rumore's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
ruthsomerset's review against another edition
3.0
Wasn't sure whether to give this book a 3 or 4 star review as I enjoyed some parts of the story more than others.
I found the story quite confusing, I must confess that I lack any knowledge of the history of Jerusalem at this time to fully understand what was happening.
I liked Prue, the main story teller even though she had dislikeable qualities, I felt sorry for her and understood why she was so aloof and unapproachable.
I think it's the sort of book that needs to be read a second time to be fully appreciated.
I received this book from a give-away on goodreads.
I found the story quite confusing, I must confess that I lack any knowledge of the history of Jerusalem at this time to fully understand what was happening.
I liked Prue, the main story teller even though she had dislikeable qualities, I felt sorry for her and understood why she was so aloof and unapproachable.
I think it's the sort of book that needs to be read a second time to be fully appreciated.
I received this book from a give-away on goodreads.
piratequeen's review against another edition
1.0
The only word I can think of to describe this book is "ugly". It was an unpleasant story involving vain, thoughtless, and cowardly characters, who inflict and suffer misery for no real reason other than because they can. Even the settings -- Jerusalem, London, and the Channel coast -- were presented as cold, unwelcoming, and grim. Unpleasant from start to finish.
sewcialist_librarian's review against another edition
2.0
Mostly about the architect's weird child. Guess that isn't such a good title. There's no story here. Just self-absorbed people floating along in their little bubbles.
abookishtype's review against another edition
2.0
We are usually taught that World War I began, officially, on 28 July 1914 and ended 11 November 1918. History texts and teachers like neat dates; it makes testing easier. When we look closer, the reality is a lot more messy. The Balkan Wars (a significant contributing factor) ran from 1912 to 1913. The French had been pissed off at the Germans, especially the Prussians, since 1870. And the “war” didn’t end for everyone in November of 1918. We we call World War I (and World War II) were really a bunch of conflicts that all blended into one huge, bloody, sprawl. The reason I bring all this up is because Suzanne Joinson’s novel, The Photographer’s Wife, gives us a closer look at the further disintegration of the Ottoman Empire in the Palestinian Mandate after the official end of hostilities. The characters in this book give us a ring side seat as the British try to sort things out, Arabs try to claim independence, and Jews, Armenians, and other ethnic minorities try to hold on to what they’d managed to claim so far. The Photographer’s Wife is also about memory and how some things can never be forgotten...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
jj24's review against another edition
Did Not Finish
15% of the way in I decided to cut my losses and call it a day with this book.
Since I didn't finish I'm not going to assign any stars.
I know that I only read 15%, but even with that amount under my belt I can't explain at all what this book was about, who the characters were, or what was going on with the story.
Not sure if my head just wasn't in this one or if something was just "off"
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
15% of the way in I decided to cut my losses and call it a day with this book.
Since I didn't finish I'm not going to assign any stars.
I know that I only read 15%, but even with that amount under my belt I can't explain at all what this book was about, who the characters were, or what was going on with the story.
Not sure if my head just wasn't in this one or if something was just "off"
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
oliviaoverthinkseverything's review against another edition
2.0
DNF 75%. The premise is fascinating but the characters just aren't there. They all seemed a little crazy and I couldn't understand their motivations. There was also a description of a drunken group rape of a ten year old that really had no bearing on the rest of the plot and it was horrendous to get through. The writing is good at times but overwrought at others. It took me almost two weeks to slog through this far and in the end after looking through the other reviews it didn't seem worth it to push through to the end.
chocolatelady1957's review against another edition
3.0
I just updated my review of Joinson's gloriously written historical fiction novel goes from Jerusalem in 1920 to Shoreham, England in 1937. Find out else I thought of this book in my review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2016/02/13/through-a-darkened-lens/
piratequeen's review
1.0
The only word I can think of to describe this book is "ugly". It was an unpleasant story involving vain, thoughtless, and cowardly characters, who inflict and suffer misery for no real reason other than because they can. Even the settings -- Jerusalem, London, and the Channel coast -- were presented as cold, unwelcoming, and grim. Unpleasant from start to finish.
More...