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silver_valkyrie_reads's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It's a rough read, watching a relationship slowly fall apart. It's also a fascinating theory about Agatha Christie's disappearance, and that part was quite enjoyable.
I was a bit annoyed by the implication that advice to Agatha to put her husband first and let her life revolve around him contributed to the problem. If her husband hadn't been a jerk, and had reciprocated by putting her first in his life, they could have had a perfectly lovely life following this advice. (Well, assuming they'd figured out how to be good parents AND good spouses at the same time, at least.)
I was a bit annoyed by the implication that advice to Agatha to put her husband first and let her life revolve around him contributed to the problem. If her husband hadn't been a jerk, and had reciprocated by putting her first in his life, they could have had a perfectly lovely life following this advice. (Well, assuming they'd figured out how to be good parents AND good spouses at the same time, at least.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Mental illness and Death of parent
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Car accident, and Pregnancy
msjk427's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I've always been fascinated by Ms. Christie's disappearance when I learned of it. There's even a great Doctor Who episode around it. So imagine my delight when I found this gem. This is my second book by Marie Benedict (I enjoyed The Other Einstein earlier this year). This book is intriguing and provides insight into a tumultuous marriage, leaning on how we build people up in our minds. We really are the main characters in our own narratives. And Benedict delves into one of Christie's techniques of unreliable narrators. I loved this interpretation of the motivation for Christie's disappearance and actually could see it as completely feasible. Amnesia or hoax that simultaneously further catapulted her fame and put her philandering husband in his place? The world will never actually know.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and War
Minor: Body shaming, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy