N. Mahurin
It was a highly well-done book, for a debut. Of course, there were parts where I wanted to know more, and discover better and more things, but the glamours were interestingly done ( and! the most described part of the text ) and the love interest was a twist I very honestly didn't see coming, which was a pleasant twist in and of itself. I would have liked a slightly more ... thrilling? Plot, when it came to the ultimate conflict, but since it was meant to be reminiscent of Austen and Brontë, I can forgive this. Because it was well-done in that particular style, and I enjoyed it immensely. It was also a quick read; I finished it in a day, and it swallowed me to the very end. I very much look forward to reading more by Kowal.
A luxurious start, and luscious middle, and a less-than-satisfying end. Whilst it did tie in loose ends in accordance to ‘Shadow with the Wind,' I found myself not quite comprehending what had just happened overall in relation to the particular plot-line. Certain characters, as in the main ‘antagonist', should have received more ‘read-time', in my opinion. But still, well-crafted, and very much visually stimulating; and the ‘mystery' part of it delivered quite well.
A much different novel than I thought I would read. Having been a fan of the musical for quite some time, seen the films a dozen different times, it was time to read the novel. That being said, I was expecting the romance that the musical presented. Instead, I received a Gothic-cloaked mystery of romantic proportions with interesting ( albeit dramatic & overtly passionate ) characters and Gaston himself as the narrator. Reading a bit on the history of this novel and its conception provided insight as to why the narrator was as such. For me, it was very well put together, although it left me with a few questions; the paranormal additions seemed like they were simply put there as a ‘wow' factor to throw the reader ( and the dramatic characters ) off, instead of acting as something to be deciphered. Perhaps the lack of “figuring things out” came from Gaston Leroux not having figured out the original mystery of the Palais Garnier himself. I'm glad I read it, though it doesn't have much re-read value for me, and there were places where the characters' dramatic tendencies were irritating instead of engaging. However, overall, I'm pleased.
An interesting scuttlebutt of a novel, unexpected from someone like Alcott, but she never compromises her style nor her morals for the sake of being non-controversial. I liked seeing this side of her, and the plotline was so sensational, it kept me gasping. Despite how annoyed I became at the fact that the protagonist could never seem to truly escape her fate, Alcott gained my forgiveness for how much this happened with the ultimate climax and ending of the novel. It made me wish for something different, and for something worse and better at the same time. I would definitely read it again, although this is one of those novels that has a tingling sensationalism the first time, and then perhaps become lacklustre with re-reading, as you already know how it ends. Don't regret adding it to my collection nonetheless and I will definitely be reading the other novels that she's written like this.
Despite not having the largest question answered, Tartt's prose pulled me into the inner workings of this southern-gothic narrative. The switching of perspectives provided such a rotund, complete picture that, as the story carried on, I didn't quite mind as much as before that my question wasn't being answered, and that more were being put in its place. Isn't that such the way as life, where it is disorganised and dissatisfying? Believing one thing, and perhaps that is not the truth at all, but you never know it? The lack of closure is disturbing, and I think a lot of people will be turned off by the fact that it doesn't answer “The Question,” but it's still a thrilling tale that made me give a damn about the characters and their fates.
An excellent read. Revisiting the old with a new twist, and Pullman's prose is as engaging as ever. I found myself emotionally invested in the characters and breathing hard whenever a tragedy seemed to happen upon them. It wasn't a ridiculous amount of things, although the things that did happen were thoroughly fascinating. This was very comforting, like sitting in one's favourite armchair with a cup of coffee in a vintage mug. I'm very much looking forward to the sequels.
Although filled with a lot of “telling” prose as opposed to showing, this is one of the few books that I could handle with that kind of prose. It was done in a masterful way, and I never got confused with the amount of characters nor subterfuge ongoing. The plot is woven wonderfully, and for a debut novel, I'm going to definitely be adding this to my favourites. I can't wait to read the sequels, and see how these dynasties rule.
An enthralling tale from start-to-finish. There were quite a few plot-points that I didn't see coming. Although sometimes the narrator, Daniel, had the voice of a thirty-year-old man than a child, even when he was a child, but since the story was told in retrospect, that came to make a lot more sense. One of the few books I've read that has an almost mosaic, spellbinding prose and just enough details to entice without feeling bare-boned. This was the first full-length Spanish-language novel that I read when I was about sixteen, and I thoroughly was enamoured with it. That feeling hasn't changed one bit in reading the English. This is one I would recommend both in Spanish and English to a lot of my fellow readers.
A dramatic and classic tale of Victorian literature, quite a whirlwind from start to finish despite its plodding onward in drama. The psychological aspects of it were what made it so interesting, as well as Brontë's illicit and descriptive prose, although if I had been Lockwood, I would have departed from the Grange long before I ever learnt the history of the house. At times, the dramatics are so much, I think it more of a satire of the ideals of the time period, of romance and ghostliness and hauntings and madness, and that thought endears it to me. I found myself frustrated in parts of it, although the characters do not stray very far from their “I am irredeemable” pathways. And I liked the ending the best, how it's very circular. Read for the experience, not necessarily for the plot, as it's told in abstract and detached narratives - listening to another's account alongside Lockwood, for an example. It's made of a lot of telling as opposed to doing.
As my first Atwood novel ever pored through, I think this is an excellent choice for those wishing for an introduction to her. The prose was engaging, the timeline expansive, and the protagonist one of those that you can't help to sort of identify with, whether it's in entire spans of happenstance or just a line here or two that sheds light on the situation.
The one complaint I have is that, at first, I was a bit bewildered as to the setup of the novel. That is to say, it took me a little bit of time to grow accustomed to the fact that it happens in both flashbacks and present-day circumstances, both of which are intermingled with one another and aren't labelled with dates or other such markers. However, once one becomes more used to that factor of the setup, then it becomes a much more enjoyable read.
Overall, it's encouraged me to pick up another one of Atwood's novels in the future, which I consider to be a good sign.
Thought-provoking, scintillating, daringly religious but also revealing of entirely spiritual matters. A look into the opposite side of things, as opposed to having someone be converted and view it through their eyes, it's viewed through the eyes of the tempters. Lewis's writing brings about a whole bunch of things that you yourself might not want to think about, and in that manner, the book thoroughly disturbed me. It's written in the form of high-vocabulary essays, which might turn off younger readers or most of them. To me, however, it was perfect, a brilliant collection of scathing lettres. It's something I'll sit on, and go back, and read another time with another perspective.