The Lonely Hearts Hotel

DNF

Beautifully written, interesting content–not for everyone. I think for me, the thing I liked best was the imagery and language and the descriptions of what it might have been like to live during the early 1900's, with the most interesting being the descriptions of the Great Depression.
I liked this book... but I didn't.

I mainly wanted to check this one out as it is a Montreal author writing a story set in Montreal, at the beginning of the 20iest century. All other comparisons (mainly to [b:The Night Circus 9361589 The Night Circus Erin Morgenstern https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387124618l/9361589.SY75.jpg 14245059] already warned me I probably wouldn't like it much, but as my taste threshold for audiobooks is lower and the story quite fast-moving, I didn't mind as much. That said, fairytale-like stories of fate-entwined lovers are definitely not my thing. Especially when the writing is too much in love with their entwined destinies (symmetrically walks and simultaneous sighs). It redeemed itself a bit again with it's melancholy and independence-seeking ending, but while I did enjoy parts of it, in total I am happy I am done with it. 2.5

This book was equal parts magic and tragedy, with the end result being a truly unforgettable read. ALL the trigger warnings, so reader beware - this one is hard to recommend exactly, but I will certainly not forget my time in Rose and Pierrot's world.