Reviews

Die Ewigkeit in einem Glas: Roman by Jess Kidd

cortnyhelmick's review against another edition

5.0

Truly excellent. I would read a hundred more books like this, except it feels so singularly unique. Highly recommend to anyone who loves a weird/funny/mysterious/sad Dickensian London tale. Definitely macabre but twisty and perfect and sweet.

hbdee's review against another edition

5.0

"As gray as a grave grub she's an eyeful." Is it the lyric quality of it, or the clearly missing comma, that so immediately establishes absolute authority? As soon as you've read Kidd's first sentence, you'll know you're in for a wild ride in gorgeous prose. In Victorian London, a baronet reports the kidnap of his alleged daughter and hires orphaned Bridie aka Bridget Devine, erstwhile apprentice corpse robber for "medical men," to investigate.

Meanwhile the Thames is rising, as are all the underground waterways under the old city, considered tamed so long ago. The rain is pouring, as usual--is it only Bridie who notices the drops are moving in directions that defy gravity?

And then there's the sad, translucent dead man only Bridie can see, clad only in boxers, bandages unraveling on both hands, who speaks to her of a close relationship she's utterly forgotten.

With her seven-foot tall maid Cora, a former circus specimen/attraction, Bridie steps out in various disguises to conquer evil and reaffirm the laws of science. Science, however, doesn't explain everything, as Ms. Devine will soon divine.

Fans of The Essex Serpent will especially love this novel--this one's plot is tighter, at once both more grim and more magical, including one of the most endearingly wicked and repulsive villains ever composed: watch out for Bad Dorca!

jules60657's review against another edition

4.0

Solid 3.5. A very eclectic cast of characters and a beautifully weird whodunnit.

dogearedprints's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed the mystery and supernatural elements of this book. I would have loved a little bit more of what happens to Christabel after the end of the book. Bridie was an excellent character and I enjoyed jumping back into her past to get to know her character a little better. There were some plot points I wanted fleshed out more (like poor Eliza), and a little more on Ruby and his connection to Bridie - that felt rushed. But overall a very good read that pulled me in and didn't let me go.

inuyasha's review against another edition

5.0

jan. botm pick

i fully expected to hate this book - i'm not a fan of british media, detective/cop oriented stories aren't usually my jam, and in the past few years i've favored minimalist prose that this book is the exact opposite of. BUT, it was the only fantasy option BOTM had for january, and i am if anything predictable. and i........... loved it so much ;; it crept up on me kinda slowly, i think the first 50 or so pages had me wary and then it was a struggle to call it a night and put it down. it was less i was caught up in figuring out the 'mystery' (if you can call it that, i do think calling this book a detective/mystery like it was branded is a bit of a stretch, and maybe a bit misleading) and more so that the world building and characters were so good and rich that i really never wanted to leave them. :(( i'm a little sad because it seems like a lot of other BOTM customers didn't vibe with this pick, but i'm hoping for more options like this in months to come!!

def read if you like: fresh takes on fantasy, magical realism, eccentric but fully fleshed characters.

don't read if you don't like: slow burns, lol.

trigger warnings: mentions of sexual assault, physical assaults, semi-gorey medical/surgery descriptions.

murg's review against another edition

2.0

Almost DNF, and took a LONG time to read. The writing was filled with excessive descriptions and metaphors and it made parts of the book difficult to follow.

lilirayreads's review against another edition

5.0

I adored this book and am grieving it being over! Please Jess Kidd, make it a series! I need more Stories with these characters in this glorious world you’ve created.

cynkist's review against another edition

4.0

i really loved this book. it was weird and wonderful and sad and had me rooting for a romance between a living detective and the ghost of a boxer.

took a minute to get into it, but it was a fun and quirky read.

katielovesbooks134's review against another edition

2.0

Scribd audio. I wanted to like this so badly and I just didn’t. I tried twice. Yes, both times were on audio and maybe this is one I need to read, but life is too short. I couldn’t get into the story or the magical realism.

tpl_'s review against another edition

5.0

I’ve read all of Jess Kidd’s novels. I love each one more than the last. She is one of my favorite writers....her characters are gifts.