished she showcased a bit more restraint. While on this tangent, I found myself flustered at Cassandra’s willingness to jump to conclusions. Though I appreciate that this allows the narrative of the story as a whole to move forward, it was often frustrating to read. I wished she had slowed her role a tiny bit. Any time someone posed a question she grew almost defensive & this slowed the flow of her own investigations significantly.
I understand that Cassandra acted in the book as many people would in real life. It’s difficult to disengage when one is so close to solving a difficult problem. As the reader, these are also very subjective reflections. Some people might not have posited that Eliza was indeed Nell’s biological mother & therefore might have appreciated the back & forth that Cassandra did with regard to Eliza’s participation in the fiasco.
One aspect of this story that I would have appreciated more details about was Linus & his seemingly obsessive sexual desires for his sister & Eliza. Perhaps, the reader is meant to read in between the lines & assuage what Linus wanted from both women. Maybe he was possessed by a fear of missing the one person who seemed to pay him any mind. However, he was intent on photographing both women—both while they were young & as adults—so that he might fantasize about holding them, etc. What was the big secret desire that Adeline was trying to stifle? Was Linus an incestuous member of the family?
Because I was unsure if there was a greater secret to hide, given the villager’s deliberate avoidance of the area & the rumours of unseemly occurrences on the property, I felt rather a letdown by the end of the story. I had guessed that Eliza was Nell’s mother & I had guessed that she had had sexual relations with Nathanial to fall pregnant. This is perhaps my own naivety speaking, but where do the villagers garner the big haunting secrets that keep them at bay? This is where Linus could have played a bigger role. His own father could have been revealed to have had similar tendencies & his ravings as he grew older could have played a more morose part in the events.
Because we are never explicitly told that Linus was trying to have sexual relations with his relatives, I am left to wonder what other things were happening on the property for everyone to believe that it was haunted & that folks were possessed to misbehave in the house. I digress, this is a personal qualm.
In all, there were many aspects of this story that I enjoyed, appreciated & will eagerly seek out again. Morton writes books that I shall read ample times throughout my life, this one is no exception. I particularly appreciate the vivacity of the worlds she crafts. Emotions play such a prominent role in the lives of each of the characters in this story that their environments seem to react in consequence. The boat ride that Nell took alone was both dark & vast; filled with passageways & scampering feet yet plagued with death along the way. Nell’s house in Brisbane was homely & colourful while, at the same time being cold & light; desolate of the warmth one finds in love.
It is sad to see mysteries that seep out of the pages. People lose their families, they lose themselves in the histories of occurrences undocumented & kept secret; histories sullied with violence & nightmarish horrors. We lose out on so much yet this is normal; there is no way to know completely who strode the path before us. I am happy to know that even though the ancestral face is shadowed in the unknown, it is enough for me to remember that there was one before me, as there shall be after. The world keeps spinning & one day I will lay beside those who spun along with it....more
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on war, death of a minor, rape, sexual assault of a minor, & others.
What I enjoyed about this book was the story itself. We see people from different nationalities fleeing their homes, seeking shelter & safety. What makes this book difficult to read is the fact that people are actively facing the realities depicted in this story.
I wasn't enthralled with the book. Lefteri doesn't clearly indicate timeline switches & the way that the story is written makes it difficult to discern whether something is happening in the present tense or in the past. I did appreciate the flow of timelines; that words triggered a flashback for the reader but, I would have also appreciated a bit more clarity when writing about a return to the present.
I found that we spent a lot of time tip-toeing around subjects. Given that the topic of this book was a perspective of the travels a refugee might undergo, I would have felt it appropriate to delve more into the hardships. That is to say, to expressively write things in a clear fashion. Much of the subject matter is already approached in an indirect way in life, it would be to the benefit of all for the story to be straightforward.
For example, the bomb that killed Sami or the disappearance of the brothers in the camp. The reader was left to imagine what might have actually transpired. In certain cases, I acknowledge that this is a good way to go, but, if you're already writing about terrible things, why not really make the reader aware of how terrible these things actually are.
Overall, this was a quick read. The characters felt authentic. The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that Nuri experienced was very well-written. A moment in the book which stood out to me & which still plays over in my mind was the interaction Nuri had with the woman on the beach. When she turns to him & acknowledges that she has also lost a child, I truly felt overwhelmed for him. I cannot possibly begin to imagine what it must feel like to lose a child, & how it must feel to lose a child during the war. Nuri's mindset was an incredible aspect of the story.
Whether you guessed the twist or not, the point is that a parent is disassociating in their vulnerable state (sleep) because their mind is unable to fully process the fact that their child was killed....more
**spoiler alert** The real-life story of Eliza is both fascinating & incredible. To grasp the full extent of everything that was left to her; the gran**spoiler alert** The real-life story of Eliza is both fascinating & incredible. To grasp the full extent of everything that was left to her; the grandeur of all her responsibilities, especially in a period of time in which women did not have the freedom to explore options for approaching any responsibilities which might have been given to them. Eliza did accomplish fantastic things for her family & the South, given the circumstances.
However, I did not feel that this book truly exposed me to the rawness of the situation Eliza was presented with. It took me a long time to become invested in the book and until I realized this was actually about a real-life person, I had a hard time actually believing anything that I read. I will credit this to specific freedoms that the author seemed to have taken (based on multiple other reviews).
The back/forth dialogue that dealt with Eliza & her thoughts/feelings towards Ben was so out of this world & unbelievable to me that it disconnected me from the story & in consequence led me to feel that I was reading a pure work of fiction. When I got to the end of the book & was able to read some concrete facts about Eliza, I felt that the relationship with Ben truly took away from Eliza’s lived experiences.
I don’t have to write a thousand words about the strangeness of this liberty. Eliza grew up the daughter of a slave-owner so one might conclude that she wasn’t totally oblivious to the way that Black people were treated or their social standing. Therefore, the fact that she constantly put Ben in peril & in dangerous situations by continuously trying to force a friendship (if not more) with him, in public places, was truly frustrating. Eliza went from a girl who seemed to want to break down the social norms imposed upon women; a person who works hard to save their family’s plantation, to a girl who really had no clue about anything that was happening in her society.
Had this part not been included, I would have felt more positive toward the story in general. The writing wasn’t hugely captivating but I will credit that to the fact that Eliza’s real life was probably not a giant adventure & was most likely filled with dread & hard times....more
Avec toute sincérité Victor Hugo est parmi mes écrivains préférés. Sont talent avec les mots et sa capacité de rédiger un roman si puissant en prose mAvec toute sincérité Victor Hugo est parmi mes écrivains préférés. Sont talent avec les mots et sa capacité de rédiger un roman si puissant en prose m'impressionne de plus qu'il ne m'est possible d'exprimer. Cela étant dit, j'avais hésité à embarquer dans la lecture de ce roman. Tous savent qu'Hugo n'est pas un écrivain qui se retient; s'il est nécessaire d'écrire des milliers de pages pour décrire la presse, il va s'y prendre.
Au cours de ma lecture je ne me suis pas sentie comme si on me faisait perdre mon temps. Même ayant des chapitres pleins et plus contenant des détails qui sembleraient nullement lier à l'histoire de base, tous les passages m'ont touché. Chaque passage contient de l'information pertinent et des événements qui se relient à l'histoire de fiction nous lisons.
Les personnages sont divers, intéressants et compliqués; elles sont honnêtes et réelles. Hugo nous fait part de la vie de divers parisiens et le lecteur à la chance de suivre leur séjour à travers la ville; pendant qu'ils espèrent éviter la persécution, le crime, le scandale et les coups de coeur.
Le roman nous fait part de plusieurs thèmes très difficiles à digérés. Les personnages n'ont pas la vie facile ni vont-ils tous retrouver une belle fin. Cependant, j'ai tellement apprécié l'histoire pour cette raison et pour toutes les autres aspects aussi. Ce livre demeurât l'ultime classique sans compétition. ...more
When I came across this book it was during a time in my life when I had not read any of the famed Agatha Christie books. Of course, one does not go thWhen I came across this book it was during a time in my life when I had not read any of the famed Agatha Christie books. Of course, one does not go through life unaware of the acclaimed author but, I had never come across an instance wherein I felt it the perfect moment to invest in her books.
Having come across Hannah's continuation of the Hercule Poirot mysteries, with the approval of the Christie estate, I found myself pleasantly reading through a story which required nothing more from me than my undivided attention.
It was too easy for me to love the story. That is not to say that anyone part might leave the reader unable to guess at the clues left throughout the story to reveal the person hidden behind the curtains but, regardless of that; Hannah wrote a beautiful book & left me with fond feelings towards a character I had yet to meet in life. This book encouraged me to dive head-first into the world of Agatha Christie & I have not looked back since.
Whether you are seeking to continue reading books that follow Poirot, desirous for more Christie-esque stories, or simply looking to expand your reading of murder mysteries; this book is worth the short time it takes to read it....more
**spoiler alert** The story attempts to introduce the reader to an initiative for a travelling library in Kentucky, USA, during the Great Depression (**spoiler alert** The story attempts to introduce the reader to an initiative for a travelling library in Kentucky, USA, during the Great Depression (1939) but quickly switches pace & tries to tackle a myriad of other issues without having the ability to properly delve into them.
Margery wasn't ever a bright character; she's influenced by emotions & is quick to take action without thinking through her actions first. This made the twist in the story (the murder plot) unsurprising & predictable. I was bewildered that someone for whom sexual freedom & knowledge seemed so available, did not think to consider that becoming pregnant was a plausible consequence of frequently having sex.
I know we have a lot more information about the reproductive system now than we did before however, Margery is made to come across as someone who has read up on the facts & encourages other women to do so as well. This part felt like lazy writing, as though Margery needed some kind of humanity brought to her character & the only way to do that was for her to become pregnant.
The fact that Margery feels the need to explain that a great-grandfather of hers was Cherokee, is ridiculous. We could have done without that part entirely, it brought nothing to the story & though I understand that in 1939 people didn't give a rat's ass about Indigenous peoples, they still do not & so we don't need literature that continues to appropriate the narrative that a single great-great relative was allegedly this or that & that's why "we have dark features". Please stop with this.
How many times are we going to have to read about a Black secondary character who has an obviously shit life, because of racism & the general horrendous behaviours of society, yet ends up always being there for the White people who are just so 'hard-done-by'? It's tiring. Sophia is her own person & her being written as the low-key saviour of the white people & their issues, while never being given a proper voice throughout the story was crap.
Alice, having been the book's primary focus, fell short for me as the main character. She never brought anything to the story except her unease in the community & her sorrow towards her lack of a sex life, which (reasonably so) must have been upsetting. However, as the story progresses we're only meant to view Bennett as a weak-willed person & aren't ever given the chance to feel for him as a human being who also had high demands imposed on him by his social status & his family.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying his life was as hard as Sophia's was, despite the author's attempts to make it seem like a white Immigrant of English society had it as bad as a Black woman in the South of the United States during the Depression. However, Bennett obviously had some issues. It seemed as though he was capable of real human connection but wasn't ever properly given the confidence to pursue the relationships further (on a physical basis), though he seemed to want to.
The secondary characters in this novel seemed interesting but we were never given the chance to know more about them. I suppose with all the other issues that were being broached in the storyline it would have led to the book being obscenely long had further details been given about all the librarians.
Overall, this wasn't my favourite book in the world but I can see why some people might have enjoyed it. The first half of the book, when we follow the librarians & the focus is on the initiative, was truly interesting & showcased good writing. However, at about the 200-page mark, I lost interest & by page 300, I skimmed my way through the ending. The plot never thickens but it does become murky. If Moyes had stuck to the original idea & explored that a bit more this book might have turned out better....more
**spoiler alert** I am sad to say that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped. Somthing was lacking in this plot. There was certainly a lot o**spoiler alert** I am sad to say that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped. Somthing was lacking in this plot. There was certainly a lot of great potential - wonderful characters, a great twist, a sincere setting - but everything tumbled together.
Will is a genuine character & though I couldn't relate to him in most ways, I grew to appreciate him & everything that went on in his life. He felt like an important part of the story; his dialogue was relevant, it developed & we as the reader grew to see the bigger picture of his home, his family & himself as the book progressed.
On the other hand, Annie was a character whom I struggled to care about. I wanted to empathize with how she must have felt to lose her sister but, every time her dialogue came around I felt that we were revisiting the same places over & over again. There wasn't much depth to her & I suppose, in contrast to Will, who sacrificed so much for the safety of those he loved & who lived with immense guilt for the greater portion of his adult life, it might be hard to create an equally heavyweight character.
Annie spent so much time in the environments in which her sister was last seen & nothing ever came of any of it. She experienced some of her sister's lifestyle & instead of viewing these things as troublesome, sought to immerse herself in them. I felt bad for her because she seemed like such a lost soul who knew that Moosonee was where she belonged.
When the novel begins to wrap up the plot, I didn't quite grasp how Suzanne was able to safely make her way back home. There is a brief conversation between Will & Suzanne's mom in which she hints at knowing more than what is ever revealed to the reader. I didn't understand why we never revisited that. I think it would have helped to smoothen out the ending if some of the details of Suzanne's whereabouts had been shared with Annie which would have encouraged her to make her way back. Instead, we have a quick phone conversation & then things begin to slow towards the end.
I do enjoy Boyden's writing so will read other works by him but, this one simply wasn't my cup of tea....more
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on abuse, parental neglect, poverty, financial insecurity, violence, & others.
There were many aspects of this book that left much to be desired. Something was lacking in the overall presentation of the story, which is unfortunate because the plot held much intrigue. If I had to state what essence this story lacked I would say that it was authenticity.
The plot is simple & subsequently very easy to follow. However, reading 364 pages in which no obstacle is presented to me & the conclusion I had drawn in the beginning, I felt I had wasted my time.
The isolation that Kya experiences during her formative years would leave a mark on her psychological state, this much is easy to conclude with certainty. However, there is never any instance in the book wherein this is clearly demonstrated. Instead, we read about Kya vocalizing having been abandoned. Neither her behaviour nor her perception of the world appears altered in the least by any of the events which transpired in her life.
Save for the instance in which the author describes Kya as hiding behind her boat or in the wilderness, she acts like any other well-adjusted person. One would never guess that Kya had watched every member of her family walk out the physical door to their home, never to return again. I am not indicating that one cannot overcome adversity or work past horrific events. What I mean to say is that Kya vocalizes things as if to say them for the sake of them being said & yet none of the weight which is carried by said events is ever presented in actuality; we read about the main character who could have been living any other life, nothing impacted her in the least to form a well-rounded fictional person.
I would have loved for Kya to have been genuine during the trials. I felt disappointed to have spent so many pages reading about a bogus theory only to get to the end of the story & have everything I knew to be true, re-affirmed. Kya was meant to be a strong character who overcame adversity. I feel as though it would have done her justice for her to have been honest with the reader regarding the murder. Was she sincerely shocked to be informed that the prosecutor would be going for the death penalty? Or was that simply meant to distract the reader?
I have to say that the main aspect of the murder trials that I didn’t understand was Tate — seemingly oblivious to his own red hat being shown as evidence. Had he completely forgotten that he had given it to Kya right before her trip? Why did he never suspect her after having seen the one piece of evidence he could place as having been directly in her possession before Chase was murdered? Why did it take until after her death for him to be surprised at that?
If you’re looking for an easy novel to get through, with delightful descriptions of nature, this would be a good book to select. However, if you are looking to read a compelling story about murder; this is not it....more
I do not have much to say with regard to this book which is odd because it’s a long read. Then again, nothing much happens during the entirety of the I do not have much to say with regard to this book which is odd because it’s a long read. Then again, nothing much happens during the entirety of the plot which would leave me with any particular feelings or thoughts.
All that to say, a book deemed a classic piece of literature does not mean that it will be a great read. Should you be seeking to argue your point that many classic books are in fact boring, this would be a good book to utilize in support of your point.
That is not to say that I am not glad to have read the book. I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from reading this story but, I didn’t find it as enthralling as many others. The story follows a family of women as the Patriarch is away from home. This is not the style of book I very much seek to read. The plot is concentrated on highlighting the opportunities refuted to women in the time period, which we then see some of the women attempt to reach, irrespective of their sex—wonderful.
Nevertheless, I found little to lead me to want to complete my reading of this book save for the fact that I wanted to have a well-rounded opinion before writing a review.
I will leave off by saying that though this wasn’t necessarily a book that I was thrilled in reading, I understand why so many people marvel at its plot. The characters are authentic to themselves as much as they are able. The scene is genuinely set so that the reader might find no struggle at imagining the homestead & town. If you have the time, I can’t say that it would necessarily be lost in reading this book, you might in fact find yourself reflected in one of the many characters who peruse the pages....more
This was a colossal disappointment. I continue to see people raving about this book but, I cannot understand why. Though the subject matter presents aThis was a colossal disappointment. I continue to see people raving about this book but, I cannot understand why. Though the subject matter presents an interesting perspective on an otherwise well-known historical event; nothing which transpired felt authentic, interesting, nor did it contain any level of depth.
If you are searching for a book that will transport you to the location of the story, a book that will make you feel emotionally invested & hopeful for the characters; a book that depicts history as all that it was, this is not it. If you decide that you want to read a book that takes place during a time whose reality is not hidden or unknown to the majority of the population alive today, & you are not entirely concerned with the facts of that situation, this book might be what you are looking for.
The writing was what ultimately kept me disconnected from being able to love the characters. Dialogues felt very forced & though I appreciate that the focus of this story is a romantic relationship blossoming in a death camp; nothing was said which would lead me to believe that any basic connection between the characters was achieved, however little they said to one another.
I am aware of my lack of personal connection to this particular historical event. I do not have family which survived the atrocities which transpired & therefore cannot speak on a personal level to all that happened; the horrors that people sought to survive & those that some did not. With that being said, & acknowledging my personal position; reading this book felt like the author took none of the events, which transpired in & around the death camps, seriously.
Lale was constantly making snarky comments. He was easily able to smuggle food & other goods into the camp & the whole story made it seem like no bad things were actually happening. All of his friends were taken away to die & the author spent all of 2 seconds describing Lale's grief. Then the story just felt like it swiftly moved on.
What I'm trying to say is that this book shouldn't be read in the hopes of delving into a new or deeper chapter of WWII. I think if you read this book for the bits of hope that it tries to gift the reader, you might have a better time appreciating it than I did.
I tried to read this book because I thought I would learn more about a job that someone held during the Holocaust which is very seldom talked about. Instead, I briefly met some characters who fell in love & the rest is circumstantial or background noise, if you will. ...more
**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, theref**spoiler alert** It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on sexual abuse, parental neglect, poverty & others.
It’s always fascinating when our reading habits foreshadow events. Around the time that I found this book, I had been on a floury of Plague reads. Dealing with the Black Plague & having enjoyed Brooks’ past works I figured it wouldn’t hurt to read this one.
This book started out well. The setting was time appropriate, the characters fit in well with their environment & their development throughout the story was well-suited to their personalities & situations.
Anna wasn’t a character that I cared about. Her development & participation in the story never intrigued me, which was a bummer because she is the main character. We relive the horrid events of her childhood at the hands of her father repeatedly. Her experiences in childhood are the basis for her behaviours in adulthood, the redundancy lacked a concrete link to her actions. Subsequently, I became confused about the logic behind her decision-making.
Elinor is the person that helps truly guide Anna in her adulthood. Both characters are neither boisterous, confident nor rash. That being said, we read about them deciding to go into a Mine; an action that lacked any reasoning. I can suppose that doing so was meant to connect the progression of the plot to its conclusion wherein Anna decides to pursue a relationship with Michael, a year after Elinor’s death. I admit I found that entire plot point entirely bizarre.
I can acknowledge that there are certain human desires/needs which might overrun other rational thoughts but that isn’t explored in this book. The reason for Michael & Anna pursuing relations was simply so that Anna could imagine herself as being Elinor; living her life, having her relationship, etc. Where did the girl who was gaining independence go? Maybe I missed something because to me, Elinor & Anna seemed like genuine friends & it was only those few moments of jealousy regarding intimacy that were hinted at.
The ending of this book is a disappointment. It felt as though I were reading another story entirely. Anna, the small-town girl who barely had a head on her shoulders, sails across the ocean & becomes a polygamist’s wife. Asking the reader to believe that Anna would hold any level of advanced knowledge over the other wives, specifically those of midwifery, is absurd.
I usually really enjoy books of this style but, this one missed the mark. The ending really left a foul taste in my mouth....more
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