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colorgardgirl's review against another edition
3.0
It seemed to be extremely well researched, but was very difficult to follow.
ribbonreuben's review against another edition
4.0
Very thorough and presents the information in a readable way. The subject matter can get a little overwhelming at times.
rachelmarisa's review against another edition
3.0
This book could have been half as long and twice as concise. It's dense and I'm not convinced all of the facts add value to the work. In the end, it was a fascinating read for a few reasons, but it was tough to get through.
anfweldon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
3.0
I was excited to read this novel for so long but with the vast number of people involved & the dry way this author writes, it was achingly slow for me. While I did finish the novel, there is very little I can recall in detail. For someone who is looking for an in depth technical l account of the Salem Witch Trails this might be the book for you!
cassiecollins's review against another edition
informative
sad
slow-paced
2.5
I think my main issue with this piece is simply this: I don't know what the goal was here. If it was meant to be a layman's recounting for those unfamiliar with the trials, it's far too long-winded and meandering. If it supposed to be aimed as something for those familiar and wanting to see new perspectives, there's far too little analysis and a distinct lack of new/original takes to make reading the whole thing worthwhile. Ultimately, I just found this to be boring.
leasummer's review against another edition
3.0
This is a heavy book - both literally and figuratively. This is a VERY detailed history of the late 1600s in New England, centered around the Salem witch trials. I got bogged down by the detailed background information - there would be multiple pages about the background/history of a character in the middle of the text regarding the hearings and then it would continue on with the hearings. There is a lot of good historical information about the government, what it meant to be a Puritan and what life was like during the late 1600s. However, this made it tough to just read through. There is little information about the accused and the accusers, due to the lack of historical data on them; it's basically a history on the guys who proceeded over the trials. A majority of the time it read like a textbook - for me, this is a great resource book but not so much a sit down and read history.
I almost abandoned the book, I had to force myself to keep reading - I treated it like a homework assignment. The only thing that kept me going was the interest in the subject, particularly Susannah Martin, who I am a descendant of.
I almost abandoned the book, I had to force myself to keep reading - I treated it like a homework assignment. The only thing that kept me going was the interest in the subject, particularly Susannah Martin, who I am a descendant of.